The term "apparent" refers to something that is clearly visible or understood, though it may not always reflect the deeper or true nature of a situation. In the context of the Bible, the concept of what is apparent often contrasts with the unseen or spiritual realities that God reveals to His people. The Scriptures frequently address the difference between outward appearances and inner truths, urging believers to seek divine wisdom and discernment.

Biblical Examples and Themes:

1. God's Perspective vs. Human Perspective:
· In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord instructs Samuel not to judge by appearance when choosing a king: "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.'" This passage highlights the distinction between human judgment based on what is apparent and God's deeper understanding of the heart.

2. Faith and the Unseen:
· Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see." This verse underscores the importance of trusting in God's promises and realities that are not immediately apparent to the human eye.

3. Jesus and the Pharisees:
· In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for their focus on outward appearances: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." This rebuke emphasizes the danger of valuing external appearances over internal righteousness.

4. Spiritual Discernment:
· The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:18, encourages believers to focus on eternal truths rather than temporary appearances: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." This teaching calls Christians to develop spiritual discernment and prioritize eternal values over transient, apparent realities.

5. Judgment and Justice:
· Proverbs 24:23-25 warns against partiality in judgment based on appearances: "These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good. Whoever says to the guilty, 'You are innocent'—peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him. But it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them." This passage highlights the importance of justice that transcends mere appearances.

Theological Implications:

The Bible consistently teaches that what is apparent to human eyes is not always aligned with God's truth. Believers are called to seek God's wisdom and understanding, which often reveals deeper spiritual realities beyond the surface. This requires a reliance on the Holy Spirit for discernment and a commitment to living by faith, trusting in God's eternal perspective rather than temporary appearances.1. (a.) Easily seen or understood; open to view; visible to the eye; within sight or view.

2. (a.) Clear or manifest to the understanding; plain; evident; obvious; known; palpable; indubitable.

3. (a.) Appearing to the eye or mind (distinguished from, but not necessarily opposed to, true or real); seeming; as the apparent motion or diameter of the sun.

4. (n.) An heir apparent.

5318. phaneros -- visible, manifest
... visible, manifest. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: phaneros Phonetic
Spelling: (fan-er-os') Short Definition: apparent, clear, visible, manifest ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5318.htm - 6k

5319. phaneroo -- to make visible, make clear
... 5319 (from 5457 , "light") -- properly, illumine, make (); (figuratively)
make plain, in view; to become apparent ("graspable"). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5319.htm - 9k

1717. emphanes -- manifest
... manifest, openly. From a compound of en and phaino; apparent in self -- manifest,
openly. see GREEK en. see GREEK phaino. (emphane) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1717.htm - 6k

160. aiphnidios -- sudden
... From a compound of a (as a negative particle) and phaino (compare exaiphnes) (meaning
non-apparent); unexpected, ie (adverbially) suddenly -- sudden, unawares. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/160.htm - 6k

84. adelos -- uncertainly
... without certain aim. Cognate: 84 -- properly, not apparent because not
clearly seen (distinguished). See 82 (). Word Origin from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/84.htm - 6k

5324. phantazo -- to make visible, to become visible
... sight. From a derivative of phaino; to make apparent, ie (passively) to appear
(neuter participle as noun, a spectacle) -- sight. see GREEK phaino. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5324.htm - 6k

852. aphanes -- unseen
... invisible, hidden. From a (as a negative particle) and phaino; non-apparent) --
that is not manifest. see GREEK a. see GREEK phaino. (aphanes) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/852.htm - 6k

1436. ea -- ah! ha! (interj. expressing surprise, indignation ...
... aha! Apparent imperative of eao; properly, let it be, ie (as interjection) aha! --
let alone. see GREEK eao. (ea) -- 1 Occurrence. 1435, 1436. ea. 1437 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1436.htm - 6k

1391. doxa -- opinion (always good in NT), hence praise, honor ...
... From the base of dokeo; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal
or figurative, objective or subjective) -- dignity, glory(-ious), honour ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1391.htm - 7k

4767. stugetos -- hateful
... [4767() describes what is odious (repulsive, disgusting) -- as when "self-revealed
failure" is apparent even to the perpetrator of a crime (see White, EGT, 4 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4767.htm - 7k

853. eth -- untranslatable mark of the accusative case.
... Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self
(but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or ...
/hebrew/853.htm - 6k

956. buth -- pass the night
... Word Origin see bith. pass the night (Aramaic) apparent denominative from bayith;
to lodge over night -- pass the night. see HEBREW bayith. 955, 956. ...
/hebrew/956.htm - 5k

1248. bar -- son
... Word Origin from bar Definition son NASB Word Usage son (4). son. Borrowed (as a
title) from bar; the heir (apparent to the throne) -- son. see HEBREW bar. ...
/hebrew/1248.htm - 6k

577. annah -- ah, now! I (we) beseech you!
... I beseech thee, O. Or mannah {awn-naw'}; apparent contracted from 'ahabah and na';
oh now! -- I (me) beseech (pray) thee, O. see HEBREW 'ahabah. see HEBREW na'. ...
/hebrew/577.htm - 6k

Letter xvi. --Explanation of Apparent Despair.
... THE FRUIT THEREOF. Letter XVI."Explanation of Apparent Despair. To Mother
Louise-Fran??oise de Rosen (1735). Explanation of apparent despair. ...
/.../abandonment to divine providence/letter xvi explanation of apparent despair.htm

Apparent Discrepancies, and Mode of Removing Them.
... CHAPTER V. THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST. Section 91. Apparent Discrepancies, and
Mode of Removing them. There are apparent contradictions ...
/.../section 91 apparent discrepancies and.htm

Magic and Sorcery Only Apparent in their Effects God Alone Can ...
... Chapter LVII."Magic and Sorcery Only Apparent in Their Effects God Alone
Can Raise the Dead. It is either a very fine thing to ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter lvii magic and sorcery only.htm

Every Severity, Therefore, and Apparent Cruelty, Either in Word or ...
... Book 3 Chapter 17. Every severity, therefore, and apparent cruelty, either
in word or deed? 17. Every severity, therefore, and ...
/.../on christian doctrine in four books/chapter 17 every severity therefore.htm

Peter's Explanation of the Apparent Contradictions of Scripture.
... Homily XVI. Chapter X."Peter's Explanation of the Apparent Contradictions
of Scripture. And Peter said: "They do not lead astray ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter x peters explanation of the.htm

The Three Days of the Resurrection, in which Also the Ratio of ...
... Book IV. Chapter 6."The Three Days of the Resurrection, in Which Also
the Ratio of Single to Double is Apparent. 10. Scripture ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 6 the three days of.htm

But Perhaps this Foul Pollution May be Less Apparent in the Rest. ...
... Book IV. 21 But perhaps this foul pollution may be less apparent in the rest.? But
perhaps this foul pollution may be less apparent in the rest. ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/21 but perhaps this foul.htm

Pious Parents, in Such a Circumstance, have Farther Reason to Say ...
... PIOUS PARENTS, in such a Circumstance, have farther Reason to say, It is well,"as
they may observe an apparent Tendency in such a Dispensation to teach them ...
/.../iii pious parents in such.htm

Christ's Nativity Both Possible and Becoming the Heretical Opinion ...
... Chapter III."Christ's Nativity Both Possible and Becoming The Heretical Opinion
of Christ's Apparent Flesh Deceptive and Dishonourable to God, Even on ...
/.../ on the flesh of christ/chapter iii christs nativity both possible.htm

The Romance of Orthodoxy
... But in truth the chief mark of our epoch is a profound laziness and fatigue; and
the fact is that the real laziness is the cause of the apparent bustle. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/viii the romance of orthodoxy.htm

Apparent (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Appearing to the eye or mind (distinguished from, but not necessarily opposed
to, true or real); seeming; as the apparent motion or diameter of the sun ...
/a/apparent.htm - 8k

Discrepancies
... the Bible; (2) to obtain at least a general understanding of the conditions and
causes that may have given rise to the discrepancies, real or apparent; (3) to ...
/d/discrepancies.htm - 20k

Manifest (74 Occurrences)
... to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived; hence, obvious to the understanding;
apparent to the mind; easily apprehensible; plain; not obscure or hidden. ...
/m/manifest.htm - 33k

Upharsin (1 Occurrence)
... In either case, the inscription was apparent but not readable, except by Daniel
with the aid of God, through whom also the seer was enabled to give the proper ...
/u/upharsin.htm - 11k

Tekel (2 Occurrences)
... In either case, the inscription was apparent but not readable, except by Daniel
with the aid of God, through whom also the seer was enabled to give the proper ...
/t/tekel.htm - 11k

Mene (2 Occurrences)
... In either case, the inscription was apparent but not readable, except by Daniel
with the aid of God, through whom also the seer was enabled to give the proper ...
/m/mene.htm - 11k

Power (862 Occurrences)
... or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope,
the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of ...
/p/power.htm - 66k

Bull (114 Occurrences)
... See Apostolical brief, under Brief. 11. (n.) A grotesque blunder in language; an
apparent congruity, but real incongruity, of ideas, contained in a form of ...
/b/bull.htm - 40k

Sphere (3 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The apparent surface of the heavens, which is assumed to be spherical and
everywhere equally distant, in which the heavenly bodies appear to have their ...
/s/sphere.htm - 8k

Show (1340 Occurrences)
... 4. (vt) To make apparent or clear, as by evidence, testimony, or reasoning; to prove;
to explain; also, to manifest; to evince; as, to show the truth of a ...
/s/show.htm - 12k

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