Definition and Overview:
Perception in the biblical context refers to the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses, as well as the spiritual insight or discernment granted by God. It involves understanding and interpreting the world and spiritual truths, often influenced by one's faith and relationship with God.

Biblical References:

1. Spiritual Perception:
Spiritual perception is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing the importance of seeing beyond the physical realm to understand spiritual truths. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul prays for the believers, "I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints." This verse highlights the need for divine enlightenment to perceive spiritual realities.

2. Perception and Wisdom:
The Bible often links perception with wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 2:2-5 encourages believers to "incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding... then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God." Here, perception is tied to the pursuit of wisdom and the fear of the Lord, which leads to a deeper understanding of God's ways.

3. Jesus and Perception:
Jesus frequently addressed the issue of perception, particularly in relation to spiritual blindness. In Matthew 13:13-15, Jesus explains why He speaks in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." This passage underscores the idea that true perception requires more than physical sight and hearing; it requires a heart open to God's truth.

4. Perception and Faith:
Faith plays a crucial role in shaping perception. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as "the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see." This suggests that faith allows believers to perceive and trust in realities that are not visible to the natural eye, reinforcing the connection between faith and spiritual insight.

5. The Role of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is instrumental in enhancing spiritual perception. In John 16:13, Jesus promises, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth." The Holy Spirit aids believers in perceiving and understanding the truths of God, providing guidance and revelation.

Theological Implications:

· Discernment: Perception is closely related to discernment, the ability to judge well and distinguish between truth and falsehood. Philippians 1:9-10 speaks to this, as Paul prays for the Philippians' love to "abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best."

· Moral and Ethical Perception: The Bible also addresses the moral and ethical dimensions of perception. In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet warns, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness." This highlights the importance of aligning one's perception with God's standards of righteousness.

· Transformation of Perception: Romans 12:2 urges believers, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This transformation involves a shift in perception, aligning one's thoughts and understanding with God's will.

Practical Application:

· Prayer for Enlightenment: Believers are encouraged to pray for spiritual perception and understanding, as seen in Paul's prayers for the early church (Ephesians 1:17-18).

· Study of Scripture: Engaging with the Word of God is essential for developing spiritual perception. Psalm 119:18 says, "Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things from Your law."

· Community and Teaching: Fellowship with other believers and sound teaching can enhance one's perception, providing clarity and insight into God's truth.

In summary, perception in the biblical sense is a multifaceted concept that encompasses both physical and spiritual understanding. It is deeply connected to faith, wisdom, and the work of the Holy Spirit, guiding believers to discern and live according to God's truth.1. (n.) Cognizance by the senses or intellect; apprehension by the bodily organs, or by the mind, of what is presented to them; discernment; apprehension; cognition.

2. (n.) The faculty of perceiving; the faculty, or peculiar part, of man's constitution by which he has knowledge through the medium or instrumentality of the bodily organs; the act of apprehending material objects or qualities through the senses; -- distinguished from conception.

3. (n.) The quality, state, or capability, of being affected by something external; sensation; sensibility.

4. (n.) An idea; a notion.

144. aisthesis -- perception
... perception. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: aisthesis Phonetic Spelling:
(ah'-ee-sthay-sis) Short Definition: perception Definition: perception ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/144.htm - 6k

145. aistheterion -- organ of perception
... organ of perception. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: aistheterion
Phonetic Spelling: (ahee-sthay-tay'-ree-on) Short Definition: perceptive faculty ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/145.htm - 7k

3708. horao -- to see, perceive, attend to
... 3708 -- properly,, often with meaning: "to see with the mind" (ie spiritually
see), ie perceive (with inward spiritual perception). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3708.htm - 9k

4457. porosis -- a covering with a callous, fig. blindness
... or in general" (, 97); "originally and then the of this, ie metaphorically applied
to organs of feeling, meaning of the faculty of perception, " (Souter). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4457.htm - 7k

1611. ekstasis -- a displacement (of the mind), ie bewilderment ...
... out" in trance-like amazement. This state of mind reaches the powers of
ordinary perception. Word Origin from existemi Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1611.htm - 7k

4456. poroo -- to petrify, ie to harden
... marble) -- properly, made of ; (figuratively) ; dull, as ; calloused (hardened);
ie unresponsive (dense), completely lacking sensitivity or spiritual perception ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4456.htm - 7k

5187. tuphoo -- to be conceited, foolish
... up the air; (figuratively) having a cloudy (muddled) mind-set, ie moral blindness
resulting from poor judgment which brings further loss of spiritual perception ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5187.htm - 7k

3775. ous -- the ear
... of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: ous Phonetic Spelling: (ooce) Short Definition:
the ear Definition: (a) the ear, (b) met: the faculty of perception. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3775.htm - 6k

4641. sklerokardia -- hardness of heart
... hardness of heart. Feminine of a compound of skleros and kardia; hard-heartedness,
ie (specially), destitution of (spiritual) perception -- hardness of heart. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4641.htm - 7k

4893. suneidesis -- consciousness, spec. conscience
... conscience. From a prolonged form of suneido; co-perception, ie Moral consciousness --
conscience. see GREEK suneido. (suneidesei) -- 3 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4893.htm - 7k

2940. taam -- taste, judgment
... From ta'am; properly, a taste, ie (figuratively) perception; by implication,
intelligence; transitively, a mandate -- advice, behaviour, decree, discretion ...
/hebrew/2940.htm - 6k

Sixth Tractate. Perception and Memory.
... THE FOURTH ENNEAD SIXTH TRACTATE. PERCEPTION AND MEMORY. 1. Perceptions
are no imprints, we have said, are not to be thought of ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/sixth tractate perception and memory.htm

Whether Even vices Themselves as Objects of Intellectual ...
... Chapter 6. "Whether Even Vices Themselves as Objects of Intellectual Apprehension
are to Be Preferred to Light as an Object of Sense Perception, and are to ...
/.../chapter 6 name even vices.htm

That the Pre-Eminent Cause of Every Object of Sensible Perception ...
... MYSTIC THEOLOGY. CAPUT IV. That the pre-eminent Cause of every object of sensible
perception is none of the objects of sensible perception. SECTION I. ...
/.../dionysius/mystic theology/caput iv that the pre-eminent.htm

That the Pre-Eminent Cause of Every Object of Intelligible ...
... MYSTIC THEOLOGY. CAPUT V. That the pre-eminent Cause of every object of intelligible
perception is none of the objects of intelligible perception. ...
/.../dionysius/mystic theology/caput v that the pre-eminent.htm

How we are Rendered Apt for the Perception of Truth through the ...
... Book IV. Chapter 2."How We are Rendered Apt for the Perception of Truth
Through the Incarnate Word. 4. But "the light shineth ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 2 how we are rendered.htm

Species is Produced by Species in Succession.
... For there are two kinds of vision, the one of [sensuous] perception (sentientis),
the other of conception (cogitantis). But in order ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 9 species is produced by.htm

What was the First Cause of Making Images; of the True Likeness of ...
... adore, and therefore they set up images; and since these are representations of
the dead, they resemble the dead, for they are entirely destitute of perception ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap ii what was the first.htm

The Religious Uses of Memory
... But what I wish particularly to notice is that He traces the disciples' slowness
of perception and distrust mainly to forgetfulness. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the religious uses of memory.htm

Introduction to 'epinoia
... by which we discover things that are unknown, going on to further discoveries, by
means of what adjoins and follows from our first perception with regard to ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/introduction to epinoia.htm

That the Self-Existent Being must be Intelligent.
... Since in men in particular there is undeniably that power, which we call thought,
intelligence, consciousness, perception or knowledge; there must of necessity ...
/.../viii proposition viii that the.htm

Perception (1 Occurrence)
... sensation; sensibility. 4. (n.) An idea; a notion. Multi-Version Concordance
Perception (1 Occurrence). Philippians 1:9 And it is ...
/p/perception.htm - 7k

Sense (195 Occurrences)
... See Temperature. 2. (vt) Perception by the sensory organs of the body; sensation;
sensibility; feeling. ... 7. (vt) Moral perception or appreciation. ...
/s/sense.htm - 36k

Feel (58 Occurrences)
... 6. (vi) To have perception by the touch, or by contact of anything with the nerves
of sensation, especially those upon the surface of the body. ...
/f/feel.htm - 25k

Sensible (15 Occurrences)
... 3. (a.) Hence: Liable to impression from without; easily affected; having nice
perception or acute feeling; sensitive; also, readily moved or affected by ...
/s/sensible.htm - 11k

Taste (46 Occurrences)
... 8. (vi) To take sparingly. 9. (vi) To have perception, experience, or enjoyment;
to partake; as, to taste of nature's bounty. 10. (n.) The act of tasting. 11. ...
/t/taste.htm - 59k

Ear (670 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power of discriminating
between different tones; as, a nice ear for music; -- in the singular only. ...
/e/ear.htm - 42k

Mistake (5 Occurrences)
... to mistake one's meaning. 4. (vt) To substitute in thought or perception;
as, to mistake one person for another. 5. (vt) To have ...
/m/mistake.htm - 8k

Blindness (7 Occurrences)
... BLINDNESS. blind'-ness (`awar, and variants; tuphlos): The word blind is used as
a verb, as John 12:40, usually in the sense of obscuring spiritual perception. ...
/b/blindness.htm - 19k

Perch (2 Occurrences)

/p/perch.htm - 8k

Perceiving (25 Occurrences)

/p/perceiving.htm - 13k

What does the Bible say about extrasensory perception (ESP)? | GotQuestions.org

Does the Bible say anything about clairvoyance? | GotQuestions.org

Why do so many people struggle with a lack of faith? | GotQuestions.org

Perception: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus