In the context of the Bible, the term "affect" is not frequently used in the modern sense of emotional influence or impact. However, the concept is deeply embedded in the Scriptures through various expressions of emotions, attitudes, and influences that shape human behavior and spiritual life.

Emotional Influence and Expression

The Bible is replete with examples of emotions affecting individuals and communities. In the Old Testament, the Psalms are a profound expression of human emotions, ranging from deep sorrow to exuberant joy. For instance, Psalm 42:11 captures the psalmist's emotional turmoil and hope: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."

Spiritual Influence

The New Testament emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in affecting the believer's life. The fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23 , includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attributes reflect the transformative effect of the Spirit on a believer's character and actions.

Interpersonal Influence

The Bible also addresses how individuals affect one another. Proverbs 27:17 states, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." This proverb highlights the mutual influence people have on each other's character and spiritual growth. The New Testament further encourages believers to affect one another positively through love and good deeds, as seen in Hebrews 10:24 : "And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds."

Moral and Ethical Influence

The Scriptures warn against negative influences that can lead believers astray. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 , Paul cautions, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" This highlights the importance of surrounding oneself with godly influences to maintain moral integrity.

Affect in Worship and Devotion

Worship in the Bible is an expression of the heart's affection towards God. Jesus emphasizes the importance of worshiping in spirit and truth in John 4:24 : "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." This indicates that true worship is not merely an external act but an internal affection and reverence for God.

Conclusion

While the term "affect" may not be explicitly used in the Bible, the concept is integral to understanding the emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal dynamics presented in Scripture. Through the influence of the Holy Spirit, the encouragement of fellow believers, and the guidance of God's Word, Christians are called to cultivate a life that reflects the character and love of Christ.1. (v. t.) To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon; to influence; as, humidity can affect his health.

2. (v. t.) To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch.

3. (v. t.) To love; to regard with affection.

4. (v. t.) To show a fondness for; to like to use or practice; to choose; hence, to frequent habitually.

5. (v. t.) To dispose or incline.

6. (v. t.) To aim at; to aspire; to covet.

7. (v. t.) To tend to by affinity or disposition.

8. (v. t.) To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume; as, to affect ignorance.

9. (v. t.) To assign; to appoint.

10. (n.) Affection; inclination; passion; feeling; disposition.

AFFECT; AFFECTION

a-fekt', a-fek'-shun: The literal meaning of "affect" is to act upon (Latin ad, "to," "upon," facio, "to do"). It has various shades of meaning, and occurs in the following senses in the English Bible:

(1) In its literal sense: Lamentations 3:51, "Mine eye affecteth my soul"

(2) In the sense of "to endeavor after," "desire," "court": Galatians 4:17, "They zealously affect (the Revised Version (British and American) "seek") you. that ye may affect (the Revised Version (British and American) "seek") them," i.e. they earnestly court your favor, that you may court theirs. Paul means that the proselytizing zeal of the Judaizers was rooted in personal ambition. The past part. "affected" (the Revised Version (British and American) "sought") has the same meaning in Galatians 4:18. The same Greek word (zeloo) is translated "desire earnestly" in the Revised Version (British and American) (1 Corinthians 12:31; 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39). "Affect" has a similar meaning in Ecclesiasticus 13:11.

(3) In the passive, it occurs in the sense of "to be disposed," in a neutral sense, with an adverb to characterize the nature of the disposition: Acts 14:2, "evil affected against the brethren" So also 2 Maccabees 4:21; 13:26.

"Affection" occurs in the following senses:

(1) In the literal sense: the state of having one's feelings acted upon or affected in some way; bent or disposition of mind, in a neutral sense (the nature of the affection, whether good or bad, needing further description in the context). So Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection (the Revised Version (British and American) "mind") on things above"; Colossians 3:5, "inordinate affection" (here "affection" by itself is neutral; the addition of the adjective makes it equivalent to "passion" in an evil sense, as in the Revised Version (British and American)).

(2) In a good sense: tender feeling, warm attachment, good will; the word in itself carrying a good meaning apart from the context. 1 Chronicles 29:3, "because I have set my affection on the house of my God"; Romans 1:31 2 Timothy 3:3, "without natural affection", 2 Corinthians 6:12 "Ye are straitened in your own affections" (lit. "bowels," regarded as the seat of kindly feelings, compare Eng "heart") So 2 Corinthians 7:15.

(3) In an evil sense in the plural = passions. Galatians 5:24, the flesh, with the affections (the Revised Version (British and American) "passions") and "lusts"; Romans 1:26, "God gave them unto vile affections" (the Revised Version (British and American) "passions").

"Affectioned" occurs once, in a neutral sense: Romans 12:10, "affectioned (i.e. "disposed") one to another" In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, we have "affectionately," in a good sense.

D. Miall Edwards

2206. zeloo -- to be jealous
... From zelos; to have warmth of feeling for or against -- affect, covet (earnestly),
(have) desire, (move with) envy, be jealous over, (be) zealous(-ly affect). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2206.htm - 7k

5177. tugchano -- to hit, hit upon, meet, happen
... teucho (to make ready or bring to pass) is used in certain tenses; akin to the base
of tikto through the idea of effecting; properly, to affect; or (specially ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5177.htm - 8k

5953. alal -- to act severely
... to act severely. Transliteration: alal Phonetic Spelling: (aw-lal') Short Definition:
abuse. abuse, affect, child, defile, do, glean, mock, practice, ...
/hebrew/5953.htm - 5k

Of that Death which Can Affect an Immortal Soul, and of that to ...
... Book XIII. Chapter 2."Of that Death Which Can Affect an Immortal Soul,
and of that to Which the Body is Subject. But I see I must ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 2 of that death which.htm

It is Strange that These Delightful Promises Affect us Coldly...
... Of Prayer. John Calvin Chapter 14 It is strange that these delightful promises
affect us coldly? It is strange that these delightful ...
/.../calvin/of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 14 it is strange.htm

Serapion: Everybody is Perfectly Agreed that There are Eight ...
... II. Second Conference of Abbot Moses. Chapter XVIII. Serapion: Everybody is perfectly
agreed that there are eight principal faults which affect a monk. ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter xviii serapion everybody is.htm

The Importance of the Subject. The Arians Affect Scripture ...
... Chapter II. Chapter III."The Importance of the Subject. The Arians affect Scripture
language, but their doctrine new, as well as unscriptural. ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/chapter iii the importance of the.htm

The Men of Speculative Reason, whom You Seem Most to Apprehend...
... trying to quench the fiery globe of the sun: for reason stands in the same inability
to touch the truth of religion, as the water-engine to affect the sun. ...
/.../law/the way to divine knowledge/way-3-5 the men of speculative.htm

The Essence of Prayer.
... Does He affect our prayers only when, in the rare moments of exalted spiritual
life, we have intimate communion with God? Or does ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxix the essence of prayer.htm

The Principle of Life in the Creature.
... drought, plant and insect"in a word, by the whole economy of this material world,
including comet and meteor, it is evident that all these affect the outcome ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/v the principle of life.htm

Third Tractate. Are the Stars Causes?
... that case they can purvey only heat or cold " if cold from the stars can be thought
of " that is to say, any communication from them will affect only our ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/third tractate are the stars.htm

The Earliest Christian Preaching
... is so entirely beyond our comprehension, that it is rash to be too peremptory about
it; but even if it were so, it would not affect the representation as a ...
/.../denney/the death of christ/chapter 2 the earliest christian.htm

Although, Even if There Went Before no Testimonies Concerning ...
... Catholic faith itself there arises not any perverse sect, any kind of error, which
is found so to oppose itself to Christian truth, as that it affect not and ...
/.../augustine/concerning faith of things not seen /10 although even if there.htm

Affect (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon;
to influence; as, humidity can affect his health. ...AFFECT; AFFECTION. ...
/a/affect.htm - 11k

Affection (30 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. AFFECT; AFFECTION. a-fekt', a-fek'-shun: The literal
meaning of "affect" is to act upon (Latin ad, "to," "upon," facio, "to do"). ...
/a/affection.htm - 20k

Touch (82 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To relate to; to concern; to affect. 6 ... 8. (vt) To affect the senses
or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften. 9 ...
/t/touch.htm - 35k

Exclude (4 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY RSV NIV). Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea,
they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. (KJV WEY WBS). ...
/e/exclude.htm - 8k

Affected (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Affect. 2. (pp & a.) Regarded with
affection; beloved. 3. (pp & a.) Inclined; disposed; attached. ...
/a/affected.htm - 9k

Strike (168 Occurrences)
... 9. (vt) To make a sudden impression upon, as by a blow; to affect sensibly with
some strong emotion; as, to strike the mind, with surprise; to strike one with ...
/s/strike.htm - 46k

Scorch (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To affect painfully with heat, or as with heat; to dry up with heat; to
affect as by heat. 3. (vt) To burn; to destroy by, or as by, fire. ...
/s/scorch.htm - 7k

Affairs (27 Occurrences)

/a/affairs.htm - 14k

Yea (867 Occurrences)
... flesh. (ASV). Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea,
they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. (KJV). ...
/y/yea.htm - 37k

Judicial (2 Occurrences)
... the person of the poor:" and "honoring the person of the mighty." Sympathy with
the poor no less than a bribe from the well-to-do might affect the judgment of ...
/j/judicial.htm - 25k

How did the Fall affect humanity? | GotQuestions.org

How does my personal, private sin affect others? | GotQuestions.org

Does salvation affect more than just the afterlife? | GotQuestions.org

Affect: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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