Bible Dictionaries
Thanksgiving

Holman Bible Dictionary

1. Gratitude directed towards God (except Luke 17:9; Acts 24:3; Romans 16:4 ), generally in response to God's concrete acts in history. Thanksgiving was central to Old Testament worship. Sacrifice and offerings were to be made not grudgingly but with thanksgiving (Psalm 54:6; Jonah 2:9 ). The psalmist valued a song of thanksgiving more than sacrifice (Psalm 69:30-31 ). David employed Levites “to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord” (1 Chronicles 16:4; also 1 Chronicles 23:30; Nehemiah 12:46 ). Pilgrimage to the Temple and Temple worship were characterized by thanksgiving (Psalm 42:4; Psalm 95:2; Psalm 100:4; Psalm 122:4 ). Thankfulness was expressed: for personal (Psalm 35:18 ) and national deliverance (Psalm 44:7-8 ); for God's faithfulness to the covenant (Psalm 100:5 ); and for forgiveness (Psalm 30:4-5; Isaiah 12:1 ). All creation joins in offering thanks to God (Psalm 145:10 ). See Psalms.

Thanksgiving is a natural element of Christian worship (1 Corinthians 14:16-17 ) and is to characterize all of Christian life (Colossians 2:7; Colossians 4:2 ). Early Christians expressed thanks: for Christ's healing ministry (Luke 17:16 ); for Christ's deliverance of the believer from sin (Romans 6:17-18; Romans 7:25 ); for God's indescribable gift of grace in Christ (2 Corinthians 9:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:57; compare Romans 1:21 ); and for the faith of fellow Christians (Romans 1:8 ).

2. Epistolary thanksgiving: An element in the opening of a typical Greek letter. All of the Pauline Letters with the exception of Galatians begin with a thanksgiving. See Letters.