Greek word · G5542

χρηστολογία

chrēstologia

smooth talk

Speech that sounds kind, gracious or reasonable. From chrēstos ('kind, good, useful') + logos ('word'). It usually means plausible, ingratiating talk, the kind of speech that wins people over.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

χρηστολογία, -ας, ἡ

(χρηστός, λέγω),

fair speaking: in bad sense, Romans 16:18 (in good sense also, eccl.).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Romans 16:18

Range of meaning

Speech that sounds kind, gracious or reasonable. From chrēstos ('kind, good, useful') + logos ('word'). It usually means plausible, ingratiating talk, the kind of speech that wins people over.

Against the English

KJV has 'good words', which could suggest the words really were good. BSB, NIV and ESV have 'smooth talk', which keeps the negative sense. WEB and NASB have 'smooth ... speech'.

How it drifted

No real drift. KJV's 'good words' is literal, but a modern reader can miss its irony.

Used elsewhere in the period

Rare. Its only New Testament use is here. BDAG cites the Latin Historia Augusta (Life of Pertinax 13.5), which says people called the emperor Pertinax a chrēstologos, 'one who spoke well and acted badly'. That is exactly the gap between words and conduct that Paul is describing.

Similar words

Where it appears

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 16:18 χρηστολογίας smooth talk

    For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

    Here: Literally 'kind-' or 'good-talk'. It means speech that sounds gracious and agreeable. Its only New Testament use is here, and the word carried a sense of pleasant words that cover bad intent.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.