Definition and Context:
In biblical terms, "stiffness" often refers to a metaphorical rigidity or obstinacy, particularly in relation to one's heart or neck. This concept is frequently associated with stubbornness, rebellion, and an unwillingness to heed divine instruction or correction. The imagery of a "stiff neck" is used throughout Scripture to describe a people who resist God's guidance and commandments.

Biblical References:

1. Stiff-Necked People:
The term "stiff-necked" is prominently used in the Old Testament to describe the Israelites when they resist God's commands. In Exodus 32:9 , God says to Moses, "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people." This description follows the incident of the golden calf, highlighting the Israelites' rebellion and idolatry despite God's recent deliverance from Egypt.

2. Call to Repentance:
The concept of stiffness is often juxtaposed with the call to repentance and humility. In 2 Chronicles 30:8 , Hezekiah urges the people, "Do not be stiff-necked as your fathers were; submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever." Here, the call is to abandon stubbornness and return to faithful worship and obedience.

3. Consequences of Stiffness:
Stiffness, or obstinacy, is portrayed as leading to negative consequences. Proverbs 29:1 warns, "A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery." This proverb underscores the danger of persistent stubbornness, suggesting that it can lead to irrevocable ruin.

4. New Testament Perspective:
In the New Testament, the theme of stiffness is echoed in the context of resisting the Holy Spirit. Stephen, in his speech before the Sanhedrin, accuses the Jewish leaders of being "stiff-necked" in Acts 7:51 : "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did." This accusation highlights the continuity of resistance to God's work from the Old Testament to the New.

Theological Implications:

· Resistance to God:
Stiffness symbolizes a deeper spiritual condition of resistance to God's will and authority. It reflects a heart that is hardened against divine truth and guidance, often resulting in a life that is out of alignment with God's purposes.

· Need for Transformation:
The biblical narrative consistently calls for a transformation from stiffness to softness of heart. This transformation is often associated with repentance, humility, and a willingness to be led by God. Ezekiel 36:26 speaks of this transformation: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

· Role of the Holy Spirit:
In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in overcoming spiritual stiffness. The Spirit works to soften hearts, enabling believers to respond to God's call and live in obedience. This is a key aspect of the new covenant, where the law is written on hearts rather than tablets of stone (Hebrews 8:10).

Practical Application:

Believers are encouraged to examine their own hearts for areas of stiffness or resistance to God's will. Through prayer, study of Scripture, and openness to the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to cultivate a responsive and obedient heart, avoiding the pitfalls of stubbornness and embracing the fullness of life in Christ.(n.) The quality or state of being stiff; as, the stiffness of cloth or of paste; stiffness of manner; stiffness of character.

How the Evangelist John is Said to have Shown the Value of ...
... a bow." "And why," said he, "do you not always carry it everywhere bent?" To whom
the other replied: "It would not do, for the force of its stiffness would be ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xxi how the evangelist.htm

The Theology of St. Hilary of Poitiers.
... The inevitable result is an apparent coldness and stiffness and excess of method
which does Hilary an injustice both as a thinker and as a writer. ...
/.../chapter ii the theology of st.htm

A Life Lost and Found [Footnote: Preached after the Funeral of Mr. ...
... hide, and soaks it in bitter waters, and dresses it with sharp tools, and lubricates
it with unguents, and his work is not done till all the stiffness is out ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/a life lost and found.htm

Gregorian Church Music
... There is, too, undoubtedly much grandeur and beauty in this style, which adapt it
for certain forms and occasions of worship; but its stiffness and monotony ...
/.../winkworth/christian singers of germany/gregorian church music.htm

What are These Hidden and Unseen Mysteries, You Will Say...
... as above, merely dropping m; Hildebrand and Oehler insert in, and read, from a
conjecture of Ursinus adopted by Elmenhorst, c-ol-ligare--"to bind into stiffness ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/63 what are these hidden.htm

May 31. "Whosoever Therefore Shall Humble Himself as this Little ...
... them, we must be approachable and human. All stiffness is but another form
of self-consciousness. Ask Christ for a human heart, for ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /may 31 whosoever therefore shall.htm

Wesley as Art Critic
... otherwise. If the expression may be allowed, there is a kind of stiffness
runs through the one, and an easiness through the other. ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley as art critic.htm

Wesley Preaches at Aberdeen
... with him at his house. I observed no stiffness at all, but the easy good
breeding of a man of sense and learning. I suppose both he ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/wesley preaches at aberdeen.htm

Epistle Xliii. To Eulogius and Anastasius, Bishops.
... But, if he should altogether refuse to be bent from the stiffness of his elation,
then, with the succour of Almighty God, we may consider more particularly ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xliii to eulogius and.htm

To the Rev. G. Browne
... by birth an old Castilian, and one of the very few who retain traces of the ancient
Spanish character, which with all its faults, its stiffness, its formality ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/to the rev g browne 2.htm

Stiffness (4 Occurrences)
... (n.) The quality or state of being stiff; as, the stiffness of cloth or of paste;
stiffness of manner; stiffness of character. ...Stiffness (4 Occurrences). ...
/s/stiffness.htm - 7k

Rigor (8 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Rigidity; stiffness; inflexibility. ... 3. (n.) The becoming stiff or rigid;
the state of being rigid; rigidity; stiffness; hardness. ...
/r/rigor.htm - 9k

Stifle (5 Occurrences)

/s/stifle.htm - 8k

Stiff-necked (18 Occurrences)
Stiff-necked. Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked. Stiffness . Noah Webster's Dictionary ...
Stiffnecked, Stiff-necked. Stiffness . Reference Bible.
/s/stiff-necked.htm - 14k

Limp (9 Occurrences)
... 4. (a.) Flaccid; flabby, as flesh. 5. (a.) Lacking stiffness; flimsy; as, a
limp cravat. Multi-Version Concordance Limp (9 Occurrences). ...
/l/limp.htm - 9k

Flag (30 Occurrences)
... (see PAPER, REED.). Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (vi) To hang loose without stiffness;
to bend down, as flexible bodies; to be loose, yielding, limp. ...
/f/flag.htm - 18k

Raised (267 Occurrences)
... Mark 16:14 Afterwards, as they are reclining (at meat), he was manifested to the
eleven, and did reproach their unbelief and stiffness of heart, because they ...
/r/raised.htm - 35k

Reclining (25 Occurrences)
... Mark 16:14 Afterwards, as they are reclining (at meat), he was manifested to the
eleven, and did reproach their unbelief and stiffness of heart, because they ...
/r/reclining.htm - 14k

Erection (1 Occurrence)
... feelings or purposes. 3. (n.) State of being stretched to stiffness; tension.
4. (n.) Anything erected; a building of any kind. 5. (n ...
/e/erection.htm - 7k

Mindful (39 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 9:27 be mindful of Thy servants, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,
turn not unto the stiffness of this people, and unto its wickedness, and unto ...
/m/mindful.htm - 17k

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