Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of the Bible, the concept of the "state" refers to the organized political community or government that exercises authority over a specific territory. The Bible provides various insights into the role and nature of the state, its relationship with God, and the responsibilities of believers towards governing authorities.
Divine Ordination of GovernmentThe Bible acknowledges the establishment of governing authorities as part of God's divine order.
Romans 13:1-2 states, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." This passage underscores the belief that governments are instituted by God to maintain order and justice in society.
Purpose of the StateThe primary purpose of the state, as outlined in Scripture, is to promote justice and restrain evil.
Romans 13:3-4 further elaborates, "For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is right, and you will have his approval. For he is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." The state is seen as a servant of God, tasked with upholding justice and punishing wrongdoing.
Obedience and SubmissionBelievers are called to submit to governing authorities as an act of obedience to God.
1 Peter 2:13-14 instructs, "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right." This submission is not absolute, however, and must be balanced with the higher allegiance to God, as seen in
Acts 5:29 , where Peter and the apostles declare, "We must obey God rather than men."
Prayer for LeadersThe Bible encourages believers to pray for those in authority.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 urges, "First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity." Prayer for leaders is seen as a means to seek God's guidance and wisdom for them, contributing to a peaceful and orderly society.
Limits of State AuthorityWhile the state is ordained by God, its authority is not without limits. The Bible recognizes that ultimate authority belongs to God alone. When the state's demands conflict with God's commands, believers are to prioritize their allegiance to God. This principle is exemplified in the actions of Daniel and his friends, who refused to worship the king's image (Daniel 3), and the apostles, who continued to preach the gospel despite being ordered not to (
Acts 4:18-20).
Role of Believers in the StateBelievers are called to be salt and light in the world, influencing society and the state through their conduct and witness.
Matthew 5:13-16 emphasizes this role: "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Christians are encouraged to engage with the state in ways that reflect God's justice, mercy, and truth, advocating for righteousness and the common good.
In summary, the Bible presents the state as an institution established by God to maintain order and justice. Believers are called to respect and submit to governing authorities, pray for leaders, and engage with the state in a manner that honors God and promotes His purposes in the world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The circumstances or condition of a being or thing at any given time.
2. (n.) Rank; condition; quality; as, the state of honor.
3. (n.) Condition of prosperity or grandeur; wealthy or prosperous circumstances; social importance.
4. (n.) Appearance of grandeur or dignity; pomp.
5. (n.) A chair with a canopy above it, often standing on a dais; a seat of dignity; also, the canopy itself.
6. (n.) Estate, possession.
7. (n.) A person of high rank.
8. (n.) Any body of men united by profession, or constituting a community of a particular character; as, the civil and ecclesiastical states, or the lords spiritual and temporal and the commons, in Great Britain. Cf. Estate, n., 6.
9. (n.) The principal persons in a government.
10. (n.) The bodies that constitute the legislature of a country; as, the States-general of Holland.
11. (n.) A form of government which is not monarchial, as a republic.
12. (n.) A political body, or body politic; the whole body of people who are united one government, whatever may be the form of the government; a nation.
13. (n.) In the United States, one of the commonwealth, or bodies politic, the people of which make up the body of the nation, and which, under the national constitution, stands in certain specified relations with the national government, and are invested, as commonwealth, with full power in their several spheres over all matters not expressly inhibited.
14. (n.) Highest and stationary condition, as that of maturity between growth and decline, or as that of crisis between the increase and the abating of a disease; height; acme.
15. (a.) Stately.
16. (a.) Belonging to the state, or body politic; public.
17. (v. t.) To set; to settle; to establish.
18. (v. t.) To express the particulars of; to set down in detail or in gross; to represent fully in words; to narrate; to recite; as, to state the facts of a case, one's opinion, etc.
19. (n.) A statement; also, a document containing a statement.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DEAD, STATE OF THESeeHADES.
INTERMEDIATE, STATE
in-ter-me'-di-at.
SeeESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Greek
3008. leitourgeo -- to serve thestate, ie by anal. to perform...... leitourgeo. 3009 . to serve the
state, ie by anal.
... Thus it carries out His plan
for . Word Origin from leitourgos Definition to serve the
state, ie by anal.
...3500. nekrosis -- a putting to death, astate of death
... a putting to death, astate of death. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
nekrosis Phonetic Spelling: (nek'-ro-sis) Short Definition: putting to...
1611. ekstasis -- a displacement (of the mind), ie bewilderment...
... 1611 (from 1839 , "completely remove") -- properly, take of regular position (standing)
and bring astate of (rapture) -- like a person "carried out" in trance...
3011. leitourgos -- a public servant, a minister, a servant
... In the NT (and ), this root () is especially used for #NAME?, . [3011 () was originally
a term for service done by an official minister of theState....
4175. politeuma -- a form of government, citizenship
... citizenship. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: politeuma Phonetic Spelling:
(pol-it'-yoo-mah) Short Definition: astate, commonwealth Definition: a...
1838. hexis -- habit, practice
... habit, practice. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: hexis Phonetic
Spelling: (hex'-is) Short Definition: condition,state, habit Definition...
42. hagiosune -- holiness
... Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: hagiosune Phonetic Spelling:
(hag-ee-o-soo'-nay) Short Definition: a holy or sanctifiedstate Definition: a...
3625. oikoumene -- the inhabited earth
... oy-kou-men'-ay) Short Definition: the inhabited (Roman) world Definition: (properly:
the land that is being inhabited, the land in astate of habitation), the...
1722. en -- in, on, at, by, with
... 1722 (a preposition) -- properly, (side, with); (figuratively) " the realm (sphere)
of," as in the (state) something operates from the side (with)....
38. hagiasmos -- consecration, sanctification
... holiness, sanctification. From hagiazo; properly, purification, ie (thestate) purity;
concretely (by Hebraism) a purifier -- holiness, sanctification....
Strong's Hebrew
6927. qadmah -- antiquity, formerstate... 6926, 6927. qadmah. 6928 . antiquity, former
state. Transliteration: qadmah
Phonetic Spelling: (kad-maw') Short Definition:
state.
...4254. machalatsah -- robe ofstate
... 4253, 4254. machalatsah. 4255 . robe ofstate. Transliteration: machalatsah
Phonetic Spelling: (makh-al-aw-tsaw') Short Definition: robes....
4494. manoach -- a resting place,state or condition of rest
... 4493, 4494. manoach. 4495 . a resting place,state or condition of rest.
Transliteration: manoach Phonetic Spelling: (maw-no'-akh) Short Definition: rest....
4612. maamad -- office, function, service
... attendance, office, place,state. From amad; (figuratively) a position -- attendance,
office, place,state. see HEBREW amad. 4611, 4612. maamad. 4613 ....
4971. mathkoneth -- measurement, tally, proportion
... 2), quota (1), specifications (1), standard (1). composition, measure,
state, tale. Or mathkuneth {math-koo'-neth}; from takan in...
5631. saris -- eunuch
... an unused root meaning to castrate; a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially
of the female apartments), and thus, a minister ofstate -- chamberlain, eunuch...
2309. chedel -- world
... Word Origin another reading for cheled, qv. world From chadal; rest, ie Thestate
of the dead -- world. see HEBREW chadal. 2308, 2309. chedel. 2310 ....
3651. ken -- so, thus
... As, + (for-)asmuch as yet, + be (for which) cause, + following, howbeit, in (the)
like (manner, -wise), X the more, right, (even) so,state, straightway, such...
4194. maveth -- death
... From muwth; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place orstate
(hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin -- (be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d)....
4608. maaleh -- an ascent
... From alah; an elevation, ie (concretely) acclivity or platform; abstractly (the
relation orstate) a rise or (figuratively) priority -- ascent, before, chiefest...
Library
Whether the Notion of aState Denotes a Condition of Freedom or...
... TREATISE ON THE STATES OF LIFE (QQ -189)OF MAN'S VARIOUS DUTIES AND STATES IN GENERAL
(FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the notion of astate denotes a condition of...
Whether Whoever is Perfect is in theState of Perfection?
... Whether whoever is perfect is in thestate of perfection? Objection 1: It would
seem that whoever is perfect is in thestate of perfection....
The ChrysalisState.
... The ChrysalisState. You ask, "What is the Good?" I suppose God Himself is
the Good; and it is this, in addition to a thousand things...
But this is theState of the Case, that as You are Exceedingly...
... Book IV. 37 But this is thestate of the case, that as you are exceedingly
strong in? But this is thestate of the case, that...
Religious and SocialState.
... Part III. THE HISTORY OF SUSANNA RELIGIOUS AND SOCIALSTATE.... Thestate of life here
depicted agrees with Jeremiah's advice in xxix.5; and with II. Esd....
Religious and SocialState.
... Part II. THE SONG OF THE THREE HOLY CHILDREN RELIGIOUS AND SOCIALSTATE.
RELIGIOUS. So far as the Jewish actors in the scene are...
The LaodiceanState of Christendom.
... Chapter Six The Signs of the Redeemer's Return 3. The Laodiceanstate of Christendom....
The church is utterly ignorant of its actual and deplorablestate....
Of a ReligiousState. ...
... CONTEMPLATION, VIZ. SOLITUDE AND A RELIGIOUS PROFESSION. CHAPTER III. Of a
religiousstate.? Sec. 1. Of a religiousstate. Sec. Sec. 2, 3...
Integrity andState of the Text.
... Part III. THE HISTORY OF SUSANNA INTEGRITY ANDSTATE OF THE TEXT. In Th we
appear to have the story presented to us without material...
Whether Religious and Prelates are in theState of Perfection?
... Whether religious and prelates are in thestate of perfection? Objection 1: It would
seem that prelates and religious are not in thestate of perfection....
Thesaurus
State (51 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) Rank; condition; quality; as, the
state of honor.
... 15. (a.) Stately.
16. (a.) Belonging to the
state, or body politic; public. 17.
...Estate (40 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Settled condition or form of existence;state;
condition or circumstances of life or of any person; situation....
Down (12601 Occurrences)
... naval rendezvous in time of war. 10. (prep.) Astate of depression; low
state; abasement. 11. (adv.) In the direction of gravity...
Passion (82 Occurrences)
... in the garden upon the cross. 2. (n.) Thestate of being acted upon; subjection
to an external agent or influence; a passive condition; -- opposed to action....
Spirituality
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The quality orstate of being spiritual;
incorporeality; heavenly-mindedness. 2. (n.) That which...
Dream (82 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A visionary scheme; a wild conceit; an idle fancy; a vagary; a revery; --
in this sense, applied to an imaginary or anticipatedstate of happiness; as...
Sheol (64 Occurrences)
... she'-ol (she'ol): 1. The Name 2. The Abode of the Dead (1) Not aState of
Unconsciousness (2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction (3) Relation to Immortality...
Dreamer (4 Occurrences)
... Thus, dreams are to the sleepingstate what visions and hallucinations are to the
wakingstate, and like them have their ground in a distorted image-making...
Ebb (1 Occurrence)
... ebb. 3. (n.) Thestate or time of passing away; a falling from a better
to a worsestate; lowstate or condition; decline; decay. 4...
Darkness (177 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Astate of privacy; secrecy. 3. (n.) Astate of ignorance or error, especially
on moral or religious subjects; hence, wickedness; impurity....
Resources
What is the meaning of the Parable of the Prodigal Son? | GotQuestions.orgWhat expertise does GotQuestions.org possess? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the concept of Nirvana in Buddhism? | GotQuestions.orgState: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
Bible Dictionary •
Bible Encyclopedia •
Topical Bible •
Bible Thesuarus
