In the context of the Bible, "passions" often refer to strong emotions or desires that can influence human behavior. These can be both positive and negative, depending on their nature and the way they are expressed or controlled. The Bible provides guidance on how to manage passions, emphasizing the importance of aligning them with God's will.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament frequently addresses the concept of passions, particularly in the context of human desires that lead to sin. In Genesis 4:7, God warns Cain about the danger of unchecked emotions: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it." This passage highlights the need for self-control over sinful desires.

Proverbs also speaks to the management of passions, particularly in the realm of anger and lust. Proverbs 16:32 states, "He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city." This underscores the value of self-control and the strength it requires to master one's passions.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament continues to address the issue of passions, often in the context of the flesh versus the Spirit. In Galatians 5:24, Paul writes, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." This verse emphasizes the transformative power of belonging to Christ, which involves putting to death the sinful passions of the flesh.

James 4:1-2 further explores the destructive nature of unchecked passions: "What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it." Here, James identifies the root of conflict as the internal struggle with passions that are not aligned with God's will.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in helping believers manage their passions. In Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is described, including self-control, which is essential for managing passions: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Romans 8:5-6 contrasts living according to the flesh with living according to the Spirit: "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace." This passage highlights the importance of setting one's mind on spiritual things to overcome the destructive nature of fleshly passions.

Practical Application

Believers are encouraged to actively pursue a life that reflects the character of Christ, which includes managing passions in a way that honors God. Colossians 3:5 advises, "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry." This directive calls for a decisive action against sinful passions.

In summary, the Bible provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing passions. Through the guidance of Scripture and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, believers are called to cultivate self-control and align their desires with the will of God, thereby living a life that reflects His holiness and love.PASSION, PASSIONS

pash'-un, pash'-unz: "Passion" is derived from Latin passio, which in turn is derived from the verb patior, with the root, pat-. The Latin words are connected with the Greek root, path-, which appears in a large number of derivatives. And in Greek, Latin, and English (with other languages in addition) words connected with this root, pat-, path-, are often susceptible of a great variety of meanings, for which the dictionaries must be consulted. For "passion," however, as it appears in English Versions of the Bible, only three of these meanings need be considered.

(1) Close to what seems to be the primary force of the root is the meaning "suffer," and in this sense "passion" is used in Acts 1:3, "to whom he also showed himself alive after his passion." This translation is a paraphrase (Greek: "after he had suffered"), due to the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) (post passionem suam), and in English is as old as Wycliff, whom the subsequent English Versions of the Bible has followed. This is the only case in the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) where "passion" has this meaning, and it can be so used in modern English only when referring (as here) to the sufferings of Christ (compare "Passion play").

(2) "Suffering," when applied to the mind, came to denote the state that is controlled by some emotion, and so "passion" was applied to the emotion itself. This is the meaning of the word in Acts 14:15, "men of like passions," and James 5:17, "a man of like passions," Greek homoiopathes; the Revised Version margin "of like nature" gives the meaning exactly: "men with the same emotions as we."

(3) From "emotion" a transition took place to "strong emotion," and this is the normal force of "passion" in modern English the King James Version does not use this meaning, but in the Revised Version (British and American) "passion" in this sense is the translation of pathos, in its three occurrences: Romans 1:26 (the King James Version "affection"); Colossians 3:5 (the King James Version "inordinate affection"); 1 Thessalonians 4:5 (the King James Version "lust").

It is used also for two occurrences of pathema (closely allied to pathos) in Romans 7:5 (the King James Version "motions," the King James Version margin "passions") and in Galatians 5:24 (the King James Version "affection"). The fixing of the exact force in any of these cases is a delicate problem fully discussed in the commentaries. In Colossians 3:5 only does "passion" stand as an isolated term. The context here perhaps gives the word a slight sexual reference, but this must not be overstressed; the warning probably includes any violent over-emotion that robs a man of his self-control.

See AFFECTION; MOTION.

Burton Scott Easton

3663. homoiopathes -- of like feelings or affections
... homoiopathes Phonetic Spelling: (hom-oy-op-ath-ace') Short Definition: of like feelings
Definition: of like feelings, having similar passions and feelings, of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3663.htm - 6k

4561. sarx -- flesh
... of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by implication) human nature
(with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specially), a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4561.htm - 8k

3804. pathema -- that which befalls one, ie a suffering, a passion
... Word Origin from pascho Definition that which befalls one, ie a suffering, a passion
NASB Word Usage passions (2), suffering (2), sufferings (12). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3804.htm - 8k

3806. pathos -- that which befalls one, a passion, a suffering
... Word Origin from pascho Definition that which befalls one, a passion, a suffering
NASB Word Usage passion (2), passions (1). inordinate affection, lust. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3806.htm - 7k

5299. hupopiazo -- to strike under the eye
... hit under the eye (buffet or disable an antagonist as a pugilist), ie (figuratively)
to tease or annoy (into compliance), subdue (one's passions) -- keep under ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5299.htm - 7k

3958. pascho -- to suffer, to be acted on
... [3958 ("experiencing strong feeling") is the root of: 3804 ("passions, sufferings"),
3805 ("suffering") and 3806 ("strong feeling, passion").]. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3958.htm - 9k

7918. shakak -- to decrease, abate
... A primitive root; to weave (ie Lay) a trap; figuratively, (through the idea of
secreting) to allay (passions; physically, abate a flood) -- appease, assuage ...
/hebrew/7918.htm - 6k

Whether Justice is About the Passions?
... OF JUSTICE (TWELVE ARTICLES) Whether justice is about the passions? Objection
1: It would seem that justice is about the passions. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether justice is about the.htm

Whether Passions Existed in the Soul of the First Man?
... OF THINGS PERTAINING TO THE FIRST MAN'S WILL"-NAMELY, GRACE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS (FOUR
ARTICLES) Whether passions existed in the soul of the first man? ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether passions existed in the.htm

Whether the Passions of the Concupiscible Part are Different from ...
... HOW THE PASSIONS DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the passions of
the concupiscible part are different from those of the irascible part? ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the passions of the.htm

Of the Passions.
... Chap. LXI."Of the Passions. ... The Stoics are of opinion that these passions must
be cut off; the Peripatetics think that they must be restrained. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap lxi of the passions.htm

Whether the Contrariety of the Irascible Passions is Based on the ...
... HOW THE PASSIONS DIFFER FROM ONE ANOTHER (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether the contrariety
of the irascible passions is based on the contrariety of good and evil? ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the contrariety of the.htm

Of the Order of the Passions to one Another (Four Articles)
... OF THE ORDER OF THE PASSIONS TO ONE ANOTHER (FOUR ARTICLES). ... (1) The relation
of the irascible passions to the concupiscible passions; ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of the order of the.htm

Of the Passions of the Soul in Particular: and First, of Love ...
... OF THE PASSIONS OF THE SOUL IN PARTICULAR: AND FIRST, OF LOVE (FOUR ARTICLES).
We have now to consider the soul's passions in particular ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of the passions of the.htm

Of the Passions Which, According to Apuleius, Agitate the Demons ...
... Book IX. Chapter 6."Of the Passions Which, According to Apuleius, Agitate the
Demons Who Are Supposed by Him to Mediate Between Gods and Men. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 6 of the passions which.htm

That the Passions which Assail the Souls of Christians do not ...
... Book IX. Chapter 5."That the Passions Which Assail the Souls of Christians
Do Not Seduce Them to Vice, But Exercise Their Virtue. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 5 that the passions which.htm

Of Good and Evil in the Passions of the Soul (Four Articles)
... OF GOOD AND EVIL IN THE PASSIONS OF THE SOUL (FOUR ARTICLES). ... (1) Whether moral
good and evil can be found in the passions of the soul? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of good and evil in.htm

Passions (26 Occurrences)
... PASSION, PASSIONS. pash'-un, pash'-unz: "Passion" is derived from Latin passio,
which in turn is derived from the verb patior, with the root, pat-. ...
/p/passions.htm - 17k

Passion (82 Occurrences)
... controlling activity; an extreme or inordinate desire; also, the capacity or
susceptibility of being so affected; as, to be in a passion; the passions of love ...
/p/passion.htm - 37k

Affect (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch. 3. (vt) To
love; to regard with affection. ... (3) In an evil sense in the plural = passions. ...
/a/affect.htm - 11k

Affection (30 Occurrences)
... "bowels," regarded as the seat of kindly feelings, compare Eng "heart") So 2
Corinthians 7:15. (3) In an evil sense in the plural = passions. ...
/a/affection.htm - 20k

Vile (59 Occurrences)
... William Evans. Multi-Version Concordance Vile (59 Occurrences). Romans
1:26 For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For ...
/v/vile.htm - 26k

Unbridled (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Unrestrained; licentious; violent; as, unbridled
passions. Multi-Version Concordance Unbridled (4 Occurrences). ...
/u/unbridled.htm - 7k

Governed (8 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 1 Peter 4:2 that in future you may spend the rest of your earthly lives,
governed not by human passions, but by the will of God. (WEY). ...
/g/governed.htm - 8k

Temperate (6 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) Moderate in the indulgence of the natural appetites or passions; as, temperate
in eating and drinking. 4. (vt) Proceeding from temperance. ...
/t/temperate.htm - 12k

Temperance (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites
and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; moderation; as, temperance in ...
/t/temperance.htm - 12k

Tender (66 Occurrences)
... 11. (superl.) Physically weak; not hardly or able to endure hardship; immature;
effeminate. 12. (superl.) Susceptible of the softer passions, as love ...
/t/tender.htm - 33k

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