Atos 23

Atos 23

Utley on conscience - Paul uses the term "conscience" often in the Corinthian letters (cf. 1 Cor 4:4; 8:7,10,12; 10:25,27,28,29; II Cor. 1:12; 4:2; 5:11). It refers to that moral inner sense of what is appropriate or inappropriate (cf. Acts 23:1). The conscience can be affected by our past lives, our poor choices, or by the Spirit of God. It is not a flawless guide, but it does determine the boundaries of individual faith. Therefore, to violate our conscience, even if it is in error or weak, is a major faith problem. The believer's conscience needs to be more and more formed by the Word of God and the Spirit of God (cf. I Tim. 3:9). God will judge believers (i.e., weak or strong, cf. Rom. 14:1-15:13) by the light they have, but all of us need to be open to the Bible and the Spirit for more light and to be growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conscience (4893)(suneidesis is derived from sun/syn = with + eido = know) literally means a "knowing with", a co-knowledge with oneself or a being of one's own witness in the sense that one's own conscience "takes the stand" as the chief witness, testifying either to one's innocence or guilt. It describes the witness borne to one's conduct by that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God. As an aside the Bible reminds us of a good conscience - Acts 23:1; 1 Tim. 1:19; Heb. 8:18 a conscience void of offence - Acts 24:16 a weak conscience - 1 Cor. 8:7, 10, 12 a pure conscience - 1 Tim. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3 a seared conscience - 1 Tim. 4:2 a defiled conscience - Titus 1:15 an evil conscience - Heb. 10:22 Warren