Definition and Context:
Maintenance, in a biblical context, refers to the act of upholding, supporting, or preserving something in its intended state. This can apply to physical, spiritual, or communal aspects of life. The concept of maintenance is woven throughout Scripture, emphasizing the importance of stewardship, care, and responsibility.

Biblical References:

1. Stewardship and Responsibility:
The Bible frequently addresses the theme of stewardship, which inherently involves maintenance. In Genesis 2:15, God places Adam in the Garden of Eden "to work it and take care of it" . This initial command establishes the principle of maintaining God's creation as a divine responsibility.

2. Spiritual Maintenance:
Believers are called to maintain their spiritual lives through regular practices such as prayer, study of Scripture, and fellowship. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul advises Timothy, "Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you" . This highlights the importance of maintaining one's spiritual health and doctrine.

3. Community and Relational Maintenance:
The early church provides a model for maintaining community and relationships. Acts 2:42 describes the believers as devoted to "the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" . This commitment to communal practices ensured the maintenance of unity and support among believers.

4. Financial and Material Maintenance:
Scripture also addresses the maintenance of financial and material resources. Proverbs 27:23-24 advises, "Be sure to know the state of your flocks, and pay close attention to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to every generation" . This passage underscores the necessity of diligent oversight and care for one's possessions.

5. Moral and Ethical Maintenance:
Maintaining moral and ethical standards is a recurring theme in the Bible. In Titus 3:8, Paul encourages believers to "be careful to devote themselves to good works" . This call to action reflects the need to uphold righteousness and integrity in daily life.

Theological Implications:

The concept of maintenance in the Bible is deeply connected to the idea of stewardship. Believers are entrusted with various aspects of God's creation, including their own lives, relationships, and resources. Maintenance, therefore, is not merely a practical duty but a spiritual obligation that reflects one's faithfulness to God.

Practical Applications:

· Personal Life: Regular self-examination and spiritual disciplines help maintain a healthy relationship with God.
· Family and Community: Investing time and effort in relationships fosters unity and support within families and church communities.
· Resources: Wise management and care for material possessions ensure sustainability and provision for future generations.

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not explicitly use the term "maintenance," the principles of care, stewardship, and responsibility are evident throughout Scripture. These principles guide believers in maintaining their spiritual, relational, and material lives in accordance with God's will.1. (n.) The act of maintaining; sustenance; support; defense; vindication.

2. (n.) That which maintains or supports; means of sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences.

3. (n.) An officious or unlawful intermeddling in a cause depending between others, by assisting either party with money or means to carry it on. See Champerty.

5160. trophe -- nourishment, food
... of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: trophe Phonetic Spelling: (trof-ay')
Short Definition: food, nourishment Definition: food, nourishment, maintenance. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5160.htm - 6k

4306. pronoeo -- to foresee
... From pro and noieo; to consider in advance, ie Look out for beforehand (actively,
by way of maintenance for others; middle voice by way of circumspection for ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4306.htm - 7k

4415. melach -- to eat salt
... have maintenance. (Aramaic) corresponding to malach; to eat salt, ie (generally)
subsist -- + have maintenance. see HEBREW malach. 4414b, 4415. melach. 4416 ...
/hebrew/4415.htm - 6k

4416. melach -- salt
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to melach Definition salt NASB Word Usage salt
(2). maintenance, salt. (Aramaic) from mlach; salt -- + maintenance, salt. ...
/hebrew/4416.htm - 6k

7939. sakar -- hire, wages
... From sakar; payment of contract; concretely, salary, fare, maintenance; by implication,
compensation, benefit -- hire, price, reward(-ed), wages, worth. ...
/hebrew/7939.htm - 6k

4241. michyah -- preservation of life, sustenance
... Word Origin from chayah Definition preservation of life, sustenance NASB Word Usage
maintenance (1), preserve life (1), quick (1), raw (1), recover (1 ...
/hebrew/4241.htm - 6k

2416. chay -- alive, living
... figuratively -- + age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation,
life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, + merry, multitude ...
/hebrew/2416.htm - 6k

Building for Community Service
... Thus the general organization aids each year the limited number of local groups
that find it necessary to rebuild and renders unnecessary the maintenance of a ...
/.../vogt/church cooperation in community life/chapter v building for community.htm

Whether Desires for Pleasures of Touch are the Matter of ...
... Now nature inclines chiefly to those things that are necessary to it, whether for
the maintenance of the individual, such as food, or for the maintenance of ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether desires for pleasures of.htm

Church and State in New England
... of New Haven, and the holder of the liberal franchise in Connecticut, all clung
to the proposition that the State's first duty was the maintenance and support ...
/.../chapter iii church and state.htm

Seasons of Covenanting.
... really been done it is a great attainment; but it must again and again be surrendered
in renewed acts of self-dedication, in order to the maintenance of any ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter xv seasons of covenanting.htm

Certain Prayers and Laws.
... Let all first-fruits be brought to the bishop, and to the presbyters, and to the
deacons, [3709] for their maintenance; but let all the tithe be for the ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv certain prayers and laws.htm

The Scotch Covenants and the Scotch Kirk.
... National Covenants or politico-religious agreements for the maintenance and defense
of certain principles and privileges are a peculiar and prominent feature ...
/.../ 90 the scotch covenants.htm

The Eighth Book Very Notably Overthrows the Blasphemy of The
... by this deceit has the phrase, "If He was, He has not been begotten, and if He has
been begotten, He was not," ready upon his tongue for the maintenance of the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 1 the eighth book.htm

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat; How Joram, his Namesake, King of ...
... prophets that were to be slain by Jezebel, the wife of Ahab; for she said that he
hid a hundred of them, and had borrowed money for their maintenance, and that ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 jehoram succeeds jehoshaphat.htm

Constantine's Letter to the Antiochians, Directing them not to ...
... No wonder, then, if I affirm that your maintenance of the truth has tended rather
to promote your security than to draw on you the hatred of others. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter lx constantines letter to the.htm

Press Gang and Methodists
... constables and overseers of several parishes, requiring them to "apprehend all such
able-bodies men as had no lawful calling or sufficient maintenance"; and to ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/press gang and methodists.htm

Maintenance (4 Occurrences)
... money or means to carry it on. See Champerty. Multi-Version Concordance
Maintenance (4 Occurrences). Judges 17:10 Micah said to him ...
/m/maintenance.htm - 8k

Majestic (22 Occurrences)

/m/majestic.htm - 12k

Keep (4573 Occurrences)
... in good keep. 24. (n.) The means or provisions by which one is kept;
maintenance; support; as, the keep of a horse. 25. (n.) That ...
/k/keep.htm - 9k

Keeping (282 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A holding; restraint; custody; guard; charge; care; preservation. 3. (n.)
Maintenance; support; provision; feed; as, the cattle have good keeping. ...
/k/keeping.htm - 36k

Livelihood (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Means of subsistence or living; as, to earn a livelihood; as dependent
on some means of support; support of life; maintenance. ...
/l/livelihood.htm - 7k

Gehazi (14 Occurrences)
... as a specious reason for Elisha's change of mind, the arrival at his master's house
of two poor scholars of the prophet, who would require help and maintenance...
/g/gehazi.htm - 19k

Wages (52 Occurrences)
... earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes" (Haggai 1:6). (5) Sakhar means "payment
of contract," in the material way of salary, maintenance, fare, and so ...
/w/wages.htm - 28k

Festivals (17 Occurrences)
... These festivals, besides their religious purpose, had an important bearing on the
maintenance among the people of the feeling of a national unity. ...
/f/festivals.htm - 15k

Finding (57 Occurrences)
... as tools, trimmings, etc. 3. (n.) Support; maintenance; that which is provided
for one; expense; provision. 4. (n.) The result of ...
/f/finding.htm - 23k

Father (11359 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) One who performs the offices of a parent by maintenance, affectionate care,
counsel, or protection. 4. (n.) A respectful mode of address to an old man. ...
/f/father.htm - 21k

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