—REVIEW—
According to 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 6:10 the Greek word loidoros points to a disfellowshipping offense. The word does not occur elsewhere in the Christian Greek Scriptures and because any context is lacking we cannot know the semantic range of the word.
The Septuagint was extensively used by the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures, and its use of the word group loidoros, loidoria, loidoresis can throw some light on the meaning of loidoros in 1 Corinthians. The word group refers to “quarrel, strife, dispute, contention, reviling, and rebellion,” and these meanings must be connected with loidoros in 1 Corinthians, chapters 5 and 6.
These Septuagint meanings are confirmed because they fall within the semantic range of the word group in the Christian Greek Scriptures, namely, “revile, abuse or curse.”
The comments on the disfellowshipping offense “revile” in the book “Shepherd the Flock of God” are helpful because they stress that only in extreme situations will a person be disfellowshipped because of reviling. Emphasizing that loidoros is a characteristic of a person who is in line for disfellowshipping and that the person is permeated by this characteristic would have been even more helpful for the elders.
One of the Greek words that is a scriptural basis for disfellowshipping is loidoros. This word occurs in 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 6:10 and is translated as “revilers,” both by NWT13 and NWT84. NRSV and other translations uses “revilers” as well, while NIV and other translations use “slanderers.” Because the Greek word only occurs two times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, there is no context that can help us see the semantic range of the word.
THE USE OF LOIDOROS AND COGNATE WORDS IN THE SEPTUAGINT
The writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures used the Septuagint translation extensively, and the three times loidoros occur in the Septuagint will help us to differentiate between the meanings “reviler” and “slanderer.”
Proverbs 25:24 (NWT13) says:
Better to dwell on a corner of the roof than in the same house as a quarrelsome (loidoros) wife.
The footnote to “quarrelsome” in NWT13 says: “Or ‘nagging’,” and NWT84 uses the word “contentious,” which refers to one who “causes a lot of disagreement and arguments.”[1] The Hebrew word used is mādōn (“dissention, quarrel, strife, contention”), and the corresponding Greek word in the Septuagint is loidoros. In the two following scriptures, the Hebrew word is also mādōn and the Greek word is loidoros. Proverbs 26:21 (above) and 27:15 (below) say:
As charcoal for the embers and wood for the fire. So a contentious (loidoros) man kindles a quarrel.
A quarrelsome (loidoros) wife is like a constantly leaking roof on a rainy day.
The definition of “slander” is: “the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation; a false and defamatory oral statement about a person.”[2] The definition of “reviling” is “to subject to verbal abuse.”[3] It is clear that loidoros in the Septuagint does not refer to slander but to verbal abuse that causes strife. The verb loidoreō occurs eight times in the Septuagint, and the meaning is “to quarrel, revile.” This is seen in the account of Meribah in Numbers 20:13:
These are the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled (loidoreō) with Jehovah.
The substantive loidorēsis has the meaning “insulting,” and we read in Exodus 17:7:
So he named the place Massah and Meribah (loidorēsis) because of the quarreling (loidoria) of the Isrealites and because they put Jehovah to the test.
The Hebrew word is rīb (“strife, dispute”), and the word massā means “trial, test,” and the word merībā means “quarreling, strife, rebellion.” For merībā the Septuagint uses loidorēsis and “quarreling” is translated from loidoria. The word loidoria means “insult, cursing, reviling,” and it is used four times in the Septuagint, as in Proverbs 20:3:
It is honorable for a man to refrain for a dispute (loidoria). But every fool will become embroiled in it.
The Hebrew word is rīb (“strife dispute”) and the NIV uses “strife” instead of “dispute.”
The common denominator for the word group loidoros, loidoreō, loidoresis, and loidoria in the Septuagint is “quarrel, strife, dispute, contention, reviling, rebellion,” and there is nothing that relates to “slander.”
| Loidoros and cognate words in the Septuagint have the meaning “quarrel, strife, dispute, contention, reviling, rebellion” and never the meaning “slander.” |
[1]. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/contentious.
[2]. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slander.
[3] . https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revile.
THE USE OF LOIDOROS IN THE CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES
The verb loidoreō (“revile, abuse”) occurs four times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and we read in John 9:28, Acts 23:4, 1 Corinthians 4:12, and 1 Peter 2:23 (in descending order):
At this they scornfully (loidoreō) told him: “You are a disciple of that man, but we are disciples of Moses.”
Those standing by said: “Are you insulting (loidoreō) the high priest of God?”
When insulted (loidoreō), we bless; when persecuted, we patiently endure.
When was being insulted (loidoreō), he did not insult in return (antiloidoreō).
The NWT84 uses the word “revile” whereas NWT13 has “insult” and “scornfully.” The NIV has “hurled insults” in John 9:28, “insult” in Acts 23:4, “cursed” in 1 Corinthians 4:12, and “hurled insults” in 1 Peter 2:23. The rendering “cursed” in 1 Corinthians 4:12 is particularly appropriate because of the antonym “bless.”
The word loidoria (“insult, cursing, reviling”) occurs three times in the Christian Greek Scriptures, and we read in 1 Timothy 5:14 (above) and 2 Peter 3:9 (below):
Therefore, I desire the younger widows to marry to bear children, to manage a household, to give no opportunity to the opposer to criticize (loidoria).
Do not pay back injury for injury or insult (loidoria) for insult (loidoria). Instead, repay with a blessing.
The NWT84 has “revile” instead of “criticize” in 1 Timothy 5:14 and “reviling” in 1 Peter 3:9.
The common denominator of the word group loidoros, loidoreō, and loidoria in the Christian Greek Scriptures seems to be “revile,” “abuse” or “curse.” The renderings “insult” and “criticize” in the NWT13 seem to be too weak. This is particularly seen in the light of being a loidoros represents disfellowshipping offenses. A person will not be disfellowshipped for doing or saying something that is rude or offensive, which is the meaning of insulting someone. And a person will not be disfellowshipped for criticizing someone. But a person who continually curses or reviles and is permeated by these negative characteristics should be disfellowshipped. As we have seen of the use in the Septuaging, the concept “slander” is nonexistent in connection with this word group.
| Loidoros and cognate words in the Christian Greek Scriptures have the meaning “revile, abuse, or “curse,” and never the meaning “slander.” |
THE COMMENTS ON “REVILE” IN SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD
The following comments are found in the book for elders:
Reviling: (1 Cor. 6:10; it-2 pp. 801-802; lvs p. 164) Reviling involves subjecting a person to insulting speech, heaping abuse upon him. The body of elders should weigh the circumstances and extent of wrongdoing so as to determine whether a judicial committee should be formed. Elders should not be quick to take judicial action; a judicial committee would be formed only if the reviling is extreme, disrupts the peace of the congregation, and persists despite repeated counsel.
These comments are helpful because they stress that being disfellowshipped for reviling should only occur in extreme situations, when the reviling has occurred over a long time and the person refuses to stop. But it would have been more helpful for the elders if it was pointed out that the word loidoros (“reviler”) is a nomen agentis, which shows the personality of the person—he or she is permeated by reviling or cursing.
The conclusion is that a person who is permeated by reviling or cursing must be disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation (1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10). But slander, that the book for elders list as a disfellowshipping offense, is not a disfellowshipping offense—a word with the meaning “slander” does not occur in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
CONCLUSION
From the discussion above we conclude that a person who is permeated by reviling or cursing must be disfellowshipped from the Christian congregation (1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10). But slander, that the Shepherd book lists as a disfellowshipping offense, is not a disfellowshipping offense—a word with the meaning “slander” does not occur in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
