Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of biblical literature and theology, the term "Mover" is not explicitly used as a title or name for God or any biblical figure. However, the concept of God as the "Prime Mover" or the initiator of all things is a theme that resonates throughout Scripture. This idea aligns with the philosophical notion of God as the "Unmoved Mover," a term famously used by Aristotle and later adopted by Christian theologians to describe God's role as the ultimate cause of all that exists.
God as Creator and SustainerThe Bible begins with the assertion of God as the Creator, the one who initiates the existence of the universe.
Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." This foundational verse establishes God as the ultimate source and initiator of all creation. The act of creation itself is a demonstration of God's power to move from nothingness to existence, setting into motion the cosmos and all life within it.
Furthermore, God's role as the sustainer of creation is evident in passages such as
Colossians 1:16-17 , which declares, "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Here, God is portrayed not only as the initiator but also as the continuous force that maintains the order and existence of the universe.
Divine Providence and SovereigntyThe concept of God as the Mover is also reflected in His providential care and sovereign rule over creation.
Proverbs 16:9 states, "A man's heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." This verse highlights the belief that while humans may make plans, it is ultimately God who directs and moves the course of events according to His divine will.
Similarly, in
Acts 17:28 , the Apostle Paul speaks to the Athenians, saying, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." This passage underscores the idea that all of life and movement are dependent upon God, who is the source of all existence and activity.
The Holy Spirit as MoverThe Holy Spirit is often depicted as the active agent of God's movement in the world. In
Genesis 1:2 , the Spirit of God is described as "hovering over the surface of the waters," indicating the Spirit's role in the creative process. The Holy Spirit continues to move in the lives of believers, guiding, empowering, and transforming them. In
John 3:8 , Jesus explains, "The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." This metaphor of the wind illustrates the dynamic and mysterious movement of the Holy Spirit in the world.
ConclusionWhile the specific term "Mover" may not be directly found in the biblical text, the concept of God as the initiator, sustainer, and active force in creation is deeply embedded in the Scriptures. Through His creative power, providential care, and the work of the Holy Spirit, God is continually moving and shaping the world according to His divine purpose.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A person or thing that moves, stirs, or changes place.
2. (n.) A person or thing that imparts motion, or causes change of place; a motor.
3. (n.) One who, or that which, excites, instigates, or causes movement, change, etc.; as, movers of sedition.
4. (n.) A proposer; one who offers a proposition, or recommends anything for consideration or adoption; as, the mover of a resolution in a legislative body.
Library
Whether the Will is Moved of Necessity by the ExteriorMover which...
... OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE WILL IS MOVED (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the will
is moved of necessity by the exteriormover which is God?...
Whether the Soul is a Body?
... Therefore the soul is amover moved. But everymover moved is a body.... Objection 3:
Further, between themover and the moved there must be contact....
Whether God Can Move a Body Immediately?
... For as themover and the moved must exist simultaneously, as the Philosopher
says (Phys.... Objection 2: Further, God is themover unmoved....
Whether the Will is Moved by the Intellect?
... but deeds delight us not." But it would not be so, if the will were moved by the
intellect: because movement of the movable results from motion of themover....
Whether a Man Can Know any Truth Without Grace
... corporeal things, we see that any movement not only requires a formal principle
of the movement or action itself, but also requires a motion of the firstmover...
Whether Grace is Appropriately Divided into Operative and Co...
... An operation which is part of an effect is attributed to themover, not
to the thing moved. The operation is therefore attributed...
Whether God Exists
... It is therefore impossible that, in the same respect and in the same way, anything
should be bothmover and moved, or that it should move itself....
Whether Without Grace Man Can Know any Truth?
... for movement there is required not merely the form which is the principle of the
movement or action, but there is also required the motion of the firstmover....
Whether God Exists?
... It is therefore impossible that in the same respect and in the same way a thing
should be bothmover and moved, ie that it should move itself....
Whether the Will Desires of Necessity, Whatever it Desires?
... Objection 2: Further, the object of the will is compared to the will as
themover to the thing movable. But the movement of the...
Thesaurus
Mover (1 Occurrence)... 4. (n.) A proposer; one who offers a proposition, or recommends anything for
consideration or adoption; as, the
mover of a resolution in a legislative body.
...Machine (2 Occurrences)
... or simple mechanical elements, as wheels, levers, cams, etc., with their supports
and connecting framework, calculated to constitute a primemover, or to...
Moves (30 Occurrences)
Load (22 Occurrences)
... of powder. 6. (v.) Weight or violence of blows. 7. (n.) The work done by
a steam engine or other primemover when working. 8. (vt...
Ring-leader (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this a pestilent man, and amover of sedition among
all the Jews throughout the world, and a ring-leader of the sect of the...
Movements (2 Occurrences)
Motive (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) That which moves; amover. 2. (n.) That
which incites to action; anything prompting or exciting...
Pest (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and amover of sedition
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the...
Pestilent (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and amover of sedition
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the...
Attacks (45 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:5 For this man, in our opinion, is a cause of trouble, a maker of attacks
on the government among Jews through all the empire, and a chiefmover in the...
Resources
Is God the unmoved mover of Aristotle's teachings? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are actuality and potentiality? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas? | GotQuestions.orgMover: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
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