The concept of "gradually" in the Bible often relates to the unfolding of God's plans, the process of spiritual growth, and the development of faith and character over time. While the term "gradually" itself may not be explicitly used in the Berean Standard Bible, the principle is evident throughout Scripture.

Divine Timing and Fulfillment

God's plans and promises often unfold gradually, according to His perfect timing. In Genesis 12:1-3, God promises Abram that he will become a great nation. This promise is fulfilled over generations, illustrating the gradual unfolding of God's covenant. Similarly, the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land was a gradual process, taking 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 16:35).

In the New Testament, the coming of the Messiah was anticipated for centuries. Galatians 4:4 states, "But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." This verse highlights the gradual preparation and fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

Spiritual Growth and Maturity

The Bible frequently uses agricultural metaphors to describe spiritual growth, emphasizing gradual development. In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus shares the Parable of the Growing Seed, illustrating how the Kingdom of God grows imperceptibly and gradually, much like a seed that sprouts and matures over time.

The Apostle Paul speaks to the gradual process of spiritual maturity in Ephesians 4:15, where he encourages believers to "grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ." This growth is a lifelong journey, requiring patience and perseverance.

Transformation and Renewal

The transformation of believers is also depicted as a gradual process. Romans 12:2 urges, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This transformation is ongoing, as believers are continually renewed and conformed to the image of Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul describes this transformation: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." The phrase "ever-increasing glory" suggests a gradual process of becoming more like Christ.

Patience and Perseverance

The gradual nature of spiritual growth and divine fulfillment calls for patience and perseverance. James 5:7-8 encourages believers to be patient, using the metaphor of a farmer waiting for the precious fruit of the earth. This patience is rooted in trust in God's timing and faithfulness.

Hebrews 12:1-2 exhorts believers to "run with endurance the race set out for us," indicating that the Christian life is a marathon rather than a sprint. This endurance is cultivated gradually through trials and steadfast faith.

Conclusion

The principle of gradual development in the Bible underscores the importance of trusting in God's timing, committing to spiritual growth, and persevering in faith. Through the gradual unfolding of His plans, God demonstrates His sovereignty and faithfulness, inviting believers to participate in His redemptive work with patience and hope.1. (adv.) In a gradual manner.

2. (adv.) In degree.

4697. splagchnizomai -- to be moved in the inward parts, ie to ...
... heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. These gradually came to denote the " (,
111). See 4698 (). Word Origin from splagchnon Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4697.htm - 7k5197. nataph -- to drop, drip, discourse
... A primitive root; to ooze, ie Distil gradually; by implication, to fall in drops;
figuratively, to speak by inspiration -- drop(-ping), prophesy(-et). ...
/hebrew/5197.htm - 6k

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is Achieved ...
... Article Seven Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is achieved
Instantaneously or Gradually. Whether the Justification of the ...
/.../aquinas/nature and grace/article seven whether the justification.htm

And by this Stratagem it was that I Gradually Got all the Senate ...
... Section 34. And by this stratagem it was that I gradually got all the senate
of? 34. And by this stratagem it was that I gradually ...
/.../josephus/the life of flavius josephus/section 34 and by this.htm

The Righteousness of Christ, an Everlasting Righteousness
... by some, and very properly too, that it is one mark of the divine goodness to his
creatures, that he is pleased to let light come in gradually upon the natural ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the righteousness of christ an.htm

From the Introduction of Methodism into the City of New York, in ...
... a good conscience." They were strangers in a strange land; and not finding any pious
acquaintances with whom they could associate, they gradually lost their ...
/.../chapter 2 from the introduction.htm

Unity of Apostolic Teaching.
... moral creation, a saving fact, first personally embodied in Jesus Christ, the incarnate
Word, the God-man, to spread from him and embrace gradually the whole ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 67 unity of apostolic.htm

Final Settlement of the Church by St. John
... [Sidenote: but now everywhere to replace the Apostles.] A new era was, however,
now coming upon the Church; her Founders were gradually being withdrawn from her ...
/.../a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter iv final settlement of.htm

The Need of the New Testament Scripture.
... verbal instructions. Gradually this epistolary labor was extended and Paul's
example followed. Perhaps each wrote in turn. And to ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxiv the need of the.htm

'Give Me to Drink'
... In both we have His method of gradually unveiling the truth to a susceptible soul,
beginning with symbol and a hint, gradually enlarging the hint and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/give me to drink.htm

The Division Between East and West
... deaths of St. Peter and St. Paul, all tended to give it a moral ascendancy
which was gradually claimed as a right. This, however, did ...
/.../a key to the knowledge of church history/chapter ix the division between.htm

A Long Twilight. AD 900-1100.
... men whom he gathered round his court. But these gradually died out, and
his vast empire fell to pieces. Then came a time when men ...
/.../winkworth/christian singers of germany/chapter ii a long twilight.htm

Gradually (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (adv.) In degree. Multi-Version Concordance Gradually (2 Occurrences). Acts
20:9 and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. ...
/g/gradually.htm - 7k

Drain (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To draw off by degrees; to cause to flow
gradually out or off; hence, to cause the exhaustion of. ...
/d/drain.htm - 10k

Lampstand (38 Occurrences)
... This form continued into Jewish times, but was gradually changed until the spout
was formed by drawing the rim of the sides together, forming a narrow open ...
/l/lampstand.htm - 24k

Lamp (45 Occurrences)
... This form continued into Jewish times, but was gradually changed until the spout
was formed by drawing the rim of the sides together, forming a narrow open ...
/l/lamp.htm - 28k

Ephesus (20 Occurrences)
... However, under Greek rule the Greek civilization gradually supplanted that of the
Orientals, the Greek language was spoken in place of the Asiatic; and the ...
/e/ephesus.htm - 24k

Waste (668 Occurrences)
... 5. (v.) To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant
loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out. ...
/w/waste.htm - 37k

Wear (56 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion,
on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend ...
/w/wear.htm - 25k

Fade (16 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Weak; insipid; tasteless; commonplace. 2. (v.) To become fade; to grow weak;
to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant. ...
/f/fade.htm - 13k

Decrease (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size,
degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as ...
/d/decrease.htm - 8k

Memphis (8 Occurrences)
... Alexandria then gradually obscured it, but the governor of Egypt signed
the final capitulation to the Arabs in the old capital. ...
/m/memphis.htm - 14k

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Gradually: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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