Courage

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Courage —ἀνδρίζομαι, the Gr. equivalent for Heb. חָוַק and אָמַץ is not found in the Gospels, and, except in  1 Corinthians 16:13, not in the NT. The valour of the battlefield, so often commended in the OT, nowhere tomes into view. Christ’s kingdom is not of this world. It does not call for the prowess of the warrior. But there was no taint of cowardice in Jesus, and to be His disciple did not involve any slackening of moral fibre, or impairing of true manliness. He foresaw a situation bristling with menace to His followers, and courage was therefore a prime desideratum in His disciples, as it was an outstanding quality of His own nature. With unsparing hand He lifted the curtain of the future, and disclosed to all who would follow Him the hostility and peril which discipleship must involve ( Matthew 5:11;  Matthew 10:16-39;  Matthew 24:9 ff.,  Mark 13:9-13,  Luke 21:12 ff.,  John 15:20;  John 16:2). He who would follow Christ must not be faint-hearted or double-minded ( Luke 9:62), he must be prepared to surrender many interests that were formerly dear to him, brace himself even to the renunciation of the closest earthly relationships, and, recognizing that the disciple is not greater than his Master, be ready to tread the same rough path, and bear the same cross. The demand for courage is all the more severe that it is not the courage of resisting, but of enduring wrong. The disciple of Jesus is called to meekness, to the patient endurance of suffering wrongfully inflicted, to the heroism of a calm and trustful heart. But the meek temper is not the sign of weakness. It is I restrained strength. It is the high courage of endurance, in the spirit and for the sake of Christ. It is of this sustained heroism that Jesus says, ‘In your patience (ὑπομονή, ‘patient endurance’) ye shall win your souls’ ( Luke 21:19), ‘He that endureth to the end shall be saved’ ( Matthew 10:22;  Matthew 24:13); and those who, in spite of pain and persecution, confess Him before men, He declares He will confess before His Father and the holy angels ( Luke 12:8, cf.  Matthew 10:32).

Of this high moral courage Jesus Himself is the supreme example. The emphasis which is so rightly laid upon His gentleness and compassion tends to obscure His strength and virility. But the remark in  Acts 4:13 ‘When they saw the boldness of Peter and John … they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus,’ is the record of the dominant impression made by Jesus, upon His enemies. The depth and warmth of His sympathy had not deluded them into the thought that He was deficient in courage. They bore witness to His fearlessness and fidelity to truth ( John 7:26,  Matthew 22:16). His fearless exposure of hypocrisy ( Matthew 15:1-14,  Mark 7:1-13,  Matthew 23:1-39 et al. ), His disregard of, or opposition to, religious practices which had been invested with the sanctity of Divine law, and the performance of which was the hall-mark of righteousness ( Matthew 9:14;  Matthew 12:1;  Matthew 12:9,  Mark 2:18-22;  Mark 7:1,  Luke 3:33;  Luke 6:1-6), His defiance of social and religious caste in receiving sinners and eating with them were the moral utterances of a courageous righteousness and love ( Matthew 9:10,  Luke 15:2). In circumstances of danger He is calm and self-possessed ( Matthew 8:26). He does not rush into danger, and more than once retires from scenes where His life is threatened ( Luke 4:30,  John 8:59;  John 10:39). At those times He felt that His hour had not come. His courage was inspired by faith in God ( Matthew 8:26), and was controlled by obedience to the Divine will. When He knows that His hour has come, He presses to the cross with an eagerness which made those who saw Him afraid ( Mark 10:32). But it is only as we enter into the consciousness of Jesus and see Him in His perfect purity of soul taking upon Him the sin of the world, that we feel the wonder of His heroism. We do not marvel that He shrank from the cup His Father gave Him to drink. We are amazed equally at the love and at the courage which bore Him through until He said, ‘It is finished’ ( John 19:30). See, further, Fear.

Literature.—Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, art. ‘Courage’; Aristotle, Ethics , iii. 6–9; Denney, Gospel Questions and Answers , p. 85 ff.

Joseph Muir.

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

One characteristic of the person who has a strong faith in God is courage in the midst of danger. There are, however, different kinds of dangers and different kinds of courage.

Courage may be obvious where a person is brave or heroic in circumstances of physical danger on every side, such as in war or natural disasters ( 1 Samuel 14:6-15;  2 Samuel 23:13-19;  Acts 27:24-26 2 Corinthians 12:25-26). It is obvious also in cases where, by speaking or acting in a certain way, a person knowingly faces consequences where physical suffering is a clear possibility ( Numbers 13:30-32;  Daniel 3:16-18;  Mark 6:17-18;  John 2:13-17;  Acts 4:13;  Acts 5:27-30). But greater courage may be necessary in cases where there is no immediate physical danger, but other pressures make it difficult to stand for what is right against a majority who want to do wrong ( Proverbs 28:1;  Luke 14:1-6;  John 7:50-52; cf.  Luke 22:54-62;  Galatians 2:11-14; see Fear ).

The courage of believers comes through their faith in God ( Deuteronomy 3:22;  1 Samuel 17:45-46;  Psalms 56:3-4;  1 Corinthians 16:13) and is maintained through prayer ( Psalms 27:14;  Acts 4:29;  Ephesians 6:18-19). But it still involves effort, since it requires people to set out deliberately to do what they know will be dangerous ( Mark 15:43). Such courage is an example to others, urging them to greater confidence and increased boldness ( Philippians 1:12-14). Like the biblical expression ‘Be of good courage’, it is a way of giving encouragement to those who need it ( Joshua 1:6-7;  Joshua 1:9;  2 Samuel 10:12; see Encouragement ).

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: Θάρσος (Strong'S #2294 — Noun Neuter — tharsos — thar'-sos )

akin to tharseo, "to be of good cheer," is found in  Acts 28:15 .

B — 1: Θαρρέω (Strong'S #2292 — Verb — tharreo — thar-hreh'-o )

is translated by some form of the verb "to be of good courage," in the RV in five of the six places where it is used:  2—Corinthians 5:6 , "being of good courage" (AV, "we are ... confident");  2—Corinthians 5:8 , "we are of good courage" (AV, "we are confident");  2—Corinthians 7:16 , "I am of good courage" (Av, "I have confidence");  2—Corinthians 10:1 , "I am of good courage" (Av, "I am bold");  2—Corinthians 10:2 , "show courage" (AV, "be bold");  Hebrews 13:6 , "with good courage," lit., "being of good courage" (AV, "boldly"). See Bold , Confidence.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

COURAGE . In   Daniel 11:25 ‘courage’ is the rendering of the Heb. word for ‘heart’; in   Amos 2:16 ‘courageous’ is literally ‘stoutest of heart.’ Elsewhere in the OT the root-ideas of the words generally used are ‘to be firm’ ( ’âmçts ) and ‘to be strong’ ( châzaq ). Courage, being a quality of mind, has manifold manifestations, as, e.g. in the sufferer’s endurance, the reformer’s boldness, and the saint’s ‘wrestling’ (  Ephesians 6:12 ), as well as in the soldier’s valour. Professor Sorley says that moral courage is ‘the control of the fear of social evils (disgrace or ridicule from those who determine the opinion of the community), whereas the ordinary application of courage is to the fear of physical evils’ (Baldwin, Dict. of Philosophy , i. 239).

In the NT the Gr. noun for ‘courage’ is found only in  Acts 28:15 . The corresponding verb is rendered uniformly in the RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘be of good cheer’; but a later form of the same verb occurs six times, and is tr. [Note: translate or translation.] in RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘be of good courage.’ The comparative rarity of the word ‘courage’ implies no disparagement of the virtue, for exhortations to ‘be strong,’ and to ‘fear not’ are frequent. T. H. Green, comparing Greek and Christian ideals of virtue ( Prolegomena to Ethics , p. 277 ff.), shows how greatly the conception of moral heroism has been widened. Courage or fortitude is defined as ‘the will to endure even unto death for a worthy end’; therefore the Christian may be courageous ‘in obscure labours of love as well as in the splendid heroism at which a world might wonder.’

J. G. Tasker.

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

Is that quality of the mind that enables men to encounter difficulties and dangers. Natural courage is that which arises chiefly from constitution; moral or spiritual is that which is produced from principle, or a sense of duty. Courage and Fortitude are often used as synonymous, but they may be distinguished thus: fortitude is firmness of mind that supports pain; courage is active fortitude, that meets dangers, and attempts to repel them.

See FORTITUDE. Courage, says Addison, that grows from constitution, very often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; and when it is only a kind of instinct in the soul, it breaks out on all occasions, without judgment or discretion; but that courage which arises from a sense of duty, and from a fear of offending Him that made us, always acts in an uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason.

King James Dictionary

COURAGE, n. L., the heart. Bravery intrepidity that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits valor boldness resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Courage that grows from constitution, often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it courage which arises from a sense of duty, acts in a uniform manner.

Be strong and of good courage.  Deuteronomy 31 .

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (n.) Heart; inclination; desire; will.

(2): (n.) That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.

(3): (n.) The heart; spirit; temper; disposition.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

kur´ā̇j  : Hebrew ḥāzaḳ , "to show oneself strong" ( Numbers 13:20;  2 Samuel 10:12;  1 Chronicles 19:13;  2 Chronicles 15:8;  Ezra 10:4;  Psalm 27:14;  Psalm 31:24;  Isaiah 41:6 ); rūaḥ , "spirit," "animus" ( Joshua 2:11 the King James Version); 'āmac , "to be alert" (physically and mentally), "to be agile," "quick," "energetic" ( Deuteronomy 31:6 ,  Deuteronomy 31:7 ,  Deuteronomy 31:23;  Joshua 1:6 ,  Joshua 1:9 ,  Joshua 1:18;  Joshua 10:25;  1 Chronicles 22:13;  1 Chronicles 28:20 ); lēbhābh , "the heart," and figuratively, "person," "spirit" ( Daniel 11:25 ); Greek thársos , "cheer" ( Acts 28:15 ). A virtue highly esteemed among all nations, one of the four chief "natural" (cardinal) virtues (The Wisdom of Solomon 8:7), while cowardice ranks as one of the mortal sins (Ecclesiasticus 2:12, 13;  Revelation 21:8 ).

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

is that quality of the mind that enables men to encounter difficulties and dangers. Natural courage is that which arises chiefly from constitution; moral or spiritual is that which is produced from principle, or a sense of duty. Courage and fortitude are often used as synonymous, but they may be distinguished thus: fortitude is firmness of mind that supports pain; courage is active fortitude, that meets dangers, and attempts to repel them. (See Fortitude). Courage, says Addison, that grows from constitution, very often forsakes a mall when he has occasion for it; and when it is only a kind of instinct in the soul, it breaks out on all occasions, without judgment or discretion; but that courage which arises from a sense of duty, and from a fear of offending Him that made us, always acts in a uniform manner, and according to the dictates of right reason.