Contentment A state of mind in which one's desires are confined to his lot whatever it may be (Ti1 6:6; Co2 9:8). It is opposed to envy (Jam 3:16), avarice (Heb 13:5), ambition (Pro 13:10), anxiety (Mat 6:25, Mat 6:34), and repining (Co1 10:10). It arises from the inward disposition, and is the offspring of humility, and of an intelligent consideration of the rectitude and benignity of divine providence (Psa 96:1, Psa 96:2; 145), the greatness of the divine promises (Pe2 1:4), and our own unworthiness (Gen 32:10); as well as from the view the gospel opens up to us of rest and peace hereafter (Rom 5:2).
Conversation Generally the goings out and in of social intercourse (Eph 2:3; Eph 4:22; R.V., "manner of life"); one's deportment or course of life. This word is never used in Scripture in the sense of verbal communication from one to another (Psa 50:23; Heb 13:5). In Phi 1:27; Phi 3:20, a different Greek word is used. It there means one's relations to a community as a citizen, i.e., citizenship.
Conversion The turning of a sinner to God (Act 15:3). In a general sense the heathen are said to be "converted" when they abandon heathenism and embrace the Christian faith; and in a more special sense men are converted when, by the influence of divine grace in their souls, their whole life is changed, old things pass away, and all things become new (Act 26:18). Thus we speak of the conversion of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:19-34), of Paul (Acts 9:1-22), of the Ethiopian treasurer (Act 8:26), of Cornelius (Acts 10), of Lydia (Act 16:13), and others. (See REGENERATION.)
Convocation A meeting of a religious character as distinguished from congregation, which was more general, dealing with political and legal matters. Hence it is called an "holy convocation." Such convocations were the Sabbaths (Lev 23:2, Lev 23:3), the Passover (Exo 12:16; Lev 23:7, Lev 23:8; Num 28:25), Pentecost (Lev 23:21), the feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:24; Num 29:1), the feast of Weeks (Num 28:26), and the feast of Tabernacles (Lev 23:35, Lev 23:36). The great fast, the annual day of atonement, was "the holy convocation" (Lev 23:27; Num 29:7).
Cook A person employed to perform culinary service. In early times among the Hebrews cooking was performed by the mistress of the household (Gen 18:2; Jdg 6:19), and the process was very expeditiously performed (Gen 27:3, Gen 27:4, Gen 27:9, Gen 27:10). Professional cooks were afterwards employed (Sa1 8:13; Sa1 9:23). Few animals, as a rule, were slaughtered (other than sacrifices), except for purposes of hospitality (Gen 18:7; Luk 15:23). The paschal lamb was roasted over a fire (Exo 12:8, Exo 12:9; Ch2 35:13). Cooking by boiling was the usual method adopted (Lev 8:31; Exo 16:23). No cooking took place on the Sabbath day (Exo 35:3).
Coos (Written Cos in the R.V.) A small island, one of the Sporades in the Aegean Sea, in the north-west of Rhodes, off the coast of Caria. Paul on his return from his third missionary journey, passed the night here after sailing from Miletus (Act 21:1). It is now called Stanchio.
Copper Derived from the Greek kupros (the island of Cyprus), called "Cyprian brass," occurs only in the Authorized Version in Ezr 8:27. Elsewhere the Hebrew word (nehosheth) is improperly rendered "brass," and sometimes "steel" (Sa2 22:35; Jer 15:12). The "bow of steel" (Job 20:24; Psa 18:34])should have been "bow of copper" (or "brass," as in the R.V.). The vessels of "fine copper" of Ezr 8:27 were probably similar to those of "bright brass" mentioned in Kg1 7:45; Dan 10:6. Tubal-cain was the first artificer in brass and iron (Gen 4:22). Hiram was noted as a worker in brass (Kg1 7:14). Copper abounded in Palestine (Deu 8:9; Isa 60:17; Ch1 22:3, Ch1 22:14). All sorts of vessels in the tabernacle and the temple were made of it (Lev 6:28; Num 16:39; Ch2 4:16; Ezr 8:27); also weapons of war (Sa1 17:5, Sa1 17:6, Sa1 17:38; Sa2 21:16). Iron is mentioned only four times (Gen 4:22; Lev 26:19; Num 31:22; Num 35:16) in the first four books of Moses, while copper (rendered "brass") is mentioned forty times. (See BRASS.) We find mention of Alexander (q.v.), a "coppersmith" of Ephesus (Ti2 4:14).
Cor This Hebrew word, untranslated, denotes a round vessel used as a measure both for liquids and solids. It was equal to one homer, and contained ten ephahs in dry and ten baths in liquid measure (Eze 45:14). The Rabbins estimated the cor at forty-five gallons, while Josephus estimated it at about eighty-seven. In Kg1 4:22; Kg1 5:11; Ch2 2:10; Ch2 27:5, the original word is rendered "measure."
Coral Heb. ramoth , meaning "heights;" i.e., "high-priced" or valuable things, or, as some suppose, "that which grows high," like a tree (Job 28:18; Eze 27:16), according to the Rabbins, red coral, which was in use for ornaments. The coral is a cretaceous marine product, the deposit by minute polypous animals of calcareous matter in cells in which the animal lives. It is of numberless shapes as it grows, but usually is branched like a tree. Great coral reefs +and coral islands abound in the Red Sea, whence probably the Hebrews derived their knowledge of it. It is found of different colours, white, black, and red. The red, being esteemed the most precious, was used, as noticed above, for ornamental purposes.
Corban A Hebrew word adopted into the Greek of the New Testament and left untranslated. It occurs only once (Mar 7:11). It means a gift or offering consecrated to God. Anything over which this word was once pronounced was irrevocably dedicated to the temple. Land, however, so dedicated might be redeemed before the year of jubilee (Lev 27:16). Our Lord condemns the Pharisees for their false doctrine, inasmuch as by their traditions they had destroyed the commandment which requires children to honour their father and mother, teaching them to find excuse from helping their parents by the device of pronouncing "Corban" over their goods, thus reserving them to their own selfish use.