Reference: Purity
Hastings
1. Ceremonial purity is acquired by the due observance of external rites. The Jewish law prescribed various regulations by means of which outward defilement might be removed and the 'unclean' person be restored to fellowship with God. But the OT recognizes that moral purity is essential to acceptable worship of the Holy God (Ps 24:4); the question of Eliphaz expresses the conviction of those who know how absolute is the Divine holiness: 'Shall a man be pure before his Maker?' (Job 4:17 Revised Version margin); only to the man who 'purifies himself' can such a God reveal His glory (Ps 18:26, the verb is reflexive). The writer of the Ep. to the Hebrews reminds Christians who were familiar with the OT ceremonial of purification that the voluntary sacrifice of the Son of God is the means of purification under the new and better Covenant; 'the blood of Christ' removes the inward defilement which unfits sinful men for the service of the living God (Ps 9:13 f.).
2. In the NT 'pure' has the more restricted meaning of 'chaste' in a few passages. Underlying the true reading of '/2-Corinthians/11/3/type/juliasmith'>2Co 11:3, 'the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ,' is the metaphor of 2Co 11:2 (RV), 'I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ' (cf. Tit 2:5; 1Pe 3:2). The same noun is tr 'pureness' in 2Co 6:8 (RV); cf. 1Ti 4:12; 5:2; also, for the wider meaning of the verb, Jas 4:8; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:3; and of the adjective, Php 4:8; 1Ti 5:22; Jas 3:17. See, further, art. Holiness.
J. G. Tasker.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And they will command the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, and the priests the Levites lifting it up, and ye shall remove from your place and go after it.
Shall a man be just above God? If a man shall be pure above him making him?
Compassionate me, O Jehovah: see my affliction from those hating me, thou lifting me up from the gates of death:
With the purified thou wilt be purified, and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself perverse
The blameless one of hands and the clean of heart; who lifted not up his soul to vanity, and swore not for deceit
Through glory and ignominy, through slander and applause: as erring, and true;
For I am zealous of you with the zeal of God: for I fitted you to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ. And I am afraid lest, as the serpent completely deceived Eve in his craft, so your thoughts be corrupted from the simplicity which in Christ.
As to the rest, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever venerable, whatever just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever prosperous; if any ability, and if any praise, reckon up these things.
Let none despise thy youth; but be thou a type of the faithful, in word, in intercourse, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.
Of sound mind chaste, remaining at home, good subordinates to their own husbands, that the word of God be not defamed.
And the wisdom from above is truly first pure, then peaceful, decorous, docile, full of mercy and good fruits, not separated, and unfeigned.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse the hands, ye sinful; and purify the hearts, ye double souled.