Centre
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In biblical terms, the concept of "centre" can be understood both literally and metaphorically, often representing a focal point of spiritual, moral, or communal significance. While the term "centre" itself is not frequently used in the Bible, the idea is woven throughout Scripture in various forms.

Geographical and Physical Centres

1. Jerusalem as the Spiritual Centre: Jerusalem holds a central place in biblical history and theology. It is often seen as the spiritual heart of Israel and the focal point of God's covenant with His people. In 2 Chronicles 6:6, God declares, "But I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel." This establishes Jerusalem as the centre of worship and divine presence.

2. The Tabernacle and the Temple: The Tabernacle in the wilderness and later the Temple in Jerusalem served as the physical centre of worship for the Israelites. The Holy of Holies, the innermost part of these structures, was considered the dwelling place of God's presence on earth. Exodus 25:8-9 states, "Then have them make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I will show you."

Metaphorical and Theological Centres

1. Christ as the Centre: In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is presented as the central figure of the Christian faith. Colossians 1:17-18 emphasizes His preeminence: "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence." Christ is the centre of God's redemptive plan and the focal point of Christian life and worship.

2. The Heart as the Moral Centre: Biblically, the heart is often seen as the centre of human will, emotion, and moral decision-making. Proverbs 4:23 advises, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This underscores the heart's central role in guiding one's actions and spiritual health.

3. The Church as the Community Centre: The early Christian church functioned as a communal centre for believers, providing a place for worship, teaching, and fellowship. Acts 2:42 describes the early church's activities: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." The church remains a central gathering place for Christians to grow in faith and community.

Symbolic Centres

1. The Cross as the Centre of Salvation: The cross of Christ is the central symbol of Christian salvation. It represents the pivotal moment in history where Jesus' sacrificial death provided atonement for sin. Galatians 6:14 states, "But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

2. The Kingdom of God as the Centre of God's Plan: The Kingdom of God is a central theme in Jesus' teachings, representing God's sovereign rule and the ultimate fulfillment of His purposes. Matthew 6:33 instructs, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." The Kingdom is the central focus of a believer's life and mission.

In summary, while the term "centre" may not be explicitly used, the concept is integral to understanding the structure and focus of biblical theology, emphasizing the importance of God, Christ, and the community of believers as central to faith and life.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (v. i.) To be placed in a center; to be central.

2. (v. i.) To be collected to a point; to be concentrated; to rest on, or gather about, as a center.

3. (v. t.) To place or fix in the center or on a central point.

4. (v. t.) To collect to a point; to concentrate.

5. (v. t.) To form a recess or indentation for the reception of a center.

6. (n. & v.) See Center.

Greek
2759. kentron -- a sharp point
... prick, sting. From kenteo (to prick); a point ("centre"), ie A sting (figuratively,
poison) or goad (figuratively, divine impulse) -- prick, sting. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2759.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
3820. leb -- inner man, mind, will, heart
... A form of lebab; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings,
the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything ...
/hebrew/3820.htm - 7k

8270. shor -- umbilical cord
... navel. From sharar; a string (as twisted (compare shariyr)), ie (specifically) the
umbilical cord (also figuratively, as the centre of strength) -- navel. ...
/hebrew/8270.htm - 6k

8432. tavek -- midst
... From an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, ie (by implication) the centre --
among(-st), X between, half, X (there-,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night ...
/hebrew/8432.htm - 6k

Library

Christ and his Cross the Centre of the Universe
... THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER CHRIST AND HIS CROSS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE. 'Of
which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently ... ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/christ and his cross the.htm

Israel's Hope; Or, the Centre of the Target
... Israel's Hope; or, The Centre of the Target. A Sermon (No.2199). Intended for Reading
on Lord's-day, April 19th, 1891,. Delivered by. CH SPURGEON,. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/israels hope or the centre.htm

God the Centre or Heart of the Universe.
... Homily XVII. Chapter IX."God the Centre or Heart of the Universe. "One, then,
is the God who truly exists, who presides in a superior ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter ix god the centre or.htm

Go Forth, O Ye Daughters of Zion, and Behold King Solomon with the ...
... as they recede from there, so the strength of the soul, whether employed about knowing
or loving, the more it is concentrated in its own centre, the greater ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/11 go forth o ye.htm

Second Tractate. The Heavenly Circuit.
... Can we account for it on the ground that the Soul has itself at once for centre
and for the goal to which it must be ceaselessly moving; or that, being self ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/second tractate the heavenly circuit.htm

Reaching Out for a World.
... Ephesus, the Asiatic centre, Corinth, the centre of Greek influence, and, Rome,
the centre of the world's governing power, were the scenes of his longest and ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/reaching out for a world.htm

The British Collapse, 1760-1801.
... In Yorkshire, with Fulneck as a centre, they had four flourishing congregations,
societies in Bradford and Leeds, and preaching places as far away as Doncaster ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter iv the british collapse.htm

Third Tractate. Are the Stars Causes?
... one collective resultant: at most the differences would be such as depend upon local
position, upon nearness or farness with regard to the centre of influence. ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/third tractate are the stars.htm

Blessed Trust
... Now, the other two benedictions of which I have spoken do respectively form the
centre of the first and second portions of this psalm; in each case the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/blessed trust.htm

On Dissipation
... As the sun is the centre of the solar system, so (as far as we may compare material
things with spiritual) we need not scruple to affirm that God is the centre ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 79 on dissipation.htm

Thesaurus
Centre (8 Occurrences)
... 6. (n. & v.) See Center. Multi-Version Concordance Centre (8 Occurrences). ... They made
her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him. (WEY). ...
/c/centre.htm - 9k

Ur (5 Occurrences)
... city "of the Chaldees," the birthplace of Haran (Genesis 11:28, 31), the largest
city of Shinar or northern Chaldea, and the principal commercial centre of the ...
/u/ur.htm - 15k

Center (30 Occurrences)
... turn, as in a lathe. 9. (vi) Alt. of Centre. 10. (vt) Alt. of Centre. Multi-Version
Concordance Center (30 Occurrences). John 8:3 The scribes ...
/c/center.htm - 17k

Ephraim (168 Occurrences)
... It thus lay in the centre of all traffic, from north to south, and from Jordan
to the sea, and was about 55 miles long and 30 broad. ...
/e/ephraim.htm - 56k

Temple (614 Occurrences)
... About the centre of the enclosure is a raised platform, 16 feet above the surrounding
space, and paved with large stone slabs, on which stands the Mohammedan ...
/t/temple.htm - 101k

Stand (542 Occurrences)
... been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the
court, and they put the case to Him. (WEY NIV). John 8:16 ...
/s/stand.htm - 39k

Court (172 Occurrences)
... They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him. ... And
Jesus was left behind alone--and the woman in the centre of the court. ...
/c/court.htm - 47k

Zoheleth (1 Occurrence)
... The serpent-stone, a rocky plateau near the centre of the village of Siloam, and
near the fountain of En-rogel, to which the women of the village resort for ...
/z/zoheleth.htm - 9k

No (18543 Occurrences)
... relics of ancient magnificence, I felt that if all the ruins in Europe, classical,
Celtic, and medieval, were brought together into one centre, they would fall ...
/n/no.htm - 9k

Nahum (3 Occurrences)
... Nineveh was a city of vast extent, and was then the centre of the civilzation and
commerce of the world, a "bloody city all full of lies and robbery" (Nahum 3:1 ...
/n/nahum.htm - 21k

Resources
Was Jonah truly swallowed by a whale? | GotQuestions.org

Why should I believe in Christ's resurrection? | GotQuestions.org

Centre: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Centre (8 Occurrences)

John 8:3
and was teaching them when the Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been found committing adultery. They made her stand in the centre of the court, and they put the case to Him.
(WEY)

John 8:9
They listened to Him, and then, beginning with the eldest, took their departure, one by one, till all were gone. And Jesus was left behind alone--and the woman in the centre of the court.
(WEY)

Acts 4:7
So they made the Apostles stand in the centre, and demanded of them, "By what power or in what name have you done this?"
(WEY)

Acts 17:22
So Paul, taking his stand in the centre of the Areopagus, spoke as follows: "Men of Athens, I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious.
(WEY)

Proverbs 16:33
Into the centre is the lot cast, And from Jehovah 'is' all its judgment!
(YLT)

Ezekiel 43:13
And these 'are' measures of the altar by cubits: The cubit 'is' a cubit and a handbreadth, and the centre 'is' a cubit, and a cubit the breadth; and its border on its edge round about 'is' one span, and this 'is' the upper part of the altar.
(YLT)

Ezekiel 43:14
And from the centre of the ground unto the lower border 'is' two cubits, and the breadth one cubit, and from the lesser border unto the greater border four cubits, and the breadth a cubit.
(YLT)

Ezekiel 43:17
And the border 'is' fourteen long by fourteen broad, at its four squares, and the border round about it 'is' half a cubit, and the centre to it 'is' a cubit round about, and its steps are looking eastward.'
(YLT)

Subtopics

Centre

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Eucharist

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Money (284 Occurrences)

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