Definition and Context:
In biblical terms, "holders" generally refer to individuals or entities that possess, retain, or have custody of something. This can be in a literal sense, such as holding physical objects, or in a metaphorical sense, such as holding authority, responsibility, or spiritual truths. The concept of holding is significant in Scripture, as it often relates to stewardship, faithfulness, and the transmission of divine commandments and teachings.

Biblical References and Themes:

1. Stewardship and Responsibility:
The Bible frequently emphasizes the importance of being faithful holders or stewards of what God has entrusted to individuals. In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus illustrates the principle of stewardship, where servants are given talents to hold and invest wisely. The faithful servants are commended for their diligence, while the unfaithful servant, who merely holds onto his talent without using it, is rebuked. This parable underscores the expectation that holders of God's gifts and resources should use them for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.

2. Holding Fast to Faith and Doctrine:
Believers are exhorted to hold fast to their faith and the teachings of Christ. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, Paul instructs, "but test all things. Hold fast to what is good." Similarly, in 2 Timothy 1:13-14, Paul encourages Timothy to "Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." These passages highlight the importance of maintaining doctrinal purity and spiritual integrity.

3. Holding Authority and Leadership:
In the context of leadership, holders of authority are called to exercise their roles with justice and righteousness. Proverbs 29:2 states, "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan." Leaders are seen as holders of power who are accountable to God for their governance. The Bible provides numerous examples of both righteous and unrighteous leaders, illustrating the impact of their stewardship on the people they lead.

4. Holding onto Hope and Promises:
The concept of holding onto hope is a recurring theme in Scripture. Hebrews 10:23 encourages believers, "Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." This verse calls Christians to cling to the promises of God with unwavering confidence, trusting in His faithfulness to fulfill them.

5. Spiritual Warfare and Perseverance:
Ephesians 6:13-14 speaks to the necessity of holding one's ground in spiritual warfare: "Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed." Here, holding is associated with standing firm in the face of spiritual challenges, equipped with the armor of God.

Conclusion:
The concept of holders in the Bible encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and virtues, from stewardship and leadership to faithfulness and perseverance. Believers are called to be diligent and faithful holders of what God has entrusted to them, whether it be material possessions, spiritual truths, or positions of authority. Through holding fast to faith, hope, and righteousness, Christians are encouraged to live lives that honor God and reflect His kingdom values.1004. bayith -- a house
... 1), buildings (2), daughter (1), dungeon* (2), faced inward (1), family (2), family*
(1), guard* (1), hall (1), hangings (1), harem* (5), holders (7), home (33 ...
/hebrew/1004.htm - 7k

The Character of the Commonitory which the Legates Received ...
... the Catholic Churches, without any dissimulation, the protection of the ordinum
[ie companies of soldiers, stationed] in each city, and of the holders of the ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon xciii greek xcvi the.htm

The Sweetness of Tears
... Under the shelter of the lord's name, these small-holders defended themselves better
against fiscal tyranny, or were included in the immunities of their patrons ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/iv the sweetness of tears.htm

Conflicts of the Church with Public Wrongs.
... emancipation" as a condition of fellowship in the ministry or communion in the church,
and the popular cries of "No fellowship with slave-holders," and "Slave ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xvi conflicts of the.htm

Testimonies to a Future Judgment.
... And Euripides: [2603] ". "Not grudgingly he gives a lease of life,. That we the
holders may be fairly judged; And if a mortal man doth think to hide. ...
/.../justin on the sole government of god /chapter iii testimonies to a future.htm

The Secular Clergy
... the highest to the lowest all ecclesiastical posts were at the disposition of laymen
who treated them as a species of feudal fief, so that the holders, even if ...
/.../medley/the church and the empire/chapter iv the secular clergy.htm

While Vergilius, Going Slowly, was Thinking of These Things...
... ancestral statues of white marble stood in a row against the red wall; there were
seats and divans of ebony enriched by cunning hands; lamp-holders of wrought ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bacheller/vergilius/chapter 7 while vergilius going.htm

The Family of a Saint
... To hunt, to ride horseback, now and then to go on parade, to look after his
small-holders and agricultural slaves, to drive one of those bargains in which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the family of a.htm

Eighth Tractate. On the Intellectual Beauty.
... thing seen but go back to the Ideas from which Nature itself derives, and, furthermore,
that much of their work is all their own; they are holders of beauty ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/eighth tractate on the intellectual.htm

The Gentle Boy
... Their reputation, as holders of mystic and pernicious principles, having spread
before them, the Puritans early endeavored to banish, and to prevent the ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the gentle boy.htm

The Distribution of Talents
... The justice of this diversity is found only in its relation to God. It is in the
proportional responsibility of these holders of different gifts. ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/l the distribution of talents.htm

Holders (7 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Holders (7 Occurrences). Exodus 25:27 the rings shall
be close to the rim, for places for the poles to carry the table. (See NAS RSV). ...
/h/holders.htm - 8k

Holdest (11 Occurrences)

/h/holdest.htm - 9k

Annas (4 Occurrences)
... Note especially the remarkable phrase in Luke 3:2, "in the high-priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas," as if they were joint holders of the office. ...
/a/annas.htm - 13k

Apostle (25 Occurrences)
... They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The
office of an apostle ceased with its first holders. In ...
/a/apostle.htm - 87k

Serjeants (2 Occurrences)
... sar'-jents, -jants (rhabdouchoi): In Acts 16:35, 38 the word (literally, "holders
of rods," corresponding to Roman "lictors," thus the Revised Version margin ...
/s/serjeants.htm - 7k

Honor (240 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A title applied to the holders of certain honorable civil offices, or to
persons of rank; as, His Honor the Mayor. See Note under Honorable. ...
/h/honor.htm - 37k

Shewbread (16 Occurrences)
... 4212). But this is a mere repetition of a Jewish legend, as spoons were the recognized
holders of the frankincense to be burned (compare Numbers 7:14;). ...
/s/shewbread.htm - 20k

Holder (2 Occurrences)

/h/holder.htm - 7k

Empire (8 Occurrences)
... The judicia became the bone of contention between the senate and the knights as
the best instrument for party interests, and enabled the holders (a) to receive ...
/e/empire.htm - 80k

Keys (2 Occurrences)
... appropriate to the kingdom. It is thus that binding and loosing in teaching
devolve upon the holders of the keys. To that extent ...
/k/keys.htm - 32k

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