αὐτοκατάκριτος

self-condemned

Definition

The adjective αὐτοκατάκριτος (autokatakritos) means 'self-condemned' or 'condemned by one's own judgment.' It describes a person who, through their own actions and persistent, divisive behavior, has effectively passed judgment on themselves, demonstrating their own guilt and unrepentant state. In its sole biblical occurrence in Titus 3:11, it characterizes a factious person who, after repeated warnings, stands self-convicted, having rejected correction and community. The term implies an internal, moral self-condemnation that is outwardly evident in disruptive conduct.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Titus 3:11. It is employed in a pastoral context regarding church discipline. The Apostle Paul instructs Titus to reject a factious person after a first and second warning, because such a person is 'warped and sinful and self-condemned.' The usage highlights a pattern of unrepentant divisiveness where the individual's own actions serve as the evidence and mechanism of their condemnation, making further church correction futile.

Etymology

Derived from the combination of three Greek elements: αὐτός (autos, 'self'), κατά (kata, 'down, against'), and κρίνω (krinō, 'to judge, decide'). It is a compound adjective literally meaning 'self-judged-against' or 'judged against by oneself.' It is a rare, possibly Pauline coinage in the New Testament, vividly encapsulating the idea of self-incurred judgment through one's obstinate behavior.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it touches on doctrines of sin, repentance, and church discipline. It illustrates that persistent, unrepentant sin—especially the sin of causing divisions (Titus 3:10)—can lead to a state where a person is so aligned against the truth that they stand self-convicted before God and the community. Understanding this Greek term enriches reading by emphasizing that condemnation is not merely an external verdict but can be the natural, evident consequence of one's own chosen path away from reconciliation and truth.

In the Greco-Roman and Jewish cultural context, maintaining community harmony was a high value. A 'factious' person (αἱρετικὸν, hairetikon in Titus 3:10) threatened the social and religious cohesion of the early house churches. The concept of being 'self-condemned' would resonate in a setting where public reputation and honor were paramount; one's own actions provided the definitive testimony against them, making their exclusion from the community a recognized and necessary step to preserve its health.

κατάκριτος (katakritos, G2632) — means 'condemned' generally, without the specific reflexive, self-incurred sense of αὐτοκατάκριτος.

Word Details

Scripture References