False Teaching’s Danger: Ὑμέναιος (Strong’s G5211: Hymenaios) Shows Truth’s Importance

Strong’s G5211: A proper name meaning “belonging to Hymen” (Greek god of marriage). In the New Testament, identifies a false teacher who departed from the faith, serving as a warning about the dangers of heresy and the importance of maintaining sound doctrine.

U- Unveiling the Word

Ὑμέναιος appears in the New Testament as a cautionary example of someone who strayed from the faith through false teaching. Paul mentions him specifically as one who had “made shipwreck” of his faith and was later “delivered to Satan.” His error concerning the resurrection (claiming it had already occurred) threatened the foundations of Christian hope. Early church fathers frequently referenced Hymenaeus when warning about the dangers of heresy and the importance of maintaining sound doctrine. Today, this name serves as a sobering reminder that doctrinal error can have severe spiritual consequences and that faithfulness to apostolic teaching remains crucial.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: Ὑμέναιος, Hymenaios, /hoo-men-AH-yos/
• Detailed pronunciation: hoo (as in “who”) – men – AH – yos
• Part of Speech: Proper Noun

Etymology:

• Derived from Ὑμήν (Hymen), Greek god of marriage
• Suffix: -αιος (-aios) indicating “belonging to”
• Common Greek name in the Hellenistic period
• Associated with wedding celebrations

D – Defining Meanings

• Primary meanings:

1. Personal name
2. “Belonging to Hymen”
3. Marriage-related name
4. Example of false teacher

For compound words: Not applicable as this is a proper name

Translation Options:

1. “Hymenaeus” – traditional transliteration
2. “Hymeneus” – alternate spelling
3. “Hymenaios” – direct transliteration

E – Exploring Similar Words

• Φίλητος (Philetos) /fee-LAY-tos/ – another false teacher mentioned with Hymenaeus See G5372
• Ἀλέξανδρος (Alexandros) /al-EX-an-dros/ – associated with Hymenaeus See G223
• ναυαγέω (nauageo) /now-ag-EH-o/ – to shipwreck, used to describe their faith See G3489

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Proper Noun Features:

• Case: Nominative, Accusative, Genitive, Dative
• Number: Singular
• Gender: Masculine
• Declension: Second

Examples:

• Ὑμέναιος (nominative)
• Ὑμέναιον (accusative)
• Ὑμεναίου (genitive)
• Ὑμεναίῳ (dative)

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG presents Hymenaeus as a significant example of apostasy in the early church. Thayer’s connects his error specifically to the doctrine of resurrection. LSJ provides background on the name’s cultural significance in Greek society. Vine’s emphasizes the serious nature of his false teaching. Moulton and Milligan note the name’s occurrence in contemporary documents, showing it was fairly common. The lexicons collectively emphasize how this historical figure serves as a warning about the dangers of departing from sound doctrine.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
1 Timothy 1:20: “Of whom is [Ὑμέναιος] Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

Additional References:
2 Timothy 2:17

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The case of Ὑμέναιος serves as a powerful warning about the importance of maintaining sound doctrine while highlighting God’s gracious provision of truth through His apostles. His error concerning the resurrection reminds us that doctrinal integrity matters deeply to God. The good news is that through the Messiah, we have access to true teaching that leads to life. By holding fast to apostolic doctrine and remaining humble before God’s Word, we can avoid the shipwreck that comes from false teaching.

D – Did You Know?

1. His name ironically means “wedding song” despite his role in disrupting church unity
2. He appears in both letters to Timothy, showing his ongoing negative influence
3. Early church councils cited his case when defining orthodox teaching on resurrection

Strong’s G5211: A proper name meaning “belonging to Hymen” (Greek god of marriage). In the New Testament, identifies a false teacher who departed from the faith, serving as a warning about the dangers of heresy and the importance of maintaining sound doctrine.

Part of speech: Proper Noun (Masculine)

Tags: false teaching, heresy, resurrection, doctrine, apostasy, Timothy, Paul, warning, truth, sound teaching, church discipline, pastoral epistles, early church, orthodoxy, error​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​