Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "selves" in the Bible is intricately linked to the understanding of human nature, identity, and the transformation that occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. The term "selves" is often used to describe the inner being or the essence of a person, which is subject to change and renewal through spiritual growth and divine intervention.
Old Self and New SelfThe Bible frequently contrasts the "old self" with the "new self," emphasizing the transformation that believers undergo through their relationship with Christ. The "old self" is associated with sinful nature and worldly desires, while the "new self" reflects a life renewed by the Holy Spirit.
In
Ephesians 4:22-24 , Paul instructs believers: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." This passage highlights the process of shedding the old, sinful nature and embracing a new identity in Christ, characterized by righteousness and holiness.
Similarly, in
Colossians 3:9-10 , Paul writes: "Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Here, the transformation is described as a renewal in knowledge, aligning the believer's identity with the image of God.
Dying to SelfThe concept of dying to self is central to Christian discipleship. Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross, signifying a willingness to forsake personal desires and ambitions for the sake of following Him. In
Matthew 16:24-25 , Jesus says, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
This call to self-denial is echoed in
Galatians 2:20 , where Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." The apostle emphasizes the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection, leading to a life that is no longer centered on the self but on Christ.
Self-Examination and HumilityThe Bible encourages believers to engage in self-examination and to cultivate humility. In
2 Corinthians 13:5 , Paul urges the Corinthians, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?" This call to self-examination is a means of ensuring that one's life aligns with the faith professed.
Humility is also a key aspect of the Christian life, as seen in
Philippians 2:3-4 : "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This passage underscores the importance of prioritizing others and adopting a humble attitude, reflecting the selfless nature of Christ.
ConclusionThe biblical understanding of "selves" encompasses the transformation from the old self to the new self, the call to die to self, and the practice of self-examination and humility. Through these teachings, believers are encouraged to align their lives with the character and purposes of God, living out their faith in a manner that reflects the transformative power of the Gospel.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Plural of Self.
2. (n.) pl. of Self.
Greek
1438. heautou -- of himself, herself, itself... case) of autos; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun
of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (
selves), etc.
...846. autos -- (1) self (emphatic) (2) he, she, it (used for the...
... 1), ourselves (8), own (2), part (1), people (1), person (1), personally (1),
righteousness (1), same (59), same things (4), same way (1),selves (1), sight (...
240. allelon -- of one another
... Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another -- each other, mutual, one
another, (the other), (them-, your-)selves, (selves) together (sometimes with...
4863. sunago -- to lead together, ie bring together, hence come...
... From sun and ago; to lead together, ie Collect or convene; specially, to entertain
(hospitably) -- + accompany, assemble (selves, together), bestow, come...
1839. existemi -- to displace, to stand aside from
... to put (stand) out of wits, ie Astound, or (reflexively) become astounded, insane --
amaze, be (make) astonished, be beside self (selves), bewitch, wonder....
5213. humin -- you
... Word Origin dat. of humeis, qv. you Irregular dative case of humeis; to (with or
by) you -- ye, you, your(-selves). see GREEK humeis. (umin) -- 608 Occurrences....
5216. humon -- you
... of humeis, qv. you Genitive case of humeis; of (from or concerning) you -- ye, you,
your (own, -selves). see GREEK humeis. (umon) -- 561 Occurrences....
848. hautou -- her own, his own, their own, themselves, they.
... for heautou; self (in some oblique case or reflexively, relation) -- her (own),
(of) him(-self), his (own), of it, thee, their (own), them(-selves), they....
1792. entruphao -- to revel in
... to delight in, revel. From en and truphao; to revel in -- sportingselves. see GREEK
en. see GREEK truphao. (entruphontes) -- 1 Occurrence. 1791, 1792....
1374. dipsuchos -- of two minds, wavering
... dipsuchos Phonetic Spelling: (dip'-soo-khos) Short Definition: double-minded, wavering
Definition: (lit: of two souls, of twoselves), double-minded, wavering....
Strong's Hebrew
1413. gadad -- to penetrate, cut... together (1), trooped (1). assemble
selves by troops, gather
selves together,
self in troops, cut
selves. A primitive root (compare
...3320. yatsab -- to set or station oneself, take one's stand
... presentselves, remaining, resort, setselves, be able to, can, with stand
fast, forth,. A primitive root; to place (any thing so...
6950. qahal -- to gather as an assembly or congregation
... assembleselves together, gatherselves together. A primitive root; to convoke --
assemble (selves) (together), gather (selves) (together). 6949b, 6950....
3259. yaad -- to appoint
... agree, make an appointment, a time, assembleselves, betroth, gatherselves.
A primitive root; to fix upon (by agreement or appointment...
6908. qabats -- to gather, collect
... assembleselves, gather bring together, heap. A primitive root; to grasp,
ie Collect -- assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together...
4102. mahah -- to linger, tarry
... root Definition to linger, tarry NASB Word Usage delay (2), delayed (2), delaying
(1), hesitated (1), tarries (1), wait (2). delay, linger, stayselves, tarry....
6327. puwts -- to be dispersed or scattered
... break dash, shake in to pieces, cast abroad, disperseselves, drive, scatter
abroad, spread abroad A primitive root; to dash in...
3235. yamar -- perhaps to exchange
... boastselves, change. A primitive root; to exchange; by implication, to change places --
boastselves, change. 3234, 3235. yamar. 3236 . Strong's Numbers.
3811. laah -- to be weary or impatient
... faint, grieve, loathe, be, make wearyselves. A primitive root; to tire;
(figuratively) to be (or make) disgusted -- faint, grieve...
6566. paras -- to spread out, spread
... break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread abroad, forth,selves, out,.
A primitive root; to break apart, disperse, etc. -- break...
Library
Examine Yourself Whether Ye be in the Faith; Prove Your OwnSelves...
... Examine yourself whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves. 2 Corinthians
13:5. In speaking from this text I design to pursue the following order:...
Second Sunday in Advent Behold the Fig-Tree and all the Trees...
... Second Sunday in Advent Behold the fig-tree and all the trees; when they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your ownselves that summer is now nigh at hand....
Be Ye Doers of the Word, not Hearers Only, Deceiving Your Own...
... Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves. James 1:22.
There are two extremes in religion, equally false and equally fatal....
Self-Examination
... REV. CH SPURGEON. at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens. "Examine yourselves,
whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves....
Dionysius and Modern Philosophy
... According to Dr. McTaggart each human soul possesses, behind its temporal nature,
a timeless self and each one of these timelessselves is an eternal...
And once Being Asked by the Monks to Come Down and visit them And....
... That this state may be preserved in us it is good to hear the apostle and keep his
words, for he says, Try your ownselves and prove your ownselves [1100...
The Ignorance of the Pelagians in Maintaining that the Knowledge...
... upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." [3180] And in the Pelagian writings
the darkness says, "Love comes to us of our ownselves." Now, if they...
We have no Memory of Our Creation.
... And yet it is neither the heaven of heavens, nor the measure of the stars, nor the
scope of sea and land, nor the nethermost hell; it is our ownselves that we...
2 Cor. Iii. 5
... SERMON XIII. 2. COR. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to think
any things as of ourselves: but our Sufficiency is of God....
section iv.
... literally, true; for all those creatures we behold are but the herbs of the field,
digested into flesh in them, or more remotely carnified [83] in ourselves....
Thesaurus
Selves (14 Occurrences)...Selves (14 Occurrences). Luke 21:30 When they are already budding, you see it
and know by your own
selves that the summer is already near.
...Realize (29 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your ownselves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your ownselves. Or don't you know as to your...
Disqualified (3 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your ownselves, whether you
are in the faith. Test your ownselves. Or don't you know...
Try (84 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Try your ownselves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your
ownselves. Or know ye not as to your ownselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...
Recognize (52 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your ownselves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your ownselves. Or don't you know as to your...
Holding (62 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your ownselves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your ownselves. Or don't you know as to your...
Test (105 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your ownselves, whether you are in the faith. Test
your ownselves. Or don't you know as to your ownselves...
Course (87 Occurrences)
... Didn't we walk in the same steps? (See NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own
selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your ownselves....
Reprobates (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Reprobates (3 Occurrences). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves....
Reprobate (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove
your ownselves. Know ye not your ownselves, how that...
Resources
If a person wants to be baptized, but is unable to be immersed into water due to being ill, disabled, elderly...etc. - what should be done? | GotQuestions.orgHow can I meditate on God's Word? | GotQuestions.orgWho am I in Christ? | GotQuestions.orgSelves: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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