What Is Emulation in the Bible?
In the bible, there is a very clear definition of what is emulation. It is an expression of jealousy and hate, which makes it one of the major sins. This verse states that a person who embodies sinful emulation will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Importance
The Bible does not allow emulation. It condemns it and warns against it. For example, Peter warned against covetousness, which he called “pleonexia.” A vice that causes one to lust after others is emulation.
This is especially evident in the New Testament, where the apostle Paul encouraged his junior to “keep error out of the Church.” This was crucial for Paul’s ministry, as he was preparing the Church for an impending “end” – the end of the world and captivity in Egypt. However, as the Church grew and became dominant over different nations and cultures, Paul’s pastoral instructions did not apply. This resulted in preachers thundering hell and fear in their congregations. Often times, such leaders would be falsely emulating the Bible.
Greek Jewish writers also emphasized the importance of emulation. The Wisdom of Solomon, for example, contains a prayerful, wise person who demonstrates the virtues of virtuous living. Philo of Alexandria also makes a strong case for emulation.
Meaning
Emulation is the process of making something similar to another. The most simple form is called an emulator, which follows the execution flow of a program’s code. It then performs semantically equivalent operations to the original instructions. There are many forms of emulation. Here are a few examples.
Emulation is the practice of imitating someone who is admired or successful. This is different from envy, which refuses praise and instead focuses on lessening or equalizing a rival. Emulation is the cousin of admiration. Both are positive, but emulation is the more generous of the two.
Importance in the bible
The Bible uses the word emulation to describe two very different types of behavior. One type is emulation, which is the following of the example of a person. The other type is fulfillment. While fulfillment is the goal of a person, emulation is a way to follow a person’s example.
In the New Testament, we read that the apostle Paul encouraged the junior apostle to keep error out of the Church, a group that was preparing for the soon-to-be “end” of the world, a concept that was equivalent to being taken captive by Egypt. As the Church grew in influence and power, however, Paul’s pastoral instructions were no longer relevant. For example, preachers were thundering hell at their congregations and falsely “emulating” scripture.
The Greek Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria also highlighted the role of a wise person in a society. He also highlighted that wisdom is a divine gift that comes from a life of prayer. Moreover, he noted that the Bible itself is full of examples of exemplary behavior.
Importance in other versions of the bible
When reading the Bible, it is not uncommon to see examples of imitation. Scripture often narrates events that were intended to serve as examples for believers today. For example, the book of Ephesians 5:1-21 discusses the importance of imitation and what God expects from children.
The concept of imitation is closely related to the biblical account of creation, in which God made man in His own image. The biblical account emphasizes the similarity between man and his Creator, and that man is to imitate God in His ways. The command to “be holy as God” and “walk in His steps” are two main biblical references for imitation. However, imitating God is not to be confused with impersonating God.
Importance in the KJV
The Book of Mormon, for example, contains many passages where similar words or phrases are used to describe the same event. These similarities do not mean that the two authors copied each other’s stories. However, they do demonstrate that the Book of Mormon was influenced by the King James Bible.
Some people have claimed that the KJV was inspired by God and should be the only English Bible. They believe that the translation was done to preserve God’s words. Hence, they reject any other English Bible based on the same manuscripts. According to this view, the KJV is the only English Bible sanctioned by God.
Scholars have suggested that the Book of Mormon uses a version of the Bible that is almost identical to the King James Version. This has been suggested by scholars as evidence that Joseph Smith did indeed use the Bible. It is also believed that the Book of Mormon uses language from the King James Version.