A rare noun meaning 'refutation' or 'being brought into disrepute.' Found only in Acts 19:27, where Demetrius fears Paul's preaching will bring Artemis's temple 'into disrepute.'
When the living God is truly proclaimed, man-made gods lose their credibility. The silversmith's panic confirms the gospel's power: only a truly living God can threaten the livelihood of those who profit from false ones. 'The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God' (1 Corinthians 1:18).