WG: Confess / Profess / Deny¶
Overview¶
The confession concept in the NT involves words spanning the act of publicly declaring (or refusing to declare) one's convictions, sins, or allegiance. The group includes the core confession verb and its cognates, the intensified compound form, the antonym pair for denial, and the belief verb that confession externalizes.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G3670 | ὁμολογέω | homologeō | verb | 23v | The core action — confess, profess, agree | G3670-homologeo.md |
| G3671 | ὁμολογία | homologia | noun | 6v | The result — the confession/profession itself | TODO(need G3671 study) |
| G3672 | ὁμολογουμένως | homologoumenōs | adverb | 1v | The manner — "confessedly, without controversy" | TODO(need G3672 study) |
| G1843 | ἐξομολογέω | exomologeō | verb | 11v | Intensified form — confess fully, praise, give thanks | G1843-exomologeo.md |
| G720 | ἀρνέομαι | arneomai | verb | 28v | The antonym — deny, disown | TODO(need G720 study) |
| G533 | ἀπαρνέομαι | aparneomai | verb | 13v | Strengthened antonym — deny utterly | TODO(need G533 study) |
| G4100 | πιστεύω | pisteuō | verb | 220v | The internal correlate — believe (heart) paired with confess (mouth) | G4100-pisteuo.md |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- homologeō (G3670), homologia (G3671), homologoumenōs (G3672) — all from ὁμός + λέγω ("say the same thing")
- exomologeō (G1843) — ἐκ + ὁμολογέω (intensified compound)
- arneomai (G720), aparneomai (G533) — ἀρνέομαι root; ἀπό intensifies the denial
Co-occurrence (shared verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| homologeō (G3670) | pisteuō (G4100) | 4 (19% / 2%) | believe-confess pair: John 12:42, Rom 10:9 |
| homologeō (G3670) | arneomai (G720) | 3 (14% / 11%) | confess vs. deny antithesis: John 1:20 |
| homologeō (G3670) | homologia (G3671) | 1 (5% / 17%) | "professed a good profession" 1 Tim 6:12 |
| arneomai (G720) | aparneomai (G533) | 1 (4% / 8%) | deny before men: Luke 12:9 |
| exomologeō (G1843) | pisteuō (G4100) | 1 (9% / <1%) | believed and confessed deeds: Acts 19:18 |
Semantic Contrast Pairs¶
- homologeō ↔ arneomai — The primary confess/deny axis. John 1:20 uses both in a single sentence: "he confessed, and denied not." The Titus 1:16 indictment reverses them: "they profess... but in works they deny."
- pisteuō ↔ homologeō — Internal conviction vs. external declaration. Rom 10:9–10 distinguishes them precisely: "with the heart man believeth... with the mouth confession is made."
- homologeō ↔ exomologeō — Both translate "confess" but exomologeō dominates in LXX praise/thanksgiving contexts (rendering Hebrew yadah), while homologeō dominates in NT christological and soteriological confession.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Internal conviction: pisteuō (G4100) — believing in the heart
- External declaration: homologeō (G3670) — confessing with the mouth
- Intensified declaration: exomologeō (G1843) — full acknowledgment, praise
- The declaration itself: homologia (G3671) — the confession/profession as a noun
- Refusal to declare: arneomai (G720) — denial, disowning
- Emphatic refusal: aparneomai (G533) — utter denial (Peter's denial of Christ)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- John 1:20 — homologeō + arneomai: "And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ."
- John 12:42 — pisteuō + homologeō (negated): "Many believed on him; but... they did not confess him."
- Rom 10:9–10 — homologeō + pisteuō: "confess with thy mouth... believe in thine heart... with the mouth confession is made."
- 1 Tim 6:12 — homologeō + homologia: "hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."
- Luke 12:8–9 — homologeō (v.8) + arneomai/aparneomai (v.9): confess me / deny me before men.
- Acts 19:18 — pisteuō + exomologeō: "many that believed came, and confessed."
- Titus 1:16 — homologeō + arneomai: "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him."
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-05