An instigator, in biblical terms, refers to an individual who incites or provokes others to engage in certain actions, often leading to conflict, rebellion, or sin. The role of an instigator is frequently viewed negatively within the biblical narrative, as it often involves stirring up strife or leading others away from God's commandments.

Old Testament Examples

One of the earliest examples of an instigator can be found in the account of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The serpent, identified as Satan, instigates the fall of man by deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:1-5 describes how the serpent questions God's command and entices Eve, leading to the original sin: "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?'"

Another notable instigator is Korah, who led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. In Numbers 16, Korah, along with Dathan and Abiram, incites 250 community leaders to challenge the God-given authority of Moses and Aaron. This rebellion results in severe consequences, as the earth opens up and swallows the instigators and their followers (Numbers 16:31-33).

New Testament Examples

In the New Testament, instigators are often seen in the context of opposition to the early Christian church. The Apostle Paul frequently encountered instigators who sought to disrupt his ministry. In Acts 13:50 , certain Jews incite prominent women and leading men of the city against Paul and Barnabas, leading to their expulsion from the region: "But the Jews incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district."

Similarly, in Acts 17:5 , jealous Jews form a mob to attack the house of Jason, where Paul and Silas were staying: "But the Jews became jealous, so they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city."

Warnings Against Instigation

The Bible provides numerous warnings against being an instigator or following one. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists things the Lord hates, including "a heart that devises wicked schemes" and "a person who stirs up conflict in the community." These verses highlight the destructive nature of instigation and the divine disapproval it incurs.

James 3:5-6 warns of the power of the tongue, which can be a tool for instigation: "So also the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Role of Instigators in Spiritual Warfare

In the broader context of spiritual warfare, instigators can be seen as agents of division and discord, often used by Satan to thwart God's plans and disrupt the unity of believers. Ephesians 6:12 reminds Christians that their struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Believers are encouraged to be vigilant and discerning, recognizing the tactics of instigators and standing firm in their faith. The Bible calls for unity, peace, and love among the brethren, urging Christians to avoid those who sow discord and to seek reconciliation and harmony within the body of Christ.(n.) One who incites or provokes misbehavior.

The Epistle to the Laodiceans the Proper Designation is to the ...
... Nor, again, can He possibly seem to be the instigator [5973] of that unbelief which
He Himself had rather to endure at the hand of the Jews and the Gentiles ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xvii the epistle to the.htm

Fourteenth Proposition of Arminius
... law could not be obeyed without supernatural grace, which I prove from the subject
of the law, from the appendix of the law, from the instigator of transaction ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 3/fourteenth proposition of arminius.htm

Conclusion. Clue to the Error of the Jews.
... clad in "sordid attire," that is, in the indignity of passible and mortal flesh,
when the devil, withal, was opposing himself to Him"the instigator, to wit ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter xiv conclusion clue to the.htm

Conclusion
... on every hand brought about new conditions which in turn necessitated new methods,
so that the missionary is no longer the main instigator of Church activities ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter xxv conclusion.htm

The Christians are not the Cause of Public Calamities: There were ...
... Under the same natural form, malice and folly have always been associated in one
body and growth, and have ever opposed us under the one instigator of error. ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter ix name christians are.htm

The Demons Sin among Mankind.
... divided between them the drops of blood; and, while he saved men's lives by means
of them, she, by the same blood, became a homicide and the instigator of wars ...
/.../tatian/tatians address to the greeks/chapter viii the demons sin among.htm

Ridicule of the Solemnities of the Greeks.
... a vituperator of heroic deeds, an actor of murders, a chronicler of adultery, a
storehouse of madness, a teacher of cyn??di, an instigator of capital sentences ...
/.../tatians address to the greeks/chapter xxii ridicule of the solemnities.htm

The Marcionite Interpretation of God and Mammon Refuted the ...
... done. Now we are all of us aware that money is the instigator [4777] of
unrighteousness, and the lord of the whole world. Therefore ...
/.../chapter xxxiii the marcionite interpretation of.htm

Another Cavil Met, IE , the Devil who Instigated Man to Sin ...
... If, however, you choose to transfer the account [2831] of evil from man to the devil
as the instigator of sin, and in this way, too, throw the blame on the ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter x another cavil met i e.htm

Prophecy Sets Forth Two Different Conditions of Christ, one Lowly ...
... At first He is clad in sordid garments, that is to say, in the lowliness of suffering
and mortal flesh: then the devil resisted Him, as the instigator of the ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter vii prophecy sets forth two.htm

Instigator (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) One who incites or provokes misbehavior.
Multi-Version Concordance Instigator (1 Occurrence). Acts ...
/i/instigator.htm - 6k

Nazarenes (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/n/nazarenes.htm - 6k

Jezebel (20 Occurrences)
... malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of
persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle ...
/j/jezebel.htm - 26k

Leader (183 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/l/leader.htm - 35k

Insurrections (2 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/i/insurrections.htm - 7k

Instilled (3 Occurrences)

/i/instilled.htm - 7k

Instigated (4 Occurrences)

/i/instigated.htm - 7k

Real (26 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/r/real.htm - 14k

Ringleader (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/r/ringleader.htm - 7k

Riots (3 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:5 For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections
among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of ...
/r/riots.htm - 7k

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Instigator: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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