'Means' in the Bible

I know that His commandment is eternal life. So the things I speak, I speak [in accordance with His exact instruction,] just as the Father has told Me.”

They kept saying, "What is this "in a little while' that he keeps talking about? We don't know what he means."

Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent.

Jesus said, “Mary.”Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”—which means “Teacher.”

This fact became widely known to the people of Jerusalem, so that the place received the name, in their language, of Achel-damach, which means 'The Field of Blood.')

And fear was upon every soul, and many wonders and signs took place through the apostles' means.

If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

let it be known and clearly understood by all of you, and by all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you [demanded be] crucified [by the Romans and], whom God raised from the dead—in this name [that is, by the authority and power of Jesus] this man stands here before you in good health.

saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

One man, Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name means "a son of encouragement"),

“This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?—this one God sent as a ruler and a redeemer by means of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

But Peter said to him, "May your silver {be destroyed along with you}, because you thought {you could acquire} the gift of God by means of money!

And in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha, which being interpreted means Dorcas. She was full of good works and alms-deeds which she did.

But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.”

But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

he will bring a message to you by which you will be saved [and granted eternal life], you and all your household.’

And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea.

They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

And going forth he followed him and did not know that what was happening by means of the angel was real, but supposed he saw a vision.

For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: "I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'"

Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling.

It sounds rather strange to our ears, and we would like to know what it means."

But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

"'Go to this people and tell them, you will hear and hear, and by no means understand; and will look and look, and by no means see.

Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture],“That You may be justified in Your words,And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].”

Certainly not! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

Therefore, God will not justify any human being by means of the actions prescribed by the Law, for through the Law comes the full knowledge of sin.

Do we then by means of this faith abolish the Law? No, indeed; we give the Law a firmer footing.

Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin."

For while we were living according to our human nature, sinful passions were at work in our bodies by means of the Law, to bear fruit resulting in death.

What should we say, then? Is the Law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn't have become aware of sin if it had not been for the Law. I wouldn't have known what it means to covet if the Law had not said, "You must not covet."

Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.

For sin seized the advantage, and by means of the Commandment it completely deceived me, and also put me to death.

Did then a thing which is good become death to me? No, indeed, but sin did; so that through its bringing about death by means of what was good, it might be seen in its true light as sin, in order that by means of the Commandment the unspeakable sinfulness of sin might be plainly shown.

Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent).

Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace.

I am telling the truth because I belong to the Messiah I am not lying, and my conscience confirms it by means of the Holy Spirit.

This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.

For they are ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God while they try to establish their own, and they have not submitted to God's means to attain righteousness.

For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].

Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

For if their rejection [means] the reconciliation of the world, what [will] their acceptance [mean] except life from the dead?

For since the world through all its [earthly] wisdom failed to recognize God, God in His wisdom was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached [regarding salvation] to save those who believe [in Christ and welcome Him as Savior].

which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.

I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

If, however, they cannot maintain self-control, by all means let them marry; for marriage is better than the fever of passion.

Were you called while a slave? It should not be a concern to you. But if you can become free, by all means take the opportunity.

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

or because of us by all means doth He say it? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading ought of his hope to partake in hope.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

Am I suggesting that an offering made to idols means anything, or that an idol itself means anything?

to a third man, by means of the same Spirit, special faith; to another various gifts of healing, by means of the one Spirit;

For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life].

In the Law it is written, "By means of foreign languages and through the mouths of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," declares the Lord.

and if the Messiah has not been raised, then our message means nothing and your faith means nothing.

He comforts us in our every affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction by means of the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

But [as surely as] God is faithful and means what He says, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No” [at the same time].

so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.

Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade people. We ourselves are perfectly known to God. I hope we are also really known to your consciences.

For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily,

I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means.

lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence.

And God is able to bestow every blessing on you in abundance, so that richly enjoying all sufficiency at all times, you may have ample means for all good works.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

If I love you so intensely, am I the less to be loved? Be that as it may: I was not a burden to you. But being by no means scrupulous, I entrapped you, they say!

For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be'strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.

But the Scripture has captured everything by means of sin's net, so that what was promised by the faithfulness of the Messiah might be granted to those who believe.

I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain.

Now the slave woman's son was conceived through human means, while the free woman's son was conceived through divine promise.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

The person who sows through human means will harvest decay from human means, but the person who sows in the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit.

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility.

By means of that explanation, as you read it, you can judge of my insight into the truth of Christ

Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace.

Let no unwholesome words ever pass your lips, but let all your words be good for benefiting others according to the need of the moment, so that they may be a means of blessing to the hearers.

Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.

I want to know the Messiah what his resurrection power is like and what it means to share in his sufferings by becoming like him in his death,

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].

and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Take care lest there be some one who leads you away as prisoners by means of his philosophy and idle fancies, following human traditions and the world's crude notions instead of following Christ.

and not holding fast to the head [of the body, Jesus Christ], from whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth [that can come only] from God.

For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.

For we declare to you what the Lord has told us to say: We who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died.