Embodiment
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Definition and Concept:
Embodiment refers to the representation or manifestation of a concept, quality, or spirit in a tangible or visible form. In a biblical context, embodiment often pertains to the incarnation of spiritual truths or divine presence in physical form. This concept is central to Christian theology, particularly in the understanding of Jesus Christ as the incarnate Word of God.

Biblical Foundations:

1. The Incarnation of Christ:
The most profound example of embodiment in the Bible is the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John articulates this truth: "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1:14). This verse underscores the belief that Jesus is the physical embodiment of God's Word, bringing divine truth and grace into the human realm.

2. Image of God:
Humanity itself is described as being created in the image of God, which can be seen as a form of embodiment. Genesis 1:27 states, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" . This suggests that humans are intended to reflect God's character and attributes in the physical world.

3. The Body as a Temple:
The Apostle Paul emphasizes the embodiment of the Holy Spirit within believers. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, he writes, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God?" . This passage highlights the sanctity of the human body as a vessel for the divine presence.

4. The Church as the Body of Christ:
The New Testament also describes the Church as the body of Christ, an embodiment of His presence on earth. Ephesians 1:22-23 states, "And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" . This metaphor illustrates the collective embodiment of Christ's mission and ministry through His followers.

Theological Implications:

· Christological Significance:
The embodiment of Christ is central to understanding His dual nature as fully God and fully man. This union is essential for the atonement, as it allows Jesus to serve as the perfect mediator between God and humanity.

· Ethical and Moral Reflection:
The concept of embodiment calls believers to live in a manner that reflects the character of Christ. As bearers of God's image and temples of the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to embody virtues such as love, holiness, and righteousness in their daily lives.

· Sacramental Theology:
Embodiment is also reflected in the sacraments, where physical elements like bread and wine are seen as tangible expressions of spiritual realities. The Lord's Supper, for instance, is a means by which believers participate in the body and blood of Christ, as described in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25.

Conclusion:
The concept of embodiment in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing the incarnation of Christ, the creation of humanity in God's image, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the communal life of the Church. Each aspect underscores the profound connection between the spiritual and the physical, inviting believers to live out their faith in tangible ways.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (n.) The act of embodying; the state of being embodied.

2. (n.) That which embodies or is embodied; representation in a physical body; a completely organized system, like the body; as, the embodiment of courage, or of courtesy; the embodiment of true piety.

Greek
3446. morphosis -- a forming, a form
... outline, semblance. Word Origin from morphoo Definition a forming, a form
NASB Word Usage embodiment (1), form (1). form. From morphoo ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3446.htm - 6k

5462. photismos -- illumination
... Cognate: 5462 (a masculine noun, see also 5457 , the noun-form) -- itself, the
embodiment of the source (beginning) of the illumination. See 5457 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5462.htm - 6k

2320. theotes -- deity
... 2320 (a feminine noun derived from 2316 , "God") -- the revealed in the Bible who
is and infinitely relational as demonstrated by the embodiment of the Godhead ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2320.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
8544. temunah -- likeness, form
... tmunah {tem-oo-naw'}; from miyn; something portioned (ie Fashioned) out, as a shape,
ie (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively ...
/hebrew/8544.htm - 6k
Library

A Song of Deliverance
... The idea of the dwelling of God with men had its less perfect embodiment, has its
more perfect embodiment, will have its absolutely perfect embodiment. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/a song of deliverance.htm

Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.
... truth has been revealed to us, not in a law of the letter, not in a digested summary
of specific articles of faith, but in this historical embodiment, in this ...
/.../epistle of paul to the.htm

The Interest of his Biography.
... He was ordained to be "the clasp" of two covenants. In him Judaism reached its highest
embodiment, and the Old Testament found its noblest exponent. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/i the interest of his.htm

Ninth Day. Holiness and Mediation.
... He is the embodiment of the Divine Holiness in human form, and of human holiness
as a Divine gift, as far as the dispensation of symbol and shadow could offer ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/ninth day holiness and mediation.htm

'In Remembrance of Me'
... you in My Father's kingdom,' and as the Apostle in this context says, 'Till He come.'
It is to these three aspects of this ordinance, as the embodiment of all ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/in remembrance of me.htm

Walls and Gates
... his magnificent picture of the restored Jerusalem, 'the city of the Lord, the Zion
of the Holy One of Israel.' To him the city stands for the embodiment of the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/walls and gates.htm

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
... In those days Egypt occupied the position subsequently attained by Nineveh, Babylon,
Macedonia, and Rome; it was the embodiment of all the luster and glory ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxiii the hardening in the.htm

God's Family.
... 'Father,' he cries, 'hold me fast to thy creating will, that I may know myself one
with it, know myself its outcome, its willed embodiment, and rejoice without ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/hope of the gospel/gods family.htm

Fourth Address.
... and the church, too. We want a living embodiment of Christianity. We want
JESUS TO COME IN THE FLESH AGAIN. Did you ever notice ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/fourth address.htm

It Shall not be Forgiven.
... wrong, that surely is more like the sin against the Holy Ghost that can never be
forgiven; for it is a sin against the truth itself, not the embodiment of it ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/it shall not be forgiven.htm

Thesaurus
Embodiment (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (n.) That which embodies or is embodied; representation in a physical body; a
completely organized system, like the body; as, the embodiment of courage, or ...
/e/embodiment.htm - 7k

Shape (17 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) Form of embodiment, as in words; form, as of thought or conception;
concrete embodiment or example, as of some quality. 10. ...
/s/shape.htm - 14k

Logos
... These Divine forces are the embodiment of the ideai, of Plato and the aggeloi,
of the Old Testament. The double meaning of Logos ...
/l/logos.htm - 38k

Joshua (211 Occurrences)
... the distribution of the land among the tribes, from the miraculous crossing of Jordan
and taking of Jericho to his last address, he was the embodiment of his ...
/j/joshua.htm - 101k

Immanuel (3 Occurrences)
... prophecy was given (2 Kings 16:2). Immanuel, in the prophetic economy, evidently
stands on the same level with Shear-jashub (Isaiah 7:3) as the embodiment of a ...
/i/immanuel.htm - 16k

Embolden (1 Occurrence)

/e/embolden.htm - 6k

Embodied (1 Occurrence)

/e/embodied.htm - 6k

Model (9 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Something intended to serve, or that may serve, as a pattern of something
to be made; a material representation or embodiment of an ideal; sometimes, a ...
/m/model.htm - 10k

Matter (263 Occurrences)
... or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into
which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment. ...
/m/matter.htm - 39k

Plagues (28 Occurrences)
... the order of Nature, ie the order in which the plagues occurred, which will be found
to be the order of the natural phenomena which were the embodiment of the ...
/p/plagues.htm - 44k

Resources
Does God have favorites? | GotQuestions.org

What is religiosity? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)? | GotQuestions.org

Embodiment: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Embodiment (1 Occurrence)

Romans 2:20
a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of babies, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth.
(See NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Embodiment

Related Terms

Embodiment (1 Occurrence)

Emboldened (3 Occurrences)

Offend (24 Occurrences)

Offence (27 Occurrences)

Embodied
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