v. Complacency
Job 22:3 Has c the Almighty that you are
Psa 149:4 because Jehovah has c in his people
Pro 12:22 but those who do truth are their c
Pro 16:13 just lips are the c of kings
Isa 42:1 my chosen one, in whom my soul hath c
1Ti 6:6 gain is godliness accompanied by c
Complete rest of the spirit, freedom from worry, which is based on satisfaction with one’s situation. If its basis is the suppression of desire for the Eastern and wisdom for the Greek, for the Judeo-Christian tradition it is the result of faith in God. Since the Lord is the psalmist’s shepherd, he will despair of nothing (Ps. 23:1). The Lord can give or take away, but Job would say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord” (1:21). Jesus enhanced the concept of God as a concerned Father, and for that reason he helps men free themselves from their anxieties (Mt. 6:24–34). Paul did the same by calling for a faith in Christ and a belief in immortality. And for him “great gain is godliness accompanied by contentment (autarkeia)” (1 Tim. 6:6).
- Kenneth Grider
Harrison, EF, Bromiley, GW, & Henry, CFH (2006). Dictionary of Theology (124). Grand Rapids, MI: Challenge Books.
Source: Dictionary of Theology
The noun “contentment” occurs only once in the NT in °vrv2 (1 Ti. 6.6), but its equivalent gr. autarkeia it also appears in 2 Cor. 9.8 as “enough”; the adjective autarkēs in Phil. 4.11, and the verb arkeo in Lc. 3.14; 1 Ti. 6.8; I have. 13.5; 3 Jn. 10; see also 2 Cor. 12.9, “is all you need” (vp). autarkeia denotes liberation from dependence on others, be they persons or things; hence the satisfaction of one’s own needs (2 Cor. 9.8) or the control of desires (1 Tim. 6.6, 8). It is not about the passive acceptance of the status quo, but the absolute certainty that God has supplied our needs, and the consequent freedom from all unnecessary desires. The Christian can feel “independent” because all his needs have been covered by the grace of God (2 Cor. 12.9). The Christian spirit of contentment agrees with the fundamental commandment of Ex. 20.17 that condemns greed, the precepts of Pr. 15.17 and 17.1, the exhortations of the prophets against greed (eg Mi. 2.2), and to a superlative degree the example and teachings of Jesus, who had words of rebuke for the discontent that clings to material possessions with total negligence of God (Lk. 12.13-21) and who recommended such trust in our heavenly Father that nullifies all kinds of anxiety about our material provisions (Mt. 6:25–32). In the OT the words “convened”, “pleased”, and others (from Heb. yā’al, ‘content’) indicate willingness or willingness to perform a certain action, usually something that has been requested by another person, e.g. eg Ex. 2.21: Judg. 17.11; 2 R. 5.23.
JCC
Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary