Competency, in a biblical context, refers to the ability and skill to perform tasks effectively and efficiently, often with a sense of wisdom and discernment that aligns with God's will. The concept of competency is woven throughout Scripture, emphasizing the importance of being equipped and capable in various aspects of life, including spiritual, moral, and practical domains.

Biblical Foundations of Competency

1. Divine Empowerment: The Bible underscores that true competency comes from God. In Exodus 31:3, God says of Bezalel, "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in all kinds of craftsmanship." This passage highlights that God equips individuals with the necessary skills and wisdom to fulfill His purposes.

2. Wisdom and Understanding: Competency is closely linked with wisdom and understanding, which are gifts from God. Proverbs 2:6 states, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." This suggests that a competent person seeks wisdom from God to navigate life's challenges effectively.

3. Stewardship and Responsibility: The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 illustrates the importance of being competent stewards of the resources and abilities God has entrusted to us. The servants who wisely invested their talents were commended, while the one who did nothing was rebuked. This parable teaches that competency involves actively using and developing one's gifts for God's glory.

4. Equipping for Service: Ephesians 4:11-12 speaks of Christ giving various gifts to the church "to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ." Competency in this context involves being prepared and capable to serve others and contribute to the growth of the church community.

5. Moral and Ethical Competency: The Bible also emphasizes the importance of moral and ethical competency. In Philippians 1:9-10, Paul prays that believers' "love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best." This discernment is a form of competency that enables believers to make righteous decisions.

Examples of Competency in Scripture

· Joseph: Joseph's rise to power in Egypt is a testament to his competency. Genesis 41:39-40 records Pharaoh's acknowledgment of Joseph's abilities: "Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands."

· Daniel: Daniel's competency is evident in his ability to interpret dreams and his exceptional administrative skills. Daniel 6:3 notes, "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom."

· Paul: The Apostle Paul exemplifies spiritual competency through his missionary work and writings. In 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, he acknowledges that "our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant."

Practical Application

Believers are encouraged to seek competency in their personal and communal lives by relying on God's wisdom, developing their God-given talents, and striving for excellence in all they do. Colossians 3:23 advises, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." This verse encapsulates the biblical view that competency is not merely about skill but also about the heart's intention to honor God through diligent and faithful service.1. (n.) The state of being competent; fitness; ability; adequacy; power.

2. (n.) Property or means sufficient for the necessaries and conveniences of life; sufficiency without excess.

3. (n.) Legal capacity or qualifications; fitness; as, the competency of a witness or of a evidence.

4. (n.) Right or authority; legal power or capacity to take cognizance of a cause; as, the competence of a judge or court.

1849. exousia -- power to act, authority
... From exesti (in the sense of ability); privilege, ie (subjectively) force, capacity,
competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1849.htm - 8k

Whether Intention is Within the Competency of Irrational Animals?
... OF INTENTION (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether intention is within the competency of
irrational animals? Objection 1: It would seem that irrational ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether intention is within the.htm

The Children's Patrimony.
... the child comes into possession of this invaluable blessing, there is given to him
more than earthly treasure, more than pecuniary competency, more than a good ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter xxiv the childrens patrimony.htm

The Evolution of Early Congregationalism the Stone which the ...
... common-sense, assisted but never controlled by all other sources of knowledge;
interprets that book as teaching the reality and independent competency of the ...
/.../chapter i the evolution of.htm

The Life of Constantine.
... requires brief examination of 1. The proposed scope of the work.2. The character
of the sources.3. The intellectual and moral competency of Eusebius on the ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 1 the life of.htm

Letter cxxx. (AD 412. )
... and for their kindred the competent portion of necessary things, of which the apostle
speaks when he says: "Godliness with a competency [contentment in English ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cxxx a d 412.htm

That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party ...
... He gives not such a strict rule for the competency of number, as for the
qualifications of the persons, as being the principal thing. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/section iii that the employing.htm

Christ's Nativity Both Possible and Becoming the Heretical Opinion ...
... Since [6970] you think that this lay within the competency of your own arbitrary
choice, you must needs have supposed that being born [6971] was either ...
/.../ on the flesh of christ/chapter iii christs nativity both possible.htm

Responsibilities of the Christian Home.
... life; they notice the interest they take in their health and education, and the
self-denial with which they seek to secure for them a temporal competency. ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter vii responsibilities of the.htm

Plato's Inconsistency He Supposes the Soul Self-Existent, yet ...
... In the second place, my objection to him will stand thus: (Plato,) do you endow
the soul with a natural competency for understanding those well-known ideas of ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxiv platos inconsistency he supposes.htm

The Flesh Will be Associated with the Soul in Enduring the Penal ...
... In respect, indeed, of those sins, such as concupiscence, and thought, and wish,
which it has a competency of its own to commit, it at once [7380] pays the ...
/.../tertullian/on the resurrection of the flesh/chapter xvii the flesh will be.htm

Competency (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (n.) Legal capacity or qualifications; fitness; as, the competency of a witness
or of a evidence. ... Multi-Version Concordance Competency (1 Occurrence). ...
/c/competency.htm - 7k

Competent (9 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 2 Corinthians 3:5 not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything
by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God. (WEY DBY RSV NIV). ...
/c/competent.htm - 9k

Incompetent (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (a.) Not lying within one's competency, capacity, or authorized power; not
permissible. Multi-Version Concordance Incompetent (1 Occurrence). ...
/i/incompetent.htm - 7k

Reasonings (12 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 3:5 not that of ourselves we are competent to decide anything by
our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God. (WEY). ...
/r/reasonings.htm - 9k

Decide (33 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY ASV DBY NAS RSV). 2 Corinthians 3:5 not that of ourselves we are competent
to decide anything by our own reasonings, but our competency comes from God. ...
/d/decide.htm - 17k

May (14936 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) An auxiliary verb qualifying the meaning of another verb, by expressing:
(a) Ability, competency, or possibility; -- now oftener expressed by can. ...
/m/may.htm - 7k

Character (27 Occurrences)
... give one a bad character. 8. (n.) A written statement as to behavior,
competency, etc., given to a servant. 9. (n.) A unique or ...
/c/character.htm - 16k

Capacity (5 Occurrences)
... character, etc., necessary for certain purposes, as for holding office, for marrying,
for making contracts, will, etc.; legal power or right; competency. ...
/c/capacity.htm - 8k

Competence (1 Occurrence)

/c/competence.htm - 6k

Rome (12 Occurrences)
... exclusiveness in gaining admission to the consulship, the highest regular magistracy,
the necessity for another magistrate with general competency afforded an ...
/r/rome.htm - 43k

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