The term "initiate" in a biblical context often refers to the beginning or introduction of a process, practice, or covenant. While the specific word "initiate" may not frequently appear in the Berean Standard Bible, the concept is prevalent throughout Scripture, particularly in the context of God's covenants, religious practices, and the spiritual journey of believers.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, initiation is closely associated with the establishment of covenants and religious practices. For instance, the initiation of the Abrahamic Covenant is a significant event where God calls Abram to leave his homeland and promises to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). This marks the beginning of a new relationship between God and Abram, later Abraham, and sets the stage for the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

The initiation of the Mosaic Covenant at Mount Sinai is another critical moment. In Exodus 19-24, God gives the Law to Moses, and the Israelites agree to follow it, thus initiating their identity as God's chosen people. The covenant is ratified through sacrifices and the sprinkling of blood, symbolizing the seriousness and sanctity of this initiation (Exodus 24:7-8).

Rituals and Practices

Initiation is also evident in various rituals and practices. Circumcision, for example, is an initiatory rite commanded by God as a sign of the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-14). It serves as a physical mark of belonging to God's people and is a prerequisite for participation in the community of Israel.

The consecration of priests is another form of initiation. In Leviticus 8, Aaron and his sons are consecrated through a series of rituals, including washing, anointing, and sacrifices, to initiate them into their priestly roles (Leviticus 8:6-12).

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, initiation takes on a spiritual dimension with the advent of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the New Covenant. Baptism emerges as a key initiatory rite, symbolizing the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Jesus Himself is baptized by John the Baptist, marking the initiation of His public ministry (Matthew 3:13-17).

The Great Commission, where Jesus commands His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19), underscores baptism as the initiation into the Christian faith and community.

Spiritual Initiation

The concept of initiation is also reflected in the spiritual transformation that occurs when an individual accepts Christ. This spiritual rebirth is described by Jesus in His conversation with Nicodemus: "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (John 3:3). This new birth initiates the believer into a life of faith and obedience to God.

The Apostle Paul speaks of initiation in terms of spiritual maturity and growth. In his letters, he often refers to the process of being "in Christ" as a transformative journey that begins with faith and continues through sanctification (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Conclusion

The concept of initiation in the Bible encompasses both physical rites and spiritual beginnings. It signifies the start of a covenant relationship with God, the entry into a community of faith, and the commencement of a lifelong journey of spiritual growth and transformation. Through various forms and practices, initiation serves as a foundational element in the biblical narrative, highlighting the importance of beginnings in the life of faith.1. (v. t.) To introduce by a first act; to make a beginning with; to set afoot; to originate; to commence; to begin or enter upon.

2. (v. t.) To acquaint with the beginnings; to instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce.

3. (v. t.) To introduce into a society or organization; to confer membership on; especially, to admit to a secret order with mysterious rites or ceremonies.

4. (v. i.) To do the first act; to perform the first rite; to take the initiative.

5. (a.) Unpracticed; untried; new.

6. (a.) Begun; commenced; introduced to, or instructed in, the rudiments; newly admitted.

7. (n.) One who is, or is to be, initiated.

3453. mueo -- to initiate into the mysteries, hence to instruct
... to initiate into the mysteries, hence to instruct. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration:
mueo Phonetic Spelling: (moo-eh'-o) Short Definition: I initiate ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3453.htm - 7k2596. chanak -- to train up, dedicate
... dedicate, train up. A primitive root; properly, to narrow (compare chanaq);
figuratively, to initiate or discipline -- dedicate, train up. see HEBREW chanaq. ...
/hebrew/2596.htm - 6k

Preface
... Fors Clavigera!"to the ignorant a stumbling-stone, to the Philistines a
laughing-stock, but to the Initiate a sweet remembrance of many a happy hour passed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/ruskin/saint ursula/preface.htm

Chapter i
... perceived by the mind; and then It breaks forth, even from the things that are beheld
and from those that behold them, and plunges the true initiate unto the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rolt/dionysius the areopagite/chapter i.htm

The Charge of Infanticide Retorted on the Heathen.
... from another sort of evidence. We begin our religious service, or initiate
our mysteries, with slaying an infant. As for you, since ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xv name charge of.htm

Preface.
... words, they cunningly allure the simple-minded to inquire into their system; but
they nevertheless clumsily destroy them, while they initiate them into their ...
//christianbookshelf.org/irenaeus/against heresies/preface.htm

The Creator was Known as the True God from the First by his ...
... For the volume of Moses does not at all initiate [2444] the knowledge of the Creator,
but from the first gives out that it is to be traced from Paradise and ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter x the creator was known.htm

God Cannot be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.
... that what is divine is unutterable by human [3084] power; if, indeed, he begins
to speak above the third heaven, as it is lawful to initiate the elect souls in ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xii god cannot be embraced.htm

The Tradition of the Church Prior to that of the Heresies.
... Entychites. Footnotes: [3687] Those who initiate into the mysteries. [3688]
[See the quotation from Milman, p. 166, supra.]. [3689 ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xvii the tradition of the.htm

The Prooemium. --Motives for Undertaking the Refutation; Exposure ...
... And then, when they have tested him to be enslaved by sin, they initiate him,
putting him in possession of the perfection of wicked things. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/the prooemium motives for undertaking the.htm

Prologue to the Oration.
... With these oracles, then, to initiate us in the knowledge of the sacred rites, let
us essay, as follows, the commencement of our divine mysteries. Footnotes: ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/prologue to the oration.htm

In the Next Place, Celsus, after Referring to the Enthusiasm with ...
... He says, "Just as you, good sir, believe in eternal punishments, so also do the
priests who interpret and initiate into the sacred mysteries. ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xlviii in the next 3.htm

Initiate (1 Occurrence)
...Initiate (1 Occurrence). Hebrews 10:20 which way he did initiate for us -- new
and living, through the vail, that is, his flesh -- (YLT). ...
/i/initiate.htm - 7k

Judaeus
... contain two meanings: a "lower" meaning, obvious in the literal statements of the
text; and a "higher," or hidden meaning, perceptible to the "initiate" alone. ...
/j/judaeus.htm - 29k

Philo
... contain two meanings: a "lower" meaning, obvious in the literal statements of the
text; and a "higher," or hidden meaning, perceptible to the "initiate" alone. ...
/p/philo.htm - 29k

Initiative (11 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Serving to initiate; inceptive; initiatory;
introductory; preliminary. 2. (n.) An introductory ...
/i/initiative.htm - 9k

Initiated (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Initiate. Multi-Version Concordance
Initiated (2 Occurrences). Philippians 4:12 I know both ...
/i/initiated.htm - 7k

Flesh (468 Occurrences)
... 11. (vt) To feed with flesh, as an incitement to further exertion; to initiate; --
from the practice of training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first ...
/f/flesh.htm - 69k

Enter (372 Occurrences)
... 12. (vt) To initiate; to introduce favorably. 13. (vi) To go or come in; -- often
with in used pleonastically; also, to begin; to take the first steps. 14. ...
/e/enter.htm - 39k

Education (4 Occurrences)
... with the conscious and systematic effort on the part of the mature members of a
social group (tribe, nation, or religious fellowship) to initiate the immature ...
/e/education.htm - 40k

Dionysus
... Dionysus. Greek tragedy is a form of worship, the ritual cult of the god
of wine, who makes the initiate wise and the ungodly mad. ...
/d/dionysus.htm - 9k

Mystery (31 Occurrences)
... mis'-ter-i (musterion; from mustes, "one initiated into mysteries"; mueo "to initiate,"
muo, "to close" the lips or the eyes; stem mu-, a sound produced with ...
/m/mystery.htm - 42k

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