Developing a biblical understanding of the concept known in Scripture as “abide” is essential for the Christian. It is one of John’s resounding themes in his writings. Throughout his work, the reader hears the message of Christ’s, the Father’s, and the Holy Spirit’s abiding with the believer. On the other hand, the believer is told to abide in God, as well. Along with these elements of abiding also come Scriptures that speak of the message of the Gospel abiding with the believer.
The word abide is translated differently in a number of different Scriptures. The following are a list of different ways the word is translated:
• Abide, translated as continue – “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days” (John 2:12). In this verse, Jesus had just finished turning the water into wine in Cana, a city in Galilee. After this event, He went “down” to Capernaum (which would have actually been slightly north and to the east, but was actually a descent, as Cana was higher up above sea level). They arrived at Capernaum, but the Bible tells us that they did not continue in Capernaum for many days. This gives us a glimpse into what it means to abide. If they had stayed in Capernaum, they would have abided in Capernaum. On the other hand, they left Capernaum, and they did not continue there (thus, they did not abide in Capernaum).
• Abide, translated as dwell – “…They said unto him… where dwellest thou? He said unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day…” (John 1:38-39). Have you ever noticed the similarity between the word “abide” and the word “abode”? Most assuredly, you have heard the word “abode” used to describe a home. Maybe someone has said something like, “Here is my humble abode,” or something of the sort. The words “abode” and “abide” are clearly closely connected. In the Greek, the original word that is used is “meno.” This word can be translated as either “abide” or “dwell.”
In John 1:38-39, Jesus’ first two disciples, John and Andrew, follow Jesus to His house. These two men literally go to Jesus’ dwelling place, His abode, and they dwelled with Jesus. This is another way in which the Christian can gain an understanding of the all-important concept of abiding in Christ. Are you dwelling with Jesus? Are you approaching His throne of grace? Are you seeking Him where He may be found?
• Abide, translated as endure – “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life…” (John 6:27). In this verse, the word that is translated as “endure” is also the Greek word “meno.” This word carries the meaning of persisting through difficulty, honoring the Lord in hard times and not giving up, and it is somewhat synonymous to perseverance.
In the beginning of John chapter 6, the story in which Jesus feeds the five thousand is recorded. As you may know, Jesus fed a massive number of people with a few small loaves and some fish. John records this event because it was a miracle. It cannot be explained naturally. After Jesus performed this miracle, the crowd turned toward one another and toward Jesus and exclaimed that He was the long-awaited prophet that Moses spoke of in the Old Testament.
Jesus knew that the people would engulf Him and seek to make Him king by force. As a result, Jesus departed from there, for it was not His plan to be king in that manner. Shortly after, Jesus walked on the water to His disciples who were in a boat. When Jesus got into the boat, the boat immediately arrived at the land, most likely another miracle.
The next morning, the same people who had eaten the bread saw that Jesus was gone. So what did they do? They hopped in some boats and went after Jesus. When they got to the other side of the sea, they found Jesus. Now that’s endurance! But the problem is that these people were working for food that perishes.
Jesus placed the bread that they ate up against the bread that endures to eternal life, namely Himself. The bread that people ate back then would have literally been daily bread. It lacked a lot of the preservatives that the bread found in the grocery stores today has. Thus, Jesus’ contrast would have been even more obvious to the people back then. The bread that they ate could have spoiled if they kept it for the next day. On the other hand, Jesus, the Bread of Life, endures to eternal life.
In this verse, in a very real sense, Jesus was seeking to get the people’s eyes off the things of this world. This world is passing away, and whatever someone seeks to cling to in this world will only fall through his fingers as he seeks to tighten his grip. It is like the little boy who sticks his hand into a mud puddle and pulls mud up from the ground. He then squeezes the mud in the palm of his hand, but as he does, he doesn’t get a better hold on the mud; it only slips through the cracks of his fingers.
John once again uses the word “meno” in the context of enduring, lasting, and persevering.
• Abide, translated as remain – “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:41). The context of this verse consists of the account of a man who was once blind and to whom Jesus gave sight. After this man was given his sight, the Pharisees had a problem with his testimony.
As a result, the Pharisees sought to ban the man who was once blind from the synagogue. The man who had received his sight became a witness for Christ and sought out the One Whom he now refers to as Lord. When He finds Jesus, he declares his belief, proclaims Jesus as Lord, and worships Christ.
At this point, Jesus tells of the way that He came to give sight to the blind, but for those who see, He came to make them blind. This language is reminiscent of when Jesus confronted the Pharisees at another point in time. The setting was Matthew’s home with a bunch of the outcast and sinners of society. The Pharisees were appalled at Jesus’ association with such a crowd.
So what did Jesus do? He said the same thing that He said to the blind man, but with a different twist. He declared that He did not come for the healthy but for those who need a physician. Jesus came for the sick.
In John 9:41, Jesus used the word “remaineth” to speak of the sin of the Pharisees. This word is also the Greek word “meno.” When Jesus said their sin remained, He was directly referencing their guilt, their condemnation, their sentence, their death, etc. By saying that their sin remained, He spoke of the constant state that they were in.
Thus, when one reads the word “abide,” he can also get a clearer picture of what is at stake when he notices that to abide is to remain.
Application
Abiding in Christ is important. It is important to recognize that when someone is in Christ, he will, in a sense, remain in Christ. However, there is more at stake when one speaks on the topic of abiding. To abide is to seek after and to stay close to Christ. When Christ says, “Follow me to my dwelling,” this means to go and follow Him there and dwell with Him. To abide is to endure through difficulty and walk with Christ through a storm.
Two more words remain that could have also been included in this article and that can help the Christian to gain an understanding of the word abide:
• Stand – (Rom. 9:11)
• Tarry – (John 4:40)
If you enjoyed this study, be sure to check out these verses on your own.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You that You have committed Yourself to me. Teach me how to abide with You, and I pray that You would abide with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.