Topical Encyclopedia
The term "moral" in a biblical context refers to principles or standards of behavior that are considered right or acceptable according to Scripture. Morality in the Bible is deeply rooted in the character of God and His commandments, serving as a guide for human conduct.
Biblical Foundation of MoralityThe foundation of biblical morality is established in the character of God, who is holy, just, and loving. The Bible presents God as the ultimate standard of what is right and wrong. In
Leviticus 19:2, God commands, "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy." This call to holiness is a call to moral living, reflecting God's own nature.
The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments, found in
Exodus 20:1-17 and
Deuteronomy 5:6-21, are a central element of biblical morality. They provide a concise summary of God's moral law, covering duties to God and to fellow humans. For example, the commandment "You shall not murder" (
Exodus 20:13) underscores the sanctity of human life, while "You shall not commit adultery" (
Exodus 20:14) emphasizes the importance of marital fidelity.
The Greatest CommandmentsJesus Christ distilled the essence of the moral law in the New Testament. When asked about the greatest commandment, He replied, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’" (
Matthew 22:37-39). These commandments encapsulate the moral duty to love God and others, forming the basis for all ethical behavior.
The Role of ConscienceThe Bible acknowledges the role of conscience in moral decision-making.
Romans 2:14-15 states, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them." This passage suggests that God has instilled a sense of right and wrong within every person.
Moral Teachings of JesusJesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) provide profound insights into biblical morality. He emphasizes internal righteousness over mere external compliance with the law. For instance, He teaches that anger and lust are morally equivalent to murder and adultery, respectively, highlighting the importance of inner purity (
Matthew 5:21-28).
The Fruit of the SpiritThe Apostle Paul describes the "fruit of the Spirit" in
Galatians 5:22-23 as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues are moral qualities that the Holy Spirit cultivates in believers, reflecting the moral character of Christ.
Moral Responsibility and AccountabilityThe Bible teaches that individuals are morally responsible for their actions and will be held accountable by God.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 states, "For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil." This underscores the importance of living a moral life in accordance with God's standards.
ConclusionWhile the Bible provides a comprehensive framework for morality, it also acknowledges human fallibility and the need for divine grace. Through faith in Jesus Christ, believers are empowered to live morally upright lives, guided by the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Scripture.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Relating to duty or obligation; pertaining to those intentions and actions of which right and wrong, virtue and vice, are predicated, or to the rules by which such intentions and actions ought to be directed; relating to the practice, manners, or conduct of men as social beings in relation to each other, as respects right and wrong, so far as they are properly subject to rules.
2. (a.) Conformed to accepted rules of right; acting in conformity with such rules; virtuous; just; as, a moral man. Used sometimes in distinction from religious; as, a moral rather than a religious life.
3. (a.) Capable of right and wrong action or of being governed by a sense of right; subject to the law of duty.
4. (a.) Acting upon or through one's moral nature or sense of right, or suited to act in such a manner; as, a moral arguments; moral considerations. Sometimes opposed to material and physical; as, moral pressure or support.
5. (a.) Supported by reason or probability; practically sufficient; -- opposed to legal or demonstrable; as, a moral evidence; a moral certainty.
6. (a.) Serving to teach or convey a moral; as, a moral lesson; moral tales.
7. (n.) The doctrine or practice of the duties of life; manner of living as regards right and wrong; conduct; behavior; -- usually in the plural.
8. (n.) The inner meaning or significance of a fable, a narrative, an occurrence, an experience, etc.; the practical lesson which anything is designed or fitted to teach; the doctrine meant to be inculcated by a fiction; a maxim.
9. (n.) A morality play. See Morality, 5.
10. (v. i.) To moralize.
Greek
703. arete --moral goodness, ie virtue...moral goodness, ie virtue. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: arete
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-et'-ay) Short Definition: virtue,
moral excellence
...1771. ennoia -- thinking, thoughtfulness, iemoral understanding
... thinking, thoughtfulness, iemoral understanding. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: ennoia Phonetic Spelling: (en'-noy-ah) Short Definition...
4507. rhuparia -- to make filthy
... Cognate: 4507 (a feminine noun) -- properly, dirt (filth); (figuratively)moral
filth that soils (desecrates) the soul, emphasizing a (influence) ofmoral filth...
4696. spilos -- a spot, stain
... 4696 -- properly, a stain (spot); (figuratively) amoral (spiritual) fault
or blemish.Moral and spiritual stains (spots) come from...
2239. ethos -- custom
... 2239 (from 1485 , "habit, custom") -- "familiar morals," referring to daily (moral ,
behavioral ). 2239 ("habits, regarded") only occurs in 1 Cor 15:33....
4893. suneidesis -- consciousness, spec. conscience
... 4893 (from 4862 , "together " and 1492 "to know, see") -- properly, joint-knowing,
ie which joinsmoral and spiritual consciousness as part of being created in...
1659. eleutheroo -- to make free, fig. to exempt (from liability)
... deliver, make free. From eleutheros; to liberate, ie (figuratively) to exempt (from
moral, ceremonial or mortal liability) -- deliver, make free....
5428. phronesis -- understanding, practical wisdom
... prudence, wisdom. From phroneo; mental action or activity, ie Intellectual ormoral
insight -- prudence, wisdom. see GREEK phroneo. (phronesei) -- 2 Occurrences...
1657. eleutheria -- liberty, freedom
... liberty. From eleutheros; freedom (legitimate or licentious, chieflymoral or
ceremonial) -- liberty. see GREEK eleutheros. (eleutheria) -- 4 Occurrences....
5046. teleios -- having reached its end, ie complete, by ext....
... From telos; complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental andmoral
character, etc.); neuter (as noun, with ho) completeness -- of full age, man...
Strong's Hebrew
2643. chaph -- clean... innocent. From chophaph (in the
moral sense of covered from soil); pure -- innocent.
see HEBREW chophaph. 2642, 2643. chaph. 2644 . Strong's Numbers.
5766. evel -- injustice, unrighteousness
... Or lavel {aw'-vel}; and (feminine) lavlah {av-law'}; or owlah {o-law'}; or.olah
{o-law'}; from aval; (moral) evil -- iniquity, perverseness, unjust(-ly...
6664. tsedeq -- rightness, righteousness
... From tsadaq; the right (natural,moral or legal); also (abstractly) equity or
(figuratively) prosperity -- X even, (X that which is altogether) just(-ice), ((...
2610. chaneph -- to be polluted or profane
... corrupt, defile, greatly, pollute, profane. A primitive root; to soil, especially
in amoral sense -- corrupt, defile, X greatly, pollute, profane....
2893. tahorah -- purifying, cleansing
... is cleansed, cleansing, purification. Feminine of tohar; ceremonial purification;
moral purity -- X is cleansed, cleansing, purification(-fying)....
7691. shegiah -- error
... Word Origin from shagah Definition error NASB Word Usage errors (1). error. From
shagah; amoral mistake -- error. see HEBREW shagah. 7690, 7691....
6601. pathah -- to be spacious, wide or open
... A primitive root; to open, ie Be (causatively, make) roomy; usually figuratively
(in a mental ormoral sense) to be (causatively, make) simple or (in a...
7562. resha -- wickedness
... iniquity, wickedness. From rasha'; a wrong (especiallymoral) -- iniquity,
wicked(-ness). see HEBREW rasha'. 7561, 7562. resha. 7563 . Strong's Numbers.
5079. niddah -- impurity
... From nadad; properly, rejection; by implication, impurity, especially personal
(menstruation) ormoral (idolatry, incest) -- X far, filthiness, X flowers...
2930. tame -- to be or become unclean
... A primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial ormoral sense (contaminated) --
defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean...
Library
Divine andMoral Songs
Divine andMoral Songs. <. Divine andMoral Songs Isaac Watts. facsimile edition,
Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria, 1988. Table of Contents. Title Page....
Whether the Mean ofMoral virtue is the Real Mean, or the Rational...
... OF THE MEAN OF VIRTUE (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the mean ofmoral virtue is
the real mean, or the rational mean? Objection 1: It would...
Whether all theMoral virtues are About the Passions?
... OFMORAL VIRTUE IN RELATION TO THE PASSIONS (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether all
themoral virtues are about the passions? Objection 1: It...
Moral Insanity.
... IX.MORAL INSANITY.... In the former, the intellect is disordered, latter, the will
and voluntary powers. Intellectual insanity destroysmoral agency....
Moral Characteristics.
... Chapter II Character. Section 5.Moral Characteristics.... As a young man he was
marked by correctmoral habits (probis moribus, Lact. c.18)....
Moral Timidity
... IXMORAL TIMIDITY. John xxi.22. The trouble... thee? Follow thou me.". There
is a great deal of thismoral timidity in college life. Any...
Whether theMoral virtues are Better than the Intellectual virtues...
... OF EQUALITY AMONG THE VIRTUES (SIX ARTICLES) Whether themoral virtues
are better than the intellectual virtues? Objection 1: It...
Whether theMoral virtues Pertain to the Contemplative Life?
... OF THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether themoral virtues pertain
to the contemplative life? Objection 1: It would seem...
WhetherMoral virtue is a Passion?
... OFMORAL VIRTUE IN RELATION TO THE PASSIONS (FIVE ARTICLES) Whethermoral virtue
is a passion? Objection 1: It would seem thatmoral virtue is a passion....
OfMoral virtue in Relation to the Passions (Five Articles)
... OFMORAL VIRTUE IN RELATION TO THE PASSIONS (FIVE ARTICLES). We must now
consider the difference of onemoral virtue from another....
Thesaurus
Moral (5 Occurrences)... 2. (a.) Conformed to accepted rules of right; acting in conformity with
such rules; virtuous; just; as, a
moral man. Used sometimes
...Evil (1503 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Having or exhibiting badmoral qualities; morally corrupt; wicked; wrong;
vicious; as, evil conduct, thoughts, heart, words, and the like....
Virtue (21 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.)Moral excellence; value; merit; meritoriousness; worth.... 6. (n.) A particular
moral excellence; as, the virtue of temperance, of charity, etc....
Righteousness (442 Occurrences)
... There are some, of course, who would have us believe that what we experience as
innermoral sanction is nothing but the fear of consequences which come through...
Morality
... a character, an action, a principle, or a sentiment, when tried by the standard
of right; the relation of conformity or nonconformity to themoral standard or...
Apostate (5 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Pertaining to, or characterized by, apostasy; faithless tomoral allegiance;
renegade. 4. (vi) To apostatize. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia....
Know (8133 Occurrences)
... senses give knowledge of outward appearances; the intellect connects and reasons
about these appearances, and arrives at general laws or truths;moral truth is...
Knowledge
... senses give knowledge of outward appearances; the intellect connects and reasons
about these appearances, and arrives at general laws or truths;moral truth is...
Filth (21 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Foul matter; anything that soils or defiles; dirt; nastiness. 2. (n.) Anything
that sullies or defiles themoral character; corruption; pollution. Int....
Filthy (22 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (superl.) Defiled with filth, whether material or
moral; nasty; dirty; polluted; foul; impure; obscene. Int....
Resources
Is God a moral monster? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is moral government theology? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is moral theology? | GotQuestions.orgMoral: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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