Definition and Context:
Retention, in a biblical context, refers to the act of holding onto or keeping something, whether it be knowledge, wisdom, faith, or the teachings of Scripture. It involves the preservation and maintenance of spiritual truths and moral principles as imparted by God through His Word.

Biblical References and Themes:

1. Retention of God's Word:
The Bible emphasizes the importance of retaining God's Word in one's heart and mind. In Proverbs 4:4, it is written, "He taught me and said, 'Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands and live.'" This verse underscores the necessity of internalizing and preserving divine instructions as a source of life and guidance.

2. Retention of Wisdom and Understanding:
Retention is closely linked with wisdom and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-2 states, "My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding." Here, the act of retaining wisdom is portrayed as an active pursuit that requires attentiveness and dedication.

3. Retention of Faith:
The New Testament also speaks to the retention of faith. In 1 Timothy 1:19, Paul advises Timothy to hold onto faith and a good conscience, warning that some have rejected these and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Retention of faith is thus seen as crucial to maintaining one's spiritual integrity and relationship with God.

4. Retention of Sound Doctrine:
The Apostle Paul frequently exhorts believers to retain sound doctrine. In 2 Timothy 1:13-14, he instructs, "Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." This passage highlights the importance of preserving the truth of the Gospel against false teachings.

5. Retention of Love and Good Works:
Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to "consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Retention here involves maintaining a community of faith that fosters love and good works.

Practical Application:
Retention in the Christian life involves a conscious effort to remember and apply biblical teachings. It requires regular engagement with Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. By retaining God's Word and principles, Christians are better equipped to navigate life's challenges and remain steadfast in their faith.

Conclusion:
While the Bible does not use the term "retention" explicitly, the concept is woven throughout Scripture, emphasizing the importance of holding fast to God's truth, wisdom, and love. Retention is a vital aspect of spiritual growth and maturity, enabling believers to live out their faith effectively in a world that often challenges biblical values.1. (n.) The act of keeping something in one's possession or use.

2. (n.) The power of retaining; retentiveness.

3. (n.) That which contains something, as a tablet.

4. (n.) The act of withholding; restraint; reserve.

5. (n.) Place of custody or confinement.

6. (n.) The right of withholding a debt, or of retaining property until a debt due to the person claiming the right be duly paid; a lien.

RETENTION OF SINS

re-ten'-shun, (krateo, "to lay fast hold of" (John 20:23)): The opposite of "the remission of sins." Where there was no evidence of repentance and faith, the community of believers were unauthorized to give assurance of forgiveness, and, therefore, could only warn that the guilt of sin was retained, and that the sinner remained beneath God's judgment.

While such retention has its place in connection with all preaching of the gospel, since the offers of grace are conditional, it is especially exercised, like the absolution, in the personal dealing of a pastor with a communicant, preparatory to the reception of the Lord's Supper. As the absolution is properly an assurance of individual forgiveness, so the retention is an assurance of individual non-forgiveness. That the retention is exercised by the ministry, not as an order, but as the representatives of the congregation of believers to which Christ gave the power of the keys, is shown by Alford, Greek Testament, on above passage. See also Melanchthon, Appendix to the "Schmalkald Articles."

H. E. Jacobs

Sixth Tractate. Perception and Memory.
... Since we reject equally the impression and the retention we are obliged to seek
for another explanation of perception and memory, one excluding the notions ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/sixth tractate perception and memory.htm

Whether the Image of God is to be Found in the Acts of the Soul?
... they are not under our actual consideration, they are objects of our memory only,
which, in his opinion, is nothing else than habitual retention of knowledge ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the image of god 6.htm

Verbs, 15-33
... izein. The retention of s in the future of such verbs is quite exceptional,
as in Eccl.11:4 therisei (mid.), Lvt.25:5 ektheriseis. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/conybeare/a grammar of septuagint greek/verbs 15-33.htm

The Cambridge Platform and the Half-Way Covenant
... that the early church regulations, possible only in small communities where each
man knew his fellow, had been outgrown, and that their retention favored the ...
/.../chapter iv the cambridge platform.htm

Letter vi. In My Last Two Letters I have Given the State of the ...
... And again, more particularly, I mean the learned and reflecting part of them, who
are influenced to the retention of the prevailing dogma by the supposed ...
/.../coleridge/confessions of an inquiring spirit etc/letter vi in my last.htm

Answer to Objections: Man's Freewill and God's Foreknowledge
... Truth forces and compels us, in spite of innumerable refinements, to impulsive praise
and blame, on the basis of our retention of free will with the ...
/.../origen/origen on prayer/chapter iv answer to objections .htm

Hallowed be Thy Name
... the object of prayer has not yet come to pass, or after its attainment, that it
is not permanent in which case the request is for its retention; the language ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xiv hallowed be thy.htm

The Ecclesiastical Trial
... them by leaving in their hands at least the insignia of self-government, and she
conceded to them as much home rule as was compatible with the retention of her ...
/.../the trial and death of jesus christ/chapter ii the ecclesiastical trial.htm

Causes of Corruption Chiefly Intentional.
... again in 'AB and six other uncials,"but not found in CDE and ten others: the expression
referred to cannot, at all events, plead for its own retention in the ...
/.../chapter xii causes of corruption.htm

The Second Trumpet.
... where the Lord threatens that "He will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry;"
which ver.44 explains by the retention of the same metaphor, "The nations ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the second trumpet.htm

Retention
...RETENTION OF SINS. ... As the absolution is properly an assurance of individual forgiveness,
so the retention is an assurance of individual non-forgiveness. ...
/r/retention.htm - 8k

Sins (351 Occurrences)
...RETENTION OF SINS. ... As the absolution is properly an assurance of individual forgiveness,
so the retention is an assurance of individual non-forgiveness. ...
/s/sins.htm - 38k

Retinue (4 Occurrences)

/r/retinue.htm - 7k

Zenas (1 Occurrence)
... opinion that "since the Jewish scribe who became a Christian, by that very act
separated himself from the rabbinic body, and since the retention of rabbinic ...
/z/zenas.htm - 10k

Language (112 Occurrences)
... A general characteristic of this tongue of the desert is its remarkable retention
into a late historical period, of grammatical features obliterated or in ...
/l/language.htm - 101k

Laws (184 Occurrences)
... Hence we find insolvency giving rise to the alienation of land and to slavery all
over the world-sometimes with the retention of civil rights (as in Rome and ...
/l/laws.htm - 47k

Retem-tree (2 Occurrences)
Retem-tree. Retaliation, Retem-tree. Retention . Multi-Version Concordance
Retem-tree (2 Occurrences). ... Retaliation, Retem-tree. Retention . Reference Bible
/r/retem-tree.htm - 7k

Retain (24 Occurrences)
... in one case kala' (Ecclesiastes 8:8). In the New Testament krateo, is used in John
20:23 of the "retaining" of sins by the apostles (see RETENTION OF SINS); in ...
/r/retain.htm - 15k

Memory (181 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The actual and distinct retention and recognition of past ideas in the mind;
remembrance; as, in memory of youth; memories of foreign lands. ...
/m/memory.htm - 40k

Presently (25 Occurrences)
... In Proverbs 12:16, the uncertainty of the meaning (margin "openly," Hebrew "in the
day") has led to the retention of the King James Version word. ...
/p/presently.htm - 14k

How can I maintain a good attitude when I am struggling with PMS? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about forgiveness? What does it mean to forgive? | GotQuestions.org

Retention: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus