Topical Encyclopedia The concept of "reduce" in the Bible can be understood in various contexts, including humility, the decrease of material possessions, and the reduction of pride or self-reliance. While the term "reduce" itself may not frequently appear in the biblical text, the principles associated with it are woven throughout Scripture.Humility and Self-Denial One of the primary ways the Bible addresses the idea of reduction is through the call to humility and self-denial. In John 3:30, John the Baptist exemplifies this attitude when he says, "He must increase; I must decrease." This statement reflects a heart posture of reducing oneself to elevate Christ, emphasizing the importance of humility and the acknowledgment of God's sovereignty. Material Possessions The Bible also speaks to the reduction of material wealth as a spiritual discipline. In Matthew 19:21, Jesus advises the rich young ruler, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me." This directive highlights the spiritual benefit of reducing one's attachment to earthly possessions in favor of eternal riches. Pride and Self-Reliance Scripture frequently warns against pride and self-reliance, advocating instead for a reduction of these traits. Proverbs 16:18 states, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." The reduction of pride is essential for spiritual growth and alignment with God's will. James 4:10 further instructs believers, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you." Fasting and Spiritual Discipline Fasting is another biblical practice that involves reduction, specifically the reduction of food intake, to focus on spiritual matters. In Matthew 6:16-18, Jesus teaches about fasting, encouraging believers to fast in a way that is not for show but for genuine spiritual growth. This reduction of physical sustenance is intended to heighten one's reliance on God and deepen spiritual awareness. Divine Reduction At times, God Himself enacts reduction as a means of discipline or preparation. In Judges 7:2-7, God reduces Gideon's army from 32,000 to 300 men to demonstrate that victory comes from the Lord, not from human strength. This divine reduction serves to remind believers of God's power and the importance of trusting in Him rather than in numbers or might. Conclusion The biblical theme of reduction, whether in terms of humility, material possessions, pride, or divine intervention, serves as a reminder of the need to prioritize spiritual values over worldly ones. Through reducing self and reliance on material or personal strength, believers are called to elevate their dependence on God and align more closely with His purposes. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) To bring or lead back to any former place or condition.2. (n.) To bring to any inferior state, with respect to rank, size, quantity, quality, value, etc.; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; to impair; as, to reduce a sergeant to the ranks; to reduce a drawing; to reduce expenses; to reduce the intensity of heat. 3. (n.) To bring to terms; to humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture; as, to reduce a province or a fort. 4. (n.) To bring to a certain state or condition by grinding, pounding, kneading, rubbing, etc.; as, to reduce a substance to powder, or to a pasty mass; to reduce fruit, wood, or paper rags, to pulp. 5. (n.) To bring into a certain order, arrangement, classification, etc.; to bring under rules or within certain limits of descriptions and terms adapted to use in computation; as, to reduce animals or vegetables to a class or classes; to reduce a series of observations in astronomy; to reduce language to rules. 6. (n.) To change, as numbers, from one denomination into another without altering their value, or from one denomination into others of the same value; as, to reduce pounds, shillings, and pence to pence, or to reduce pence to pounds; to reduce days and hours to minutes, or minutes to days and hours. 7. (n.) To change the form of a quantity or expression without altering its value; as, to reduce fractions to their lowest terms, to a common denominator, etc. 8. (n.) To bring to the metallic state by separating from impurities; hence, in general, to remove oxygen from; to deoxidize; to combine with, or to subject to the action of, hydrogen; as, ferric iron is reduced to ferrous iron; or metals are reduced from their ores; -- opposed to oxidize. 9. (n.) To restore to its proper place or condition, as a displaced organ or part; as, to reduce a dislocation, a fracture, or a hernia. Greek 5077. tephroo -- to burn to ashes ... to burn to ashes. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: tephroo Phonetic Spelling: (tef-ro'-o) Short Definition: I reduce to ashes Definition: I reduce to ashes ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5077.htm - 6k 1848. exoutheneo -- to despise, treat with contempt Strong's Hebrew 4591. maat -- to be or become small, diminished, or few... 2), dwindles (1), few (2), fewness (1), get a few (1), give less (1), had little (1), least (1), little (1), make so small (1), pay less (1), reduce (1), seem ... /hebrew/4591.htm - 6k 1639. gara -- to diminish, restrain, withdraw 4107. mahal -- to circumcise, weaken 8239. shaphath -- to set (on the fire) Library I May Briefly Reduce the Chief Persuading Motive to this So ... How we are to Reduce all the Exercise of the virtues, and all Our ... Immediately after This, as if Doing his Utmost to Reduce the Human ... Excursus on the Word Theotokos . Of the Meaning of the Sacrifice Abraham was Commanded to Offer ... Whether There be one Supreme Evil which is the Cause of Every Evil ... That the Self-Existent Being must be All-Powerful. The Blame of Our Misdeeds not to be Cast Upon God the one Power ... The First Experiment The Doctrine of the Christians as to the Creation of the World. Thesaurus Reduce (13 Occurrences)... bring to any inferior state, with respect to rank, size, quantity, quality, value, etc.; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; to impair; as, to reduce a sergeant ... /r/reduce.htm - 11k Abate (2 Occurrences) Subdue (26 Occurrences) Lower (72 Occurrences) Degrade (1 Occurrence) Qualify (2 Occurrences) Reclaim (1 Occurrence) Resolve (3 Occurrences) Reduced (16 Occurrences) Diminish (22 Occurrences) Resources Is it wrong to reduce birth pains by taking pain relievers? | GotQuestions.orgI am a Christian in debt. What should I do? | GotQuestions.org What is the National Council of Churches? | GotQuestions.org Reduce: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Reduce (13 Occurrences)1 Corinthians 1:28 Exodus 5:8 Exodus 5:19 Exodus 21:10 Leviticus 26:22 Job 11:3 Job 24:25 Psalms 20:3 Isaiah 41:15 Jeremiah 10:24 Jeremiah 25:14 Jeremiah 27:7 Jeremiah 30:8 Subtopics Related Terms |
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