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There are two little particles here (men and de), often left untranslated in the A.V., that
must not be passed by without comment. Men is defined as a "conjunction implying
affirmation or concession", while de is "generally placed in opposition to it in an
adversative sentence". The two words occur, for example, in II Tim. 4: 4:
"And they will indeed turn away their ears from the truth, yet unto fables they will be
turned aside."
The particles are also used several times by Peter in his first epistle:
"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested
in these last times for you" (I Pet. 1: 20).
"Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious" (I Pet. 2: 4).
"Being put to death indeed in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit" (I Pet. 3: 18).
"That indeed they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit" (I Pet. 4: 6).
The English expression, "On the one hand . . . . . on the other hand", would often be a
suitable translation of these two words men and de. In II Tim. 1: 10, for example, the
Saviour came, on the one hand to abolish death, but on the other hand to bring life and
immortality to light. Let us ponder these two sides of His gracious work.
First--He hath abolished death. The word katargeo, "to abolish", reminds us of the
reference to "not according to our works" in II Tim. 1: 9, for the word is a compound
made up of kata, an intensive preposition, and argos, "idle", "not working"=from a,
"not" and ergon, "work". The word katargeo enters so intimately into the Apostle's
teaching that we must spare no pains to possess ourselves of its meaning.
The true significance of the word cannot be settled merely by its dictionary meaning.
We must also examine its usage. We note first that no other writings, outside Paul's
epistles, contains the word, except the Gospel according to Luke. As Luke is specially
associated with Paul and his ministry, we may say, therefore, that the word is exclusively
Pauline in its usage.
The Usage of Katargeo in the N.T. (A.V. renderings).
"Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" (Luke 13: 7).
"Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Rom. 3: 3).
"Do we then make void the law through faith?" (Rom. 3: 31).
"The promise made of none effect" (Rom. 4: 14).
"That the body of sin might be destroyed" (Rom. 6: 6).
"She is loosed from the law of her husband" (Rom. 7: 2).
"Now we are delivered from the law" (Rom. 7: 6).
"To bring to nought the things that are" (I Cor. 1: 28).
"The wisdom . . . . . of the princes of this world, that come to nought" (I Cor. 2: 6).
"God shall destroy both it and them" (I Cor. 6: 13).
"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail" (I Cor. 13: 8).
"Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away" (I Cor. 13: 8).
"That which is in part shall be done away" (I Cor. 13: 10).
"When I became a man I put away childish things" (I Cor. 13: 11).