Hostility, as understood in the biblical context, refers to enmity, opposition, or antagonism between individuals, groups, or even towards God. The Bible addresses hostility in various forms, highlighting its origins, manifestations, and the divine call to overcome it through love and reconciliation.

Origins of Hostility

The roots of hostility can be traced back to the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world, bringing with it division and strife. Genesis 3:15 records God's words to the serpent: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel." This enmity signifies the ongoing spiritual battle between good and evil, affecting human relationships and the human heart.

Manifestations of Hostility

Hostility is evident in various biblical narratives, often manifesting as conflict between individuals, nations, and even within families. Cain's murder of Abel (Genesis 4:8) is an early example of personal hostility driven by jealousy and anger. The hostility between Esau and Jacob (Genesis 27:41) further illustrates familial strife, while the ongoing conflicts between Israel and surrounding nations, such as the Philistines, highlight national hostility.

In the New Testament, hostility is also seen in the opposition to Jesus Christ and His message. John 15:18-19 records Jesus' words to His disciples: "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world." This passage underscores the spiritual hostility faced by believers as they follow Christ.

Hostility Towards God

Hostility is not only directed towards fellow humans but also towards God. Romans 8:7 states, "The mind of the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so." This enmity is a result of the sinful nature that opposes God's authority and righteousness. James 4:4 further warns, "You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."

Overcoming Hostility

The Bible calls believers to overcome hostility through love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Jesus' teachings emphasize loving one's enemies and praying for those who persecute (Matthew 5:44). The Apostle Paul echoes this in Romans 12:20-21 : "On the contrary, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Reconciliation is central to the Christian faith, as believers are called to be ambassadors of Christ, spreading the message of peace. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 states, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

Ultimately, the Bible presents hostility as a consequence of sin that can be transformed through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who breaks down the dividing walls of hostility and brings peace to those who are far and near (Ephesians 2:14-17).1. (n.) Enmity; unfriendliness; animosity.

2. (n.) An act of an open enemy; a hostile deed; especially in the plural, acts of warfare; attacks of an enemy.

2189. echthra -- yesterday
... yesterday. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: echthra Phonetic Spelling:
(ekh'-thrah) Short Definition: enmity, hostility Definition: enmity ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2189.htm - 6k

1267. diamerismos -- a division
... Noun, Masculine Transliteration: diamerismos Phonetic Spelling: (dee-am-er-is-mos')
Short Definition: breaking up, discord, hostility Definition: breaking up ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1267.htm - 6k

2189b. echthra -- enmity
... Word Origin from echthros Definition enmity NASB Word Usage enemies (1), enmities
(1), enmity (2), hostile (1), hostility (1). 2189a, 2189b. echthra. 2190 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2189b.htm - 5k

1375. diogmos -- persecution
... [1375 () is used in ancient and biblical Greek for (hostility) shown by confused,
spiritual "leaders." For example, it applies to the Roman Emperor, Decius ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1375.htm - 7k

485. antilogia -- gainsaying, contradiction
... Word Origin from antilego Definition gainsaying, contradiction NASB Word Usage dispute
(2), hostility (1), rebellion (1). contradiction, strife. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/485.htm - 7k

2341. theriomacheo -- to fight with wild beasts
... akh-eh'-o) Short Definition: I fight with wild beasts Definition: I fight with wild
beasts (ie wild beasts in human form); met: I am exposed to fierce hostility ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2341.htm - 6k

3951. parotruno -- to urge on, to stir up
... stir up. From para and otruno (to spur); to urge along, ie Stimulate (to hostility) --
stir up. see GREEK para. (parotrunan) -- 1 Occurrence. 3950, 3951. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3951.htm - 6k

6887c. tsarar -- to show hostility toward, vex
... 6887b, 6887c. tsarar. 6887d . to show hostility toward, vex. Transliteration:
tsarar Short Definition: adversaries. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6887c.htm - 5k

8409. tigrah -- contention, strife, hostility
... 8408, 8409. tigrah. 8410 . contention, strife, hostility. Transliteration:
tigrah Phonetic Spelling: (tig-raw') Short Definition: opposition. ...
/hebrew/8409.htm - 6k

7856. Sitnah -- "hostility," the name of a well near Gerar
... 7855, 7856. Sitnah. 7857 . "hostility," the name of a well near Gerar.
Transliteration: Sitnah Phonetic Spelling: (sit-naw') Short Definition: Sitnah. ...
/hebrew/7856.htm - 6k

6696b. tsur -- to show hostility to, treat as foe
... 6696a, 6696b. tsur. 6696c . to show hostility to, treat as foe.
Transliteration: tsur Short Definition: harass. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/6696b.htm - 5k

7147. qeri -- opposition, contrariness
... 7146, 7147. qeri. 7148 . opposition, contrariness. Transliteration: qeri
Phonetic Spelling: (ker-ee') Short Definition: hostility. ...
/hebrew/7147.htm - 6k

4895. mastemah -- animosity
... 4894b, 4895. mastemah. 4896 . animosity. Transliteration: mastemah Phonetic
Spelling: (mas-tay-maw') Short Definition: hostility. ...
/hebrew/4895.htm - 6k

1481. guwr -- to sojourn
... the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), ie Sojourn (as a guest); also to
shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather for hostility (as afraid ...
/hebrew/1481.htm - 5k

342. ebah -- enmity
... Word Origin from ayab Definition enmity NASB Word Usage enmity (5). emnity, hatred.
From 'ayab; hostility -- emnity, hatred. see HEBREW 'ayab. 341, 342. ...
/hebrew/342.htm - 6k

The Adventures of Achamoth Outside the Pleroma the Mission of ...
... Christ in Pursuit of Her. Her Longing for Christ. Horos' Hostility to Her.
Her Continued Suffering. For Enthymesis, or rather Achamoth ...
/.../tertullian/against the valentinians/chapter xiv the adventures of achamoth.htm

That the vicissitudes of this Life are Dependent not on the Favor ...
... Book II. Chapter 23."That the Vicissitudes of This Life are Dependent Not on the
Favor or Hostility of Demons, But on the Will of the True God. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 23 that the vicissitudes of.htm

On Bk. vi. Chap. 23, 4 (Note 6). Origen's visit to Achaia.
... Achaia, a time when in all probability the early books of his commentary on John,
as well as others of his writings, had begun to excite the hostility of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/church history/on bk vi chap 23.htm

The World's Hatred, as Christ Saw It
... Our Lord has been speaking of the world's hostility to His followers, and
tracing that to its hostility to Himself. In these solemn ...
/.../the worlds hatred as christ.htm

Sheep among Wolves
... I. What makes this hostility inevitable? ... Jesus points to two things, as
you will observe, which make this hostility inevitable. ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/sheep among wolves.htm

Still Another Triplet
... The closing words of this chapter have a certain unity in that they deal principally
with a Christian's duty in the face of hostility and antagonism. ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/still another triplet 3.htm

Period ii. The Post-Apostolic Age: AD 100-AD 140
... religion (Sec. Sec. 6, 7); the decline of the Jewish element in the Church
and extreme hostility of Judaism to the Church (Sec. 5); the ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period ii the post-apostolic age .htm

The Grasp that Brings Peace
... All this has universal application to our relations to God. I. The Hostility. ...
II. The entreating Love that is not turned aside by hostility. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the grasp that brings peace.htm

Of Flavianus Bishop of Antioch and of the Sedition which Arose in ...
... Thus a lasting hostility arose among the Romans and the Egyptians against the East,
and the ill feeling was not even destroyed on the death of Paulinus. ...
/.../chapter xxiii of flavianus bishop of.htm

'As I have Loved'
... and the unlearned, the slave and his master, the barbarian and the Greek, the man
and the woman, stood on opposite sides of the gulfs, flinging hostility across ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/as i have loved.htm

Ammonites (97 Occurrences)
... They were defeated, but their hostility did not cease, and their conduct toward
the Israelites was particularly shameful, as in the days of Saul (1 Samuel 11 ...
/a/ammonites.htm - 43k

Ammon (100 Occurrences)
... They were defeated, but their hostility did not cease, and their conduct toward
the Israelites was particularly shameful, as in the days of Saul (1 Samuel 11 ...
/a/ammon.htm - 47k

Enmity (23 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) Hatred; hostility; unfriendly disposition. 2.
(n.) A state of opposition; hostility. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ENMITY ...
/e/enmity.htm - 15k

Abner (54 Occurrences)
... Among the other tribes there was a feeling of hostility to Judah; and Abner, at
the head of Ephraim, fostered this hostility in the interest of the house of ...
/a/abner.htm - 30k

Magician (5 Occurrences)
... MAGIC IN THE BIBLE 1. Hostility to Magic 2. Potency of Magical Words 3. Influence
of Charms V. MAGICAL TERMS USED IN THE BIBLE 1. Divination 2. Sorcery 3 ...
/m/magician.htm - 24k

Reconcile (10 Occurrences)
... becomes mutual, for there is no kind of doubt that sinners are enemies to God in
the active sense, and require to lay aside their hostility, and so be ...
/r/reconcile.htm - 29k

Magic (12 Occurrences)
... MAGIC IN THE BIBLE 1. Hostility to Magic 2. Potency of Magical Words 3. Influence
of Charms V. MAGICAL TERMS USED IN THE BIBLE 1. Divination 2. Sorcery 3 ...
/m/magic.htm - 29k

Bitter (203 Occurrences)
... Acts 12:20 And he was in bitter hostility with the Tyrians and Sidonians; but they
came to him with one accord, and, having gained Blastus the king's ...
/b/bitter.htm - 42k

Pharisees (86 Occurrences)
... 3. Later Fortunes of the Sect: The sons of Hyrcanus, especially Alexander
Janneus, expressed their hostility in a more active way. ...
/p/pharisees.htm - 66k

Reconciliation (11 Occurrences)
... becomes mutual, for there is no kind of doubt that sinners are enemies to God in
the active sense, and require to lay aside their hostility, and so be ...
/r/reconciliation.htm - 30k

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