Thorough
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The concept of being thorough is deeply embedded in the biblical narrative, reflecting God's nature and His expectations for His people. The term "thorough" implies completeness, attention to detail, and diligence, qualities that are evident in God's creation, His laws, and His interactions with humanity.

God's Thoroughness in Creation

The Bible begins with a demonstration of God's thoroughness in the creation account. Genesis 1 details the systematic and orderly process by which God created the heavens and the earth. Each day of creation is marked by a specific act, culminating in the declaration that "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). This statement underscores the completeness and perfection of God's work.

Thoroughness in God's Law

The Mosaic Law, given to the Israelites, is another example of thoroughness. The Law covers various aspects of life, including moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations. Deuteronomy 6:17 instructs, "You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and His testimonies and statutes He has commanded you" . This command emphasizes the need for thorough observance of God's laws, reflecting His desire for His people to live in holiness and obedience.

Thoroughness in Worship and Service

The Bible also highlights the importance of thoroughness in worship and service to God. In the construction of the Tabernacle, God provided Moses with detailed instructions, which were followed meticulously by the Israelites. Exodus 39:42-43 records, "The Israelites had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded Moses. And Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them" . This passage illustrates the blessing that comes from thorough obedience to God's instructions.

Thoroughness in Personal Conduct

The New Testament continues to emphasize thoroughness in the life of believers. Colossians 3:23-24 exhorts, "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" . This passage encourages believers to approach their tasks with diligence and integrity, recognizing that their ultimate accountability is to God.

Thoroughness in Spiritual Growth

The Apostle Paul often speaks of thoroughness in the context of spiritual growth and maturity. In Philippians 1:6, he expresses confidence "that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" . This assurance reflects the thoroughness of God's work in the believer's life, as He continues to shape and refine them into the image of Christ.

Thoroughness in Judgment

Finally, the Bible speaks of God's thoroughness in judgment. Revelation 20:12 describes the final judgment, where "the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books" . This scene underscores the comprehensive nature of God's judgment, where every action and thought is taken into account.

In summary, the concept of thoroughness permeates the biblical text, reflecting God's character and His expectations for His people. Whether in creation, law, worship, personal conduct, spiritual growth, or judgment, thoroughness is a divine attribute that believers are called to emulate in their walk with God.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (prep.) Through.

2. (a.) Passing through; as, thorough lights in a house.

3. (a.) Passing through or to the end; hence, complete; perfect; as, a thorough reformation; thorough work; a thorough translator; a thorough poet.

4. (adv.) Thoroughly.

5. (adv.) Through.

6. (n.) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.

Greek
2676. katartisis -- a preparing, an equipping
... perfection. From katartizo; thorough equipment (subjectively) -- perfection. see
GREEK katartizo. (katartisin) -- 1 Occurrence. 2675, 2676. katartisis. 2677 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2676.htm - 6k

199. akribos -- with exactness
... with exactness NASB Word Usage accurately (1), careful* (1), carefully (2), full
well (1), more accurately (1), more exact (1), more thorough investigation (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/199.htm - 7k

1291. diastello -- to set apart, fig. to distinguish, to charge ...
... 1291 (from 1223 , "through, thorough," which intensifies 4724 , "send") -- properly,
send through (effectively divide), referring to giving an -- ie that is . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1291.htm - 7k

4027. perikatharma -- that which is cleaned off, refuse
... 4027 -- properly, off-scouring (refuse); "left-overs," rejected after a thorough
cleansing; (figuratively) an , viewed as scummy residue (used only in 1 Cor 4 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4027.htm - 7k

Library

Letter ii. The Importance of a Thorough Knowledge of the Doctrines ...
... LETTERS, &c. LETTER II. The Importance of a thorough Knowledge of the
Doctrines of Christianity"means of obtaining it. "Sanctify ...
/.../letter ii the importance of.htm

How Thorough is the Obedience of the Juniors Even in those Things ...
... Prolegomena. Chapter X. How thorough is the obedience of the juniors even
in those things which are matters of common necessity. ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter x how thorough is.htm

Of the Thorough Harmony of the Evangelists in the Different ...
... Chapter VII."Of the Thorough Harmony of the Evangelists in the Different Accounts
of What Took Place in the Early Morning, Previous to the Delivery of Jesus ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter vii of the thorough harmony.htm

Of Christ's Subsequent Manifestations of Himself to the Disciples ...
... Chapter XXV."Of Christ's Subsequent Manifestations of Himself to the Disciples,
and of the Question Whether a Thorough Harmony Can Be Established Between the ...
/.../the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxv of christs subsequent manifestations.htm

Deceived by his Own Fault, He Falls into the Errors of the ...
... Chapter VI."Deceived by His Own Fault, He Falls into the Errors of the Manich??ans,
Who Gloried in the True Knowledge of God and in a Thorough Examination of ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/chapter vi deceived by his own.htm

How to Speak in Public
... The first qualification implies a judicious choice of subject and the most thorough
preparation. ... This implies a thorough training in the technique of speech. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/how to speak in public.htm

Repentance and Impenitence.
... It implies a conviction, that God is wholly right, and the sinner wholly wrong,
and a thorough and hearty abandonment of all excuses and apologies for sin. ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxxiv repentance and impenitence.htm

Religious Education --The Fundamental Problem of To-Day
... the devotion of the teachers and officers, do not permanently hold their scholars,
and in the great majority of cases do not give them a thorough or systematic ...
/.../xvi religious educationthe fundamental problem.htm

The Light of Glory.
... It is as if we said that no man possesses the natural power to see thorough
a stone wall, or thorough the earth. Certainly all men ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter xiii the light of.htm

Instructions to Converts.
... And, therefore, Christ takes the effectual method recorded before us, of dealing
with him once for all, to secure a thorough work in his soul. ...
/.../lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xix instructions to converts.htm

Thesaurus
Thorough (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (prep.) Through. 2. (a.) Passing through;
as, thorough lights in a house. 3. (a.) Passing through or ...
/t/thorough.htm - 9k

Inquiry (15 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 17:4 and it be told thee, and thou hearest of it; then thou shalt make
thorough inquiry, and if it be truth and the thing be certain, that this ...
/i/inquiry.htm - 11k

Breeches (6 Occurrences)
... coats.") The rendering of the King James Version is the more likely, though the
meaning of the Aramaic sarbal is obscure (compare the thorough discussion in Ges ...
/b/breeches.htm - 12k

Clearance (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The act of clearing; as, to make a thorough
clearance. 2. (n.) A certificate that a ship or vessel ...
/c/clearance.htm - 7k

Ezranehemiah
... of Persia could only have been called a Persian "after the Persian period was past"
involves, on the one hand, the assumption of such thorough knowledge of the ...
/e/ezranehemiah.htm - 22k

Ezra-nehemiah
... of Persia could only have been called a Persian "after the Persian period was past"
involves, on the one hand, the assumption of such thorough knowledge of the ...
/e/ezra-nehemiah.htm - 22k

Zeus (3 Occurrences)
... god of Hellenic theology, "king of gods and of men." In 168 BC Antiochus Epiphanes,
"who on God's altars danced," bent upon the thorough Hellenization of Judea ...
/z/zeus.htm - 8k

Overly (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Careless; negligent; inattentive; superficial;
not thorough. 2. (a.) Excessive; too much. 3. (adv.) In an overly manner. ...
/o/overly.htm - 6k

Ophrah (9 Occurrences)
... the invaders. At Ophrah, Gideon reared his altar to Yahweh, and made thorough
cleansing of the instruments of idolatry. After his ...
/o/ophrah.htm - 13k

Gathering (71 Occurrences)
... Matthew 3:12 His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance
of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but ...
/g/gathering.htm - 28k

Resources
What does the Bible say about envy? | GotQuestions.org

Is it necessary to fully understand the Gospel to go to heaven? Is it enough to believe it, even if we do not fully understand it? | GotQuestions.org

Perseverance of the Saints - is it biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Thorough: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Concordance
Thorough (7 Occurrences)

Matthew 3:12
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."
(Root in WEB WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Acts 12:19
When Herod had sought for him, and didn't find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
(See NIV)

Acts 18:24
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures.
(See NIV)

Acts 23:15
So now, will you and the Sanhedrin make a request to the military authorities to have him sent down to you, as if you were desiring to go into the business in greater detail; and we, before ever he gets to you, will be waiting to put him to death.
(See NAS)

Colossians 1:9
For this reason we also, from the day we first received these tidings, have never ceased to pray for you and to entreat that you may be filled with a clear knowledge of His will accompanied by thorough wisdom and discernment in spiritual things;
(WEY)

Deuteronomy 17:4
and it be told thee, and thou hearest of it; then thou shalt make thorough inquiry, and if it be truth and the thing be certain, that this abomination hath been wrought in Israel,
(DBY NAS NIV)

Deuteronomy 19:18
and the judges shall make thorough inquiry; and if the witness be a false witness, and he have testified falsely against his brother,
(DBY NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Thorough

Related Terms

Thorough (7 Occurrences)

Thoroughly (48 Occurrences)

Architecture

Thorny
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