[Greek] ἐκτρέπω (ektrepō), [Latin] convertere, [Latin] devitare, [Latin] errare, [French] tourner, [French] se changer: to turn away, to avoid, to put out of joint, to turn aside, to deflect, to sprain, to shun; 1Tim.1:6, 1Tim.5:15, 1Tim.6:20, 2Tim.4:4, Heb.12:13
Such turning can lead to one to lose one’s principles
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to turn off, to turn aside, to shift, to diverge, to devote one’s attention to, to prevent, to flee, and to deflect.
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon 1464: “Do not burden yourself with such thoughts as these. Nor yet turn your wrath upon Helen.”
Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes 628: “Gods, hear our just prayers and fulfill them. Turn aside the evils suffered in war on to those who invade our land.”
Herodotus’ The Histories 2.80: “There is a custom: younger mean, encountering their elders, yield the way and stand aside, and rise from their seats.”
Aristophanes’ Plutus 837: “But they turned their backs upon me and pretended not to see me.”
Euripides’ Bacchae 799: “And it will be a source of shame that you turn away from the thyrsoi of the Bacchae.”
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus 851: “Even if he should diverge somewhat from his former story, he can show it is truly square with the prophecy.”
Plato’s Republic 8.453c: “They devote their entire attention to the care of themselves and the state.”
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus 806: “The leader and the old man himself tried to thrust me rudely from the path.”
Old Testament: This term means to turn about, to turn over, to change, to overturn, to pervert, to turn on someone, and to be converted.
New Testament: This term means to deviate, to turn away, to divert, and to avoid. Paul, warning against false doctrine, states that some have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk. Some have already turned away to Satan. Paul warns Timothy to safeguard the faith handed to him and to avoid babbling and absurdities of so-called knowledge. Some will stop listening to the truth and be diverted to myths. Hebrews states that the Christian life requires discipline. One must remove obstacles so that one will not stumble and stray with sprained feet.
Scripture:
“And will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.” 2Tim.4:4
There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but follow their own desire and insatiable curiosities. They will stop listening to the truth.
“Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.” Heb.12:13
The Christian path is often filled with obstacles. One must tread carefully lest one is injured. A sprained foot may cause one to stray or falter.
“O, Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so-called knowledge.” 1Tim.6:20
Paul warns about heretical teachers (and teachings). This faith must be safeguarded.
Conclusion:
Convert, conversion, turn, change, deviate, deviation, error
In Greek Hellenism, it was interesting to discover the more nuanced meanings of this term: devoting oneself to, yielding, forcing, and fleeing.
In this post-modern Christian world, there continues to be tension between Christian values and the world’s values. There is also tension between traditional Christian beliefs and more liberal Christian beliefs.
Chesterton, the apostle of common sense, warns against being too open-minded and potentially losing one’s core Christian principles (moral compass).
Update: The world rightly continues to turn their wrath (and sanctions) against Russia.
Many Catholics and Christians, turning away from traditional Catholic (and Christian) teachings, now support abortion.
Many of us are now are already pleading asking God to turn aside that evil that comes from foreign countries and from our neighborhoods.
Russia continues to battle the Ukrainians in eastern Ukraine.
It seems that the Biden administration (Commerce secretary) has turned its back in doing something about the American peoples’ concerns about rising gas prices.
The Biden Administration has given up trying to secure our southern border.
Instead, the Biden administration is turning to Iran and Venezuela for more oil.
Polling continues to turn downward against the Biden administration.
The American people will make their unfavorable opinions known when they turn to the ballot box in November.
The Biden administration continue to deflect and turn away from responsibility for the infant formula crisis.
Oftentimes the demand for tolerance (to turn for acceptance) of [fill in the blank] can become an underhanded form of intolerance against others. (In others words, you are a bigot for not doing this!)
Politicians and local leaders, at the very least, must focus their attention in bolstering security for schools.
Now we are left with another tragic shooting at a school where security procedures were neglected. We cannot abandon those families who lost loved ones and who left behind parents. No excuses must remain for these failures. Both political sides must continue to be open to work together in addressing these problems. Government and politicians need to turn their attention to solving our nations problems, rather than leaving the American people in the lurch with debt and high energy costs. As it turns out, our policies are leaving behind an image of weakness and ineptitude. Many can no longer relate to these policies which left us further behind. To be honest with you (to allow the truth to remain, the American people will turn and make their voices known this November.
Next post: Abandoning and leaving behind