Unlocking Scripture With Greek Word StudySýnishorn

Malcontent (Mempsimoiros)

We all know a complainer. Perhaps we’re one. If we are honest about it, I’m certain that we can recall times when we’ve complained about our lot in life and thought, The grass is greener on the other side.

If we don’t walk close to the Holy Spirit, we can fall into this trap so frequently it pushes us away from the presence of the Lord.

God’s Word mentions grumblers in Jude 1:16. Yet these are much more serious complainers because they are taking issue with the laws of God. Jude calls them “malcontents.” The Greek word for “malcontents” here is mempsimoiroi. It is a two-part Greek word that comes from memphomai, which means or “to find fault,” and moira, which means “lot in life.” Together, it describes someone who is always finding fault with their lot in life. 

Jude was clever in selecting mempsimoiros to describe his opponents who complained about God’s laws because it was the same word Theophrastus used for the Grumbler in his book Characters. Jude’s audience would have likely recognized the allusion and understood the parallel right away. 

These individuals were not content with true Christianity. The commands of Jesus had become too much for them to bear. Peeking over the fence, they thought the unbelievers had it better because they could gratify their flesh however they wanted. 

While Jude describes this over 2,000 years ago, we still have “malcontents” or “grumblers” among us today. They are the ones who complain about the moral and ethical requirements of serving Christ and being a Christian. God sees this as serious sin because they are murmuring against His truth. 

Have you seen examples of this today? Are you familiar with ways that God’s laws have been changed by those seeking to live ungodly lifestyles while maintaining a form of supposed “godliness”? At its core, this sort of behavior is grumbling and complaining against God despite every good thing that Jesus Christ has done for us. And it turns God off. 

Instead of finding reasons to whine, we need to find reasons to be thankful. There are good reasons for God’s restrictions. Let’s be happy with our lot as Christians. The grass isn’t greener anywhere else.