The state of being liked and admired. Scripture notes how the faithful preaching of the gospel will lead to hostility and unpopularity, not least on account of its demands on people and its proclamation of judgment.
The popularity of Jesus Christ during his early ministry
Crowds gathered round him
Mark 2:2 See also Mark 3:10, Mark 5:24; Luke 5:1, Luke 8:19, Luke 8:45
they gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke the word to them.
Many people followed him
Matthew 4:25, Matthew 13:2, Matthew 15:30; Mark 1:33, Mark 2:13; Luke 12:1
The popularity of David
1 Samuel 18:7, 1 Samuel 21:11, 1 Samuel 29:5; 2 Samuel 3:36
Popularity can result from seeking approval from human beings, rather than from God
John 12:43 See also Luke 6:26; Colossians 3:22
For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
Actions carried out to gain popularity
2 Samuel 15:1–6 Absalom's attempt to curry favour; Acts 12:1–3 Herod's arrest of Christians; Acts 24:27 Felix' imprisonment of Paul; Acts 25:9 Festus' prosecution of Paul
Causes of unpopularity for the gospel
Its appeal to those whom the world regards as weak and foolish
1 Corinthians 1:26–29, 1 Corinthians 2:6–7
Its insistence that people are sinful
Romans 7:7; 1 Timothy 5:20; 1 John 1:8
Its challenge to vested interests
John 11:45–48 the Pharisees' privileged position; Acts 19:23–40 the silversmith's trade; Acts 5:17–41, Acts 21:27–36
The high demands that the gospel makes of people
The difficulty of some of Jesus Christ's sayings
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.