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Bible Dictionaries
Way
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
or During the time of the early church, Christianity was known as ‘the way’ (Acts 9:2; Acts 19:9; Acts 19:23; Acts 22:4; Acts 24:14; Acts 24:22). Possibly this was because Christians spoke of their newfound life as the way of the Lord, the way of life, or the way of salvation (cf. Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 20:21; John 1:23; John 14:6; Acts 16:17). This usage was common also among believers in Old Testament times (Psalms 16:11; Psalms 18:21; Psalms 18:30; Psalms 18:32; Psalms 27:11).
Since the way of God led to true life and true enjoyment, that ‘way’ may have meant God’s will and God’s commandments (Job 21:14; Psalms 37:23-24; Psalms 119:27; Psalms 119:37; Jeremiah 5:4; Matthew 22:16; Romans 11:33; Revelation 15:3). The word could also refer to a person’s manner of life in general. In that sense the way of the righteous was often contrasted with the way of the wicked (Psalms 1:1; Psalms 1:6; Psalms 37:5; Proverbs 4:18-19; Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 7:3; Romans 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:31; James 5:20). (See also WALK.)
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Fleming, Don. Entry for 'Way'. Bridgeway Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/bbd/w/way.html. 2004.
