A.D. - Bride of Christ
A.D.
From the Latin, "Anno Domini,"
which means in the year of our Lord. The Western Calendar is
dated from the birth of Christ. Therefore, 2000 A.D. means 2000
years after the birth of Jesus.
A priori
Knowledge, judgments, and principles which are true without verification or testing. It is universally true.
Abaddon
The Hebrew word for "destroyer"
whose Greek equivalent was "Apollyon." Abaddon is the satanic
angel of the Abyss (Rev. 9:11 ).
Abomination of Desolation
In His Olivet discourse, the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of this event in
Matthew 24:15-16 (see also Mk. 13:14). Thus the key to
understanding the term "abomination of desolation" is to be found in
the prophecy of Daniel where it is referenced (Dan. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11;
and possibly 8:13)
Abortion
From the Latin abortio,
"miscarriage," the term is used in 2 senses: 1) a spontaneous
abortion is the act of miscarriage or producing a child before the
natural time, with the loss of its life. 2) a forced abortion is
the deliberate expulsion of an unborn child from the womb, thus
depriving it of its life.
Absolution
In Catholicism, the act of releasing someone from their sin by God, through the means of a priest.
Abyss
The abode of the dead and the place where evil spirits are imprisoned (Rev. 9:1-11).
Active Obedience
As distinguished from passive
obedience in Reformed Theology. Active obedience is Jesus'
actively fulfilling all the law of God. This active obedience is
imputed to the believer when he believes; that is, God reckons to the
believer the righteousness of Christ when the believer trusts in Christ
and His work.
Adiaphora
Teachings and practices that are
neither commanded nor forbidden in scripture. An example might be
whether or not to use a sound-board in a church, to meet in a tent or a
building, to have two or more services or simply one on the day of
worship.
Adoptionism
Adoptionism is an error concerning
Jesus that first appeared in the second century. Those who held it
denied the preexistence of Christ and, therefore, His deity.
Adoptionists taught that Jesus was tested by God and after passing this
test and upon His baptism He was granted supernatural powers by God and
adopted as the Son. As a reward for His great accomplishments and
perfect character Jesus was raised from the dead and adopted into the
Godhead. Please see Heresies for more information.
Advent
From the Latin,
“coming.” The coming of or the arrival of something very
important as in the advent of Christ’s return. Advent is also a
Christian time of preparation preceding Christmas.
Advocate
The translation of the Greek word parakletos, which signifies "one called alongside to help." Parakletos is
used of the Holy Spirit, (Jn. 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7), where it
is translated "comforter." It is also used of our Lord Jesus
Christ (1 Jn. 2:1, speaking of him as our intercessor)
Agnosticism
The belief that it is not possible to know if there is or is not a God. (Compare Atheism, Deism, and Theism.)
Albigenses
A heresy during the middle ages
that developed in the town Albi in Southern France. This error taught
that there were two gods: the good god of light usually referred to as
Jesus in the New Testament and the god of darkness and evil usually
associated with Satan and the "God of the Old Testament." Anything
material was considered evil including the body which was created by
Satan. The soul, created by the good god, was imprisoned in the evil
flesh and salvation was possible only through holy living and doing
good works. Please see Heresies for more information.
Allegory
Greek allos, "other," and agoreuein,
"to speak in the place of assembly;" a figure of speech in which a
description of one thing is given under the image of another.
Alpha and Omega
The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used to translate the phrase to A kai to O
(Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6; 22:13). It is the title of Christ, clearly
identifying him as the eternal God who spoke through Isaiah (Is. 44:6)
Amillennialism
The teaching that there is no
literal 1000 year reign of Christ as referenced in Revelation 20. It
sees the 1000 year period spoken of in Revelation 20 as figurative.
Instead, it teaches that we are in the millennium now, and that at the
return of Christ (1 Thess. 4:16 - 5:2) there will be the final judgment
and the heavens and the earth will then be destroyed and remade (2 Pet.
3:10). The Amillennial view is as old as the Premillennial view. (Also
compare to Postmillennialism).
Anabaptists
Any of a group of sects of the
early Reformation period of the 16th century that believed in rebaptism
of people as adults. Infant baptism was not recognized as valid and the
Catholic Mass was rejected. Anabaptist means “one who baptizes
again.” They believed in non-violence and opposed state run
churches.
Angel
Angel means messenger. Angels are
created (Psalm 148:2,5; Col. 1:16), non-human, spirit beings (Heb.
1:14). They are immortal (Luke 20:36), innumerable (Heb. 12:22),
invisible (Num. 22:22-31), sexless (Matt. 22:30), and do the will of
God (Psalm 103:20). These angels have a ministry to believers. They
guide (Gen. 24:7, 40), protect (Psalm 34:7), and comfort (Acts 27:2,
24).
There are good angels (Gen. 28:12;
Psalm 91:11) and bad angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). The only angels
mentioned by name are Gabriel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21 ), Michael (Dan.
10:13,21; 112:1), and Lucifer (Luke 10:18). Michael is always mentioned
in the context of battle (Dan. 10:13) and Gabriel as a messenger (Luke
1:26). Of course, Lucifer, who became Satan, is the one who opposes
God.
Angels were originally created for
the purpose of serving and carrying out the will of God. The fallen
angels rebelled and became evil angels. Satan is such an angel (Isaiah
14:12-16; Ezekiel 28:12-15).
Animism
The belief that everything in the universe contains a living soul. The belief that every object is indwelt by a spirit.
Annihilationism
The teaching that when a person
dies, he is annihilated, most often this doctrine is applied to the
wicked, thereby negating eternal hell fire. This is contradicted by the
Bible in Matt. 25:46 which says “And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Also,
degrees of punishment will be given on the Day of Judgment (Rev.
20:11-15). If all, or only the wicked are annihilated, then degrees of
punishment would be pointless.
Antedeluvian
Descriptive of the period before the deluge, or flood, in the days of Noah (Gen 2:6-8).
Anthropic Principle
The idea that the universe
exhibits elements of design specifically for the purpose of containing
intelligent beings; namely, humans. Much debate surrounds this
issue. Is the universe necessarily arranged by God so as to make
life possible or is it simply that the universe is godless and that
life came into existence due to the chance state that we now find it
in?
Anthropomorphic
Manifesting in human form.
It is from the Greek "anthropos" meaning "man" and "morphe" meaning
"form." In biblical theology, God is described in anthropomorphic
terms; that is, in human terms with human attributes. For
example, God has hands and feet in Exodus 24:9-11 and is loving (1 John
4:8).
Antichrist
A figure who opposes God. The word
is used to describe a spirit of rebellion against God, "...the spirit
of the Antichrist..." (1 John 4:3) and of a specific future person
identified as the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3). He actively
opposes Christ (2 Thess. 2:4) and when he arrives, he will be able to
perform miracles (2 Thess. 2:9). Some believe he will be an incarnation
of Satan and as such will be able to deceive many. His number is 666
(Rev. 13:18). A further possible description of him might be found in
Zech. 11:15-17).
Antinomianism
The word comes from the Greek
anti, against, and nomos, law. It is the unbiblical practice of living
without regard to the righteousness of God, using God's grace as a
license to sin, and trusting grace to cleanse of sin. In other words,
since grace is infinite and we are saved by grace, then we can sin all
we want and still be saved. It is wrong because even though as
Christians we are not under the Law (Rom. 6:14), we still fulfill the
Law in the Law of love (Rom. 13:8,10; Gal. 5:14; 6:2). We are to love
God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as
ourselves (Luke 10:27) and, thereby, avoid the offense of sin which
cost God His only begotten Son. Paul speaks against the concept of
antinomianism in Rom. 6:1-2: "Are we to continue in sin that grace may
abound? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in
it?". We are not to use the grace of God as a means of sin. Instead, we
are to be controlled by the love of God and in that way bear the fruit
of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25).
Antiochan School
A system of Bible interpretation, centered in Antioch, which opposed
the Alexandrian school. Whereas, the Alexandrians depended on
Plato's philosophy, the Antiochians embraced Aristotle's. Their
method was more historical and literal and therefore avoided the wild
allegorizing that the Alexandrian mysticism foisted upon Scripture.
Antitrinitarian
The name given to various groups who opposed the doctrine of the
Trinity, especially in the first three centuries of the church and in
the period during and after the protestant reformation. (groups such as
Monarchians, Patripassians, Sabellians, and Arians).
Apollyon
Greek for "destroyer." He is
the angel of the Abyss, "They have as king over them, the angel of the
abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name
Apollyon," (Rev. 9:11 ).
Apparition
An unexpected, supernatural
appearance of a ghost or a person. Folklore of apparitions are
particularly strong among Catholics who claim appearances of the
saints, Mary, and Jesus with messages of repentance and turning to the
Catholic sacraments and confession.
Apocalypse
From the Greek word for
"revelation," or "unveiling." It is synonymous with Armageddon
and refers to those future things dealing with the return of Christ and
the great battle of Armageddon.
Apocrypha
The word apocrypha means hidden.
It is used in a general sense to describe a list of books written by
Jews between 300 and 100 B.C. More specifically, it is used of the
seven additional books accepted by the Catholic church as being
inspired. The entire list of books of the apocrypha are: 1 Esdras, 2
Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Rest of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon,
Sirach, (also titled Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah,
Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Additions
to Daniel, The Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees.
The books accepted as inspired and
included in the Catholic Bible are Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees,
Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus), and Baruch.
The Jews never recognized these
books as being canonical (inspired). There is no record that Jesus or
the apostles ever quoted from the apocryphal books. The Septuagint
(LXX) includes the books, not as scripture, but as part of the
translation of the Hebrew manuscripts as a whole.
Apollinarianism
Apollinarianism was the heresy
taught by Apollinaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea in Syria about
361. He taught that the Logos of God, which became the divine
nature of Christ, took the place of the rational human soul of Jesus
and that the body of Christ was a glorified form of human nature.
In other words, though Jesus was a man, He did not have a human mind
but that the mind of Christ was solely divine. Please see
Heresies for more information.
Apologetics
The word "apologetics" is derived
from the Greek word "apologia," which means to make a defense. It has
come to mean defense of the faith. Apologetics covers many areas: who
Jesus is, the reliability of the Bible, refuting cults, biblical
evidences in the history and archeology, answering objections, etc. In
short, it deals with giving reasons for Christianity being the true
religion. We are called by God to give an apologia, a defense: "but
sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that
is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence," (1 Pet. 3:15).
Apostasy
The falling away from the faith.
It is a revolt against the truth of God’s word by a believer. It
can also describe a group or church organization that has "fallen away"
from the truths of Christianity as revealed in the Bible.
Apostle
Someone sent with a special
message or commission. Jesus is called the apostle and high Priest of
our confession in Hebrews 3:1. The twelve apostles of Jesus were Simon
Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the
Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Paul became an apostle after Jesus'
resurrection (2 Cor. 1:1), along with Barnabas (Acts 14:14), and others.
Apostles established churches
(Rom. 15:17-20), exposed error (Gal. 1:6-9), and defended the truth of
the gospel (Phil. 1:7,17). Some were empowered by the Holy Spirit to
perform Miracles (Matt. 10:1,8) and they were to preach the gospel
(Matt. 28:19,20).
Archangel
In the Bible, a Greek word found
only in the New Testament in two places: 1 Thess. 4:16, "For the
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ
shall rise first"; and Jude 9, "But Michael the archangel, when he
disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not
dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The Lord
rebuke you.'" Archangels seem to be a class of angels of great
rank and power. Apparently, there are three archangels
named: Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer.
Argument from Design
An attempt to prove God's
existence by arguing that the universe and things in it exhibit
attributes of design. A design must have a designer. Since
the Universe appears designed, it had to have someone who designed it.
Argumentum ad hominem
An irrelevant attack upon a person to deflect the argument from the facts and reasons.
Argumentum ad judicium
An argument where appeal is made to common sense and the judgment of people as validating a point.
Argumentum ad populum
An argument where appeal is made to emotions: loyalties, patriotism, prejudices, etc.
Argumentum ad verecundiam
An argument using respect for
great men, customs, institutions, and authority in an attempt to
strengthen one's argument and provide an illusion of proof.
Arianism
An ancient theological error that
appeared around the year 320. It taught that God could not appear on
the earth, that Jesus was not eternal and could not be God.
Additionally, it taught that there was only one person in the Godhead:
the Father. Jesus, then, was a creation. It was condemned by the
Council of Nicea in 325.
The Jehovah's Witness cult is an
equivalent, though not exactly, of this ancient error.
Please see Heresies for more information.
Ark of the Covenant
Also called the "Ark of the
Testimony" (Ex. 30:6), "Ark of God" (1 Sam. 3:3), and the "Ark of the
covenant of the Lord" (Deut. 10:8). The Ark of the Covenant was
very sacred to the Ancient Jews. It was a rectangular box made of
Acacia wood about 4 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet. It was covered with gold
and was carried by poles that were inserted into rings located on the
four corners. On top was a lid called "The Mercy Seat" which had
two Cherubs with outstretched wings pointing towards each other.
Inside of the Ark were the tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of
manna, and Aaron's Rod that budded (Heb. 9:4). It served as the
symbol of the very presence of God. The Ark of the Covenant was
place in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and later in the
Temple. Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of
Holies and sprinkle blood on the Mercy Seat. This was symbolic of
the forgiveness of the sins of the Jewish nation.
Armageddon
The word "armageddon" only occurs
in Rev. 16:16. It is the location of the final great battle
between good and evil called the Great Day of God Almighty.
Arminianism
There are five main tenets of
Arminianism: 1) God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith
or unbelief, 2) Christ died for all men and for every man, although
only believers are saved, 3) Man is so depraved that divine grace is
necessary unto faith or any good deed, 4) This grace may be resisted,
5) Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the
faith is a point which needs further investigation.1 (Compare with
Calvinism)
Ascension
The bodily taking up of Jesus into
the heavens to be at the right hand of God the Father. The
account of Jesus' ascension is record by Luke in Acts 1:4-11.
Ascended Master
A New Age term designating a
person of great learning and wisdom who lives on the astral
plane. They are not physical beings. An astral plane is
another dimension of reality beyond our world and is outside of time
and space. Supposedly, Jesus, Buddha, Confuscious, etc. were
Ascended Masters.
Assumption
In Catholicism, the taking of the
body and soul of Mary, by God, into glory. Catholic doctrine,
apparently, does not state whether or not Mary died, but tradition
holds that she died and was immediately afterward assumed into heaven
both body and soul.
Assurance
Theologically, assurance is the
state of being confident in a condition or outcome. Usually it is
applied to one’s assurance of salvation. Texts often used to
support assurance of salvation are John 10:28 “and I give eternal
life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them
out of My hand,” and 1 John 5:13, “These things I have
written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that
you may know that you have eternal life.” This assurance is
given by the Holy Spirit.
Astral Projection
In Eastern metaphysical and new
age philosophies, astral projection is the practice of the soul leaving
the human body and traveling around this world or other planes of
existence.
Astrology
A system of divination using the
positions of stars, planets, and the moon, in the twelve Zodiac signs,
as a means to predict the future. One's birth date falls into a
Zodiac sign and this is used in determining predictive events in
relation to the astral body positions. Astrology is very
prominent in the New Age.
Atheism
This word comes from two Greek
words, a the negator, and theos, God. Atheism teaches that there is no
God of any kind, anywhere, anytime. Some atheists claim to
"exercise no belief in a god" the same way they would exercise no
belief in pink unicorns. Logically, an atheist would be an
evolutionist.
The Bible teaches that all men
know there is a God (Rom. 2:14-15). Therefore, they will be without
excuse (Rom. 1:20 ) on the Day of Judgment. Instead, atheists willingly
suppress the knowledge of God by their unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18-19).
Atonement
To atone means to make amends, to
repair a wrong done. Biblically, it means to remove sin. The Old
Testament atonements offered by the high priest were temporary and a
foreshadow of the real and final atonement made by Jesus. Jesus atoned
for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). This atonement is
received by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9).
Man is a sinner (Rom. 5:8) and
cannot atone for himself. Therefore, it was the love of the Father that
sent Jesus (1 John 4:10) to die in our place (1 Pet. 3:18) for our sins
(1 Pet. 2:24). Because of the atonement, our fellowship with God is
restored (Rom. 5:10). (See Reconciliation.)
Aura
A term frequently used by New
Agers to describe a field of energy emitted by every living thing,
particularly people. This aura takes on different colors
depending on the person's mood, state of wellness, etc., and some New
Age practitioners claim the ability to interpret the colors and
diagnosis various conditions and states of mind of the person with the
aura. See also, Chakra.
Autograph
An original writing of a biblical
document. The original manuscript written. The autographs would be the
actual, original written document from which copies are made.
Autonomy
Freedom from all external constraints. Independence consisting of self-determination.
Baal
A Canaanite god. The word
means "lord" or "husband." He was a god of weather, associated
with thunder, which appointed the times of the rains, and was
considered to be the son of the pagan god Dagon. The ancient Jews
were often tempted to follow Baal because so much of their lives
depended upon the rain that fed the crops.
Babel
The Hebrew name for Babylon, one
of the cities founded by Nimrod. In Gen. 11:1-9, it is the
location where the entire world spoke a single language and worked
together to build a tower into the heavens. It was representative
of the great pride of man. God confused their languages.
The building of the tower ceased and they dispersed.
Babel, Tower of
The tower constructed by the
builders at Babel became a symbol of their defiance against God, (Gen.
11:1-6). It was probably modeled after a ziggurat which is a
mound of sun-dried bricks and was probably constructed before 4,000 BC.
Baptism
An immersion or sprinkling of
water that signifies one's identification with a belief or cause. In
Christianity it is the believer's identification with Christ in His
death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:4-54). It is done in the name
and authority (Acts 4:7) of Christ with the baptismal formula of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). It does not save us (1 Pet.
3:21). However, it is our obligation, as believers, to receive
it.
Some maintain that baptism is
necessary for salvation. It is not. If you want to read more on this
see Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
Baptismal Regeneration
The belief that baptism is
essential to salvation, that it is the means where forgiveness of sins
is made real to the believer. This is incorrect. Paul said that he came
to preach the gospel, not to baptize (1 Cor. 1:14-17). If baptism were
essential to salvation, then Paul would have included it in his
standard practice and preaching of the salvation message of Jesus, but
he did not. (See also Col. 2:10-11.) For more information on this see
Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
Bible
A book or collection of sacred
writings. The term "bible" is best known in reference to the
Christian Scriptures consisting of the both the Old and New
Testaments. The word comes from the Greek, biblos, meaning
"book."
Blasphemy
Speaking evil of God or denying
Him some good which we should attribute to Him. Blasphemy of the Holy
Spirit is stating that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the devil
(Matt. 12:22-32) and is an unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-30). Blasphemy
arises out of pride (Psalm 73:9,11), hatred (Psalm 74:18), injustice
(Isaiah 52:5), etc. Christ was mistakenly accused of blasphemy (John
10:30-33).
Book of Life
A book kept by God with the list
of names of people who will escape God's wrath (Psalm 69:28; Rev.
21:27). Those whose names are not in the book of Life are cast
into hell (Rev. 20:15).
Born Again
The new birth enjoyed by a
Christian upon his conversion and regeneration. It is a work of
the Holy Spirit within a believer. It is related to faith in
Christ and Him crucified (John 3:3-5). It means that the person
is no longer dead in sins (Eph. 2:1), no longer spiritually blind (1
Cor. 2:14), and is now a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).
Bride of Christ
A symbolic term used to designate
the Christian church in its relation to Christ as one who is a pure
virgin (2 Cor. 11:2), loved by Christ (Eph. 5:22-33), who will be in
the marriage supper to the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). Rev. 21:9 says, "And
one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last
plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you
the bride, the wife of the Lamb."
______________________
1. This information was taken from
Baker's Dictionary of Theology, ed. E. Harrison, (Baker Book House,
Grand Rapids, Michigan), 1960. p. 64.
C.E. - Dualism
C.E.
Common Era. Another designation for dates. It replaces A.D. Hence, "I was born in 1960p
Cabala
Sometimes written cabbala or kabala. From the Hebrew qabal,
"to receive" it is an occult system of religious philosophy developed
by some medieval Jewish rabbis and based upon a mystical interpretation
of the Scriptures.
Caesar
A title used for a Roman emperor
from about 30 B.C. to 70 A.D., derived from the line of Julian.
There were several Caesars: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius I, and
Nero. The word then became the title to designate the Ruler of
the Roman Empire. References to Caesar in the Bible can be found
in Matt. 22:17; Luke 2:1; John 19:12; Acts 25:11-12; etc.
Calvary
Calvary is the site of the
crucifixion of Jesus. The word derives from the translation of
word calvaria in the Latin Vulgate. Calvary was known in the New
Testament as Golgotha which means "Place of the Skull" (Matt.
27:33). It was located outside the city of Jerusalem.
Calvinism
A system of Christian
interpretation initiated by John Calvin. It emphasizes predestination
and salvation. The five points of Calvinism were developed in response
to the Arminian position (See Arminianism). Calvinism teaches: 1) Total
depravity: that man is touched by sin in all parts of his being: body,
soul, mind, and emotions, 2) Unconditional Election: that God’s
favor to Man is completely by God’s free choice and has nothing
to do with Man. It is completely undeserved by Man and is not based on
anything God sees in man (Eph. 1:1-11), 3) Limited atonement: that
Christ did not bear the sins of every individual who ever lived, but
instead only bore the sins of those who were elected into salvation
(John 10:11,15), 4) Irresistible grace: that God's call to someone for
salvation cannot be resisted, 5) Perseverance of the saints: that it is
not possible to lose one's salvation (John 10:27-28).
Canon
This is another word for
scripture. The Canon consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament and
the 27 books of the New. The Canon is closed which means there is no
more revelation to become Scripture.
Campbellites
Followers of Alexander Campbell; also known as the Disciples of Christ and the Churches of Christ.
Capital punishment
The death penalty. The
execution of a prisoner for a capital crime. In the Bible,
capital punishment was the punishment for murder (Num. 35:16), adultery
(Lev. 20:10), incest (Lev. 20:11), bestiality (Lev. 20:15),
homosexuality (Num. 18:22), etc.
Capital sins
In Catholicism, the seven causes of all sin: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth
Catholic
Universal, the entire Christian
Church. Often applied to the Roman Catholic Church.
Actually, the word simply means universal.
Causality
The relationship between cause and effect. The principle that all events have sufficient causes.
Cessationism
The position within Christianity
that the Charismatic Spiritual gifts (speaking in tongues, word of
knowledge, word of wisdom, intepretation of tongues, etc.) ceased with
the closing of the Canon of scripture and/or the death of the last
apostle.
Chakra
In Yoga, an alleged focal point of
energy in the human body with its own frequency. It is a Hindu
term. Supposedly, there are seven chakras located in the head,
throat, chest, abdomen, groin, etc. Chakras are often utilized in
New Age practices. See also, Aura.
Channeling
A new age practice where a person
goes into an altered state of consciousness and allows another spirit
or entity to enter him/her in order to communicate to us.
According to New Age teaching, this spirit or entity can be from
another dimension, the spirit realm, or from another part of the galaxy
or universe.
Charismatic Gifts
The special spiritual gifts given
to the church. They are for edifying and building up the church. They
are mentioned in Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, and 1 Cor. 14: Word of wisdom,
word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing
of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.
Charity
An archaic English form of the
Greek word "agape" which means love. The King James Version
translated the Greek word for love as "charity." See 1 Cor.
13:8-13 in the KJV for examples of this.
Cherub/Cherubim
A type of angel usually involved
in sacred work before God. They are generally described as winged
creatures with feet and hands. The word(s) occurs over 90 times
in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament at Heb. 9:5, "And
above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but
of these things we cannot now speak in detail." Apparently, there
are different kinds of Cherubim. Two golden Cherubim are on the
Mercy Seat (Exodus 25:18). They were put in Eden "to guard the
way of the tree of life," (Gen. 3:24). An interested description
of them is given in Ezek. 1:5-11,13,14.
Chiliasm
Also known as
millennialism. The belief that there is a future 1000 year reign
of Christ where perfect peace will reign and the Lord Jesus will be
King on earth.
Christ
Christ is a title. It is the N.T.
equivalent of the O.T. term "messiah" and means "anointed one." It is
applied to Jesus as the anointed one who delivers from sin. Jesus alone
is the Christ. As the Christ He has three offices: Prophet, Priest, and
King. As Prophet He is the mouthpiece of God (Matt. 5:27-28) and
represents God to man. As Priest He represents man to God and restores
fellowship between them by offering Himself as the sacrifice that
removed the sin of those saved. As King He rules over His kingdom. By
virtue of Christ creating all things (John 1:3; Col. 1:16-17), He has
the right to rule.
Christ has come to do the will of
the Father (John 6:38), to save sinners (Luke 19:10), to fulfill the
O.T. (Matt. 5:17), to destroy the works of Satan (Heb. 2:14; 1 John
3:8), and to give life (John 10:10,28). Christ is holy (Luke 1:35),
righteous (Isaiah 53:11), sinless (2 Cor. 5:21), humble (Phil. 2:5-8),
and forgiving (Luke 5:20; 7:48; 23:34).
Christian
The word "Christian" comes from
the Greek word christianos which is derived from the word christos, or
Christ, which means "anointed one." A Christian, then, is someone who
is a follower of Christ.
The first use of the word
"Christian" in the Bible is found in Acts 11:26, "And the disciples
were called Christians first in Antioch." It is found only twice more
in Acts 26:28 and 1 Pet. 4:16. However, it is important to note
that it is the true Christ that makes someone a Christian, not the
Mormon one (brother of the devil), or the JW one (Michael the
Archangel), the New Age Jesus (a man in tune with the divine Christ
Consciousness), etc. The true Christ is God in flesh (John
1:1,14; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8): Jesus.
Christian Evidences
The branch of apologetics which is chiefly concerned with the factual vindication of Christianity.
Christology
The study of Christ (Jesus) as
revealed in the Bible. Some of the issues studied are: 1) His deity, 2)
His incarnation, 3) His offices (See Christ), 4) His sacrifice, 5) His
resurrection, 6) His teaching, 7) His relation to God and man, and 8)
His return to earth.
Church
The word is used in two senses:
the visible and the invisible church. The visible church consists of
all the people that claim to be Christians and go to church. The
invisible church is the actual body of Christians; those who are truly
saved.
The true church of God is not an
organization on earth consisting of people and buildings, but is really
a supernatural entity comprised of those who are saved by Jesus. It
spans the entire time of man's existence on earth as well as all people
who are called into it. We become members of the church (body of
Christ) by faith (Acts 2:41). We are edified by the Word (Eph.
4:15-16), disciplined by God (Matt. 18:15-17), unified in Christ (Gal.
3:28), and sanctified by the Spirit (Eph. 5:26-27).
Circumcision
An operation (note the shedding of
blood) that entered one into the covenant in O.T. times. It was
instituted by God (Gen. 17:10-14) and performed on the eighth day after
birth (Luke 1:59). It was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham
(Gen. 17:12; Rom. 4:11). In the N.T. the physical operation is not
practiced. Instead, a circumcision of the heart of the Christian is
taught (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11-12). This is the true circumcision (Rom.
2:29).
Cities of refuge
Six cities that were designated by
Moses at the command of God as locations to which Israelites could flee
in order to be safe from retribution of other Israelites for offenses
committed against others. Num. 35:9-16 gives a description of
their purpose. In that culture the responsibility of retribution
against a family member who had been killed or seriously injured rested
on the "goel," the next of kin. The person was required to stay
in the city until the death of the High Priest of that city (Num.
35:25-28). Then he was free to return to his home and retribution
was not allowed upon him. Note they typology here. When the
high priest dies, the offender is set free. In other words, when
Jesus our High Priest died on the cross, we sinners were set free from
sin.
Clergy
Clergy are the body of people
ordained to perform religious tasks. Laity are those who are
members of a religion but not of the clergy.
Codex
An early book form made from
papyri leaves cut, folded, and sewn together in the middle to make a
book. First used in the 2nd century.
Common Grace
The grace of God given to the
creation as a whole. God still allows the sun to shine upon the
unsaved. He feeds them, allows them to work, and have joy. It is common
grace that "restrains" the wrath of God until a later time. It is in
special grace that salvation is given to the Christians.
Communicatio idiomatum
The theological position that the
properties of both the human and the divine natures of Jesus are
attributed to the one person of Christ. For example, John 17:5 is
where Jesus, the man, says, "And now, glorify Thou Me together with
Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world
was." We see here that Jesus who was born on earth says He had
glory with the Father before the world was. This is because the
one person of Christ has two natures: God and man. Jesus is
the Divine Word made flesh (John 1:1,14). We see in the single
person of Christ both the attributes of divinity and humanity.
Communion
The Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:26-30;
Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 1:23-26). It is the breaking of
bread (Acts 2:42,46) and a time to give thanks (Luke 22:17,19). It was
originally instituted by Jesus (Matt. 26:26-29) on the night of the
Passover meal which was an annual occurrence celebrating the "passing
over" of the angel of death that claimed the firstborn of every house
in Egypt (Exodus 12). The Lord's Supper, or communion, replaces the
Passover meal with the "body and blood" (Mark 14:22-24) of Jesus. It is
to be taken only by believers (1 Cor. 11:23-28). (For further study see
John 6:26-58 and 1 Cor. 11:27-34).
Complimentarianism
The theological position that
there are different roles between men and women in the Christian
church, church leadership, marriage, etc. Essentially it holds to
a hierarchical structure between men and women. This position
focuses on function and calling as revealed in the Bible, and does not
assert that women are inferior in nature.
This position would negate the
possibility of women being pastors, elders, bishops, etc.
Furthermore, it would assert that the husband is the head of the wife
as well as the head of the family. See Egalitarianism which
teaches complete equality.
Condemnation
Declaring an evildoer to be
guilty; the punishment inflicted. Without Jesus we stand condemned
before God not only because of the sin of Adam (Rom. 5:16-18) but also
because of our own sin (Matt. 12:37). However, "There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and
of death," (Rom. 8:1-2). Christians have passed out of condemnation
because they are forgiven in Christ.
Conditional immortality
The view that immortality is given
only to those Christians who believe in Christ. The rest are
destroyed and do not exist. Some adherents to conditional
immortality believe that the wicked will be punished in hell for a
period proportional to their sins and then they are annihilated.
Confession
The act of disclosing one's
sins. In Catholicism, it is telling sins to a priest and the Lord
forgives the person through the priest. Biblically, confession of
sins is done to the one offended without the mediatorship of a priest.
Confessional
In Catholicism, a small compartment where the priest hears the confessed sins of a sinner.
Confirmation
In Catholicism, a ceremony
performed by a bishop that is supposed to strengthen a person and
enable him to resist sin. It is usually done at the age of 12. The
Bishop dips his right thumb in holy oil and anoints the person on the
forehead by making the sign of the cross and says, "Be sealed with the
gift of the Holy Spirit."
Congregation
A gathering of people, usually of believers, in a common religious faith.
Consubstantiation
It means an inclusion of one
substance in another where the body and blood of Christ co-exist in the
elements of the Supper. It suggests that a third substance is
formed. The body and blood of Christ are "in, with, and under"
the elements. There is no permanent relationship with the
elements. Instead, the association is limited to the sacramental
action. The transformation is effected by the Word of God and not
by a priest.
Contrition
In Catholicism, extreme sorrow for having sinned with a deep repentance concerning that sin.
Conversion
Turning from evil to God. God
converts (Acts 21:19) the unsaved into the saved, from the unregenerate
to the regenerate. It is produced through the preaching of the gospel
(Rom. 10:14; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) and results in repentance (Acts 26:20) and
a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). The fruits of conversion are listed in
Gal. 5:22-23.
Conviction
The work of the Holy Spirit where
a person is able to see himself as God sees him: guilty, defiled, and
totally unable to save himself (John 16:8). Conviction of the Holy
Spirit of an unbeliever reveals sinfulness and guilt and brings fear.
Conviction of the Holy Spirit of the believer brings an awareness of
sin and results in confession and cleansing. This conviction is
produced by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), the Gospel (Acts 2:37), the
conscience (Rom. 2:15), and the Law (James 2:9). Conviction of our sins
brings us to the cross. It shows us our need for forgiveness.
Coptic
The Afro-Asiatic language of the Copts, which survives only as a liturgical language of the Coptic Church.
Corban
An offering dedicated to God. It is referenced in Mark 7:11 and is alluded to in Lev. 1:2.
Cosmological argument
An attempt to prove that God
exists by appealing to the principle that all things have causes.
There cannot be an infinite regress of causes, therefore, there must be
an uncaused cause: God.
Cosmology
The study of the origin and structure of the universe.
Covenant
An agreement between two parties.
The agreement, according to Ancient Near East custom, consists of five
parts: 1) Identification of parties, 2) Historical prologue where the
deeds establishing the worthiness of the dominant party is established,
3) Conditions of the agreement, 4) Rewards and punishments in regard to
keeping the conditions, and 5) Disposition of the documents where each
party receives a copy of the agreement (e.g. the two tablets of stone
of the 10 Commandments).
Ultimately, the covenants God has
made with man result in our benefit. We receive eternal blessings from
the covenant of grace. (For further study see Gen. 2:16-17; 9:1-17;
15:18; Gen. 26:3-5; Gal. 3:16-18; Luke 1:68-79; Heb. 13:20).
Covenant Theology
A system of theology that views
God's dealings with man in respect of covenants rather than
dispensations (periods of time). It represents the whole of scripture
as covenantal in structure and theme. Some believe there is one
Covenant and others believe two and still others believe in more.
The two main covenants are covenant of works in the O.T. made between
God and Adam, and the Covenant of Grace between the Father and the Son
where the Father promised to give the Son the elect and the Son must
redeem them. Some consider these to be one and the same.
The covenants have been made since before the world was made (Heb.
13:20).
Creation
Everything that exists except God
himself. This includes material as well as immaterial things and time.
God is the creator, (Heb. 11:3) we are the creatures. The
creator/creature distinction must be maintained to properly remain in
humble relationship with God. We are not God, cannot create, nor can we
help ourselves do good in order to be saved. Only God is God. Only He
can create. And, only He has the ability to save man.
Creationism
The position that God created the
universe. Young earth creationists generally believe that God
created the universe, the earth, and living things on the earth and
that the Old Testament literally describes six, 24 hour periods.
Therefore, they maintain that the universe is, more or less, anywhere
from 6,000 to 10,000 years old. They further maintain that
speciation occurred during this time as a result of the extant genetic
information and environmental pressures. Old earth creationists
still maintain that the universe, the earth, and all living things were
created by God, but that the Universe is very old. Compare with
Natural Evolution and Evolution.
Cross
As relates to Christianity, it is
the instrument of crucifixion. It is a single vertical stake with
a cross member near or at the top by which a person is either nailed
and/or tied with outstretched arms. Jesus was nailed on a cross,
not a stake since in John 20:25, Thomas stated that he would not
believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw "...in His
hands the imprint of the nails..." A cross would require at least
two nails, one for each outstretched hand.
Cult
A religious group that follows a
particular theological system. In the context of Christianity, and in
particular, CARM, it is a group that uses the Bible but distorts the
doctrines that affect salvation sufficiently to cause salvation to be
unattainable. A few examples of cults are Mormonism, Jehovah's
Witnesses, Christian Science, Christadelphians, Unity, Religious
Science, The Way International, and the Moonies. (See also Cults)
Damnation
The righteous judgment of God upon a sinner where the sinner is cast out of the presence of God into Hell for ever.
Deacons
Biblically, this designates a
servant in the church but not someone who is a slave since the latter
refers to a slave/master relationship. It has become an office of
the church where individuals are designated to help in the ministry,
sometimes serving communion, sometimes by taking care of such needs as
church welfare, feeding the homeless, taking care of the sick in the
church, etc. It comes from the Greek word diakonos and is
translated as "servant" in John 6:25; 12:26, "minister" in Rom. 13:4.
Death
The word "death" is used in two
main ways in the Bible. First, it is used to describe the cessation of
life. Second, death is used in reference to the lost. This refers to
their eternal separation from God as a result of sin (Isaiah 59:2), in
a conscious state of damnation without hope (1 Thess. 4:13; Rev.
20:10,14,15).
Death to humans is unnatural. When
God created Adam and Eve, death was not part of the created order. It
was not until they sinned that death entered the scene (Rom. 5:12;
6:23). Death will be destroyed when Christ returns and the believers
receive their resurrected bodies.
Decalogue
The Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20. Deca means ten in Latin. Logue comes from "logos" which means "word."
Decrees, of God
The Decrees of God is His eternal
purpose, according to His will, whereby He has foreordained whatever
comes to pass. His Decrees do not negate the responsibility of
people for their sins nor does it mean that God is responsible for
sin. But, it necessarily is true that God knows all things actual
as well as potential, and that that which exists, exists due to His
creative effort. It also follows that God has eternally known all
events that have occurred, are occurring, and will occur in this
creation including the fall, redemption, glorification, etc. Yet,
God is not the one responsible for the sin in the world but has
decreed, by His permission, that it be allowed to exist. Isaiah
46:9-10 says, "Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and
there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, verse10
Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things
which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be
established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure."
God's efficacious decrees are
those decrees which God has purposed and determined to occur, i.e.,
Acts 2:23 "this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and
foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men
and put Him to death." God's permissive decrees are those decrees
where He permits things to occur such as evil.
Deduction
A system of logic, inference and
conclusion drawn from examination of facts. Conclusions drawn
from the general down to the specific.
Depravity
Moral corruption, a state of
corruption or sinfulness. Total depravity is the teaching that sin has
touched all aspects of the human: body, soul, spirit, emotions, mind,
etc.
Deism
The belief that God exists but is
not involved in the world. It maintains that God created all things and
set the universe in motion and is no longer involved in its operation.
(Compare to Atheism, Agnosticism, and Theism.)
Deity
That quality possessed by God
alone that distinguishes Him from every other thing. It is the
essential nature that makes God what He is.
Demon
A fallen angel that assists Satan
in the opposition of God. Demons are evil (Luke 10:17,18), powerful
(Luke 8:29), and under the power of Satan (Matt. 12:24-30). They
recognized Christ (Mark 1:23,24) and can possess non-Christians (Matt.
8:29).
Deontology
The study of moral obligation.
Determinism
The teaching that every event in
the universe is caused and controlled by natural law; that there is no
free will in humans and that all events are merely the result of
natural and physical laws.
Devil
Greek is "diabolos," which means
accuser. The greatest of all the fallen angels. He opposes
God and is completely evil. He is often called Lucifer which is a
Latin translation of "light bearer" found in Isaiah 14:12, and also the
accuser of the brethren in (Rev. 12:10), dragon (Rev. 12:9), the devil
(Matt. 4:1), the tempter (Matt. 4:3), the accuser (Rev. 12:10), the
prince of demons (Luke 11:15), the ruler of this world (John
12:31), See Isaiah 14:12-15 for a description of the fall of the
devil. Upon Jesus' return, the Devil will be vanquished --
depending on the eschatological position. His future is the
eternal lake of fire.
Dialectic
The practice of examining ideas and beliefs using reason and logic. It is often accomplished by question and answer.
Diaspora
Dispersion. Biblically, it refers
to the dispersion of the Jews outside of Israel from the time of the
Babylonian Captivity until now. It has also been applied to the
dispersion of Christians after 70 A.D. when Rome sacked Jerusalem and
thousands of Christians fled and dispersed throughout the Mediterranean
area.
Dichotomy
The teaching that a human consists
of two parts: body and soul. Sometimes the soul is also referred to as
spirit. (See Trichotomy)
Didache
From the Greek "didoskolos"
meaning "teacher." The Didache (pronounced did-a-kay). It
was possibly written around 65-80 A.D. and is supposed to be what the
twelve apostles taught to the Gentiles concerning life and death,
church order, fasting, baptism, prayer, etc. There is debate as
to its authenticity. The work is cited by Eusebius who lived from
260-341 and Athanasius (293-373). The Didache is not inspired,
but is valuable as an early church document.
Didactics
The branch of education dealing with teaching.
Diocese
In Catholicism, an area of many parishes presided over by a bishop.
Disciple
A pupil or follower of a religion,
a person, or a movement. As Christians we are to be disciples of Jesus
(Luke 14:26,27). We follow in the teaching and example of what He said
and did. A disciple is a convert but not all converts are disciples. As
disciples we are to bear our cross daily (Matt. 16:24). This means to
live and die for Him if necessary (Matt. 16:25).
Dispensation, dispensationalism
In the Scofield Reference Bible a
dispensation is "a period of time during which man is tested in respect
of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God"
Dispensationalism says that God uses different means of administering
His will and grace to His people. These different means coincide with
different periods of time. Scofield says there are seven dispensations:
of innocence, of conscience, of civil government, of promise, of law,
of grace, and of the kingdom. Dispensationalists interpret the
scriptures in light of these (or other perceived) dispensations.
Compare to Covenant.
Divination
The practice of predicting the
future and/or securing for a person the services of supernatural
powers. It is also used as a means to gain knowledge.
Divinity
The nature or quality of being
God. It belongs to God alone. Jesus was divine in nature (Col. 2:9) as
well as being a man. (See Jesus' Two Natures.)
Docetism
Docetism was an error with several
variations concerning the nature of Christ. Generally, it taught that
Jesus only appeared to have a body, that he was not really incarnate,
(Greek, "dokeo" = "to seem"). This error developed out of the dualistic
philosophy which viewed matter as inherently evil, that God could not
be associated with matter, and that God, being perfect and infinite,
could not suffer. Please see Heresies for more information.
Doctrine
A set of accepted beliefs held by
a group. In religion, it is the set of true beliefs that define
the parameters of that belief system. Hence, there is true doctrine and
false doctrine relative to each belief set. In Christianity, for
example, a true biblical doctrine is that there is only one God in all
existence (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8). A false doctrine is that there
is more than one God in all existence.
Dogma
A generally held set of formulated beliefs.
Donatism
Donatism was the error taught by
Donatus, bishop of Casae Nigrae that the effectiveness of the
sacraments depends on the moral character of the minister. In other
words, if a minister who was involved in a serious enough sin were to
baptize a person, that baptism would be considered invalid. Please see
Heresies for more information.
Dowsing
A form of divination using a
forked rod or bent wire often used to find objects, people, or
things. A person holds the dowsing instrument and is "lead"
around by it until the object is, allegedly, found.
Dualism
In theology, the concept that the
world is controlled by two opposing forces, i.e., good and bad, God and
Satan. In Philosophy the idea that the world consists of two main
components: thought and matter.
Ecclesiology - Freethinker
Ecclesiology
The study of the Christian church, its structure, order, practices, and hierarchy.
Edify
To build up. In the Christian
context it means to strengthen someone, or be strengthened, in
relationship to God, the Christian walk, and holiness. As Christians,
we are to "let all things be done for edification" (1 Cor. 14:26). We
are edified by the Word of God (Acts 20:32) and by love (1 Cor. 8:1).
(See also Rom. 14:19; Eph. 4:29 and 1 Cor. 3:1-4; James 4:1-6).
Efficacy
Producing a result. Christ's
atonement was efficacious; it produced the result of forgiveness of
sins for the elect. The atonement is efficacious grace in action.
Egalitarianism
in the context of the Christian
church is the teaching that all people, both men and women, are to be
treated as equal and that women are to share all offices within the
church equally with men. This position would hold that women
could be pastors, elders, bishops, etc., and that male headship in the
church and the family is invalid.
Eisegesis
Eisegesis is when a person
interprets and reads information into the text that is not there.
An example would be in viewing 1 Cor. 8:5 which says, "For though there
be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be
gods many, and lords many," (KJV). With this verse, Mormons, for
example, bring their preconceived idea of the existence of many gods to
this text and assert that it says there are many gods. But that
is not what it says. It says that there are many that are called
gods. Being called a god doesn't make it a god. Therefore,
the text does not teach what the Mormons say and they are guilty of
eisegesis; that is, reading into the text what it does not say.
See also exegesis.
Elect, Election
The elect are those called by God
to salvation. This election occurs before the foundation of the world
(Eph. 1:4) and is according to God's will not man's (Rom. 8:29-30;
9:6-23) because God is sovereign (Rom. 9:11-16). The view of election
is especially held by Calvinists who also hold to the doctrine of
predestination.
Empiricism
The proposition that the only
source of true knowledge is experience. It is the search for
knowledge through experiment and observation. Denial that
knowledge can be obtained a priori.
Epistemology
The branch of philosophy that
deals with the area of knowledge, its source, criteria, kinds, and the
relationship between what is known and the one who is knowing it.
Eschatology
The study of the teachings in the
Bible concerning the end times, or of the period of time dealing with
the return of Christ and the events that follow. Eschatological
subjects include the Resurrection, Resurrection, the Rapture, the
Tribulation, the Millennium, the Binding of Satan, the Three witnesses,
the Final Judgment, Armageddon, and The New Heavens and the New Earth.
In the New Testament, eschatological chapters include Matt. 24, Mark
13, Luke 17, and 2 Thess. 2. In one form or another most of the books
of the Bible deal with end-times subjects. But some that are more
prominently eschatological are Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel,
Zechariah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 2 Thessalonians, and of course
Revelation. (See Amillennialism and Premillennialism for more
information on views on the millennium.)
Eternal life
Life everlasting in the presence
of God. "This is eternal life, that they may know Thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent," (John 17:3).
There are two senses in which this
is used. First, as Christians we possess eternal life (1 John 5:13),
yet we are not in heaven or in the immediate presence of God. Though we
are still in mortal bodies and we still sin, by faith we are saved
(Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9) and possess eternal life as a free gift from God
(Rom. 6:23). Second, eternal life will reach its final state at the
resurrection of the believers when Christ returns to earth to claim His
church. It is then that eternal life will begin in its complete
manifestation. We will no longer sin.
Eternal Security
The doctrine that salvation cannot
be lost. Since it is not gained by anything we do, it cannot be lost by
anything we do. This does not mean that we can sin all we want (Rom.
6:1-2) because we have been freed from sin and are set apart for holy
use (1 Thess. 4:7). (See Antinomianism.)
Ethics
The study of right and wrong, good and bad, moral judgment, etc.
Eucharist
The elements of the communion
supper in Christian Churches where the bread and wine are consumed as a
representation of the sacrifice of Christ. They correspond,
representatively, to the body and blood of Christ.
Eunuch
A male who has been castrated;
that is, had the testes removed. Eunuchs were often used as
guards of harems. In Acts 8:27, a Eunuch was "a court official of
Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her
treasure." Biblically, some people are born Eunuchs and others
are made Eunuchs (Matt. 19:12). They were forbidden to enter into
sacred duty (Deut. 23:1).
Eutychianism
This is similar to Monophycitism.
It states that Christ's natures were so thoroughly combined -- in a
sense scrambled together -- that the result was that Christ was not
really truly able to relate to us as humans. The problem is this
implies that Jesus was not truly God nor man. Therefore, He would be
unable to act as mediator and unable to truly atone for our sins. (See
Hypostatic Union, which is the correct view of Christ's two natures,
and also Nestorianism and Monophycitism which are the incorrect views
of Christ's two natures.)
Evil
Moral rebellion against God. It is
contrary to the will of God. There is natural evil (floods, storms,
famines, etc.) and moral evil (adultery, murder, idolatry, etc.).
Natural evil is a result of moral evil. Adam's sin resulted in sin
entering the world allowing floods, storms, famines, etc. Evil
originated with Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15) and is carried on by man (Matt.
15:18-19). (See Theodicy.)
Evolution
The theory that all living things
on earth evolved from a single source and driven by genetic mutation
and natural selection gave rise to all the various life forms on
earth. This evolutionary process was without the intervention of
a divine being or beings. The theory has undergone many changes
since its inception in the 1800's. The Scriptures do not speak
about evolution but instead negate the theory by stating that God
created all things (Gen. 1). See Evolution for more information.
Though you might not expect to
find the subject of evolution in a dictionary of theology, it is
appropriate since it poses a challenge to Christianity by displacing
the Genesis account of special creation.
Excommunication
The act of discipline where the
Church breaks fellowship with a member who has refused to repent of
sins. Matt. 18 is generally used as the model of procedures leading up
to excommunication. Those excommunicated are not to partake in the
Lord’s supper.
In the Bible, serious offenders of
God’s law, who were supposed to be Christian, were "delivered
over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh," (1 Cor. 15:5; 1 Tim.
1:20). However, upon repentance, the person is welcomed back into
fellowship within the body of Christ.
Exegesis
Exegesis is when a person
interprets a text based solely on what it says. That is, he
extracts out of the text what is there as opposed to reading into it
what is not there (eisegesis). There are rules to proper
exegesis: read the immediate context, related themes, word
definitions, etc., that all play a part in properly understanding what
something says and does not say.
Existentialism
A philosophical viewpoint that
emphasizes human freedom and abilities. Therefore, subjectivity
and individual choice are elevated often above conceptual and moral
absolutes.
Expiation
The cancellation of sin. Expiation
and propitiation are similar but expiation does not carry the
implication of dealing with wrath, of appeasing it through a sacrifice.
Generally speaking, propitiation cancels sin and deals with God's
wrath. Expiation is simply the cancellation of sin. Jesus was our
propitiation (1 John 2:2; 4:10 -- "atoning sacrifice" in the NIV).
Faith
"Now faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). It is
synonymous with trust. It is a divine gift (Rom. 12:3) and comes by
hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). It is the means by which the
grace of God is accounted to the believer who trusts in the work of
Jesus on the cross (Eph. 2:8). Without faith it is impossible to please
God (Heb. 11:6). It is by faith that we live our lives, "The righteous
shall live by faith," (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17).
Fall, The
The fall is that event in the
Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God and ate
of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2 and 3). Since
Adam represented all of mankind, when He sinned, all of mankind fell
with Him (Rom. 5:12).
False Prophet, (The)
The second beast of Revelation
(Rev. 13:11-18). He is a person who will manifest himself near
the culmination of this epoch shortly before the physical return of
Christ. He will be a miracle worker and during the Tribulation
period will bring fire down from heaven and command that people worship
the image of the Beast (Rev. 11:15). See also (13:16-17).
Jesus warned about false prophets
in Matt. 24:24 stating that in the last days many false prophets would
arise and deceive, if possible, even the elect. False prophets
teach false doctrine and lead people away from the true gospel message
and teaching of God found in the Bible. Examples of modern day
false prophets are Joseph Smith (Mormonism), Charles Taze Russell
(Jehovah's Witnesses), Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science), etc.
Each of them distorts the truth sufficient to cause damnation.
Falsifiability
The ability of something to be
proven false. A non falsifiable statement would be, "There is a
green lizard sitting in a rocking chair on the fourth largest moon of
Jupiter." This statement is not falsifiable in that it cannot be
proven false because it cannot be verified or denied. Jesus'
resurrection was falsifiable in that all the critics had to do was
produce the body, but they did not. Falsifiability, generally, is
a test of the validity of a belief or occurrence. Something that
is not falsifiable can be said to be untrue since it cannot be
confirmed or denied.
Fast, Fasting
Depriving oneself of food for a
period of time for a specific purpose, often spiritual. It is the
"weakening" of the body in order to "strengthen" the spirit. It is
interesting to note that sin entered the world through the disobedience
of eating (Gen. 3:6). We are called to fast in the N.T. (Matt. 6:16 ).
(See also 1 Kings 21:27; Psalm 35:13; Acts 13:3; 2 Cor. 6:5).
Fatalism
The idea that all things are
predetermined to occur and that there is no ability of the person to
alter the predetermined plan of God in any event. This is not the
correct biblical view. The Bible teaches us that we can influence
God with our prayers (James 5:16). How this influence is worked
out by God who knows all things from eternity is something apparently
unexplainable in Christianity.
Fellowship
There is no specific definition
given in the N.T. But we are called into fellowship with one another (1
John 1:3, with Jesus (1 Cor. 1:9), with the Father (1 John 1:3), and
with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). Fellowship implies sharing common
interests, desires, and motivations. Fellowship requires that time be
spent with another communicating, caring, etc. It carries with it a
hint of intimacy. As Christians we fellowship with one another because
of our position in Christ, because we are all redeemed and share an
intimate personal knowledge of Jesus. We share a common belief (Acts
2:42), hope (Heb. 11:39-40), and need (2 Cor. 8:1-15).
The Greek word for fellowship is
koinonia. This word is also translated communion in 1 Cor. 10:16 in the
KJV. This is where we get the term the communion supper.
Fideism
The position that religious doctrines rest not on reason, but only on faith.
Filioque
The doctrine that the Holy Spirit proceeds equally from both the Father and the Son.
Firstborn
The first of the mother's
offspring. It stands figuratively for that which is most excellent. The
firstborn male of the family carried certain familial rites and
privileges (Gen. 27:1-29; 48:13-14) and was given a double portion of
the inheritance (Deut. 21:17). The term is also applied to Christ
as the pre-eminent one and the first one raised from the dead (Col.
1:15,18). It does not mean first created as Jehovah's Witnesses
believe. In fact, the firstborn rites were transferable. Compare Jer.
31:9 with Gen. 41:50-52.
Forgiveness
There are seven words in Scripture
that denote the idea of forgiveness: three in Hebrew and four in Greek.
No book of religion except Christianity teaches that God completely
forgives sins. God remembers our sins no more (Heb. 10:17). God is the
initiator of forgiveness (Col. 2:13).
There is only one sin for which
the Father does not promise forgiveness: blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit (Mark 3:28; Matt. 12:32). The contexts suggest this to be the
sin of attributing to unclean spirits the work of the Holy Spirit.
For man to receive forgiveness,
repentance is necessary (Luke 17:3-4). For the holy God to extend
forgiveness, the shedding of blood is necessary (Heb. 9:22; Lev.
17:11). Forgiveness is based upon the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Fool
Hater of God. One who is morally
weak, who misuses what God has given him for selfish purposes. He is
lustful (Prov. 7:22), lazy (Ecc. 10:15), does not fear God (Prov.
14:1), hates knowledge (Prov. 1:22), and is self-righteous (Prov.
12:15). As Christians, we are to avoid foolishness (Eph. 5:4). (See
Ecc. 7:25; Prov. 3:35, 10:8.)
Foreknow, Foreknowledge
It is God's knowledge about things
that will happen. Past, present, and future are all "present" in the
mind of God. He inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15). God has infinite
knowledge (Isaiah 41:22,23) and knows all things in advance. In the
N.T. it does not always mean "to know beforehand" but also to cause to
be. See 1 Pet. 1:2,20.
Free Knowledge
The free act of God’s will
where, after His free act of creation, He knows all things that are
going to happen and that this knowledge is contingent upon His free
creative will. Therefore, the free knowledge of God would be different
if He had chosen a different creative fiat. In other words, because God
created one possible existence instead of another, the range of His
knowledge regarding actual existence would have been different had He
created something different in the first place. (See also Natural
knowledge and Middle Knowledge.)
Free will
Freedom of self determination and action independent of external causes.
Freethinker
A person who forms his opinions about religion and God without regard to revelation, scripture, tradition, or experience.
Gehenna - Hypostatic Union
Gehenna
Originally, a location southwest
of Jerusalem where children were burned as sacrifices to the god
Molech. It later became a garbage dump with a continuous burning of
trash. Therefore, it was used biblically, to illustrate the abode of
the damned in Christian and Jewish theology. Gehenna is mentioned in
Mark 9:43ff and Matt. 10:28 as the place of punishment of unquenchable
fire where both the body and soul of the wicked go after death. It is
apparently the future abode of Satan and his angels (Matt. 25:41).
Gentile
Those who are not Jews.
Gentiles were used by God to punish apostate Judea (Deut. 28:49; 1
Kings 8:33) and often included in blessings by God upon the Jewish
people. "Gentiles" is often used biblically in reference to
nations.
Gifts, Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual abilities given by God
for the purpose of building up the church. Every Christian has at least
one (1 Cor. 7:7). They are listed and discussed in different places in
the N.T. (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28-30; Eph. 4:7-12). Following
is a list of the gifts arranged in two groups. The first are gifts that
require supernatural intervention and are possessed only by true
Christians. The second are gifts that do not require supernatural
intervention. Even non-Christians can have the second group of gifts. A
further issue is whether or not the gifts are still in use today. Some
believe they ceased with the apostles and the closing of the Canon (the
completion of the writings of the Bible) and they are no longer needed
for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12). Others believe
the gifts are still in use but not in the pure apostolic sense. In
other words, they are still in use but not in the same way possessed by
the apostles. Instead, they are available to the believer if and when
God decides it is beneficial to use them.
Spiritual Gifts
Salvation
Rom.6:23
Word of Wisdom
1 Cor. 12:8
Word of Knowledge
1 Cor. 12:8
Faith
1 Cor. 12:9
Healing
1 Cor. 12:9
Miracles
1 Cor. 12:10
Prophecy
Rom. 12:6
1 Cor. 12:10
Distinguishing of Spirits
1 Cor. 12:10
Tongues
1 Cor. 12:10
Interpretation of Tongues
1 Cor. 12:10
Serving
Rom. 12:7
Teaching
Rom. 12:7
Exhortation
Rom. 12:8
Giving
Rom. 12:8
Leading
Rom. 12:8
Showing mercy
Rom. 12:8
Gnosticism
A theological error prevalent
around the time of Christ. Generally speaking, Gnosticism taught that
salvation is achieved through special knowledge (gnosis). This
knowledge usually dealt with the individual's relationship to the
transcendent Being. It denies the incarnation of God as the Son. In so
doing, it denies the true efficacy of the atonement since, if Jesus is
not God, He could not atone for all of mankind and we would still be
lost in our sins. For more information. Please see Heresies for
more information.
God
The supreme being of the universe.
He is the creator of all things (Isaiah 44:24). He alone is God (Isaiah
45:21,22; 46:9; 47:8). There have never been any Gods before Him nor
will there be any after Him (Isaiah 43:10). God is God from all
eternity (Psalm 90:2). In Exodus 3:14, God revealed His name to His
people. The name commonly known in English is Jehovah. This comes from
the four Hebrew consonants that spell the name of God. (See
Tetragrammaton.)
God is a Trinity, knows all things
(1 John 3:20), can do all things (Jer. 32:17,27 - except those things
against His nature like lie, break His word, cheat, steal, etc.), and
is everywhere all the time (Psalm 119:7-12).
Gods, False
Gods that are not real, but
invented by men or inspired by demons the purpose of which is to
deceive people so they do not believe in the true and living God.
Some of the false gods listed in the Bible are Adrammelech and
Anammelech (2 Kings 17:31), Asherah (1 Kings 15:13; 18:19), Ashtoreth
(1 Kings 11:5,33), Baal (1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 23:7), Baalzebub (2
Kings 1:1-16); Luke 11:19-23), Dagon (Judges 16:23-30), Molech/Moloch
(Lev. 18:21; 20:1-5), Rimmon (2 Kings 5:18, and Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14).
Gospel
The Gospel is the good news that
we have forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Specifically, the gospel is
defined by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:1-4: "Now I make known to you, brethren,
the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which
also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word
which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered
to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and
that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
The gospel comes from God (Gal.
1:10-12), is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16), is a mystery
(Eph. 6:19), and is a source of hope (Col. 1:23), faith (Acts 15:7),
life (1 Cor. 4:15), and peace (Eph. 6:15).
Grace
Grace is unmerited favor. It is
God's free action for the benefit of His people. It is different than
Justice and Mercy. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not
getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. In
grace we get eternal life, something that, quite obviously, we do not
deserve. But because of God's love and kindness manifested in Jesus on
the Cross, we receive the great blessing of redemption.
Grace is God's Riches At Christ's
Expense. Grace rules out all human merit. It is the product of God that
is given by God, because of who He is not because of who we are. It is
the means of our salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). We are no longer under the
Law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). (See 1 Cor. 15:11; Rom. 5:2, 15-20; 2
Cor. 12:9; and 2 Cor. 9:8).
Great White Brotherhood
A New Age term designating the
spiritual organization of Ascended Masters (great spiritual leaders of
this world and other worlds) who have moved from the mortal realm to
the Astral Plane (another dimension) and exist in a state of
immortality. The members of the Great White Brotherhood often
communicate to mortals here on earth through channeling. "White"
refers to the light (aura) around the great spiritual teachers
throughout history.
Guilt
Being responsible for and
accountable for an offense. Biblically, it is the state of being under
a present or pending consequence due to a sin against God’s Law.
It is also an emotional state as well as legal condition. Guilt
feelings are used by the Holy Spirit to inform the sinner of broken
fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:2; John 16:8). Because of our guilt
before God, we need reconciliation (Rom. 5:6-9).
Hades
New Testament term for the Hebrew
“sheol,” which is the abode of the conscious dead. It is
apparently a place (Acts 2:31). In Revelation it is referred to as a
creature on a horse (Rev. 6:8). In Rev. 1:18, it says that Christ holds
the keys to death and Hades.
Hamartiology
The study of the doctrine of sin.
Heaven
Heaven is the dwelling place of God and for those who go there a place of everlasting bliss.
Scripture implies three heavens,
since "the third heaven" is revealed to exist (2 Cor. 12:2). It is
logical that a third heaven cannot exist without a first and second.
Scripture does not describe specifically the first and second heaven.
The first, however, apparently refers to the atmospheric heavens of the
fowl (Hosea 2:18) and clouds (Dan. 7:13). The second heaven may be the
area of the stars and planets (Gen. 1:14-18). It is the abode of all
supernatural angelic beings. The third heaven is the abode of the
triune God. Its location is unrevealed. (See Matt. 23:34-37; Luke
10:20; and Rev. 22:2, 20-27).
Hedonism
The teaching that pleasure is the principle good and proper goal of all action. Self indulgence.
Hell
Hell is the future place of
eternal punishment of the damned including the devil and his fallen
angels. There are several words rendered as Hell: Hades - A Greek word.
It is the place of the dead, the location of the person between death
and resurrection. (See Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Acts 11:27; 1 Cor. 15:55;
Rev. 1:18; 6:8). Gehenna - A Greek word. It was the place where dead
bodies were dumped and burned (2 Kings 23:13-14). Jesus used the word
to designate the place of eternal torment (Matt. 5:22,29,30; Mark 9:43;
Luke 12:5). Sheol - A Hebrew word. It is the place of the dead, not
necessarily the grave, but the place the dead go to. It is used of both
the righteous (Psalm 16:10; 30:3; Isaiah 38:10) and the wicked (Num.
16:33; Job. 24:19; Psalm 9:17). Hell is a place of eternal fire (Matt.
25:41; Rev. 19:20). It was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt.
25:41) and will be the abode of the wicked (Rev. 22:8) and the fallen
angels (2 Pet. 2:4).
Henotheism
The teaching that there are many gods but that only one of them must be honored and worshipped.
Heresy
A doctrinal view that deviates
from the truth, a false teaching. We are warned against it in Acts
20:29-32 and Phil. 3:2. Heresies include teachings that Jesus is not
God and that the Holy Spirit is not a person (Jehovah's Witnesses,
Christadelphians, The Way International), that men may become gods
(Mormonism), that there is more than one God (Mormonism), that Jesus
lost His divinity in hell and finished the atonement there, and that
good works are necessary for salvation (all cults say this), to name a
few.
Heterodoxy
A set of beliefs or opinions that are not in agreement with accepted doctrinal beliefs of a church. See orthodoxy.
Higher Self
A New Age term used to signify the
divine part of each person that is capable of attaining the knowledge
of perfection and "ultimate truth."
Homiletics
That branch of theology concerned with preaching and sermons and the proper way in which to deliver them.
Holy, Holiness
A quality of perfection,
sinlessness, and inability to sin that is possessed by God alone. As
Christians we are called to be holy (1 Pet. 1:16). But this does not
refer to our nature. Instead, it is a command of our practice and
thought. We are to be holy in obedience (1 Pet. 1:14). God has made us
holy through His Son Jesus (Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 2:9).
Holy Orders
In Catholicism, one of the seven
sacraments by which men, bishop, deacons, and priests, are given the
power and authority by a bishop to offer sacrifice and forgive
sins.
Holy Spirit, The
The third person of the Godhead.
He is completely God. He is called God (Acts 5:3-4), has a will (1 Cor.
12:11), speaks (Acts 8:29; 13:2), and knows all things (John 14:17). He
is not an "active force" as the Jehovah's Witnesses mistakenly teach.
The Holy Spirit is alive and is fully and completely God. He is called
the Spirit of God (Gen. 1:2), Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:1), the Helper
(John 14:16,26), and Eternal Spirit (Heb. 9:14). He knows all things (1
Cor. 2:10-11), is all powerful (Luke 1:35), and is everywhere (Psalm
139:7-13). (See Trinity and Holy Spirit.)
Holy Water
In Catholicism, special water that
has been blessed by a priest, bishop, etc. or a liturgical
ceremony. It is used to bring a blessing to a person when
applied.
Humanism
A philosophical system of thought
that focuses on human value, thought, and actions. Humans are
considered basically good and rationale creatures who can improve
themselves and others through natural human abilities of reason and
action. Secular Humanism is a late development emphasizing objectivity,
human reason, and human standards that govern art, economics, ethics,
and belief. As such, no deity is acknowledged.
Humility
The attitude of the Christian that
teaches us not to "...think more highly of himself than he ought to
think; but to think so as to have sound judgment..." (Rom. 12:3). It
teaches us to prefer others over ourselves (Rom. 12:10). It is knowing
our true position before God. It is not self-abasement or demeaning
one's self. "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the
humble," (James 4:6). Humility is necessary to be a disciple of Jesus
(Matt. 18:3-4). The humility of Jesus is described in Philippians
2:5-8, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on
a cross!" (NIV).
Hypostatic Union
This is the union of the two
natures (Divine and human) in the person of Jesus. Jesus is God in
flesh (John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8). He is
fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9); thus, He has two natures: God and
man. He is not half God and half man. He is 100% God and 100% man. He
never lost his divinity.1 He continued to exist as God when He became a
man and added human nature to Himself (Phil. 2:5-11). Therefore, there
is a "union in one person of a full human nature and a full divine
nature."2 Right now in heaven there is a man, Jesus, who is
our Mediator between us and God the Father (1 Tim. 2:5). (For related
information on Jesus and His two natures, see Incarnation, and the
errors concerning His natures known as Eutychianism, Monophycitism, and
Nestorianism.)
Jesus as God
Jesus as Man
He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33).
He worshiped the Father (John 17).
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59).
He prayed to the Father (John 17).
He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15).
He was tempted (Matt. 4:1).
He knows all things (John 21:17).
He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
He gives eternal life (John 10:28).
He died (Rom. 5:8).
All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9).
He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).
________________________________________
1. Divinity means the quality of
being God. Jesus was always God. There are people within the Christian
church who are teaching that after Jesus died on the cross, He lost His
divinity and suffered in hell at the hands of Satan for three days and
nights. This is absolutely wrong. See, A Different Gospel by D. R.
McConnell, Peabody Mass., Hendrickson Publishers, 1988 and Christianity
in Crisis, by Hank Hannegraaff. Harvest House Publishers, 1993.
2. B. Milne, Know the Truth (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982, p. 145.
Idol - Kingdom of God
Idol, Idolatry
An idol is a representation of
something in the heavens or on the earth. It is used in worship and is
often worshiped. It is an abomination to God (Exodus 20:4). Idolatry is
bowing down before such an idol in adoration, prayer, or worship. In a
loose sense, idolatry does not necessitate a material image or a
religious system. It can be anything that takes the place of God: a
car, a job, money, a person, a desire, etc. Idolatry is denounced by
God at the beginning of the Ten Commandments and is considered a form
of spiritual fornication.
Immaculate Conception
The teaching that Mary was conceived without original sin. Typically believed as true in Roman Catholicism.
Image of God
Man was made in the image of God
(Gen. 1:26). The image of God is generally held to mean that
people contain within their nature elements that reflect God's
nature: compassion, reason, love, hate, patience, kindness,
self-awareneness, etc. Though we have a physical image, it does
not mean that God has one. Rather, God is spirit (John 4:24), not
flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).
Immutability
The divine attribute of
unchangeableness. God said in Exodus 3:14, "I AM that I AM," signifying
His eternal sameness and His sovereignty. He cannot change His moral
character, His love, His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence,
etc. God is "From everlasting to everlasting," (Psalm 90:2).
Immutability does not mean that
God does not vary. The incarnation is just such an example of
variation. Also, God's attitude toward a person is changed when the
person becomes a Christian. For example, the enmity between God and man
is removed (Rom. 5:10).
Mormonism denies the immutability
of God. It says that God was not always God, that He was a man on
another planet who became a God (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce McConkie, p.
321.).
Immortality
Life without death anytime in the
future. God is immortal. The souls of people are immortal
though their bodies are not. All people can die in a physical
sense but they continue on after death. Therefore, it is the soul
that is immortal. However, after the return of Christ and the
resurrection, the Christians' bodies will also become glorified and
immortal (1 Cor. 15:50-58). The wicked will likewise be resurrected to
immortality but they will be cast into hell for eternity.
Impute, Imputation
To reckon to someone the blessing,
curse, debt, etc. of another. Adam's sin is imputed to all people (Rom.
5:12-21), therefore, we are all guilty before God. Our sins were put
upon, imputed, to Jesus on the cross where He became sin on our behalf
(2 Cor. 5:21) and died with them (Isaiah 53:4-6). Therefore, our sins
are forgiven. Understanding imputation is very important. Imputation is
the means of our salvation. Our sins were put upon, imputed, to Jesus
on the cross. Our sins were "given" to Jesus. When He died on the
cross, our sins, in a sense, died with Him. The righteousness that was
His through His perfect obedience to the Father in His complete
obedience to the Law is imputed, given, to us. In short, our sins were
given to Jesus. His righteousness was given to us. Technically speaking
our sins were imputed to Jesus. His righteousness was imputed to us.
In facto
Something that exists and is complete.
In fieri
Beginning to be, but not yet complete.
Incarnation
The addition of human nature to
the nature of God the second person of the Trinity. It is where God
became a man (John 1:1,14; Phil. 2:5-8). It was the voluntary act of
Jesus to humble Himself so that He might die for our sins (1 Pet.
3:18). Thus, Jesus has two natures: Divine and human. This is known as
the Hypostatic Union.
The doctrine is of vital
importance to the Christian. By it we understand the true nature of
God, the atonement, forgiveness, grace, etc. It is only God who could
pay for sins. Therefore, God became man (John 1:1,14) to die for our
sins (1 Pet. 2:24) which is the atonement. Through Jesus we have
forgiveness of sins. Since we are saved by grace through faith (Eph.
2:8-9) it is essential that our object of faith be accurate. The
doctrine of the incarnation ensures accuracy, the knowledge that God
died on the cross to atone for sin and that the God-man (Jesus) is now
in heaven as a mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) between us and God.
Jesus came to reveal the Father
(Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22), to do His will (Heb. 10:5-9), to fulfill
prophecy (Luke 4:17-21), to reconcile the world (2 Cor. 5:18-21), and
to become our High Priest (Heb. 7:24-28). (Contrast with Kenosis.)
Induction
A system of logic where specific facts are used to draw a general conclusion.
Indulgence
In Catholicism, a means by which
the Catholic church takes away some of the punishment due the Christian
in this life and/or purgatory because of his sin.
Inerrancy
Without error, non-errant. In
Christianity, inerrancy states that the Bible, in its original
documents, is without error regarding facts, names, dates, and any
other revealed information. Inerrancy does not extend to the copies of
the biblical manuscripts.
Infant baptism
The practice of baptizing infant
children of believing parents. In the Catholic Church infant baptism
washes away original sin and is regenerative. In Reformed circles,
infant baptism is not regenerative but covenantal and validated through
the believing parent(s). There are no explicit accounts of infant
baptism in the Bible. However, it cannot be completely excluded as a
possibility given that entire households were baptized Acts
16:15, 33; 18:8.
Infidel
A person who does not believe in any particular religious system.
Infinity
The state or quality of being
infinite, unlimited by space or time, without end, without beginning or
end. God is infinite in that He is not limited by space or time. He is
without beginning and without end (Psalm 90:2).
Infralapsarianism
An issue within Reformed theology
dealing with what may have happened in God's mind regarding the logical
order of His considering whom to elect into salvation before the
foundation of the world. The word means "after the fall."
The position is that God first decided he would allow sin into the
world and second that he would then save people from it. By
contrast, the supralapsarian ("before the fall") position holds that
God first decided that he would save some people and then second that
he would allow sin into the world.
Inspiration
The doctrine that the Bible was
written by the influence of God. It is, therefore, without error. It is
accurate and authoritatively represents God's teachings (2 Tim. 3:16).
As such it is a revelation from God which implies direct knowledge
about God, creation, man, salvation, the future, etc. It is an
illumination in that it shows us what we could not know apart from it.
One of the ways to prove that the
Bible is inspired is to examine the O.T. prophecies fulfilled in the
N.T. concerning Jesus (Luke 24:27-45). Because the Bible is inspired,
its words are unbreakable (John 10:34-36), eternal (Matt. 24:35),
trustworthy (Psalm 119:160), and able to pierce the heart of man (Heb.
4:12). Additionally, the inspired Word of God will not go forth without
accomplishing what God wishes it to (Isaiah 55:11).
Intermediate state
The period between death and
resurrection. The condition of the person in the intermediate state is
debated. One theory is that the person is without a body, yet is
conscious, and that he will receive his body at the resurrection.
Another theory states that the person has a different sort of spiritual
body that will be lost at the resurrection when body and soul are
reunited (2 Cor. 5:1-4).
Jehovah
An anglicized pronunciation of the
Hebrew tetragrammaton, YHWH, which are the four consonant letters used
to spell Gods name in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). The Hebrews
considered the name of God too holy to pronounce and substituted the
word Lord (adonai) when the text was read. The vowels of the word
adonai was combined with YHWH to get the word Jehovah which was first
used in the 12th century. A more accurate pronunciation of YHWH would
be Yahweh. However, the exact and proper pronunciation has been lost.
Jesus
The Bible is about Jesus (Luke
24:27,44; John 5:39; Heb. 10:7). The prophets prophesied about Him
(Acts 10:43). The Father bore witness of Him (John 5:37, 8:18). The
Holy Spirit bore witness of Him (John 15:26). The works Jesus did bore
witness of Him (John 5:36; 10:25). The multitudes bore witness of Him
(John 12:17). And, Jesus bore witness of Himself (John 14:6, 18:6).
Jesus is God in flesh (John
1:1,14). He is fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9) thus, He has two
natures: God and man. He is not half God and half man. He is 100% God
and 100% man. He never lost his divinity. He existed in the form of God
and when He became a man, He added human nature1 to Himself (Phil.
2:5-11). Therefore, there is a "union in one person of a full human
nature and a full divine nature."2 Right now in heaven there is a man,
Jesus, who is Mediator between us and God the Father (1 Tim. 2:5).
Jesus is our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). He is our Savior
(Titus 2:13). He is our Lord (Rom. 10:9-10). He is not, as some cults
teach, an angel who became a man (Jehovah's Witnesses) or the brother
of the devil (Mormonism). He is wholly God and wholly man, the Creator,
the Redeemer. He is Jesus. (See also Jesus.)
Jesus Only Movement
This is a movement in some
Pentecostal circles. It is an error in the understanding of the nature
of the Trinity. The biblical Trinity consists of three persons
simultaneously and eternally existing in one God. The Jesus Only
Movement maintains that there is only one person in the Godhead: Jesus.
It teaches that the person of the Father became the person of the Son
who then became the person of the Holy Spirit and that the persons are
consecutive not simultaneous. This movement is incorrect in its
Trinitarian interpretation. Additionally, they mistakenly believe that
baptism is necessary for salvation and that tongues are evidence of
true conversion. See the Plurality Study for a study that refutes their
theology.
Jews
Originally, a Jew was a member of
the state of Judah during the period of the division of Israel into two
nations: Judah and Israel. It became a common reference from the 8th
century B.C. Today it is used of adherents of the Jewish religion.
Judgment
Condemnation. There are several
judgments: the judgment of the believer's sins (John 5:24), the
judgment of the believer's self (1 Cor. 11:31-32), the judgment of the
believer's works (2 Cor. 5:10), the judgment of the nations (Matt.
25:31-46), and the judgment of the wicked (Rev. 20:11-15).
There is no judgment for the
Christian in respect to salvation (Rom. 8:1). We were judged in Christ
on the cross 2000 years ago. However, as Christians we will be judged
according to our works (2 Cor. 5:10) with, most probably, varying
degrees of rewards. But, remember, the judgment of our works does not
affect our salvation.
Just, Justice
The due reward or punishment for
an act. Justice is getting what is deserved. God is merciful but He is
also just (Deut. 32:4 - righteous) and must punish sin. In the grace of
God, justice fell upon His Son so that mercy would fall upon us. (See
also Prov. 8:15; Gen. 18:19; Heb. 10:38).
Justify, Justification
To be justified is to be made
righteous. It is a divine act where God declares the sinner to be
innocent of his sins. It is not that the sinner is now sinless, but
that he is "declared" sinless. This justification is based on the shed
blood of Jesus, "...having now been justified by His blood..." (Rom.
5:9). When God sees the Christian, He sees him through the sacrifice of
Jesus and "sees" him without sin. This declaration of innocence is not
without cost for it required the satisfaction of God's Law, "...without
shedding of blood there is no forgiveness," (Heb. 9:22). By the
sacrifice of Jesus, in the "one act of righteousness there resulted
justification of life to all men," (Rom. 5:18, NASB). In justification,
the justice of God fell upon Himself--Jesus. We receive mercy--we are
not judged according to our sins. And grace is shed upon us--we receive
eternal life. This justification is a gift of grace (Rom. 3:24), by
faith (Rom. 3:28) because Jesus bore our guilt (Isaiah 53:12).
Karma
In Hinduism, the total compilation
of all a person's past lives and actions that result in the present
condition of that person. Normally, it is associated with
reincarnation.
Kenosis
This is a teaching concerning
Jesus' incarnation. The Kenosis attempts to solve some paradoxes
between the nature of God and of man as united in Jesus. For example,
how could an all knowing God become a baby, or how could God be
tempted? The Kenosis maintains that God, when becoming a man, divested
Himself of some qualities of being a man. In a sense, the Kenosis is
God minus something; God subtracting some qualities of deity to become
a man. The Hypostatic Union is God plus something; God
adding human nature to Himself. The Kenosis, then, jeopardizes the true
incarnation because it puts in doubt the full indwelling of God among
men in the person of Jesus. (Compare with Hypostatic Union.)
Kingdom of God
The kingdom of God and the kingdom
of heaven seem to be variations of the same idea. A kingdom implies a
king. Our king is Jesus. Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world
(John 18:36). Jesus' authority did not come from man but from God (Luke
22:29).
Entrance into the kingdom of God
is by a new birth (John 3:5), repentance (Matt. 3:2), and the divine
call (1 Thess. 2:12). We are told to seek the kingdom of God first
(Matt. 6:33) and to pray for its arrival (Matt. 6:10). "The kingdom of
God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit," (Rom. 14:17). It is also a future kingdom where full
ruler-ship in the actual presence of the king Jesus will occur when He
returns to earth.
___________________
1. Jesus'
adding to Himself the nature of man by becoming one of us is known as
the Hypostatic Union. Errors dealing with the relationship of Jesus'
two natures are: 1) Monophycitism which states that Jesus' two natures
combined into one new one; the problem here is that neither God nor man
was represented in Christ. 2) Nestorianism which states that the two
natures of Christ were so separated from each other that they were "not
in contact;" the problem here is that worship of the human Jesus would
then not be allowed. 3) Eutychianism is similar to Monophycitism. It
states that Christ's natures were so thoroughly combined -- in a sense
scrambled together -- that a new third thing emerged; the problem is
this implies that Jesus was not truly God or man, therefore unable to
act as mediator.
2. B. Milne, Know the Truth (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982), p. 145.
Laity - Orthodoxy
Laity
The members of the church who are
not in the clergy. Clergy are the body of people ordained
to perform religious tasks.
Naturalistic evolution
The theory that the universe is
many billions of years old and that after a long period of time, all
galaxies, stars, planets, and life on earth evolved. This
evolution was without divine intervention. Compare with
creationism.
Law
The Law is God's instructions
concerning the moral, social, and spiritual behavior of His people
found in the first five books of the Bible. The Law is the very
reflection of the nature of God because God speaks out of the abundance
of what is in Him. Therefore, since God is pure, the Law is pure. Since
God is holy, the Law is holy. The Law consists of the 10 commandments
(Exodus 20), rules for social life (Exodus 21 - 23), and rules for the
worship of God (Exodus 25 - 31). It was a covenant of works between God
and man and was (and is) unable to deliver us into eternal fellowship
with the Lord because of Man's inability to keep it. The Law is a
difficult taskmaster because it requires that we maintain a perfect
standard of moral behavior. And then when we fail, the Law condemns us
to death. We deserve death even if we fail to keep just one point of
the law: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one
point, he has become guilty of all" (James 2:10). The law made nothing perfect (Heb.
7:19). That is why the Law has shown us our need for Jesus and the free
gift we receive through Him (Gal. 3:24).
Law of non-contradiction
The Law of non-contradiction is
the law that something cannot be both true and not true at the same
time when dealing with the same context. For example, the chair in my
living room, right now, cannot be made of wood and not made of wood at
the same time. In the law of non-contradiction, where we have a set of
statements about a subject, we cannot have any of the statements in
that set negate the truth of any other statement in that same set. For
example, we have a set of two statements about Judas. 1) Judas hung
himself. 2) Judas fell down and his bowels spilled out. Neither
statement about Judas contradicts the other. That is, neither statement
makes the other impossible because neither excludes the possibility of
the other. The statements can be harmonized by stating: Judas hung
himself and then his body fell down and his bowels spilled out. In order to make the set of
statements contradictory, we would have something like: 1) Judas hung
himself. 2) Judas did not hang himself. Since either statement excludes
the possibility of the other, we would then have a contradiction.
Laying on of hands
Physical contact by touching of
the hands. In the OT and NT it was sometimes used in reference to doing
physical harm (Gen. 22:12; Luke 20:19). In the NT it is also used to
signify an attempt at healing (Acts 9:12) and commissioning of Holy
Work (1 Tim. 4:14). Usually, during the ordination of an elder, hands
are laid on him as symbol of a transfer of authority and power.
Liberalism
In Christianity, the movement away
from traditional orthodoxy often in an attempt to harmonize biblical
teachings with science, humanism, or other secular fields. The
result is often a denial of essential biblical doctrines such as the
Trinity, the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, His resurrection, and
salvation by grace.
Limited Atonement
The teaching held in Reformed
(Calvinist) circles of Christianity that Jesus bore only the sins of
the elect, and not that of the entire world. It maintains that
the sacrifice was sufficient for all, but intended for the elect.
Logic
From the Greek “logos”
meaning “word.” Logic is study of the principles of
reasoning. A set of premises that are examined and arranged so as to
bring a conclusion. If A = B and B = C, then A = C.
Deductive logic is the method of
validating a claim by means of supportive information where both the
claim and the information are necessarily true. For example, People
exist. All people breathe. Therefore, all people breathe.
Inductive logic is the method of
drawing a conclusion from a set of supportive information, yet the
conclusion has not yet been verified. For example, each night I get
tired at 10 PM. Therefore, I conclude that tonight, I will be tired at
10 PM.
Logos
The Greek word for "word."
Mentioned only in the writings of John. John 1:1 says, "In the
beginning was the Word [logos] and the Word [logos] was with God and
the Word [logos] was God." The Logos is sometimes used to refer to the
second person of the Trinity as the Son in pre-incarnate form.
Jesus is the word [logos] made flesh (John 1:1,14).
Lord's Supper
See Communion
LXX
See Septuagint, The
Man
Man is the creation of God. It is
man alone who reflects God. The first man, Adam, was made in God's
image (Gen. 1:2627), and placed in the Garden of Eden for the purpose
of enjoying the fellowship of the Lord and fulfilling the purpose of
God's creation. He was told to "be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the
birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth"
(Gen. 1:28). When Adam and Eve sinned, all of humanity fell with them
(Rom. 5:12-21). Adam represented all humanity: "In Adam all die..." (1
Cor. 15:22). As a result of Adam's disobedience, condemnation resulted
to all men (Rom. 5:18). Therefore we are by nature children of wrath
(Eph. 2:3). We do not seek God (Rom. 3:11) nor can we understand the
spiritual things of God (1 Cor. 2:14). Since this is the condition of
man in his natural state, salvation is then impossible for us to
achieve (Matt. 19:26). That is why we need the free gift of salvation
(Rom. 6:23) given by God to Christians through faith in Jesus'
sacrifice on the cross.
Manuscript
A document or a copy of an
original writing. There are thousands of existing manuscripts of the
biblical documents ranging from vellum (animal skins) to papyri (plant
material) upon which the original and copies of the original writings
were made.
Martyr
Someone who dies for a belief or
cause. A Christian martyr would be a person who dies because of
his or her faith in Christian principles.
Mass
In Catholicism, a reenactment of
the sacrifice of Christ on the cross in a ceremony performed by a
priest. This ceremony is symbolically carried out by the priest and
involves Consecration where the bread and wine are changed into the
body and blood of Jesus.
Materialism
The position that only material
things exist and that all other things can be explained in terms of
matter and the physical properties of matter.
Means of Grace
This is associated with
sacramental theology. A means of grace is a manner in which the
Lord imparts grace to a believer as he partakes in the sacrament.
A sacrament is a visible manifestation of the word. The bread and wine
in the Lord's Supper are considered sacraments in that they are visible
manifestations of the covenant promise of our Lord: "In the same way,
after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant
in my blood, which is poured out for you.'" (Luke 22:20).
Generally, the means of grace are considered to be the Gospel, baptism,
and the Lord’s Supper. The Catholic church has seven
total: baptism, confirmation, communion, penance, extreme
unction, holy orders, and matrimony.
Mediation, Mediator
A mediator is someone who
intervenes, someone who conveys and conciliates. The word "mediator" is
not found in the O.T., but its principle is. God gave the Law to the
people through a mediator, Moses (Gal. 3:19), who was a type of the
true mediator, Jesus. The word occurs only a few times in the N.T.: 1
Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24. It is in the N.T. that the true nature
of mediation is understood in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the
mediator of a better covenant (Heb. 8:6). He was able to become our
mediator by becoming man (John 1:1,14) and dying as our substitute (1
Pet. 1:18,19; 2:24). He reconciled us to God (Eph. 2:16).
Mercy
Mercy is the act of not
administering justice when that justice is punitive. Because of our
sinfulness we deserve death and eternal separation from God (Rom. 6:23;
Isaiah 59:2), but God provided an atonement for sin and through it
shows us mercy. That is, He does not deliver to the Christian the
natural consequence of his sin which is damnation. That is why Jesus
became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21) and bore the punishment due to
us (Isaiah 5345). It was to deliver us from damnation. (Compare with
justice and grace.)
God saved us according to His
mercy (Titus 3:5) and we can practice mercy as a gift (Rom. 12:8). "Let
us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we
may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need" (Heb.
4:16).
Messiah
Messiah is a Hebrew word. It means
"anointed one." It is the equivalent of the N.T. word "Christ" which
also means "anointed." Jesus, as the messiah, was anointed by God
(Matt. 3:16) to carry out His three-fold ministry of Prophet, Priest,
and King. As the messiah He has delivered the Christian from the bonds
of sin and given to him eternal life. In that sense, messiah means
deliverer, for He has delivered us. The Messiah was promised in the
O.T. in the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15).
Metaphysics
The branch of philosophy involved
with examining and discussing the ultimate nature of reality. The term
comes from "meta" which means "after" and "phusika" which means
"physics." Around A.D. 70 Andronicus applied to the section
of Aristotelian writings that came after the physics section; hence,
metaphysics.
In the New Age, metaphysics deals
with spiritual concepts such as reincarnation, auras, chakras, Ascended
Masters, etc. and other such ideas of a spiritual nature not generally
associated with Christianity.
Middle Knowledge
That knowledge of God dealing with
what individuals will do in a given set of circumstances. God has an
infinite set of potential circumstances that could exist and knows all
actual choices that would be made by individuals in each set. (See also
Free Knowledge and Natural knowledge.)
Millennium
Literally, this word means
1000 years. In the study of end time doctrines (eschatology) the
millennium is the period of time of Christ's rulership. The debate has
been over when the millennium will take place and what what form will
it actually be. The terms that have arisen out of this debate are
premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.
Premillennialism teaches that the millennium is yet future and that
upon Christ's return He will set up His earthly kingdom. Amillennialism
teaches that the millennium is a figurative period and that Christ's
rule began when He first became man. Postmillennialism teaches that
through the preaching of the Word of God, the world will be converted
and will then usher in Christ and the kingdom of God. There are good
arguments for each position.
Minuscule
The Greek characters of lower
case: abgde, etc. Different copies of Greek manuscripts appear in
minuscule form. By contrast, uncials are the Greek characters in upper
case.
Miracle
A miracle is an
out-of-the-ordinary direct and divine intervention in the world.
Examples would be the parting of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water,
the resurrection of Lazarus, etc. Some hold that it is a violation of
the natural order of physical laws. Others maintain that there is no
such violation upon God's part but only a natural manifestation of His
work.
They are also known as powers and
signs (Mark 9:39; Acts 2:22, 19:11) and mighty works (John 10:25-28).
They are a manifestation of the power of God over nature (Joshua
10:121-14), animals (Num. 22:28), people (Gen. 19:26), and illness (2
Kings 5:1014). They are produced by God's power (Acts 15:12), Christ's
power (Matt. 10:1), and the Holy Spirit's power (Matt. 12:28).
Modalism
The error that there is only one
person in the Godhead who manifests himself in three forms or
manners: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Monarchianism
Monarchianism (mono - "one"; arche
- "rule") was an error concerning the nature of God that developed in
the second century A.D. It arose as an attempt to maintain Monotheism
and refute tritheism. Unfortunately, it also contradicts the orthodox
doctrine of the Trinity. Monarchianism teaches that there is one God as
one person: the Father. Please see Heresies for more information.
Monergism
The teaching that God alone is the
one who saves. It is opposed to synergism which teaches that God and
man work together in salvation. Cults are synergistic. Christianity is
monergistic.
Monism
The view that there is only one
basic and fundamental reality, that all existence is this one reality
even though we perceive different aspects of this reality.
Monophysitism
This is an error regarding the two
natures of Jesus (See Hypostatic Union). It states that Jesus' two
natures are combined into one new one; the problem here is that neither
God nor man was represented in Christ but a new third thing. (Other
errors regarding the two natures of Christ are Nestorianism and
Eutychianism.)
Monolatry
The belief that there is more than
one God, but only one is served and worshiped. Mormonism is an
excellent example of monolatry. Mormonism teaches the existence of many
Gods of many worlds, yet worships only the one of this planet.
Therefore, monolatry is a division of polytheism, the belief in many
gods. It is a false teaching contrary to Scripture. See Isaiah 43:10;
44:6,8; 45:5-6.
Monotheism
The belief that there is only one
God in all places at all times. There were none before God and there
will be none after Him. Monotheism is the teaching of the Bible (Isaiah
43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:5-6;
Gal. 4:89).
Moral government theology
A theological error that maintains
that God is not immutable but changes His mind, that He does not
exercise sovereign control over earthly matters, that He does not know
all future events - particularly the free-will choices of individuals,
etc.. It denies that the atonement pays for our sins, denies
Jesus’ substitutionary death, and denies the imputed
righteousness of Christ to the believer. It asserts that people
are capable of keeping the whole Law of God, that there is no depravity
of human nature, and that salvation is up to a person’s free will
choice.
Mormonism
A non-Christian cult begun in 1830
by Joseph Smith. The Mormon church, also known as the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, denies the historic Trinity and
efficacious atonement. Some of its unique doctrines are that God
used to be a man on another world who became a God and came to this
world with one of his wives. We all are literally born in heaven
as spirit brothers and sisters and then inhabit human bodies on
earth. For more information on this cult, please see Cults (on
homepage).
Mortal Sin
In Catholicism, a serious and
willful transgression of God's Law. It involves full knowledge and
intent of the will to commit the sin. If left unrepentant, according to
Catholicism, can damn someone to eternal hell. Mortal sin is more
serious than venial Sin.
Natural knowledge
A term used in describing a type
of knowledge possessed by God. Often it is raised in discussions
dealing with individuals’ free will and God’s infinite
knowledge. God’s natural knowledge would be His knowledge of all
things of potential existence influenced by individuals though not
necessarily in actual existence. God knows this set of knowledge from
all eternity, before the creation of the universe. It is called natural
because it is a natural attribute of God’s existence. See also
Free Knowledge and Middle Knowledge.
Naturalism
The belief that all of human
experience can be described through natural law. It asserts that
biological evolution is true and that there are no supernatural
realities.
Neo-orthodoxy
A focus on existential and
psychological aspects of religious experience and denounces the
literalism of the Bible. Experience with the divine is what makes
scripture real, not biblical revelation, not reason. Neo
orthodoxy is subjective and selective in its "orthodox" positions.
Nestorianism
States that the two natures of
Christ were so separated from each other that they were "not in
contact"; the problem here is that worship of the human Jesus would
then not be allowed. (See also Hypostatic Union, Eutychianism, and
Monophycitism.)
Nun
Especially in the Roman Catholic
Church, those women who consecrate their lives to spiritual service and
various religious orders. They do not marry and are normally
virgins.
Objectivism
A branch of philosophy which
asserts that reality exists apart from the human mind and that the
knowledge of this reality is based upon observation.
Occam's Razor
The philosophical rule that the
simplest explanation is preferred over the more complicated one and
that explanations should be first proposed in relation to concepts that
are already known. Another way of seeing it is to say that the
fewer assumptions that need to be made to support an explanation of
something, the better. The principle is attributed to William
Occam of the fourteenth century.
Occult
Occult means "hidden". It covers
practices that are not approved of by God e.g., astrology (Isaiah
47:13), casting spells (Deut. 18:11), consulting with spirits (Deut.
18:11), magic (Gen. 41:8), sorcery (Exodus. 22:8), witchcraft (Deut.
18:10), and spiritism (Deut. 18:11).
Occult practices such as Ouija
boards, tarot cards, astrology charts, contacting the dead,
séances, etc. are to be avoided by the Christian and Jews alike.
Omnipotence
An attribute of God alone. It is
the quality of having all power (Psalm 115:3). He can do all things
that do not conflict with His holy nature. God has the power to do
anything He wants to.
Omnipresence
An attribute of God alone. It is
the quality of being present in all places at all times (Jer. 23:23.4).
He is not bound by time and space. This does not mean that nature is a
part of God and is, therefore, to be worshiped. Creation is separate
from God, but not independent of Him.
Omniscience
An attribute of God alone. It is
the quality of having all knowledge (Isaiah 40:14). Omnipotence,
Omnipresence, and Omniscience represent the nature of God concerning
His relation to the creation.
Ontological Argument
An attempt to prove God’s
existence first postulated by Anselm. In brief, it states that God is a
being of which no greater thing exists or can be thought of. Therefore,
since we can conceive of God as the greatest of all things that exist,
then God must exist.
Ontology
The study of the nature of being, reality, and substance.
Oracles
Oracles are the divine revelations
given to God's people. God's method of communicating these oracles
varied from dreams and visions (Num. 12:6-8), to wisdom (Prov. 30:1),
and even the Urim and Thummim (Num. 27:21; 1 Sam. 14:337).1
Ordination
In Christianity it is the ceremony
of consecration to ministry. It is usually administered by a
commissioning and a laying on of hands.
Ordo salutis - Latin for
“order of salvation.” Theologically it is the order of
decrees by God in bringing about the salvation of individuals. In the
Reformed camp, the ordo solutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3)
calling, 4) regeneration, 5) faith, 6) repentance, 7) justification, 8)
sanctification, and 9) glorification. In the Arminian camp, the ordo
soluits is 1) calling, 2) faith, 3) repentance, 4) regeneration, 5)
justification, 6) perseverance, 7) glorification.
Original Sin
This is a term used to describe
the effect of Adam's sin on his descendants (Rom. 5:12-23).
Specifically, it is our inheritance of a sinful nature from Adam. The
sinful nature originated with Adam and is passed down from parent to
child. We are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3).
Orthodoxy
Belief in the standards of accepted and true doctrines taught in the Bible. (see Heterodoxy).
______________
1. The Urim and Thummim were
placed in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:30) and were
used as a means of communication with God. They mean "light" and
"perfection". Unfortunately, they are not described anywhere in the
Bible. Some theories maintain that they were twelve stones that made up
part of the High Priest's garments. The process of the communication
with God is not given either.
Panentheism - Rosary
Panentheism
The belief that the universe is contained within God. The universe is a part of God, but not all of God.
Pantheism
This is an identification of the
universe with God. With this view there is a blurring of the
distinction between the Creator and the creation as well as an attack
upon the personality and nature of God. Pantheism tends to equate God
with the process of the universe and states that the universe is God
and God is the universe. This is not true because God is the creator of
the universe (Isaiah 44:24) and therefore separate from it.
Papyrus
A plant growing along the Nile in
Egypt during biblical times. It was used as writing material. Papyrus
scrolls were made by cutting and pressing sections of the papyri plant
together at right angles. The typical maximum length of a scroll was
about 35 feet. The scribe, when using papyrus, would often use the
natural horizontal fibers of the papyrus plant as guidelines. He would
take a blunt instrument and score horizontal lines and then score two
or more vertical lines as margins for the edge of the sheet or to
define columns on it. We get the word "paper" from this word. Many of
the biblical manuscripts were on papyrus.
Parable
An illustrative discourse or story
that uses common events and culture and is meant to convey a meaning or
lesson. Jesus used parables extensively. Some
of the OT parables are Trees Making a King (2 Sam. 12:1-4); The Thistle
and the Cedar (2 Kings 14:9); Israel, a Vine Planted by Water (Ezek.
24:1014), etc. Some NT parables are The Sower (Luke 8:5-8); the
Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13); The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37); The
Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), etc..
Paradise
Biblically, paradise is the place
of uninterrupted bliss. The Garden of Eden was considered a paradise.
Jesus mentioned paradise while on the cross (Luke 23:43) and Paul also
mentioned Paradise (2 Cor. 12:1-4). Some consider paradise to be the
abode of people in the intermediate state while others believe it is
the permanent location of the saved.
Parapsychology
The study of things not generally
explainable by the scientific method. Examples of subjects
studied by parapsychologists would be telepathy, clairvoyance, ghosts,
etc.
Parousia
A Greek term (par-ooo-see-a)
that means arrival or coming. The term is often referred to as the time
of Christs return; hence, the Parousia, i.e., 2 Thess. 2:1.
Pascal's Wager
The argument that believing in God
is the most logical thing to do since if there is a God and you deny
him, then you are in trouble. If there is no god and you accept
him, there is no problem because it doesn't matter. Logically, it
is better to not deny that God exists than to deny he does. There
is truth to this argument, but the problem is that it does not define
which "god" to believe in since in many religions, believing in a
different god brings a punishing judgment. Nevertheless, this
does not excuse a person from at least trying to discover if there is a
God or not and who He might be.
Pedobaptism
The practice of infant baptism.
Pelagianism
The teaching of a monk named
Pelagius in the fifth Century. He taught that man's will was and still
is free to choose good or evil and there is no inherited sin (through
Adam). Every infant born into the world is in the same condition as
Adam before the fall and becomes a sinner because he sins. This is
opposed to the Biblical teaching that we are by nature children of
wrath (Eph. 2:3) and that we sin because we are sinners. Pelagius said
we are able to keep the commandments of God because God has given us
the ability. Therefore, there is no need of redemption and the
crucifixion of Jesus is merely a supreme example of love, humility,
obedience, and sacrifice. This heresy has its relatives in the form of
the cults that deny the total dependence upon God and maintain that
salvation is obtainable through our own efforts. (Compare to
Arminianism and Calvinism.)
Penance
In Catholicism, a means by which
all sins committed after baptism are removed. The means are assigned by
a priest and usually consist of special prayers or deeds performed by
the sinner.
Pentateuch
This word is from the Greek penta,
"five" and teuchos, "a tool". It refers to the first five books of the
Bible known as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
All five were authored by Moses and are also known as "the Law".
Pentecost
The word comes from the Greek
which means fifty. So, Pentecost was a celebration on the fiftieth day
after Passover. It was a culmination of the feast of weeks (Exodus
34:22,23). Pentecost in the NT is the arrival of the Holy Spirit for
the church (Acts 2). At Pentecost the disciples of Jesus were gathered
and upon the filling of the Holy Spirit, they heard a great wind and
spoke in tongues as tongues of fire that settled upon them. The
significance of the fire can be found in recognizing it as a symbol of
the dwelling of the Spirit of God (Exodus 19:18; 1 Pet. 4:14).
Permissive decree
In Christian theology, those
decrees (ordained events) of God that are different from His direct
decrees. An example of a permissive decree would be the fall of
Adam into sin. God does not desire sin, yet He permitted its
occurrence. He decreed that it would occur by permission, not by
direct action of His will. A direct decree of God would be the
incarnation of the Son.
Perseverance
To endure to the end.
Theologically, the term perseverance of the saints is the teaching that
salvation cannot be lost, that the saints will preserver to the end.
Person
A variety of definitions can be
offered from a human being to a legal organization with rights.
In biblical reference it is generically a fleshly individual capable of
free choice. In reference to the Trinity as three persons,
the word refers to the attributes of personhood: self-awareness,
choice, can reason, love, possessing a will and consciousness,
etc. Humans possess these attributes as well.
Pharisee
The Pharisees were a Jewish sect
from the second century B.C. to the first century A.D. They considered
the entire old Testament to be authoritative, unlike the Sadducees who
only accepted the first five books. The Pharisees believed in life
after death, the resurrection, the existence of angels and demons, and
that the way to God was through keeping the law. "According to
Josephus, the Pharisees were the group most influential with the
people, were noted for their accurate and therefore authoritative
interpretations of Jewish law, and had their own traditions and way of
life to which they were faithful. They had a simple standard of living
and cultivated harmonious relations with others.1
Philosophy
The study of seeking knowledge and
wisdom in understanding the nature of the universe, man, ethics, art,
love, purpose, etc.
Pluralism
The idea that reality consists of
different kinds of things. The term is used in different fields
of study. Social pluralism deals with the many different types of
social structure. Cultural pluralism deals with the many
different types of culture, etc.
Pneumatology
The study of the Holy Spirit, His
person, works, relation to the Father and Son, relation to man,
ministry in salvation and sanctification, conviction, and indwelling.
Polytheism
The teaching that there are many
gods. In the Ancient Near East the nation of Israel was faced with the
problem of the gods of other nations creeping into the theology of
Judaism and corrupting the true revelation of God. Baal was the god of
rain and exercised a powerful influence over the religion of many pagan
cultures and even into the Jewish community. This is so because rain
was essential to survival. Rain meant the crops would grow, the animals
would have water, and the people would be able to eat. If there was no
rain, death prevailed. Such visible realities as rain, drought, crops,
and death often carried the spiritual character of the nation of Israel
into spiritual adultery: worshiping other gods. The Bible does
recognize the existence of other gods, but only as false gods (1 Cor.
8:5-6; Gal. 4:8-9) and clearly teaches that there is only one true God
(Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8;). (See
Monotheism.)
Pope
In Catholicism, the Pope is supposed to be Christ's representative on earth. He is the alleged, visible successor of Peter.
Postmillennialism
The belief that through the
preaching of the word of God, the entire world will be converted to
Christianity and this will usher in the kingdom of Christ. This is when
Christ will return.
Postmodernism
A relativistic system of
observation and thought that denies absolutes and objectivity.
Postmodernism has influenced theology, art, culture, architecture,
society, film, technology, and economics. Traditional social,
art, social, and cultural, constructs are discarded and reinterpreted
in relativistic terms. An example of postmodern thought would be
the validation of homosexuality as an equally legitimate sexual
expression over and against the Judeo-Christian ethic of heterosexual
monogamy. In other words, previously taboo practices and beliefs
are given equal validity to traditional values and norms often to the
point of displacing the latter. This equalization and
displacement are not restricted to religious realms, but affect all
circles of human interaction.
Pragmatism
A method in philosophy where value is determined by practical results.
Prayer
A privilege and an obligation of
the Christian where we communicate with God. It is how we convey our
confession (1 John 1:9), requests (1 Tim. 2:1-3), intercessions (James
5:15), thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6), etc., to our holy God. We are
commanded to pray (1 Thess. 5:17).
Some personal requirements of
prayer are a pure heart (Psalm 66:18), belief in Christ (John 14:13),
and that the prayer be according to God's will (1 John 5:13). We can
pray standing (Neh. 9:5), kneeling (Ezra 9:5), sitting (1 Chron.
17:16-27), bowing (Exodus 34:8), and with lifted hands (1 Tim. 2:8).
Pre-Adamites
The teaching that there was a race
of people before Adam and Eve lived in the Garden and that the fall of
Satan caused a widespread destruction of the world. The result of this
destruction was so vast that the world needed to be re-made with Adam
and Eve being the first of the new order.
Pre-existence
The teaching that before our
existence here on earth, we had a prior existence. Biblically, we do
not pre-exist. Our beginning is at our conception. Many aberrant groups
teach pre-existence such as the Mormons and the Shepherds Chapel. Also,
all groups that teach reincarnation affirm the idea of pre-existence.
Predestine, Predestination
The doctrine that God has
foreordained all things which will come to pass yet He is not the
author of sin. He does, however, use sinful things for His glory and
purpose. For example, the crucifixion was brought about by sinful men
who unjustly put Jesus to death (Acts 4:27); yet, in that death, we are
reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10).
Predestination maintains that God
is the one who decides who will be saved (Rom. 9:16) and that it is not
up to the desire of the person (John 1:13). God is the one who ordains
the Christian into forgiveness, "...and as many as had been appointed
to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48). Also, "For whom He foreknew, He
also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He
might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined,
these He also called; and who He called, these He also justified; and
whom He justified, these He also glorified," (Rom. 8:29-30). Further
verses to examine are Eph. 1:4,11; Rom. 9. (See also Election and
Sovereignty.)
Premillennialism
This is a teaching concerning the
end times (eschatology). It says that there is a future millennium
(1000 years) where Christ will rule and reign over the earth. At the
beginning of the millennium Satan and his angels will be bound and
peace will exist on the entire earth. At the end of the 1000 years
Satan will be released in order to raise an army against Jesus. Jesus
will destroy them and then the final judgment will take place with the
new heavens and the new earth being made. In the very early church
premillennialism, then known as chiliasm, was widely accepted.
Preterism
A method of the interpreting the book of the Revelation as a
description of conditions in the 1st century A.D. Preterists see the
book as a protest in apocalyptic terms against the tyranny of Imperial
Rome, not as a prophecy of end-time conditions and events.
Preterition
The act of passing over something,
or neglecting it. In theology, it is the Reformed doctrine that God
passed over people by not electing them into salvation. Instead, only
those elected to salvation will be saved and passed over all others.
Priest
A person having the ability to
perform certain religious rites, sacraments. Generally, a priest stands
between God and Man and administers the ceremonial rites on behalf of
the individuals as an offering to God. In many churches (Catholic), the
priest is below the Bishop in ecclesiastical order and rank.
Prophet
Someone who is the mouthpiece of
God. He stands between God and man to communicate to man the word of
God. When the prophet spoke as the mouthpiece he was inspired and
without error. The prophet, though, is not a puppet or a mindless
repeater of what he hears. Instead, he retains his own will, mind, and
thoughts as he speaks for God. God would put His words in their mouths
(Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9). A prophet was God's servant (Zech. 1:6) and
messenger (2 Chron. 36:15).
The prophecies fell into three
categories: concerning the destiny of Israel, the messianic prophecies,
and eschatological prophecies. The term Law and Prophets refers to the
writings of the OT divided into two categories. The Law is the
Pentateuch, or Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
The Prophets are all the rest of the OT books.
Propitiation
This means the turning away of
wrath by an offering. It is similar to expiation but expiation does not
carry the nuances involving wrath. For the Christian the propitiation
was the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. It turned away the wrath of
God so that He could pass "over the sins previously committed," (Rom.
3:25). It was the Father who sent the Son to be the propitiation (1
John 4:10) for all (1 John 2:2).
Purgatory
An incorrect doctrine of the Roman
Catholic Church. Purgatory is the belief that there exists a place
after death where some of the sins of people are purged through
suffering. After a period of time corresponding to the suffering
necessary for the sins committed, the person is then set free and
enters heaven. "Gifts or services rendered to the church, prayers by
the priests, and masses provided by relatives or friends in behalf of
the deceased can shorten, alleviate or eliminate the sojourn of the
soul in purgatory."1
This is an unbiblical doctrine
rejected by the Protestant church. It reflects the misunderstanding of
the atonement of Christ as well as adding insult to the finished work
of the cross. The error of purgatory is the teaching that we might
perfect ourselves and remove sin through our sufferings. If that were
possible, then why did Christ need to die? Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not
set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained
through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)
Additionally, on the cross Jesus
said, "It is finished" (John 19:30). In the Greek, this was an
accounting term which meant a debt was paid in full. If the payment for
our sins was paid in full on the cross, then how could purgatory be a
reality -- especially when the scriptures don't mention it and even
contradict it: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to
face judgment," (Heb. 9:27).
Rapture
The rapture is an eschatological
(end times) event whereupon the return of Christ the true believers who
are "alive and remain shall be caught up together with them [those who
already died as Christians] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air..." (1 Thess. 4:17). This is the time of the resurrection where the
Christian receives his resurrected body. First to receive their new
bodies are those who have died as Christians, and then "those who are
alive and remain."
There is much debate over the time
of the rapture. Does it occur at the beginning, in the middle, or at
the end of the tribulation period? (See Tribulation.)
Rationalism
A branch of philosophy where truth is determined by reason.
Reconcile, Reconciliation
Reconciliation is changing for the
better a relationship between two or more persons. Theologically it
refers to the change of relationship between God and man. We are
naturally children of wrath (Eph. 2:3), and are at enmity with God
(Eph. 2:11-15); but, "...we were reconciled to God through the death of
His Son..." (Rom. 5:10). Because of the death of Jesus, the Christian's
relationship with God is changed for the better. We are now able to
have fellowship with Him (1 John 1:3) whereas before we could not. So,
we are reconciled to Him (Rom. 5:10-11). The problem of sin that
separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) has been addressed and removed in
the cross. It was accomplished by God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:18).
Redemption
Redemption means to free someone
from bondage. It often involves the paying of a ransom, a price that
makes redemption possible. The Israelites were redeemed from Egypt. We
were redeemed from the power of sin and the curse of the Law (Gal.
3:13) through Jesus (Rom. 3:24; Col. 1:14). We were bought with a price
(1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23).
Regeneration
The act of God whereby He renews
the spiritual condition of a sinner. It is a spiritual change
brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit so that the person then
possesses new life, eternal life. Regeneration is a change in our
moral and spiritual nature where justification is a change in our
relationship with God. Also, sanctification is the work of God in
us to make us more like Jesus. Regeneration is the beginning of
that change. It means to be born again.
Reincarnation
The belief in the birth and
rebirth of a person's soul over and over again in different human
bodies throughout history. Some forms of reincarnation include
incarnations into animals, plants, or inanimate objects. The
purpose of reincarnation is to allow the individual to learn spiritual
lessons through life so that he/she may return to God from whence the
soul came. Reincarnation is closely tied to Karma.
Relativism
The view that truth is relative
and not absolute. Truth varies from people to people, time to
time and there are no absolutes.
Religion
An organized system of belief that
generally seeks to understand purpose, meaning, goals, and methods of
spiritual things. These spiritual things can be God, people in
relation to God, salvation, after life, purpose of life, order of the
cosmos, etc.
Repentance
To repent means to turn. In the NT
repentance means to turn from sin. We were called by God to turn from
sin. In fact, all men everywhere are commanded by God to repent of
their sins (Acts 17:30). God's longsuffering leads us to repentance (2
Pet. 3:9) as does His kindness (Rom. 2:4).
There is true and false
repentance, "For the sorrow that is according to the will of God
produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the
sorrow of the world produces death," (2 Cor. 7:10).
Resurrection, resurrection bodies
Resurrection means to be raised
from the dead (John 5:28,29). The word is used in different contexts in
the Bible. Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11:43). This is a
resurrection, but it is not part of the resurrection that occurs when
we receive our new bodies when Christ returns (1 Thess. 4:13-18), on
the last day (John 6:39-44) when the last trumpet is blown (1 Cor.
15:51-55). Lazarus died again. The resurrection of Jesus is promissory
in that as we know He was raised, so we will be raised also. In that
context, Jesus is the only one who has received a resurrected body.
That is why He is called the first-fruit from the dead (1 Cor.
15:20-23). We will receive our bodies either at the rapture or when
Jesus returns to earth.
The resurrected body is not
subject to death or sin. We know very little about it except what was
manifested by Jesus after His resurrection; namely, that He was able to
move about as He desired -- in and out of rooms without the use of
doors. Other than that, the rest is conjecture. (See 1 Cor. 15).
Revelation
This means the disclosure of
something that was unknown. There are two types of revelation: natural
and special. Natural revelation is that which is revealed about God
through what we can see in creation (Rom. 1:20 ). Through creation we
may learn that there is a God, that He is in control, that He has an
order, and that He is concerned for our welfare. However, through
natural revelation, we are not able to discover the plan of salvation.
That comes from special revelation.
Special revelation is that which
is given to us through Prophets, the Bible, and even visions and dreams
(Num. 12:6-8). The ultimate in revelation is the incarnation of Jesus
because He came to reveal the Father to us (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22;
Heb. 1:1-3) and to communicate to us the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4 by which
comes salvation.
Righteousness
Righteousness is an attribute of
moral purity belonging to God alone (John 17:25 ). It is He alone who
is truly righteous. No one in the world is righteous in the eyes of the
Lord, that is, except the Christian. We are counted righteous in the
eyes of God when we receive Jesus by faith (Phil. 3:9). Our
righteousness is based on what Jesus did on the cross. The
righteousness that was Christ's is counted to us. We, then, are seen as
righteous in the eyes of God. Though we are actually worthy of
damnation, we are made righteous (Isaiah 61:10) by Jesus' sacrifice on
the cross. As a result, we will spend eternity in the presence of the
holy, pure, loving, kind, gentle, and righteous God who is our
righteousness.
Rosary
In Catholicism, a string of beads
containing five sets with ten small beads. Each set of ten is separated
by another bead. It also contains a crucifix. It is used in saying
special prayers, usually to Mary where the rosary is used to count the
prayers.
___________________
1. "Achtemeier, Paul J., Th.D., Harper's Bible Dictionary, (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) 1985.
Sacerdotalism - Synoptic Gospels
Sacerdotalism
The teaching that ordination
imparts special abilities/powers necessary for the operation of the
ministry. Also, the teaching that grace is administered through
the one so ordained.
Sacrament
A visible manifestation of the
word. The bread and wine in the Lord's Supper are considered sacraments
in that they are visible manifestations of the covenant promise of our
Lord: "In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This
cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you,'"
(Luke 22:20).
God, in the OT, used visible signs
along with His spoken word. These visible signs, then, were considered
to have significance. "Among the OT sacraments the rites of
circumcision and the Passover were stressed as being the OT
counterparts of baptism (Col. 1:10-12) and the Lord's Supper (1 Cor.
5:7)."
Sadducee
A group of religious leaders in
the Jewish religion from the second century B.C. to the first century
A.D. In Hebrew their names mean "the righteous ones." They were smaller
in size than the group of the Pharisees. The Sadducees were generally
on the upper class, often in a priestly line, and the Pharisees in the
middle class, usually merchants and tradesmen. The Sadducees accepted
only the Torah, the first five books of the old Testament, as
authoritative. They held rigidly to the old Testament law and a denying
the life after death, reward and punishment after death, the
resurrection, and the existence of angels and demons. They controlled
the temple and its services and were unpopular with the majority of the
Jewish population.
Salvation
Salvation is the "saving" of a
sinner from the righteous judgment of God. When someone appeals to God
and seeks forgiveness in Jesus, his sins are forgiven. He is cleansed.
His relationship with God is restored, and he is made a new creature (2
Cor. 5:17). All of this is the work of God, not man. Salvation is a
free gift (Rom. 6:23).
We are saved from damnation. When
anyone sins, and we all have (Rom. 3:23; 6:23), he deserves eternal
separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). Yet, because of His love and mercy,
God became a man (John 1:1,14 ) and bore the sins of the world in His
body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 2:2). We are forgiven when we
realize that there is nothing we can do to earn the favor of God and we
put our trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross (Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Cor.
15:1-4). Only God saves. The only thing we bring to the cross is our
sin. Both God the Father (Isaiah 14:21)
and Jesus (John 4:42) are called Savior; that is, deliverer from sin.
Remember, it was the Father who sent the Son (1 John 4:10) to be the
Savior.
Sanctify, Sanctification
To sanctify means to be set apart
for a holy use. God has set us apart for the purpose of sanctification
not impurity (1 Thess. 4:7) and being such we are called to do good
works (Eph. 2:10).
Christians are to sanctify Christ
as Lord in their hearts (1 Pet. 3:15). God sanctified Israel as His own
special nation (Ezek. 27:28). People can be sanctified (Exodus
19:10,14) and so can a mountain (Exodus 19:23), as can the Sabbath day
(Gen. 2:3), and every created thing is sanctified through the word of
God and prayer (1 Tim. 4:4).1
Sanctification follows
justification. In justification our sins are completely forgiven in
Christ. Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us
more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire. True
sanctification is impossible apart from the atoning work of Christ on
the cross because only after our sins are forgiven can we begin to lead
a holy life.
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was a council of 71
individuals, around the time of Christ that was comprised of Pharisees
and Sadducees who governed the Jewish nation while under the rule of
Rome. It often served as a court to settle legal and religious matters.
Scholasticism
The method of study in the Middle Ages which was used to support the doctrines of the church through reason and logic.
Scriptures
The scriptures are, quite simply,
the Bible which consists of 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 in the
New Testament. Each one is inspired, without error, and is completely
accurate in all things it addresses. The entire Bible, though written
by many people over thousands of years is harmonious in all its
teachings. This is because each book of the Bible is inspired.
Second Coming, The
The Second Coming is a term
applied to the return of Christ. If there is a second coming, it
follows that there must have been a first. The first coming of Christ
was His incarnation when He was born. At the Second Coming of Christ
every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7) as He descends from heavens in the
clouds (Matt. 24:30; Mark 14:6).
Septuagint, The (LXX)
The Septuagint is the Greek
translation of the Old Testament. The Old Testament was originally
written in Hebrew. It was during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus
(285-246 B.C.) that the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible,
were translated into Greek. Shortly afterwards the rest of the Old
Testament was also translated. This translation was done by
approximately 70 translators. Hence, the Septuagint is known by the
letters LXX, the Roman numerals for seventy.
Sin
Sin is anything that is contrary
to the law or will of God. For example: if you lie, you have sinned.
Why? Because God has said not to lie (Exodus 20:16). If you do what God
has forbidden, then you have sinned. In addition, if you do not do what
God has commanded, you sin (James 4:17). Either way, the result is
eternal separation from God (Isaiah 59:2). Sin is lawlessness (1 John
1:3) and unrighteousness (1 John 5:17). Sin leads to bondage (Rom.
6:14-20) and death (Rom. 6:23).
Paul, in the book of Romans,
discusses sin. He shows that everyone, both Jew and Greek, is under sin
(Rom. 3:9). He shows that sin is not simply something that is done, but
a condition of the heart (Rom. 3:10-12). In Ephesians Paul says that we
are "by nature children of wrath" (Eph. 2:3). Yet, "while we were still
helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly," (Rom. 5:6).
Skepticism
Skepticism is the philosophical
approach that denies that the world can be objectively known in any
absolute sense. It further denies the true knowability of
God.
Sola Fide
The teaching that faith alone saves a person when he places his faith and trust in the sacrificial work of Christ.
Sola Gratia
The teaching that God pardons believers without any merit of their own based solely on the sacrificial work of Christ.
Sola Scriptura
The teaching that the Scriptures contain all that is necessary for salvation and proper living before God.
Son of God
This is a title of Jesus. It
implies His deity (John 5:18) because the title is one of equality with
God. In the OT it was figuratively applied to Israel (Exo 4:22). In the
NT it is applied to Christ (Luke 1:35). It has many facets, for
example: It shows that He is to be honored equally with the Father
(John 5:22-23). That He is to be worshiped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; John
9:35-38; Heb. 1:6); called God (John 20:28; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:8); prayed
to (Acts 7:55-60; 1 Cor. 1:1-2).
Soteriology
The study of the doctrine of
salvation. It is derived from the Greek word soterious which means
salvation. Some of the subjects of soteriology are the atonement,
imputation, and regeneration.
Soul Sleep
The teaching that when a person
dies his soul ceases to exist. On the final judgment day he is brought
back to life and judged. This is not a heresy, only an error of
interpretation. The Bible is not specific on the condition of the
person between death and resurrection. However, there are
scriptures that strongly suggest man's continued self-awareness and
continued existence after death (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil.
1:21-23).
Sovereignty
The right of God to do as He
wishes (Psalm 50:1; Isaiah 40:15; 1 Tim. 6:15) with His creation. This
implies that there is no external influence upon Him and that He also
has the ability to exercise His power and control according to His
will.
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are gifts given by
Jesus to His church. Spiritual gifts are discussed in 1 Cor. 12 - 14
and Rom. 12. They vary in degree and nature. There are some that are
obviously supernatural in the usage: speaking in tongues, discerning of
spirits, healing, etc. There are others that are not so supernatural:
administrations, help, admonition, etc.
There is debate over the
continuance of the gifts. Some say that the gifts have ceased because
we now have the Bible. They argue that the gifts were used for the
building of the body of Christ during the beginning of the Christian
church when the Bible was not complete. Since the Bible is complete
there is no further need for the revelatory gifts like speaking in
tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Others maintain that the
gifts are all for today though to a lesser degree. There are good
arguments on both sides.
Subjectivism
The teaching that the individual
is the source and judge of all religious knowledge based upon his own
knowledge and experience.
Supralapsarianism
An issue within Reformed theology
dealing with what may have happened in God's mind regarding the logical
order of His considering whom to elect into salvation before the
foundation of the world. The word means "before the fall."
This position holds that God first decided that he would save some
people and then second that he would allow sin into the world. By
contrast, the infralapsarian ("after the fall") position is the reverse
in that it holds that God first decided he would allow sin into the
world and second that he would then save people from it.
Synagogue
A Jewish house of worship.
Traditionally the first synagogues were established during the
Babylonian exile. The early synagogues had a place in the center of the
room where the sacred scrolls were kept and from where they were read.
It is from the worship order established in synagogues that our modern
church patterns of reading and expounding upon scripture from the
pulpit are derived.
Synergism
The teaching that we cooperate
with God in our efforts of salvation. This is opposed to monergism
which is the teaching that God is the sole agent involved in salvation.
Cults are synergistic in that they teach that God's grace combined with
our efforts are what makes forgiveness of sins possible.
Synoptic Gospels
The first three gospels: Matthew,
Mark, and Luke. They are referred to as the synoptic gospels because of
their great similarity.
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1. Adapted from Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 470.
Tabernacle - Tritheism
Tabernacle
The tabernacle was the structure
ordered built by God so that He might dwell among His people (Exodus
25:8). It was to be mobile and constructed to exacting specifications.
It is referred to in Exodus 25-27, 30-31, 35-40; Num. 3:25ff.; 4:4 ff.;
7:1ff. In all of scripture more space is devoted to the tabernacle than
any other topic. Many books have been written on the spiritual
significance of the tabernacle, how it represented Christ, and how it
foretold the gospel. The tabernacle consisted of the outer court and
the tabernacle. The outer court was entered from the East. The
outer court contained the altar of burnt offering (Exodus 27:1-8) and
the bronze laver (Exodus 30:17-21). The tabernacle stood within the
court (Exodus 26:1ff.). It was divided into two main divisions: the
holy place and the holy of holies which were separated by a veil
(Exodus 26:31 ff.), the same veil that was torn from top to bottom at
the crucifixion of Jesus (Matt. 27:51). Where the veil had represented
the barrier separating sinful man from a holy God (Heb. 9:8), its
destruction represented the free access sinners have to God through the
blood of Christ (Heb. 10:19ff.).
The tabernacle was a place of
sacrifice. The holy place contained three things: first, a table on
which was placed the shewbread, the bread of the presence (Exodus
25:23-30), second, a golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40) and third, an
altar of incense (Exodus 30:1-7). In the Holy of Holies was the ark of
the covenant which contained the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:16). The
holy of holies was entered only once a year by the high priest who
offered sacrifice for the nation of Israel.
Teleological argument
An attempted proof of God's
existence based upon the premise that the universe is designed and
therefore needs a designer: God.
Teleology
The study of final causes, results. Having a definite purpose, goal, or design.
Temptation
That which moves us to sin. God
cannot be tempted (James 1:13). But we can be tempted by our lusts
(James 1:13-15), money (1 Tim. 6:9), lack of self examination (Gal.
6:1), and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:16), to name a few. We
are commanded to pray to be delivered from temptation (Matt. 6:13) for
the Lord is capable of delivering us from it (2 Pet. 2:9).
Testament
The word testament is a derivation
of the Latin word testamentum, which was used in Jerome's Vulgate to
translate the Hebrew word b'rith, covenant. The Greek equivalent is
diatheke, which also means covenant. The word has come to be used in
describing the two main divisions of the Bible: The Old Testament and
The New Testament. It should be understood then, that the Bible is
generally to be looked at as a covenant between God and man.
Tetragrammaton (YHWH)
This is a term applied to the four
Hebrew letters that make up the name of God as revealed to Moses in
Exodus 3:14. God said to Moses, "And God said to Moses, I AM WHO
I AM; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has
sent me to you." YHWH makes up the base of the verb "to be" from
which God designated His own name as "I AM." In English the
letters are basically equivalent to YHWH. It is from these four letters
that the name of God is derived and has been rendered as Yahweh and
Jehovah. The true pronunciation of God's name has been lost through
lack of use, because the Jews, who were first given the name of God,
would not pronounce it out of their awe and respect for God.
Theism
The teaching that there is a God
and that He is actively involved in the affairs of the world. This does
not necessitate the Christian concept of God, but includes it. (Compare
to Deism)
Theodicy
The study of the problem of
evil in the world. The issue is raised in light of the sovereignty of
God. How could a holy and loving God who is in control of all things
allow evil to exist? The answer has been debated for as long as the
church has existed. We still do not have a definitive answer and the
Bible does not seek to justify God's actions.
It is clear that God is sovereign,
and that He has willed the existence of both good and evil, and that
all of this is for His own glory. Prov. 16:4 says, "The LORD works out
everything for his own ends -- even the wicked for a day of disaster";
Isaiah 45:7 says, "I form the light and create darkness, I bring
prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things."
Theology
The study of God, His nature,
attributes, character, abilities, revelation, etc. True theology is
found in the Bible which is the self-revelation of God.
Theophany
A theophany is a visible
manifestation of God usually restricted to the Old Testament. God has
appeared in dreams (Gen. 20:3-7; Gen. 28:12-17), visions (Gen. 15:1-21;
Isaiah 6:1-13), as an angel (Gen. 16:7-13; 18:1-33), etc.
There is a manifestation known as
the Angel of the Lord (Judges 6:20f.) and seems to have characteristics
of God Himself (Gen. 16:7-9; 18:1-2; Exodus 3:2-6; Joshua 5:14; Judges
2:1-5; 6:11). Such characteristics as having the name of God, being
worshiped, and recognized as God has led many scholars to conclude that
the angel of the Lord is really Jesus manifested in the Old Testament.
This does not mean that Jesus is an angel. The word "angel" means
messenger.
Other scriptures that describe
more vivid manifestations of God are Gen. 17:1; 18:1; Ex. 6:2-3;
24:9-11; 33:20; Num. 12:6-8; Acts 7:2. For further information on
theophanies see the Plurality Study.
Tithe
A portion of ones earnings,
usually one tenth, that are given to those who perform the work of the
Lord since it belongs to the Lord (Lev. 27:30-33). Those who received
tithes the OT consisted of priests (Num. 18:21-32). Further OT
references are Gen. 14:20; 28:22; 2 Chron. 31:5f; Mal. 3:7-12).
In the NT there is no command to
tithe a tenth (since we are not under law but grace). But the tithe is
mentioned in Luke 18:9-14; 1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 8).
Total Depravity
The doctrine that fallen man is
completely touched by sin and that he is completely a sinner. He is not
as bad as he could be, but in all areas of his being, body, soul,
spirit, mind, emotions, etc., he is touched by sin. In that sense he is
totally depraved. Because man is depraved, nothing good can come out of
him (Rom. 3:10-12) and God must account the righteousness of Christ to
him. This righteousness is obtainable only through faith in Christ and
what He did on the cross.
Total depravity is generally believed by the Calvinist groups and rejected by the Arminian groups.
Transcendence
A theological term referring to
the relation of God to creation. God is "other," "different" from His
creation. He is independent and different from His creatures (Isaiah
55:8-9). He transcends His creation. He is beyond it and not limited by
it or to it.
Transfiguration
This refers to the mysterious
change that occurred to Jesus on the mount: "Six days later, Jesus took
with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high
mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his
face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white," (Matt.
17:1-2). The transfiguration preceded Jesus' time on the cross and may
have been the Father's preparatory provision to strengthen Jesus as He
prepared to bear the sins of the world.
Transubstantiation
The theory accepted by
Catholicism, that in the Lord's Supper, the elements are transformed
into the actual body and blood of Jesus. However, there is no
perceptible or measurable change in the elements. The
transformation occurs during the Mass at the elevation of the elements
by the priest.
Tribulation, The
According to premillennialism,
this is a seven year period that immediately precedes the return of
Christ and the millennial kingdom of His rule which lasts for 1000
years. It will be a time of great peace (the first 3 years) and great
war (the second 3 years) when the Antichrist rules over many nations.
At the midpoint of the tribulation (at the end of the first 3 years)
the Antichrist will proclaim himself worthy of worship. Many will bow
down and worship the Antichrist and many will refuse. Those who refuse
to worship the Antichrist will be killed. The second half of the
tribulation is called the Great Tribulation. It will involve the whole
world (Rev. 3:10). There will be catastrophes all over the world. (See
Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 17.)
Trichotomy
The teaching that the human consists of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. (Compare with Dichotomy.)
Trinity
The word "trinity" is not found in
the Bible. Nevertheless, it is a word used to describe one fact the
Bible teaches about God: Our God is a Trinity. This means there are
three persons in one God, not three Gods. The persons are known as the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and they have all always existed
as three separate persons. The person of the Father is not the same
person as the Son. The person of the Son is not the same person as the
Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit is not the same person as
the Father. If you take away any one, there is no God. God has always
been a trinity from all eternity: "From everlasting to everlasting,
Thou art God," (Psalm 90:2).
God is not one person who took
three forms, i.e., the Father who became the Son, who then became the
Holy Spirit. This belief is known today as the "Jesus Only Movement".
It is taught by the United Apostolic and United Pentecostal churches,
and is an incorrect teaching.
Nor is God only one person as the
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Way International, and the Christadelphians
teach (These groups are classified as non-Christian cults). For proof
that there is more than one person in the Godhead, see the Plurality
Study.
The Bible says there is only one
God. Yet, it says Jesus is God (John 1:1,14); it says the Father is God
(Phil. 1:2); and it says the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Since the
Son speaks to the Father, they are separate persons. Since the Holy
Spirit speaks also (Acts 13:2), He is a separate person. There is one
God who exists in three persons.
The following chart should help you understand how the Trinity doctrine is derived.
T H E T R I N I T Y
Description
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Called God
Phil. 1:2
John 1:1,14; Col. 2:9
Acts 5:3-4
Creator
Isaiah 64:8; 44:24
John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17
Job 33:4, 26:13
Resurrects
1 Thess. 1:10
John 2:19, 10:17
Rom. 8:11
Indwells
2 Cor. 6:16
Col. 1:27
John 14:17
Everywhere
1 Kings 8:27
Matt. 28:20
Psalm 139:7-10
All knowing
1 John 3:20
John 16:30; 21:17
1 Cor. 2:10-11
Sanctifies
1 Thess. 5:23
Heb. 2:11
1 Pet. 1:2
Life giver
Gen. 2:7: John 5:21
John 1:3; 5:21
2 Cor. 3:6,8
Fellowship
1 John 1:3
1 Cor. 1:9
2 Cor. 13:14; Phil. 2:1
Eternal
Psalm 90:2
Micah 5:1-2
Rom. 8:11; Heb. 9:14
A Will
Luke 22:42
Luke 22:42
1 Cor. 12:11
Speaks
Matt. 3:17; Luke 9:25
Luke 5:20; 7:48
Acts 8:29; 11:12; 13:2
Love
John 3:16
Eph. 5:25
Rom. 15:30
Searches the heart
Jer. 17:10
Rev. 2:23
1 Cor. 2:10
We belong to
John 17:9
John 17:6
Savior
1 Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10
2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:4; 3:6
We serve
Matt. 4:10
Col. 3:24
Believe in
John 14:1
John 14:1
Gives joy
John 15:11
John 14:7
Judges
John 8:50
John 5:21,30
Type, Typology
A type is a representation by one
thing of another. Adam was a type of Christ (Rom. 5:14) and so was
Isaac (Heb. 11:19). The Passover was a type of Christ (1 Cor. 5:7).
There are many types in the Bible and most of them are too extensive
and deep to be listed.
An example of a typology follows: Isaac a type of Jesus.
Description
ISAAC
JESUS
Only begotten Son
Genesis 22:2
John 3:16
Offered on a mountain, hill
22:2
Matt. 21:10
Took donkey to place of sacrifice
22:3
Matt. 21:2-11
Two men went with him
22:3
Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33
Three day journey. Jesus: three days in the grave
22:4
Luke 24:13-21
Son carried wood on his back up hill
22:6
John 19:17
God will provide for Himself the lamb
22:8
John 1:29
Son was offered on the wood
22:9
Luke 23:33
Ram in thicket of thorns
22:13
John 19:2
The seed will be multiplied
22:17
John 1:12; Isaiah 53:10
Abraham went down, Son didn't, "not mentioned."
22:19
Luke 23:46
Servant gets bride for son
24:1-4
Eph. 5:22-32; Rev.21:2,9;22:17
The bride was a beautiful virgin
24:16
2 Cor. 11:2
Servant offered ten gifts to bride*
24:10
Rom. 6:23; 12; 1 Cor. 12
Tritheism
Tritheism is the teaching that the
Godhead is really three separate beings forming three separate gods.
This erring view is often misplaced for the doctrine of the Trinity
which states that there is but one God in three persons: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
Uncial - Yin and Yang
Uncial
The Greek characters of upper
case: ABGDE, etc. Different copies of Greek manuscripts appear in
Uncial form. Minuscules are the lower case letters of the Greek
alphabet order and rank.
Unitarianism
A theological error that holds to
the unity of God by denying the Trinity, the deity of Jesus, and the
deity of the Holy Spirit. Unitarians teach the unity of God and
hold to a common system of believing as you will about God, salvation,
sin, etc. They often profess to have no dogma. Unitarians
also hold to the universal redemption of all mankind.
Universalism
The teaching that all people will
eventually be saved through the universal redemption of Jesus.
Some universalists teach that even the devil, after a time of
punishment, will be redeemed.
Vellum
A material used for writing, like
paper. It was made from animal skins, usually from cattle, sheep,
goats, and antelope. The hair was scraped off of the skins, then they
were washed, smoothed, and dressed with chalk. Vellum was used until
the late Middle Ages until paper was introduced into Europe from China
via Arab traders. Vellum lasted longer than papyrus and was tougher,
but the edges sometimes became torn and tattered. The two oldest
parchment manuscripts are the Codex Vaticanus (from Egypt) and the
Codex Sinaiticus.
Venial Sin
In Catholicism, a sin but not as bad as mortal Sin. It lessens the grace of God within a person's soul.
Vicarious Atonement
The theory of the atonement which
states that Christ's death was "legal." It satisfied the legal
justice of God. Jesus bore the penalty of sin when he died on the
cross. His death was a substitution for the believers. In
other words, he substituted himself for them upon the cross.
Jesus hung in our place as He bore our sin in his body on the
cross. See 1 Pet. 2:24.
Word, The
In Greek the word for "word" is
logos. It is used in many places, but of special interest is how it is
used of Jesus. In John 1:1 it says, "In the beginning was the Word and
the Word was with God and the Word was God." The Word is divine and the
word "became flesh and dwelt among us," (John 1:14). In other words,
Jesus is the Word of God who represents God to us and us to God.
The term is also used to describe
the Scriptures (Rom. 9:6; Heb. 4:12), Christ's teaching (Luke 5:1), and
the gospel message (Acts 4:31).
The Word of God:
• is
inspired: "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,"
(2 Tim. 3:16).
• is truth: "all thy commandments are truth," (Psalm 119:151).
• makes
free: "...If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of
mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,"
(John 8:32).
• produces faith: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," (Rom. 10:17, NASB).
• judges:
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any
two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and
spirit, of both joints and marrow,
and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart," (Heb.
4:12).
Worship
The obligation of God's
creation to give to Him all honor, praise, adoration, and glory due Him
because He is the holy and divine creator. Worship is to be given to
God only (Exodus 20:3; Matt. 4:10). Jesus, being God in flesh (John
1:1,14 ; Col. 2:9), was worshipped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; John 9:35-38;
Heb. 1:6).
Wrath
Biblically, it is the divine
judgment upon sin and sinners. It does not merely mean that it is a
casual response by God to ungodliness, but carries the meaning of
hatred, revulsion, and indignation. God is by nature love (1 John
4:16), however, in His justice He must punish sin. The punishment is
called the wrath of God. It will occur on the final Day of Judgment
when those who are unsaved will incur the wrath of God. It is, though,
presently being released upon the ungodly (Rom. 1:18-32) in the
hardening of their hearts.
Wrath is described as God's anger
(Num. 32:10-13), as stored up (Rom. 2:5-8), and as great (Zech. 7:12).
The believer's deliverance from God's wrath is through the atonement
(Rom. 5:8-10). "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for
obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," (1 Thess. 5:9).
Yin and Yang
A dualistic philosophy of passive
and active, good and bad, light and dark, positive and negative, male
and female, etc., and that they are in opposition, each is part of the
whole and works together.
Yoga
A philosophical as well as
physical way of life emphasizing harmony of body, mind, and
self-enlightenment. It uses meditation, breathing exercises, and
concentration techniques. The philosophy of yoga is based in
Eastern Metaphysical beliefs and should be avoided by Christians.
Zodiac
The stars in the heavens divided
into twelve main groups. Imaginary patterns are imposed upon
various star patterns as an aid to remember the stars. In
Astrology, the Zodiac signs signify personality types for the people
born under them. The Zodiac signs are determined by durations of
time in the calendar. The twelve signs are Aries, Taurus,
Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn,
Aquarius, and Pisces.
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1. Adapted from Baker's Dictionary of Theology, p. 470.
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