The concept of Crowd in Christianity
Synonyms: Group, Mob, Throng, Assembly, Gathering, Audience, Multitude, Swarm, Congregation, Flock
In Dutch: Menigte; In Finnish: ³Õä°ì¾±Âá´Ç³Ü°ì°ì´Ç; In Spanish: Multitud; In German: Menge; In Malay: Orang ramai; In Swedish: Folkmassa; In French: Foule
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Christian concept of 'Crowd'
From: Ante-nicene Fathers
(1) This refers to the multitudes who followed Jesus.[1] (2) This was a group of people that Peter did not want to be noticed by, indicating a desire for discretion during their visit to the island.[2] (3) This refers to the multitude of people present during Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, and their actions and reactions are central to the narrative.[3] (4) This refers to the group of people who gathered, witnessing the events, and who were addressed by Peter with a specific purpose in mind.[4] (5) The group of people who were present at the beginning of the event, and who dispersed after a statement was made.[5]
From: Gospel of Thomas Commentary
(1) This refers to the people who were present when Jesus spoke or performed miracles, and is relevant to the context.[6] (2) These are the people that Jesus spoke to in parables, and after dismissing them, he went into the house to speak with his disciples.[7]
From: Expositions of Holy Scripture
(1) The text refers to the people present, and their reactions.[8] (2) The group of people who were present during the events, including the woman, the disciples, and others who witnessed the miracles performed by Jesus.[9] (3) The crowd around Jesus produced precisely opposite effects on two of the people in it, both of whom seem to have been, in the loose sense of the word, disciples.[10] (4) This refers to the group of people who witnessed the events and were, for a time, influenced by the miracle.[11] (5) This refers to the people who came to Jesus, and they witnessed the miracles he performed.[12]
From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository
(1) The crowd is who Jesus singled Zacchaeus out from, and is an important part of the narrative.[13]
From: Summa Theologica (English translation)
(1) This refers to the general public or the masses of people, and Christ sometimes withdrew from them to have time for prayer or to teach important lessons.[14]
Gnostic concept of 'Crowd'
From: The Gnostics and Their Remains
(1) The crowd is a group of people, who give the acclamation Feliciter, and it is associated with the palm-branch.[15]
The concept of Crowd in local and regional sources
The keyphrase "Crowd" signifies collective human effort in the face of overwhelming divine force, illustrating the struggle between individual actions and greater external influences that ultimately determine outcomes beyond human control.
From: Triveni Journal
(1) A gathering of people that obstructs Shantabai when she rushes out to see her daughter after hearing the news.[16] (2) A collective of diverse individuals that portrays the complexities of humanity and their spiritual journey.[17] (3) Represents a gathering of people that the speaker and others are about to enter.[18]
From: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
(1) The crowd endeavored to save whatever they could, but the greater manifestation of the Divine power, destroyed whatever the crowd endeavoured to save.[19]