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Bible Dictionaries
Novice
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or The word occurs in the NT only in 1 Timothy 3:6 as a translation of νεόφυτος. A bishop is to be ‘not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil.’ The word literally means ‘newly planted,’ and describes one recently converted to Christianity. It accords with the Pauline metaphor of ‘planted’ (σύμφυτοι, Romans 6:5) as indicating the Christian relation to Christ. The earlier Greek interpreters explained ‘neophyte’ or ‘novice’ as ‘newly baptized’ (CE [Note: E Catholic Encyclopedia.] , article ‘Neophyte’), as it was the custom to baptize converts immediately after conversion. In later times, when converts were subjected to a period of instruction and probation, the term was still applied to them, though the more common designation was ‘catechumens.’ Still later, the word was restricted to those who were on probation for entrance into some monastic or Church Order. The term of novitiate was usually not less than a year, and no one could be received on probation under the age of puberty. The word was used in connexion with the Eleusinian mysteries (M‘Clintock-Strong, Cyclopedia, article ‘Neophyte’), and among the Romans for ‘a newly acquired slave’ (CE [Note: E Catholic Encyclopedia.] , article ‘Novice’; see also Deissmann, Bible Studies, Eng. translation , 1901, p. 220 f.).
John Reid.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Novice'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/n/novice.html. 1906-1918.
