Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Overview:Experience, in a biblical context, refers to the knowledge or skill acquired through involvement in or exposure to events or activities. It is often associated with wisdom, understanding, and discernment, which are highly valued in Scripture. Experience is seen as a means through which God teaches and refines His people, shaping their character and faith.
Biblical Significance:The Bible frequently highlights the importance of experience in the life of a believer. It is through experience that individuals grow in their relationship with God and gain practical wisdom. The Scriptures often illustrate how personal experiences, whether trials or blessings, contribute to spiritual maturity.
Key Biblical References:1.
James 1:2-4 : "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
· This passage emphasizes that trials and challenges are experiences that test and strengthen faith, leading to spiritual maturity.
2.
Romans 5:3-5 : "Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
· Here, Paul outlines a progression where experience through suffering leads to the development of character and hope, underscoring the transformative power of experience.
3.
Proverbs 3:5-6 : "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
· This proverb advises believers to trust in God rather than solely relying on their own experiences or understanding, highlighting the balance between human experience and divine guidance.
4.
Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 : "I said to myself, 'Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.' And I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases."
· Solomon reflects on his extensive experiences and the wisdom gained, acknowledging the limitations and burdens that can accompany human understanding.
The Role of Experience in Spiritual Growth:Experience is a tool used by God to cultivate spiritual growth and maturity. Through various life experiences, believers learn to trust God more deeply, develop perseverance, and gain insights that align with biblical truths. The process of experiencing life's ups and downs is integral to developing a robust and resilient faith.
Examples from Scripture:·
Job: The account of Job is a profound example of how personal suffering and experience can lead to a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty and faithfulness. Despite his intense trials, Job's experience ultimately brought him closer to God and enriched his faith.
·
David: King David's life was marked by a wide range of experiences, from shepherding to kingship, and from triumphs to failures. His psalms often reflect the lessons learned through these experiences, demonstrating a heart that seeks after God despite life's challenges.
·
Paul: The Apostle Paul's missionary journeys and the hardships he faced are testament to how experience can be used by God to spread the Gospel and strengthen the church. His letters often draw from his personal experiences to teach and encourage others.
Conclusion:Experience, as depicted in the Bible, is a vital component of the Christian journey. It serves as a means through which God imparts wisdom, builds character, and deepens faith. Through the lens of Scripture, believers are encouraged to view their experiences as opportunities for growth and to trust in God's purpose and plan for their lives.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Trial, as a test or experiment.
2. (n.) The effect upon the judgment or feelings produced by any event, whether witnessed or participated in; personal and direct impressions as contrasted with description or fancies; personal acquaintance; actual enjoyment or suffering.
3. (n.) An act of knowledge, one or more, by which single facts or general truths are ascertained; experimental or inductive knowledge; hence, implying skill, facility, or practical wisdom gained by personal knowledge, feeling or action; as, a king without experience of war.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
EXPERIENCEeks-pe'-ri-ens:
This word is employed 3 times. InGenesis 30:27 the King James Version, Laban says, to Jacob, "I have learned by experience (the Revised Version (British and American) "divined") that Yahweh hath blessed me for thy sake." Here it translates the Hebrew nachash, "to observe diligently," as when one examines the entrails of a bird or animal for the purpose of divination. InEcclesiastes 1:16, the writer says, "I have gotten me great wisdom.; my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge." Here the Hebrew (ra'ah) means "hath seen abundantly," and the idea seems to be that of a wide outlook combined with actual trial of the things discovered or known.
InRomans 5:4 the King James Version, the Greek word dokime (the American Standard Revised Version more correctly "approvedness"), means the proof or testing of a thing. We rejoice in tribulation because it works out or produces patience, while the latter develops an experience of God, i.e. it brings out as a proved fact His power and love toward us in our preservation in and deliverance from trial.
Thus it is seen the Bible use of the word is not different from the ordinary, which means "the sum of practical wisdom taught by the events and observations of life," or, to go a little farther, the personal and practical acquaintance with what is so taught.Hebrews 5:13 gives a good practical example. the King James Version says, "Every one that useth milk is unskillful (apeiros) in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe," while the Revised Version (British and American) renders "unskilful" by "without experience of." The thought is that he who fails to search out the deep things of the word of God is so lacking in the exercise of his spiritual senses as to be unable really to know truth from error.
James M. Gray
Greek
552. apeiros -- withoutexperience of... without
experience of. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: apeiros Phonetic
Spelling: (ap'-i-ros) Short Definition: inexperienced, unskillful Definition
...3708. horao -- to see, perceive, attend to
... perceive, attend to. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: horao Phonetic Spelling:
(hor-ah'-o) Short Definition: I see, look upon,experience Definition: I see...
2210. zemioo -- to damage, suffer loss
... of the penalty, even when the verb is passive. 2210 (from 2209 , "loss") -- to cause
orexperience (), especially carrying a penalty (significant detriment)....
2334. theoreo -- to look at, gaze
... to look at, gaze. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: theoreo Phonetic Spelling:
(theh-o-reh'-o) Short Definition: I behold, look at,experience Definition: I...
1089. geuomai -- to taste, eat
... to taste, eat. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: geuomai Phonetic Spelling:
(ghyoo'-om-ahee) Short Definition: I taste,experience Definition: (a) I taste...
1382. dokime -- (the process or result of) trial, proving...
...experience, proof, trial. From the same as dokimos; test (abstractly or concretely);
by implication, trustiness --experience(-riment), proof, trial....
3805. pathetos -- one who has suffered or is subject to suffering
... Cognate: 3805 (an adjective, derived from 3958, "toexperience strong feeling, such
as suffering") -- properly, "passable, ie endued with the , " (J. Thayer)....
2552. kakopatheia -- affliction
... Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kakopatheia Phonetic Spelling:
(kak-op-ath'-i-ah) Short Definition: suffering Definition:experience of evil...
3958. pascho -- to suffer, to be acted on
... Spelling: (pas'-kho) Short Definition: I am acted upon, suffer Definition: I am
acted upon in a certain way, either good or bad; Iexperience ill treatment...
619. apolausis -- enjoyment
... enjoyment. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: apolausis Phonetic Spelling:
(ap-ol'-ow-sis) Short Definition: the faculty orexperience of enjoyment...
Strong's Hebrew
5172. nachash -- to practice divination, observe signs... certainly, divine, enchanter, use enchantment, learn by
experience, diligently
observe. A primitive root; properly, to hiss, ie Whisper
...7200. raah -- to see
... 1), consider (13), considered (1), display (1), displayed (1), distinguish (1),
encountered (1), enjoy (1), enjoy* (3), examined (1),experience (1), exposed (1...
Library
The Anvil ofExperience.
... The Jordan: The Decisive Start The Anvil ofExperience.Experience is going
through a thing yourself, and having it go through you....
A PersonalExperience.
... A PersonalExperience.... O God, is this all of thy kingdom upon the earth? I would
question the older members of our congregation about theirexperience....
Experience.
... THE SOUL. XXIV.EXPERIENCE. (IN IMITATION OF A FAVOURITE WELSH MEASURE.)
2,8,8,8,8,8. Sweet, sweet,. It is with thine, my God, to meet,....
WhetherExperience is a Cause of Hope?
... OF THE IRASCIBLE PASSIONS, AND FIRST, OF HOPE AND DESPAIR (EIGHT ARTICLES)
Whetherexperience is a cause of hope? Objection 1: It...
Experience the Value of Testimony.
...EXPERIENCE THE VALUE OF TESTIMONY. It has pleased God... and obedience. For years
my religiousexperience was most unsatisfactory. I was...
Experience, Resolve, and Hope
... VOLUME II: PSALMS LI to CXLVEXPERIENCE, RESOLVE, AND HOPE. 'Thou hast delivered...
the living.'. Ourexperience yields fuel for our faith. We...
May the Nineteenth the Rock ofExperience
... MAY The Nineteenth THE ROCK OFEXPERIENCE. JOHN ix.26-41. The Lord... too!
First, he stood upon his own inalienableexperience. "One...
ChristianExperience.
... THE VALUE OF A PRAYING MOTHER CHAPTER XI. CHRISTIANEXPERIENCE.... This I promised God
to do at any cost, and asked him to give me a Bibleexperience....
PersonalExperience
... CHAPTER XIII PersonalExperience. In conclusion I desire to add my humble testimony
of a personalexperience of the glorious work of entire sanctification....
Travel. A PersonalExperience.
... IX. TRAVEL. A PERSONALEXPERIENCE. We have set in order... limited, imperfect
journey. AN EYE-OPEN AND EAR-OPENEXPERIENCE. One is...
Thesaurus
Experience (28 Occurrences)... inductive knowledge; hence, implying skill, facility, or practical wisdom gained
by personal knowledge, feeling or action; as, a king without
experience of war
...Christianity
... Contrasted Estimates of our Lord's Person (1) The Non-Believing Estimate-not Truly
Historical (2) The Believing Estimate-Relation toExperience 6. Christianity...
Taste (46 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To become acquainted with by actual trial; to essay; toexperience;
to undergo.... 16. (n.) Essay; trial;experience; experiment. 17....
Expert (59 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Taught by use, practice, orexperience, experienced; having facility of
operation or performance from practice; knowing and ready from much practice...
Prove (83 Occurrences)
... to prove a will. 4. (vt) To gainexperience of the good or evil of; to know
by trial; toexperience; to suffer. 5. (vt) To test, evince...
Miracle (15 Occurrences)
... They are credible just as any facts of history well authenticated are credible.
Miracles, it is said, are contrary toexperience....
Adoption (5 Occurrences)
... THE CHRISTIANEXPERIENCE 1. In Relation to Justification 2. In Relation to
Sanctification 3. In Relation to Regeneration IV.... III. The ChristianExperience....
Conversion (1 Occurrence)
... " `To be converted,' `to be regenerated,' `to receive grace,' `toexperience religion,'
`to gain an assurance,' are so many phrases which denote the process...
Johannine
... jo-han'-in,-in: I. THE ANTECEDENTS 1. Personality of Writer 2. Earlier New Testament
Writings 3. ChristianExperience and Teaching of History 4. Widening...
Experienced (23 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 11:2 And be certain in your minds this day; for these words are not
said to your children, who have had noexperience of the training of the Lord...
Resources
What does the Bible say about an out of body experience / astral projection? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to have a wilderness experience? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I experience joy in my Christian life? | GotQuestions.orgExperience: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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