The concept of "selves" in the Bible is intricately linked to the understanding of human nature, identity, and the transformation that occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. The term "selves" is often used to describe the inner being or the essence of a person, which is subject to change and renewal through spiritual growth and divine intervention.

Old Self and New Self

The Bible frequently contrasts the "old self" with the "new self," emphasizing the transformation that believers undergo through their relationship with Christ. The "old self" is associated with sinful nature and worldly desires, while the "new self" reflects a life renewed by the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 4:22-24 , Paul instructs believers: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." This passage highlights the process of shedding the old, sinful nature and embracing a new identity in Christ, characterized by righteousness and holiness.

Similarly, in Colossians 3:9-10 , Paul writes: "Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Here, the transformation is described as a renewal in knowledge, aligning the believer's identity with the image of God.

Dying to Self

The concept of dying to self is central to Christian discipleship. Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross, signifying a willingness to forsake personal desires and ambitions for the sake of following Him. In Matthew 16:24-25 , Jesus says, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

This call to self-denial is echoed in Galatians 2:20 , where Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." The apostle emphasizes the believer's union with Christ in His death and resurrection, leading to a life that is no longer centered on the self but on Christ.

Self-Examination and Humility

The Bible encourages believers to engage in self-examination and to cultivate humility. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 , Paul urges the Corinthians, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Can’t you see for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you actually fail the test?" This call to self-examination is a means of ensuring that one's life aligns with the faith professed.

Humility is also a key aspect of the Christian life, as seen in Philippians 2:3-4 : "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." This passage underscores the importance of prioritizing others and adopting a humble attitude, reflecting the selfless nature of Christ.

Conclusion

The biblical understanding of "selves" encompasses the transformation from the old self to the new self, the call to die to self, and the practice of self-examination and humility. Through these teachings, believers are encouraged to align their lives with the character and purposes of God, living out their faith in a manner that reflects the transformative power of the Gospel.1. (n.) Plural of Self.

2. (n.) pl. of Self.

1438. heautou -- of himself, herself, itself
... case) of autos; him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun
of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etc. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1438.htm - 8k

846. autos -- (1) self (emphatic) (2) he, she, it (used for the ...
... 1), ourselves (8), own (2), part (1), people (1), person (1), personally (1),
righteousness (1), same (59), same things (4), same way (1), selves (1), sight ( ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/846.htm - 8k

240. allelon -- of one another
... Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another -- each other, mutual, one
another, (the other), (them-, your-)selves, (selves) together (sometimes with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/240.htm - 6k

4863. sunago -- to lead together, ie bring together, hence come ...
... From sun and ago; to lead together, ie Collect or convene; specially, to entertain
(hospitably) -- + accompany, assemble (selves, together), bestow, come ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4863.htm - 9k

1839. existemi -- to displace, to stand aside from
... to put (stand) out of wits, ie Astound, or (reflexively) become astounded, insane --
amaze, be (make) astonished, be beside self (selves), bewitch, wonder. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1839.htm - 8k

5213. humin -- you
... Word Origin dat. of humeis, qv. you Irregular dative case of humeis; to (with or
by) you -- ye, you, your(-selves). see GREEK humeis. (umin) -- 608 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5213.htm - 5k

5216. humon -- you
... of humeis, qv. you Genitive case of humeis; of (from or concerning) you -- ye, you,
your (own, -selves). see GREEK humeis. (umon) -- 561 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5216.htm - 5k

848. hautou -- her own, his own, their own, themselves, they.
... for heautou; self (in some oblique case or reflexively, relation) -- her (own),
(of) him(-self), his (own), of it, thee, their (own), them(-selves), they. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/848.htm - 6k

1792. entruphao -- to revel in
... to delight in, revel. From en and truphao; to revel in -- sporting selves. see GREEK
en. see GREEK truphao. (entruphontes) -- 1 Occurrence. 1791, 1792. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1792.htm - 7k

1374. dipsuchos -- of two minds, wavering
... dipsuchos Phonetic Spelling: (dip'-soo-khos) Short Definition: double-minded, wavering
Definition: (lit: of two souls, of two selves), double-minded, wavering. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1374.htm - 7k

1413. gadad -- to penetrate, cut
... together (1), trooped (1). assemble selves by troops, gather selves together,
self in troops, cut selves. A primitive root (compare ...
/hebrew/1413.htm - 6k

3320. yatsab -- to set or station oneself, take one's stand
... present selves, remaining, resort, set selves, be able to, can, with stand
fast, forth,. A primitive root; to place (any thing so ...
/hebrew/3320.htm - 6k

6950. qahal -- to gather as an assembly or congregation
... assemble selves together, gather selves together. A primitive root; to convoke --
assemble (selves) (together), gather (selves) (together). 6949b, 6950. ...
/hebrew/6950.htm - 6k

3259. yaad -- to appoint
... agree, make an appointment, a time, assemble selves, betroth, gather selves.
A primitive root; to fix upon (by agreement or appointment ...
/hebrew/3259.htm - 6k

6908. qabats -- to gather, collect
... assemble selves, gather bring together, heap. A primitive root; to grasp,
ie Collect -- assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together ...
/hebrew/6908.htm - 6k

4102. mahah -- to linger, tarry
... root Definition to linger, tarry NASB Word Usage delay (2), delayed (2), delaying
(1), hesitated (1), tarries (1), wait (2). delay, linger, stay selves, tarry. ...
/hebrew/4102.htm - 6k

6327. puwts -- to be dispersed or scattered
... break dash, shake in to pieces, cast abroad, disperse selves, drive, scatter
abroad, spread abroad A primitive root; to dash in ...
/hebrew/6327.htm - 5k

3235. yamar -- perhaps to exchange
... boast selves, change. A primitive root; to exchange; by implication, to change places --
boast selves, change. 3234, 3235. yamar. 3236 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/3235.htm - 5k

3811. laah -- to be weary or impatient
... faint, grieve, loathe, be, make weary selves. A primitive root; to tire;
(figuratively) to be (or make) disgusted -- faint, grieve ...
/hebrew/3811.htm - 6k

6566. paras -- to spread out, spread
... break, chop in pieces, lay open, scatter, spread abroad, forth, selves, out,.
A primitive root; to break apart, disperse, etc. -- break ...
/hebrew/6566.htm - 6k

Examine Yourself Whether Ye be in the Faith; Prove Your Own Selves ...
... Examine yourself whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. 2 Corinthians
13:5. In speaking from this text I design to pursue the following order: ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/examine yourself whether ye be.htm

Second Sunday in Advent Behold the Fig-Tree and all the Trees ...
... Second Sunday in Advent Behold the fig-tree and all the trees; when they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/second sunday in advent behold.htm

Be Ye Doers of the Word, not Hearers Only, Deceiving Your Own ...
... Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22.
There are two extremes in religion, equally false and equally fatal. ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/be ye doers of the.htm

Self-Examination
... REV. CH SPURGEON. at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens. "Examine yourselves,
whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/self-examination.htm

Dionysius and Modern Philosophy
... According to Dr. McTaggart each human soul possesses, behind its temporal nature,
a timeless self and each one of these timeless selves is an eternal ...
/.../rolt/dionysius the areopagite/vi dionysius and modern philosophy.htm

And once Being Asked by the Monks to Come Down and visit them And. ...
... That this state may be preserved in us it is good to hear the apostle and keep his
words, for he says, Try your own selves and prove your own selves [1100 ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/life of antony section 54.htm

The Ignorance of the Pelagians in Maintaining that the Knowledge ...
... upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." [3180] And in the Pelagian writings
the darkness says, "Love comes to us of our own selves." Now, if they ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 40 xix the ignorance of.htm

We have no Memory of Our Creation.
... And yet it is neither the heaven of heavens, nor the measure of the stars, nor the
scope of sea and land, nor the nethermost hell; it is our own selves that we ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 8 we have no memory.htm

2 Cor. Iii. 5
... SERMON XIII. 2. COR. iii. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves, to think
any things as of our selves: but our Sufficiency is of God. ...
/.../sermon xiii 2 cor iii.htm

section iv.
... literally, true; for all those creatures we behold are but the herbs of the field,
digested into flesh in them, or more remotely carnified [83] in our selves. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section iv.htm

Selves (14 Occurrences)
...Selves (14 Occurrences). Luke 21:30 When they are already budding, you see it
and know by your own selves that the summer is already near. ...
/s/selves.htm - 11k

Realize (29 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your ...
/r/realize.htm - 15k

Disqualified (3 Occurrences)
... (See NAS RSV NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you
are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know ...
/d/disqualified.htm - 7k

Try (84 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your
own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ...
/t/try.htm - 31k

Recognize (52 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your ...
/r/recognize.htm - 21k

Holding (62 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the
faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your ...
/h/holding.htm - 27k

Test (105 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test
your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves...
/t/test.htm - 35k

Course (87 Occurrences)
... Didn't we walk in the same steps? (See NIV). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test your own
selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. ...
/c/course.htm - 38k

Reprobates (3 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Reprobates (3 Occurrences). 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine
yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. ...
/r/reprobates.htm - 7k

Reprobate (8 Occurrences)
... 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove
your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that ...
/r/reprobate.htm - 11k

If a person wants to be baptized, but is unable to be immersed into water due to being ill, disabled, elderly...etc. - what should be done? | GotQuestions.org

How can I meditate on God's Word? | GotQuestions.org

Who am I in Christ? | GotQuestions.org

Selves: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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