Difficult Questions: What Is A Reprobate?

From time to time, we dig into Scripture and seek answers to difficult questions from the Bible. Today, we are asking the question: “What is a reprobate?”

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? II Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Romans 1:28 (KJV)

A reprobate is one who is void of judgment. In the original Greek, it is the word adokimos, and it means not standing the test, rejected, not approved.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:27 (KJV)

In this verse, the word castaway is adokimos, and speaks of being rejected after failing the test. Let’s be clear, messing up at times or failing a test now and then does not make us reprobate. We are in danger of becoming reprobate if we do not continue in Christ until the end. Consistently turning from God makes us void of judgment, or reprobate. It is a progressive and continual disregard for God. It results in a depraved mind and foolish thinking as Romans 1:28 states above.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. II Timothy 3:8 (KJV)

We see the same word in this verse. The men that Paul is speaking of have repetitively resisted God. And we saw in II Corinthians 13:5 that Christ is not in a reprobate. A reprobate’s mind does not think of or consider God. This makes them void of judgment, and they make foolish choices and decisions. After a period of refusing to consider God, a person is rejected by God as one would reject a piece of metal that has failed tests that determine its usefulness. They have a mind that God cannot access, let alone use.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who KNOWING THE JUDGMENT OF GOD, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, NOT ONLY DO THE SAME, BUT HAVE PLEASURE IN THEM THAT DO THEM. Romans 1:18-32 (KJV) emphasis mine

This is a long passage, but we see that the Lord has given a list of behaviors that characterize those He has given up as reprobate. They not only rejected God over and over, but they took pleasure in doing so. They thought they were so smart, but they showed themselves to be foolish and without judgment. God is longsuffering and merciful and gives man plenty of time to repent, but continual rejection hardens the heart to the call of God. As a result, God gave them over to the sinful acts that bring death. He rejected them because their continual rejection of Him had made their thinking so messed up they were never going to receive Him. Therefore, He stopped trying to reach them and allowed them to be overtaken by their sinful, fleshly desires.

We must guard ourselves against a reprobate mind; one void of making sound decisions and choices. We guard against it by loving God and truth, and by keeping our hearts right before the Lord. We guard against becoming reprobate by renewing our minds to the Word of God so we think right. This ensures that we have good judgment to resist sin and to love truth and righteousness. When we are prompt to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we stay sensitive to God’s voice and we avoid becoming reprobate. As we do these things, we will be stable and strong to the end, ready for Jesus’ return.