Passion, Passions
The Passion of Christ: Suffering and Death
The most well-known use of "passion" in the Bible refers to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Acts 1:3 states that Jesus showed Himself alive "after His passion" — that is, after His suffering on the cross. This usage derives from the Latin word for suffering and has given us the term "Passion Week" for the events leading to the crucifixion.
In modern English, "passion" in this sense is used exclusively in reference to Christ's sufferings. The Passion narratives in the Gospels describe the events from the Last Supper through the crucifixion and burial (Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 18-19). These accounts form the theological heart of the New Testament, presenting Christ's voluntary suffering as the means of human redemption.
People of Like Passions: Shared Humanity
A second biblical meaning of "passions" describes the common human nature shared by all people. When the people of Lystra attempted to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods, Paul protested: "We also are men, of like passions with you" (Acts 14:15). James makes a similar statement about Elijah: "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours" (James 5:17).
The Greek word here means "having the same experiences" or "of the same nature." The point is profoundly important: the great heroes of faith were not superhuman beings immune to weakness, fear, or struggle. They were ordinary people through whom an extraordinary God worked. This truth encourages believers that God can use anyone who trusts Him, regardless of their limitations.
Passions as Strong Emotions and Desires
The third biblical use of "passions" describes strong emotions or desires, particularly those that pull people away from God's will. Paul writes about "dishonorable passions" (Romans 1:26), lists "passions" among things that must be put to death in the believer's life (Colossians 3:5), and warns against being controlled by "lustful passion" (1 Thessalonians 4:5).
Galatians 5:24 declares that "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Romans 7:5 describes a former state in which "sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death." In these passages, passions are not merely emotions but powerful internal drives that, left unchecked, lead to sin and spiritual death.
The Distinction Between Passion and Emotion
The Bible does not teach that all strong emotion is sinful. God Himself is described as experiencing intense emotions — love, anger, compassion, grief. Jesus wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:35), drove money-changers from the temple in righteous anger (John 2:15-17), and rejoiced in the Spirit (Luke 10:21).
The problem arises when emotions become controlling forces that override reason, conscience, and obedience to God. The biblical concept of sinful passion describes precisely this: a violent emotion that robs a person of self-control and leads them into actions contrary to God's will. The solution is not emotional suppression but the transformation of desires through the Holy Spirit.
Living Beyond the Power of Sinful Passions
The New Testament's answer to sinful passions is not willpower but spiritual transformation. Paul contrasts the works of the flesh (which include unbridled passions) with the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). The Spirit does not eliminate emotion but redirects and governs it.
Peter urges believers to "abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11), using military language to convey the seriousness of the struggle. The Christian life involves an ongoing battle to live under the Spirit's control rather than being driven by ungoverned desires.
Biblical Context
The word 'passion' appears in distinct contexts across the New Testament. Acts 1:3 uses it for Christ's suffering. Acts 14:15 and James 5:17 use it to describe shared human nature. Romans 1:26, 7:5, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:5, and Galatians 5:24 use it to describe sinful desires that oppose God's will. The concept also appears throughout the Old Testament in descriptions of intense emotion and desire.
Theological Significance
The three meanings of 'passion' in Scripture illuminate key theological truths. Christ's Passion demonstrates that salvation comes through suffering love. The shared 'passions' of believers and biblical heroes affirm the full humanity of those God uses. Sinful passions represent the fallen human condition that only the Holy Spirit can transform. Together, these meanings show that God does not despise human emotion but redeems it, channeling it from self-destruction toward love and worship.
Historical Background
The word 'passion' entered English biblical vocabulary through the Latin Vulgate's use of 'passio' (suffering). In Greek philosophical tradition, the Stoics particularly emphasized the need to control the 'pathē' (passions), viewing unchecked emotion as the primary obstacle to virtue. The New Testament writers engaged with this cultural context but offered a distinctly different solution: not the elimination of passion through willpower, but its transformation through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Early church fathers like Augustine and Aquinas later developed extensive theological frameworks for understanding the relationship between passion, will, and grace.