Apprehension
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Apprehension, in a biblical context, refers to a state of anxiety or fear about future events or the unknown. This emotional response is addressed in various passages throughout Scripture, where believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and provision rather than succumb to fear.

Biblical References:

1. Philippians 4:6-7 : "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This passage encourages believers to replace apprehension with prayer and thanksgiving, promising divine peace as a guard over their hearts and minds.

2. Matthew 6:25-34 : In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses apprehension about material needs: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25). Jesus emphasizes God's provision for His creation, urging believers to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.

3. 1 Peter 5:7 : "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." This verse reassures believers of God's personal care and invites them to offload their apprehensions onto Him.

4. Isaiah 41:10 : "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." This promise from God to His people serves as a powerful antidote to fear and apprehension, highlighting His presence and support.

5. Psalm 34:4 : "I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears." The psalmist's testimony underscores the effectiveness of seeking God in times of fear and anxiety.

Theological Insights:

Apprehension is often linked to a lack of trust in God's plan and timing. The Bible consistently calls believers to a life of faith, where trust in God's character and promises overcomes the natural human tendency toward fear. The presence of apprehension can serve as a reminder to refocus on God's faithfulness and His past deliverances.

Practical Application:

Believers are encouraged to combat apprehension through spiritual disciplines such as prayer, meditation on Scripture, and community support. By immersing themselves in God's Word and surrounding themselves with fellow believers, they can find strength and encouragement to face uncertainties with confidence in God's unchanging nature.

Historical Context:

Throughout biblical history, God's people have faced numerous situations that could provoke apprehension, from the Israelites' journey through the wilderness to the early church's persecution. In each instance, Scripture records God's faithfulness and deliverance, providing a historical foundation for trusting Him in the present.

Conclusion:

While apprehension is a common human experience, the Bible offers a clear path to overcoming it through faith and reliance on God. By turning to Scripture and prayer, believers can find peace and assurance in the midst of life's uncertainties.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The act of seizing or taking hold of; seizure; as, the hand is an organ of apprehension.

2. (n.) The act of seizing or taking by legal process; arrest; as, the felon, after his apprehension, escaped.

3. (n.) The act of grasping with the intellect; the contemplation of things, without affirming, denying, or passing any judgment; intellection; perception.

4. (n.) Opinion; conception; sentiment; idea.

5. (n.) The faculty by which ideas are conceived; understanding; as, a man of dull apprehension.

6. (n.) Anticipation, mostly of things unfavorable; distrust or fear at the prospect of future evil.

Greek
3199. melo -- to be an object of care
... with), especially paying attention (giving thought) to -- ie "taking an interest" ()
with the "implication of some apprehension . . 1, 25.223.). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3199.htm - 7k

4329. prosdokia -- expectation
... expectation, looking after. From prosdokao; apprehension (of evil); by implication,
infliction anticipated -- expectation, looking after. see GREEK prosdokao. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4329.htm - 6k

Library

Whether the Sensitive Powers of Apprehension are the Subject of ...
... OF THE SUBJECT OF VIRTUE (SIX ARTICLES) Whether the sensitive powers of
apprehension are the subject of virtue? Objection 1: It ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the sensitive powers of.htm

Wherein is the Criterion for the Apprehension of the Soul.
... On the Subject of the Soul. I. Wherein is the Criterion for the Apprehension
of the Soul. All things that exist are either known ...
/.../i wherein is the criterion.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

Coming Now to the Science of Number, it is Clear to the Dullest ...
... Book 2 Chapter 56. Coming now to the science of number, it is clear to
the dullest apprehension? 56. Coming now to the science ...
/.../augustine/on christian doctrine in four books/chapter 56 coming now to.htm

Of the Accounts which are Given by all the Four Evangelists in ...
... Chapter V."Of the Accounts Which are Given by All the Four Evangelists in Regard
to What Was Done and Said on the Occasion of His Apprehension; And of the ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter v of the accounts which.htm

How it Often Happens that a Discourse which Gives Pleasure to the ...
... I fail to speak in a manner calculated to effect that, and that this arises mainly
from the circumstance that the intellectual apprehension diffuses itself ...
/.../on the catechising of the uninstructed/chapter 2 how it often happens.htm

Repentance and Impenitence.
... consequently, it cannot be a phenomenon of the intelligence: that is, it cannot
consist in conviction of sin, nor in any intellectual apprehension of our guilt ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxxiv repentance and impenitence.htm

Concerning the Place of God: and that the Deity Alone is ...
... That which is comprehended in place or time or apprehension is circumscribed: while
that which is contained by none of these is uncircumscribed. ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xiii concerning the place of.htm

Christ's Lament Over Our Faithlessness
... converse with their unworthy successors"made Christ feel more sharply and poignantly
than He ordinarily did His disciples' slowness of apprehension and want ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture d/christs lament over our faithlessness.htm

The Making of a Prophet
... expressed, the consciousness of personal unlikeness to the holiness of God is the
first result, and the instantaneous result, of any real apprehension of that ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the making of a prophet.htm

Thesaurus
Apprehension (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The act of seizing or taking hold of; seizure;
as, the hand is an organ of apprehension. ...Apprehension (3 Occurrences). ...
/a/apprehension.htm - 8k

Fear (970 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the
apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm ...
/f/fear.htm - 50k

Dread (69 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To fear in a great degree; to regard, or look forward to, with terrific
apprehension. ... 5. (n.) An object of terrified apprehension. ...
/d/dread.htm - 26k

Knowledge
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The act or state of knowing; clear perception
of fact, truth, or duty; certain apprehension; familiar cognizance; cognition. ...
/k/knowledge.htm - 12k

Alarm (26 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in
the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise ...
/a/alarm.htm - 16k

Know (8133 Occurrences)
... Hebrew chiefly yadha`, noun da`ath; in Greek ginosko, oida' "to know fully," epiginosko,
noun gnosis epignosis): Knowledge strictly is the apprehension by the ...
/k/know.htm - 12k

Fearful (73 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Full of fear, apprehension, or alarm; afraid;
frightened. 2. (a.) inclined to fear; easily frightened ...
/f/fearful.htm - 28k

Perception (1 Occurrence)
... 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...
/p/perception.htm - 7k

Conceit (14 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) An unduly high opinion of oneself. 2. (n.) Faculty of conceiving ideas;
mental faculty; apprehension; as, a man of quick conceit. ...
/c/conceit.htm - 11k

Apprehensive (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (a.) Capable of apprehending, or quick to do so; apt; discerning. 2. (a.) Knowing;
conscious; cognizant. 3. (a.) Relating to the faculty of apprehension. ...
/a/apprehensive.htm - 7k

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

What does the Bible say about restlessness? | GotQuestions.org

Why is Queen Mary I of England known as Bloody Mary? | GotQuestions.org

Apprehension: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Apprehension (3 Occurrences)

Luke 21:26
Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for apprehension of those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
(WBS)

Hebrews 5:11
Concerning Him we have much to say, and much that it would be difficult to make clear to you, since you have become so dull of apprehension.
(WEY)

Hebrews 10:27
But a certain fearful apprehension of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
(WBS)

Subtopics

Apprehension

Related Terms

Jealous (43 Occurrences)

Doubt (49 Occurrences)

Exulting (14 Occurrences)

Doubtful (4 Occurrences)

Apprentice (1 Occurrence)

Afraid (361 Occurrences)

Apprehension (3 Occurrences)

Apprehend (7 Occurrences)

Abundant (124 Occurrences)

Apprehended
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