Definition and Context
Severance, in a biblical context, refers to the act of separating or dividing, often with a spiritual or moral implication. It can denote the physical separation of people, the division of relationships, or the spiritual distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous. The concept of severance is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating God's holiness, justice, and the call for His people to be distinct from the world.

Old Testament References
In the Old Testament, severance is often associated with God's covenant people, Israel, being set apart from other nations. Leviticus 20:26 states, "You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own." This verse highlights the divine act of severance, where God distinguishes His people for a unique purpose and relationship with Him.

The concept is also evident in the laws and rituals given to Israel, which served to separate them from pagan practices and maintain their purity. For example, dietary laws and ceremonial cleanliness were forms of severance that reinforced their identity as God's chosen people.

New Testament References
In the New Testament, severance takes on a more spiritual dimension. Jesus speaks of a future severance in the parable of the sheep and the goats, where He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous at the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). This eschatological severance underscores the eternal consequences of one's relationship with Christ.

The Apostle Paul also addresses severance in terms of personal holiness and community conduct. In 2 Corinthians 6:17 , Paul exhorts believers, "Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." Here, severance is a call to moral and spiritual distinction, urging Christians to live in a manner that reflects their identity in Christ.

Theological Implications
Severance in the Bible underscores the holiness of God and His desire for His people to reflect His character. It is both a divine act and a human responsibility. God initiates severance by calling individuals and communities to Himself, while believers are called to actively pursue a life that is distinct from worldly values and practices.

The theme of severance also highlights the reality of judgment and the ultimate separation between those who belong to God and those who do not. It serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God's commands.

Practical Application
For believers today, the principle of severance calls for a life of holiness and dedication to God. It involves making choices that align with biblical values and resisting the influences that lead away from God's truth. Severance is not about isolation from the world but about living as a witness to God's transformative power in the midst of it.

In summary, severance is a multifaceted biblical theme that emphasizes God's holiness, the distinctiveness of His people, and the ultimate separation of the righteous and the unrighteous. It calls believers to a life of purity, devotion, and faithful witness in a world that often stands in opposition to God's ways.1. (n.) Separation; partition; dividing.

2. (n.) The act of dividing; the singling or severing of two or more that join, or are joined, in one writ; the putting in several or separate pleas or answers by two or more disjointly; the destruction of the unity of interest in a joint estate.

3311. merismos -- a dividing, distribution
... mer-is-mos') Short Definition: a distribution, separation Definition: (a) a
distributing, a distribution, (b) a parting, dividing, severance, separation. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3311.htm - 7k

Whether in Christ's Death There was a Severance Between his ...
... OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST (SIX ARTICLES) Whether in Christ's death there was
a severance between His Godhead and His soul? Objection ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether in christs death there.htm

Translator's Preface
... But Tauler does teach that repression of the natural affections which is inevitable
so long as the vital idea of monasticism,"viz., the severance of the ...
/.../the history and life of the reverend doctor john tauler/translators preface.htm

Sundry Popular Fears and Prejudices the Doctrine of the Trinity in ...
... a monarchy), because it is administered by so many thousands of powers; how comes
it to pass that God should be thought to suffer division and severance in the ...
/.../tertullian/against praxeas/chapter iii sundry popular fears and.htm

"But," it is Said, "This Change in Our Body by Birth is a Weakness ...
... For if the severance of things that have been connected is a weakness, then
is the union of things that are asunder a weakness also. ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xvi but it is.htm

Christ Born of a virgin, of Her Substance the Physiological Facts ...
... it amalgamates, that when it is drawn off from it, it carries with it some part
of the body from which it is torn, as if in consequence of the severance of the ...
/.../tertullian/ on the flesh of christ/chapter xx christ born of a.htm

Council of Nic??a.
... he interpreted as not in the sense of the affections of bodies, nor as if the Son
subsisted from the Father in the way of division, or any severance; for that ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/council of nicaea.htm

Fifth Tractate. Problems of the Soul (3). [Also Entitled "On Sight ...
... If the severance of the air by such bodies leaves it unaffected, why must there
be any severance before the images of sight can reach us? ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/fifth tractate problems of the.htm

A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain
... frequent grotesqueness, have drawn down upon that country the indignation of the
entire civilized world, never congratulate herself on her severance from the ...
/.../a supplementary chapter to the.htm

Even Now, as the Matter Refers to Thy Opinion on a Point the More ...
... is that among the dead he may "have pleasant rest." If thou hast no power of suffering
after death, if no feeling remains,"if, in a word, severance from the ...
/.../tertullian/the souls testimony/chapter iv even now as.htm

Grundtvig's Early Years
... Napoleon. The war wrecked her trade, bankrupted her finances and ended
with the severance of her long union with Norway in 1814. ...
/.../hymns and hymnwriters of denmark/chapter eleven grundtvigs early years.htm

Severance (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Severance (1 Occurrence). Hebrews 4:12 For God's Message
is full of life and power, and is keener than the sharpest two-edged sword. ...
/s/severance.htm - 7k

Severally (6 Occurrences)
... 21, are in both cases translated "separate" in the American Standard Revised Version,
and indicate ceremonial uncleanness and consequent severance on account ...
/s/severally.htm - 9k

Keener (2 Occurrences)
... It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the
joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of ...
/k/keener.htm - 7k

Penetrates (1 Occurrence)
... It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the
joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of ...
/p/penetrates.htm - 6k

Partition (4 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) A part divided off by walls; an apartment; a compartment. 4. (n.) The severance
of common or undivided interests, particularly in real estate. ...
/p/partition.htm - 14k

Purposes (67 Occurrences)
... It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the
joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of ...
/p/purposes.htm - 25k

Pierces (8 Occurrences)
... It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the
joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of ...
/p/pierces.htm - 8k

Cut (616 Occurrences)
... as, a knife cuts well. 12. (vi) To admit of incision or severance; to yield
to a cutting instrument. 13. (vi) To perform the operation ...
/c/cut.htm - 45k

Sharpest (2 Occurrences)
... It pierces even to the severance of soul from spirit, and penetrates between the
joints and the marrow, and it can discern the secret thoughts and purposes of ...
/s/sharpest.htm - 7k

Sunder (9 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) To part; to separate. 3. (n.) A separation into parts; a division or severance.
4. (vt) To expose to the sun and wind. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/s/sunder.htm - 9k

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