The concept of Beginning in Christianity
Synonyms: Start, Commencement, Inception, Initiation, Launch, Opening, Outset, Inauguration, Onset, Origin, Dawn, Genesis.
In Finnish: Alku; In Dutch: Begin; In Spanish: Comienzo; In German: Anfang; In Malay: Permulaan; In Swedish: µþö°ùÂá²¹²Ô; In French: ¶Ùé²ú³Ü³Ù
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Christian concept of 'Beginning'
From: Ante-nicene Fathers
(1) The term represents multiple interpretations, including one related to a transition, such as a road, and its length, which can be understood through various passages within scripture.[1] (2) As there is one end to all things, so ought we to understand that there was one of these, as there is one end.[2] (3) This is a term that refers to a point in time, used in the context of dating methods and the determination of events.[3] (4) The soul's seed is uniform from the beginning to the race of man, and the text addresses the opinions of philosophers and heretics.[4] (5) This term indicates the commencement of an action, marking the point from which the design emerges and the subsequent execution of the action unfolds.[5]
From: Gospel of Thomas Commentary
(1) This refers to the light of the beginning which is here now, and the references to the beginning are consistent with Genesis 1 and 2.[6] (2) This represents a state of being, that when known, can lead to understanding of the end, and avoid death.[7] (3) This refers to the start of earthly existence, and is important to the Gnostic understanding, as mentioned within the text.[8] (4) This term refers to the start of the parable, which describes the good man and his vineyard, and is where the narrative starts.[9] (5) The starting point of existence or consciousness, emphasized as foundational for understanding the end.[10]
From: Expositions of Holy Scripture
(1) This refers to the initial time when the story of the life and death of Jesus Christ was presented, which is a commandment, and the word which they heard from the beginning.[11] (2) The beginning is contrasted with the end of a thing, suggesting that the end can be better than the beginning, as mentioned in the text.[12] (3) The beginning refers to the place where Abram's tent was originally, signifying a return to the place of faith and obedience after faltering, and a fresh start in one's spiritual journey.[13] (4) The Christ for whom the way has been being prepared from this, and who has come to fulfill all the purposes of the divine heart, according to the text.[14] (5) The text examines the Ascension as a beginning, highlighting its role in the Acts of the Apostles as the foundation of the Church and the work of Christ's servants.[15]
From: A Cyclopedia of Biblical literature
(1) The time when Herod the Great captured and sacked Jericho, but afterwards strengthened and adorned it, when he had redeemed its revenues.[16] (2) The beginning, 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth,' is taken from Deuteronomy 32, and the prophet points out that his prophecies are a commentary upon the Magna Charta of prophetism contained in the books of Moses.[17]
From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository
(1) This is a point in time when the religious year and the civil year had similar observances, highlighting the cyclical nature of the calendar.[18] (2) This refers to the almost unrelieved gloom of the beginning, where the gleams of believing and assured hope break forth at the close.[19]
From: A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings)
(1) This is the beginning and the end of harvest, and the end of the vintage, which are marked by three feasts.[20]
From: The Complete Sayings of Jesus
(1) This is a descriptive term used in conjunction with the speaker, who is also described as the last, emphasizing their eternal nature.[21]
From: The city of God
(1) The beginning of the earthly kingdom arose, in which there were not lacking spiritual men, of whom the turtle-dove and pigeon represented the mystery, and David is to be regarded as the chief, both by the oath and by merit.[22] (2) The text says that the first man was created in the beginning, and that in this man the foundation was laid for two societies, in God's foreknowledge.[23] (3) The beginnings are associated with the deity Janus and are considered in relation to the ends, which are associated with Terminus, in the context of temporal matters.[24]
From: Summa Theologica (English translation)
(1) The text refers to the commencement of their beatitude, when the mystery of the Incarnation was revealed to all.[25] (2) This refers to the starting point of something, and the text uses this to discuss the creation of things.[26]
From: The Book of the Bee
(1) The beginning of his coming is when mighty signs will be seen in heaven, and his light will surpass that of the sun, as Zaradosht describes.[27] (2) This marks the starting point, the initiation of the creation, when the entity decided to manifest His power and wisdom.[28]
From: The Book of the Cave of Treasures
(1) The beginning is the starting point from which the reckoning of time is based, as mentioned in the context of Adam's death.[29]
From: The Kebra Nagast
(1) This refers to the starting point, interpreted as Christ, and it's a reference point for events, as described by John the Apostle in the text.[30]
From: The Existence and Attributes of God
(1) This refers to the starting point of all things, analogous to a unit in mathematics, demonstrating God's power in creation and existence.[31] (2) This term is used to indicate the time from which Christ knew the inclinations of men, whether it refers to the beginning of the world or their association with Him.[32]
From: The Second Helvetic Confession
(1) This is when man was created in a good state, according to the image and likeness of God, as stated in the scripture.[33] (2) This is the time when man was in the original state before the fall, upright and free.[34]
Gnostic concept of 'Beginning'
From: Pistis Sophia
(1) This refers to the initial point from which the mysteries are offered, representing a fresh start and a new opportunity for spiritual growth.[35] (2) This refers to the original state of affairs, prior to the changes in power dynamics, where the effectiveness of magic may have been different, as referenced.[36] (3) From the beginning of the Truth, Jesus declared he would discourse with the disciples openly, promising to share everything without hidden meanings or symbolic language, and to reveal the full extent of the Truth.[37]
From: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten
(1) The Beginning is described as the first principle brought into being by God, and the text explores the relationship between the Beginning, the Father, and the Logos.[38]
The concept of Beginning in local and regional sources
The keyphrase "Beginning" signifies the moment when the bishop arrived at a remote dwelling, marking the start of a significant period or event, as outlined by the regional sources in the text.
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) The beginning is man comes from God in the beginning, in the middle he becomes man, and in the end he goes back to God, according to the provided text.[39] (2) This is where the sage Kapila was produced, according to the Shruti, and we are bound to listen to him as the great father of philosophy, according to the text.[40] (3) This is the beginning of the cycle, but not the beginning of the whole cosmos, which is impossible.[41] (4) This and end must be free impulses, and the impulse of freedom was given just at the beginning, and that has rolled on, but this, compared with our periods, is much longer.[42] (5) The beginning of the series of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, etc.[43]
From: Triveni Journal
(1) A crucial point referenced in both the Jewish scriptures and St. John's Gospel, indicating the onset of existence and creation.[44]
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) Beginning is a starting point for the year or month, which can be determined using specific calculations.[45]
From: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
(1) The beginning is when the bishop went to the remote dwelling to stay, as the text describes.[46]