'Former' in the Bible

When Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was gripped with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them, 'Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe;

for Moses from former generations in every city hath those preaching him -- in the synagogues every sabbath being read.'

Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],

Many of those who had become believers were coming, confessing and disclosing their [former sinful] practices.

whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus’ crucifixion].

Yet death ruled [over mankind] from Adam to Moses [the Lawgiver], even over those who had not sinned as Adam did. Adam is a type of Him (Christ) who was to come [but in reverse—Adam brought destruction, Christ brought salvation].

For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

But this knowledge is not shared by all. And some, by being accustomed to idols in former times, eat this food as an idol sacrifice, and their conscience, because it is weak, is defiled.

to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?

For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it.

Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

The former proclaim the Messiah because they are selfishly ambitious and insincere, thinking that they will stir up trouble for me during my imprisonment.

But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge.

God, having spoken in former times in fragmentary and varied fashion to our forefathers by the prophets,

Indeed, because it was weak and ineffective, the former commandment has been annulled,

The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing,

who does not {need every day} like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins [and] then for the [sins] of the people, because he did this once for all [when he] offered up himself.

In calling [it] new, he has declared the former [to be old]. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old [is] near to disappearing.

By this the Holy Spirit signifies that the way into the Holy Place [the true Holy of Holies and the presence of God] has not yet been disclosed as long as the first or outer tabernacle is still standing [that is, as long as the Levitical system of worship remains a recognized institution],

then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” [And so] He does away with the first [covenant as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices] so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant by means of obedience].

But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;

Remember your former leaders--it was they who brought you God's Message. Bear in mind how they ended their lives, and imitate their faith.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;

for he with whom these things are not present is blind, short-sighted, and has forgotten the purging of his former sins.

For if, after escaping the world's corruptions through a full knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah, they are again entangled and conquered by those corruptions, then their last condition is worse than their former one.

After these [things] I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and the former voice that I had heard like a trumpet speaking with me was saying, "Come up here and I will show you [the things] which must take place after these [things]."

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence [when the two are together]. And he makes the earth and those who inhabit it worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer any sea.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.