G1128 γυμνάζω (gymnázō)

Trained (1128) (gumnazo or gymnazo from gumnós = "naked" or minimally clothed and descriptive of the common practice of males in the Greco Roman "gymnasia" source of English "gymnasium", "gymnastics") literally meant to exercise naked in the palaestra (a school in ancient Greece or Rome for sports). Vine says it means to “to strive with the body stripped,” i.e., strenuously." Gumnazo (gymnazo) is used 4 times in the NT (1 Tim 4:7; Heb 5:14; 12:11; 2 Pet 2:14) and is translated: discipline, 1; trained, 3. All 4 uses in the KJV are translated "exercise". There are no uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint. Gumnazo means to exercise bodily and described an athlete exercising in the gym. Figuratively gumnazo means to exercise so as to discipline oneself (in the moral or ethical "gym") or to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind. It describes the rigorous, strenuous, self-sacrificing training an athlete undergoes. What a lurid picture Peter paints sparing no word picture to expose these charlatans! The Greek word conveys the idea of rigorous, strenuous training that Olympic hopefuls were willing to endure in order to qualify to compete for the coveted prize. These false teachers have taken their wicked unredeemed hearts (their standing for the reason, the will, and the emotions) to the "gym of evil thoughts and deeds" and like dedicated athletes have exercised themselves diligently to achieve their goal, in this case to be professionals in the arena of greed! (contrast "godliness" the "prize" believers are to be "training" for 1Ti 4:7[note]) The NIV says these men are "they are experts in greed." Their motive was not to serve others but to procure more and more for themselves through others. Trained is in the perfect tense indicating a past completed action with ongoing effect and thus clearly speaks of the permanence of their state of greed! These false teachers had lived in a heart atmosphere of covetousness for so long that their heart condition was one of a permanent state. The Jewish historian Josephus uses gymnazo in his description of the Roman soldier writing that... their military exercises differ not at all from the real use of their arms, but every soldier is every day exercised (gymnazo), and that with great diligence, as if it were in time of war which is the reason why they bear the fatigue of battles so easily. (Josephus, F. The Works of Josephus. Wars 3.73) The writer of Hebrews uses the "gumnazo" calling saints to train themselves not for greed but for growth in discernment writing that solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained (gymnazo) to discern good and evil. (see note Hebrews 5:14) The vitality of your spiritual life depends on your "diet". Are you taking in solid food so that you will be able to recognize these false teachers and not "be carried away by varied and strange teachings" (Heb 13:9-note) remembering that Peter has already warned us that these "snakes" will not walk in the fellowship and declare "I am a false teacher" but will "slither" in and "secretly introduce destructive heresies. (2Pe 2:1-note) Paul uses gymnazo in his first epistle to Timothy drawing on the athletic metaphor to exhort his young disciple to... "have nothing to do with (continually refuse, shun, reject) worldly (profane in contrast to sacred, void of piety, opposite of holy that which is set apart to God) fables (myths) fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline (gymnazo = present tense calls for rigorous, strenuous, self-sacrificing training like an athlete) yourself for the purpose of godliness (NIV = "train yourself to be godly") for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (see notes 1Timothy 4:7; 1Timothy 4:8) The last use of gymnazo is found in Hebrews where we find the encouraging truth that... "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained (gymnazo) by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (see note Hebrews 12:11) Kenneth Wuest comments on the use of gymnazo in relation to discipline explaining that "Here (gymnazo) refers to the spiritual exercise which the recipients went through as a result of the persecutions which in the last analysis were the chastening hand of God. That spiritual exercise consisted of the struggles of the soul, the battle between the determination to go back to the (Jewish) temple sacrifices and thus escape the persecutions, or to go on to faith in the High Priest of the New Testament in spite of them. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) There is one use of gymnazo in the apocrypha (2 Maccabees 10:15) in which which is used to mean harass, wear out or distress Besides this, the Idumeans, who had control of important strongholds, were harassing the Jews; they received those who were banished from Jerusalem, and endeavored to keep up the war. 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