Definition and Concept
Alienation, in a biblical context, refers to the state of estrangement or separation from God, often due to sin or disobedience. It encompasses both the spiritual and relational distance that arises when individuals or groups turn away from God's commandments and His presence. This concept is deeply rooted in the narrative of the Bible, illustrating the consequences of sin and the need for reconciliation through Jesus Christ.

Biblical Instances and Themes

1. The Fall of Man
The first instance of alienation is found in the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their disobedience led to a separation from God, as described in Genesis 3. This act of rebellion resulted in spiritual death and a curse upon creation, symbolizing the profound alienation between humanity and God. Genesis 3:23-24 states, "So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After He drove the man out, He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

2. Israel's Rebellion
Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel experienced periods of alienation due to idolatry and disobedience. The prophets frequently called the people back to God, warning of the consequences of their estrangement. In Isaiah 59:2 , it is written, "But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

3. Gentiles and Alienation
The New Testament expands the concept of alienation to include Gentiles, who were once separated from the covenants and promises of God. Ephesians 2:12 highlights this: "remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world."

Reconciliation through Christ

The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the solution to alienation. Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, believers are reconciled to God, bridging the gap caused by sin. Colossians 1:21-22 affirms this: "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds because of your evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence."

Practical Implications

1. Restoration of Relationship
Believers are called to live in a restored relationship with God, characterized by obedience, worship, and communion. This involves turning away from sin and embracing the new life offered in Christ.

2. Unity in the Body of Christ
Alienation is not only a personal issue but also a communal one. The Church is called to be a place of unity and reconciliation, breaking down barriers of division and fostering a sense of belonging among all believers, as emphasized in Ephesians 2:14-16 .

3. Mission to the World
Christians are tasked with the mission of reconciling others to God, sharing the message of the Gospel that overcomes alienation. 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."

Conclusion
The theme of alienation and reconciliation is central to the biblical narrative, highlighting the human condition apart from God and the redemptive work of Christ that restores fellowship with the Creator. Through understanding and addressing alienation, believers are equipped to live out their faith in a manner that reflects the transformative power of the Gospel.1. (n.) A withdrawing or estrangement, as of the affections.

2. (n.) Mental alienation; derangement of the mental faculties; insanity; as, alienation of mind.

2189. echthra -- yesterday
... of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: echthra Phonetic Spelling: (ekh'-thrah)
Short Definition: enmity, hostility Definition: enmity, hostility, alienation ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2189.htm - 6k8569. tenuah -- opposition
... breach of promise, occasion. From nuw'; alienation; by implication, enmity -- breach
of promise, occasion. see HEBREW nuw'. 8568, 8569. tenuah. 8570 . ...
/hebrew/8569.htm - 6k

And that the Holy Trinity is to be Worshipped Without Either ...
... A Sectional Confession of Faith. Section XX. And that the holy Trinity is
to be worshipped without either separation or alienation? ...
/.../section xx and that the.htm

He Then Shows, from the Instance of Adam and Abel, and Other ...
... Section 3. He then shows, from the instance of Adam and Abel, and other examples,
the absence of alienation of essence in the case of the "generate" and ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 3 he then shows.htm

The Sixth vial.
... Their alienation and withdrawal from her support, must therefore be symbolized by
the drying up of the great river Euphrates, which becomes diverted into other ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the sixth vial.htm

Others, Then, May Concede to Celsus that God Does not Undergo a ...
... [3756] The human race, moreover, when in a state of mental alienation, had to be
cured by methods which the Word saw would aid in bringing back those so ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xix others then may.htm

Of the Second and More Perfect Sort of Passive Unions...
... 2. The former sensible unions, especially such as pass in the internal sense, with
alienation from the exercise of the outward, do seldom befall very perfect ...
/.../chapter iv of the second.htm

Whether an Angel Can Change Man's Imagination?
... who voluntarily imagines what he previously experienced, so also the same may be
done by the power of a good or a bad angel, sometimes with alienation from the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether an angel can change.htm

He Expounds the Passage of the Gospel, "The Father Judgeth no Man ...
... of the body into its kindred elements: but "the soul that sinneth," he saith, "it
shall die [435] ." Now sin is nothing else than alienation from God, Who is ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 13 he expounds the.htm

The Prodigal and his Brother.
... The period of alienation, the period of repentance, and the circumstances of
a penitent reception. We shall consider all these in turn. ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/xx the prodigal and his.htm

The Triumphal Procession
... them. The image implies a prior state of hostility and alienation. Now, do
not let us exaggerate, let us take Paul's own experience. ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the triumphal procession.htm

Then Referring to the Blasphemy of Eunomius
... that of the Son corresponds to ungeneracy and generation, we must necessarily suppose
in the Son not a diminution of light, but a complete alienation from light ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 2 then referring to.htm

Alienation (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Mental alienation; derangement of the mental faculties; insanity; as,
alienation of mind. Multi-Version Concordance Alienation (2 Occurrences). ...
/a/alienation.htm - 7k

Forgiveness (124 Occurrences)
... necessarily more complete. It results in the complete removal of all
estrangement and alienation between God and man. It restores ...
/f/forgiveness.htm - 68k

Laws (184 Occurrences)
... Hence we find insolvency giving rise to the alienation of land and to slavery all
over the world-sometimes with the retention of civil rights (as in Rome and ...
/l/laws.htm - 47k

Lunatick (2 Occurrences)
... II. Madness. The Bible designates "madness," or alienation of mind, by various
terms, all of which seem to be onomatopoetic. These ...
/l/lunatick.htm - 9k

Iniquities (59 Occurrences)
... you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your
iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.' (WEB KJV JPS ...
/i/iniquities.htm - 25k

Forfeit (12 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To fail to keep an obligation. 8. (pp / a.) In the condition of being forfeited;
subject to alienation. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. FORFEIT. ...
/f/forfeit.htm - 13k

Explored (9 Occurrences)
... which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear
your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.' (See NIV ...
/e/explored.htm - 9k

Estrangement (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The act of estranging, or the state of being estranged;
alienation. Multi-Version Concordance Estrangement (1 Occurrence). ...
/e/estrangement.htm - 6k

Disposal (4 Occurrences)
... of the fate, condition, application, etc., of anything; the transference of anything
into new hands, a new place, condition, etc.; alienation, or parting; as ...
/d/disposal.htm - 8k

Disunion (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) A breach of concord and its effect; alienation. 3. (n.) The termination
or disruption of the union of the States forming the United States. ...
/d/disunion.htm - 7k

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