In biblical terms, the concept of a "deposit" can be understood both in a literal and metaphorical sense. The term is used to describe something entrusted to another's care, often with the expectation of its return or safekeeping. This concept is evident in various passages throughout the Bible, where it is used to illustrate spiritual truths and responsibilities.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the idea of a deposit is often associated with the laws concerning property and trust. For example, in Exodus 22:7-13, the Law of Moses provides guidelines for handling property that is deposited with a neighbor for safekeeping. If the property is stolen or damaged, the circumstances determine the responsibility and restitution required. This legal framework underscores the importance of trust and integrity in community relationships.

New Testament Context

The New Testament expands on the concept of a deposit, particularly in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In 2 Timothy 1:12-14, Paul speaks of a spiritual deposit, using the term to describe the gospel and the teachings entrusted to Timothy. Paul writes, "For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). Here, the "deposit" refers to the faith and doctrine that Paul has committed to God, confident in His ability to preserve it.

Paul further instructs Timothy to "guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us" (2 Timothy 1:14). This passage highlights the responsibility of believers to protect and faithfully transmit the teachings of the faith, relying on the Holy Spirit's guidance.

Theological Implications

Theologically, the concept of a deposit emphasizes the responsibility of stewardship. Believers are entrusted with the truths of the gospel and are called to preserve and propagate them. This stewardship is not merely a passive role but involves active engagement and defense of the faith against false teachings and moral decay.

The metaphor of a deposit also reflects the assurance of God's faithfulness. Just as a deposit is expected to be kept safe, believers can trust that God will safeguard their faith and the promises He has made. This assurance is a source of comfort and motivation for Christians to remain steadfast in their spiritual journey.

Practical Application

In practical terms, the idea of a deposit encourages Christians to be diligent in their study and application of Scripture. It calls for a commitment to teaching and living out the principles of the faith, ensuring that the gospel is accurately represented and passed on to future generations. This involves both personal spiritual growth and active participation in the life of the church community.

In summary, the biblical concept of a deposit encompasses both the trust placed in God to preserve the faith and the responsibility of believers to guard and transmit the teachings of Christianity. It serves as a reminder of the sacred trust given to Christians and the divine assurance that accompanies it.1. (n.) To lay down; to place; to put; to let fall or throw down (as sediment); as, a crocodile deposits her eggs in the sand; the waters deposited a rich alluvium.

2. (n.) To lay up or away for safe keeping; to put up; to store; as, to deposit goods in a warehouse.

3. (n.) To lodge in some one's hands for safe keeping; to commit to the custody of another; to entrust; esp., to place in a bank, as a sum of money subject to order.

4. (n.) To lay aside; to rid one's self of.

5. (v. t.) That which is deposited, or laid or thrown down; as, a deposit in a flue; especially, matter precipitated from a solution (as the siliceous deposits of hot springs), or that which is mechanically deposited (as the mud, gravel, etc., deposits of a river).

6. (n.) A natural occurrence of a useful mineral under the conditions to invite exploitation.

7. (v. t.) That which is placed anywhere, or in any one's hands, for safe keeping; something entrusted to the care of another; esp., money lodged with a bank or banker, subject to order; anything given as pledge or security.

8. (n.) A bailment of money or goods to be kept gratuitously for the bailor.

9. (v. t.) Money lodged with a party as earnest or security for the performance of a duty assumed by the person depositing.

10. (n.) A place of deposit; a depository.

DEPOSIT

de-poz'-it (paratheke, 1 Timothy 6:20 2 Timothy 1:12, 14 the Revised Version, margin, paraphrased in both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) into "that which is committed" (see COMMEND)): The noun was used in the classical Greek, just as its English equivalents, for "that which is placed with another for safe keeping," a charge committed to another's hands, consisting often of money or property; compare Exodus 22:7 Leviticus 6:2. This practice was common in days when there were no banks.

(1) In 1 Timothy 6:20; also 2 Timothy 1:14, the reference is to a deposit which God makes with man, and for which man is to give a reckoning. The context shows that this deposit is the Christian faith, "the pattern of sound words" (2 Timothy 1:13), that which is contrasted with the "oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20). "Keep the talent of the Christian faith safe and undiminished" (Vincentius Lirenensis).

(2) In 2 Timothy 1:12, the deposit is one which man makes with God. The key to the meaning of this expression is found probably in Psalm 31:5: "Into thy hand I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me," i.e. "All that I am, with all my interests, have been entrusted to Thy safe keeping, and, therefore, I have no anxieties with respect to the future. The day of reckoning, `that day,' will show how faithful are the hands that hold this trust."

H. E. Jacobs

3872. parakatatheke -- a trust or deposit.
... parakatatheke. 3873 . a trust or deposit. Transliteration: parakatatheke Phonetic
Spelling: (par-ak-at-ath-ay'-kay) Short Definition: deposit. ... deposit ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3872.htm - 6k

3866. paratheke -- a deposit or trust
... a deposit or trust. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: paratheke Phonetic
Spelling: (par-ath-ay'-kay) Short Definition: anything committed to one's ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3866.htm - 6k

4784. sugkatatithemi -- to deposit together, hence to agree with
... to deposit together, hence to agree with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
sugkatatithemi Phonetic Spelling: (soong-kat-at-ith'-em-ahee) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4784.htm - 6k

2698. katatithemi -- to lay down
... to lay down. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: katatithemi Phonetic Spelling:
(kat-at-ith'-ay-mee) Short Definition: I lay down, deposit Definition: (a) I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2698.htm - 6k

3908. paratithemi -- to place beside, to set before
... meal) before, serve, (b) act. and mid: I deposit with, entrust to, (c) I
bring forward, quote as evidence. 3908 (from 3844 , "right ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3908.htm - 8k

4496. rhipto -- to throw, cast, spec. to throw off, toss
... from ballo, which denotes a deliberate hurl; and from teino (see in ekteino), which
indicates an extended projection); by qualification, to deposit (as if a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4496.htm - 7k

2602. katabole -- a laying down
... Spelling: (kat-ab-ol-ay') Short Definition: a foundation, depositing, sowing Definition:
(a) foundation, (b) depositing, sowing, deposit, technically used of ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2602.htm - 7k

2689. katastole -- a garment
... apparel. From katastello; a deposit, ie (specially) costume -- apparel. see GREEK
katastello. (katastole) -- 1 Occurrence. 2688, 2689. katastole. 2690 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2689.htm - 6k

2344. thesauros -- treasure
... treasure. From tithemi; a deposit, ie Wealth (literally or figuratively) --
treasure. see GREEK tithemi. (thesauroi) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2344.htm - 7k

6487. piqqadon -- a deposit, store
... 6486, 6487. piqqadon. 6488 . a deposit, store. Transliteration: piqqadon
Phonetic Spelling: (pik-kaw-done') Short Definition: deposit. ...
/hebrew/6487.htm - 6k

5182. necheth -- to descend
... Word Origin (Aramaic) corresponding to nacheth Definition to descend NASB Word Usage
deposed (1), deposit (1), descended (1), descending (1), put (1), stored (1 ...
/hebrew/5182.htm - 6k

4929. mishmar -- place of confinement, jail, prison, guard, watch ...
... From shamar; a guard (the man, the post or the prison); a deposit (fig.); also
(as observed) a usage (abstr.), or an example (concr.) -- diligence, guard ...
/hebrew/4929.htm - 6k

8667. tesumeth -- a pledge, security
... Word Origin from sum Definition a pledge, security NASB Word Usage security (1).
fellowship. From suwm; a deposit, ie Pledging -- + fellowship. see HEBREW suwm. ...
/hebrew/8667.htm - 6k

3240. yanach -- bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let ...
... A primitive root; to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay -- bestow, cast down,
lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set ...
/hebrew/3240.htm - 6k

6485. paqad -- to attend to, visit, muster, appoint
... A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy,
to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc. ...
/hebrew/6485.htm - 7k

5117. nuach -- to rest
... 1), allow (1), appease (1), appeased (1), been at rest (1), calm (1), came to rest
(1), camped (1), cast down (1), cast...down (1), deposit (3), deposited (1 ...
/hebrew/5117.htm - 7k

The Apostles did not Keep Back any of the Deposit of Doctrine ...
... The Prescription Against Heretics. Chapter XXV."The Apostles Did Not Keep Back Any
of the Deposit of Doctrine Which Christ Had Entrusted to Them St. ...
/.../the prescription against heretics/chapter xxv the apostles did not.htm

That to Churches Consecrated Without any Deposit of the Reliques ...
... The Sixth Ecumenical Council. Canon VII. That to churches consecrated without any
deposit of the reliques of the Saints, the defect should be made good. ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/canon vii that to churches.htm

Heretics not Being Christians, but Rather Perverters of Christ's ...
... May Not Claim the Christian Scriptures. These are a Deposit, Committed to
and Carefully Kept by the Church. Since this is the case ...
/.../chapter xxxvii heretics not being christians.htm

To those who had not Attended the Assembly.
... And the case of the man who buried the talent proves this: he was not reproached
at least on account of his own life: for as regarded the deposit itself he did ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chrysostom/on the priesthood/to those who had not.htm

A More Particular Exposition of 1 Tim. ...
... [53.] But it is worth while to expound the whole of that passage of the apostle
more fully, "O Timothy, keep the deposit, avoiding profane novelties of words.". ...
/.../vincent/the commonitory of vincent of lerins/chapter xxii a more particular.htm

Account of St. Spyridon: his Modesty and Steadfastness.
... shall now relate. An individual confided a deposit to the care of his daughter,
who was a virgin, and was named Irene. For greater ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter xi account of st spyridon .htm

Whether it is Lawful to Borrow Money under a Condition of Usury?
... Objection 3: Further, it seems no less necessary sometimes to deposit
one's money with a usurer than to borrow from him. Now it ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is lawful to 17.htm

Twenty-Third Day. Holiness and the Body.
... The guarding of the walls of the city must be entrusted to Him who rules within.
'I am persuaded that He is able to guard my deposit,' to keep that which I ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/twenty-third day holiness and the.htm

Marching Orders
... to say that we may here find an ideal of the Christian community as being a great
company of warrior-priests on the march, guarding a sacred deposit which has ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/marching orders.htm

The Charge of the Pilgrim Priests
... trust, and avoid profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely
so called.' In these quotations, the treasure, and the rich deposit, is the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the charge of the pilgrim.htm

Deposit (19 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) To lay up or away for safe keeping; to put up; to store; as, to deposit
goods in a warehouse. ... 10. (n.) A place of deposit; a depository. Int. ...
/d/deposit.htm - 15k

Banking
... 1. Introductory: "Banking" in the full modern sense, of taking money on deposit
and lending it out on interest, is of comparatively recent origin. ...
/b/banking.htm - 13k

Lay (524 Occurrences)
... (vt) To cause to lie down, to be prostrate, or to lie against something; to put
or set down; to deposit; as, to ... (vt) To deposit, as a wager; to stake; to risk. ...
/l/lay.htm - 41k

Bank (28 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The face of the coal at which miners are working. 7. (n.) A deposit of ore
or coal, worked by excavations above water level. ... (vt) To deposit in a bank. ...
/b/bank.htm - 26k

Deposited (10 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Deposit. Multi-Version Concordance
Deposited (10 Occurrences). Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore ...
/d/deposited.htm - 9k

Nile (37 Occurrences)
... The banks have risen higher and higher and extended farther and farther back by
the deposit of the sediment, until the valley of arable land varies in width in ...
/n/nile.htm - 29k

Rock (176 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Any natural deposit forming a part of the earth's crust, whether consolidated
or not, including sand, earth, clay, etc., when in natural beds. ...
/r/rock.htm - 49k

Commit (142 Occurrences)
... that which I have committed unto him" (2 Timothy 1:12; the Revised Version, margin
"that which he hath committed unto me," Greek "my deposit"); "that which is ...
/c/commit.htm - 39k

Robbed (27 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 6:2 If any one sin and act unfaithfully against Jehovah, and lie to his
neighbour as to an entrusted thing or a deposit or that in which he hath ...
/r/robbed.htm - 14k

Bestow (27 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To lay up in store; to deposit for safe
keeping; to stow; to place; to put. 2. (vt) To use; to ...
/b/bestow.htm - 15k

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