TL

“Concerning Lexicons – how do you gauge which one is giving the most accurate rendering of the Greek word?”

Lots of research. Most of them are decent except when it comes to controversial issues. The best ones do not rely upon the Bible for examples of usage, but rely upon the way the word was used in the era of the NT or OT. Scott and Liddell is good. I also have New International Dictionary of OT and NT Theology that has good research. There are also many studies on individual words by reputable scholars that will help. Cheryl has a good set of research tools she uses.