Scripture • Theology • Christian life
Understand the words that shape biblical study and Christian faith. Start with a clear meaning, explore the biblical context, and go further with notes for deeper theological study.
173Total entries
7Subjects
Every entry begins with a plain-language explanation for new readers, families, and introductory classes.
Open an entry for a fuller explanation and Scripture references. Read the surrounding passage, not just the cited verse.
Use the study note and related terms for teaching, ministry preparation, undergraduate study, or advanced research.
These original educational summaries introduce important subjects; they are not an exhaustive lexicon, a substitute for Scripture, or a peer-reviewed research publication. References identify passages to study, not direct quotations. Where Christian traditions differ, notes summarize major positions without claiming that every Christian agrees.
173Matching entries
An Aramaic word for father, used in prayer to God.
Jesus addresses God as Abba in Gethsemane. Paul uses the word when describing believers’ adoption and the Spirit’s work in prayer. It conveys familial trust without removing reverence.
Avoid treating Abba as simply a childish equivalent of daddy. Its ancient use includes respectful address by adults as well as children.
Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6
The patriarch whom God called and to whom God made promises of land, descendants, and blessing.
Abraham’s story anchors Israel’s covenant history. The New Testament appeals to his faith when explaining righteousness and the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s blessing through Christ.
Read Genesis and Paul together while distinguishing Abraham’s historical calling from later theological applications of his faith.
Genesis 12:1–3; Genesis 15:1–6; Romans 4; Galatians 3:6–9
God’s communication in forms that human beings can understand.
Scripture speaks of God through human language, images, and historical settings. Theological accommodation describes God’s gracious adaptation to finite hearers, not a claim that God has a human body.
Distinguish accommodation from debates about biblical error. Different accounts of inspiration explain its relationship to language and historical knowledge differently.
Deuteronomy 29:29; Psalm 103:13–14; Hebrews 1:1–3
The first human in Genesis and a representative figure in biblical teaching about humanity and sin.
Genesis connects Adam with creation, vocation, disobedience, and mortality. Paul contrasts Adam’s disobedience with Christ’s obedience and describes resurrection life in Christ.
Christians differ over how the Genesis narrative relates to scientific accounts of human origins. Distinguish that debate from Paul’s Adam–Christ comparison.
Genesis 2–3; Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 45–49
God’s welcome of believers into his family through Jesus Christ.
Adoption describes a new relationship marked by belonging, inheritance, and access to the Father. Paul connects it with the Spirit’s presence and the future redemption of the body.
Adoption complements rather than duplicates justification and regeneration: the images emphasize family status, right standing, and new life respectively.
Romans 8:14–23; Galatians 4:4–7; Ephesians 1:5
Coming or arrival; in Christianity, Christ’s coming and the season of preparation before Christmas.
Christians speak of Jesus’ first advent in humility and his future coming in glory. The church season looks back to the incarnation and forward to final restoration.
The liturgical calendar developed after the New Testament; distinguish the later season from the biblical teaching it commemorates.
Luke 2:1–20; Titus 2:11–13; Revelation 22:20
A Greek word for love, often used in the New Testament for love of God and neighbor.
Christian love is displayed in God’s giving of Christ and in practical care for others. First Corinthians 13 describes love through patience, humility, truthfulness, and endurance.
Do not build rigid distinctions between Greek love words from vocabulary alone. Context determines whether agape names self-giving love or a wrongly directed attachment.
John 3:16; John 13:34–35; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7–12
An expression of affirmation: truly, certainly, or let it be so.
Amen appears in worship, prayer, and solemn declarations. Jesus uses it to introduce authoritative sayings; Revelation also applies it as a title to Christ.
A word’s function depends on its setting: agreement with a prayer differs from Jesus’ introductory truly statements.
Deuteronomy 27:15–26; Matthew 6:13; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Revelation 3:14
The view that Revelation’s thousand years describes Christ’s present reign rather than a future earthly millennium after his return.
Amillennial interpreters commonly understand the millennium symbolically and expect Christ’s return, resurrection, and final judgment to bring history to its consummation.
The name does not mean no millennium at all. Compare its reading of Revelation’s sequence with premillennial and postmillennial readings.
Revelation 20:1–10; John 5:28–29; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
Interpreting particular passages in relation to the wider teaching of Scripture.
This principle asks readers not to isolate an obscure text from Scripture’s clearer or broader witness. It is especially associated with Protestant interpretation.
The principle can become circular if a theological system overrides a passage’s literary and historical setting. Exegesis and canonical comparison should inform one another.
Luke 24:27; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:14–17
A heavenly messenger or servant of God; the underlying biblical words can also refer to human messengers.
Angels announce God’s purposes, worship him, and serve within his providence. Scripture distinguishes them from God and rejects worship directed toward them.
Identify the referent from context. Interpretations of the angel of the LORD vary, so not every such passage should be assigned a single explanation without argument.
Luke 1:26–38; Hebrews 1:14; Revelation 22:8–9
Describing God with human bodily imagery or characteristics.
Biblical references to God’s hand, eyes, or hearing communicate action, knowledge, and attention. Such imagery helps readers understand God’s relation to creation.
Distinguish bodily imagery from anthropopathism, language about emotion. Neither term by itself settles philosophical debates about divine attributes.
Exodus 15:6; Psalm 34:15; John 4:24
One who opposes Christ or denies the truth about him.
John’s letters speak both of an expected antichrist and of many antichrists already present, focusing on denial of Jesus and deception within the community.
Connections with Revelation’s beasts and Paul’s man of lawlessness are theological interpretations, not an explicit identification made in every passage.
1 John 2:18–23; 1 John 4:1–3; 2 John 7; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12
The belief that grace removes any obligation to obey God’s moral will.
The term names a theological error rather than a biblical word. Paul rejects continuing in sin so that grace may increase and links freedom with service in love.
Distinguish rejection of moral responsibility from legitimate debates about how Mosaic law applies to Christians.
Romans 6:1–14; Galatians 5:13–14; Titus 2:11–14
An unveiling or revelation; also a literary form that uses visions and symbols to disclose God’s purposes.
Daniel and Revelation contain apocalyptic visions of conflict, judgment, and divine victory. Their symbols encourage faithfulness under pressure rather than merely supplying predictions.
Read images in their Old Testament, historical, and literary contexts before correlating them with current events.
Daniel 7; Revelation 1:1–3; Revelation 21–22
A term used differently for certain ancient religious writings outside a community’s recognized biblical canon.
Protestants commonly use Apocrypha for books that Catholics call deuterocanonical; Orthodox lists vary. The word can also describe other noncanonical Jewish or Christian works.
Always specify which books and which tradition are meant. Apocryphal does not automatically mean historically worthless or intentionally deceptive.
Luke 24:44; Romans 3:1–2; 2 Timothy 3:16–17
Reasoned explanation and defense of Christian belief.
Christian apologetics addresses questions about the gospel, God, Scripture, and Christian practice. First Peter associates giving a defense with gentleness, respect, and integrity.
Distinguish rational argument from coercion or personal attack. Historical, philosophical, and experiential approaches have different strengths and limits.
Acts 17:16–34; 1 Peter 3:15–16; Jude 3
A person sent with a commission; especially Christ’s authorized witnesses and messengers.
The New Testament gives particular importance to the Twelve and Paul, while also using related sending language more broadly for messengers and mission.
Distinguish the foundational apostolic witness from later uses of apostle for missionaries or church leaders. Christian traditions differ on continuing apostolic offices.
Luke 6:12–16; Acts 1:21–26; 1 Corinthians 15:3–11; Ephesians 2:20
A Protestant theological tradition associated with Jacob Arminius that emphasizes salvation by grace and a grace-enabled human response.
Arminian theology commonly teaches conditional election and resistible grace while denying that fallen humans can save themselves. Wesleyan theology develops related themes.
Arminian traditions differ over perseverance and other questions. Do not equate them with the claim that salvation is earned by unaided human effort.
John 3:16; Romans 9; 1 Timothy 2:3–6; Ephesians 2:8–10
The risen Jesus’ departure into heaven and exaltation at the Father’s right hand.
The ascension marks Christ’s heavenly reign and ongoing intercession, not his abandonment of the church. Acts connects it with the promise of his return and the disciples’ mission.
Interpret right-hand language as royal honor and authority rather than a literal description of God’s bodily location.
Luke 24:50–53; Acts 1:6–11; Ephesians 1:20–23; Hebrews 7:25
God’s work through Christ to deal with sin and restore people to himself.
The New Testament uses sacrifice, reconciliation, redemption, victory, and substitution to explain Jesus’ death and resurrection. These images address guilt, estrangement, bondage, and evil.
Christians differ over how models of atonement relate and which should have explanatory priority. Avoid treating one image as if it exhausts Scripture’s witness.
Isaiah 53; Romans 3:21–26; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21; Colossians 2:13–15
The original written forms of biblical documents, as distinguished from later copies.
No original biblical autograph is known to survive. Readers encounter biblical texts through manuscript copies, editions, and translations studied by textual criticism.
Claims about the inspiration or inerrancy of autographs are theological claims; reconstructing manuscript readings is a related but distinct historical task.
Jeremiah 36:1–4, 27–32; Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:16
The Christian rite involving water that signifies identification with Christ and entrance into the community of faith.
Jesus commands baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Paul connects it with union with Christ in his death and resurrection.
Christians differ over infant or believer baptism, mode, and sacramental efficacy. Explain each tradition’s claims without collapsing them into a single position.
Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 2:38–41; Romans 6:3–4; Colossians 2:11–12
Jesus’ declarations of blessing describing life under God’s kingdom.
Matthew highlights the poor in spirit, mourners, the meek, peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness. Luke’s account includes blessings and corresponding woes.
Compare the settings and emphases in Matthew and Luke without assuming they are identical lists or simple formulas for earthly success.
Matthew 5:1–12; Luke 6:20–26
The collection of sacred writings Christians receive as the Old and New Testaments.
The Bible contains narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, gospels, letters, and apocalyptic writing. Christians read these writings as a unified witness while attending to their diversity.
The precise Old Testament canon differs among Christian traditions. Literary form, historical setting, and canonical context all matter for interpretation.
Luke 24:27, 44–45; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21
Speech or action that dishonors God or treats what is holy with contempt.
Biblical accusations of blasphemy arise in disputes about God’s honor and Jesus’ identity. Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Spirit addresses grave resistance in a specific setting.
Read Mark 3:28–30 in its narrative context. It should not be casually applied to every unwanted thought or sincere spiritual question.
Leviticus 24:10–16; Mark 3:22–30; John 10:30–38
An image of the church as a community united to Christ and interdependent in its members.
Paul uses the body to explain diverse gifts, shared suffering, and the need for every member. Christ is the head who sustains the body.
Distinguish this ecclesial metaphor from Jesus’ physical body and sacramental references to his body in the Lord’s Supper.
Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 4:11–16
A Reformed Protestant theological tradition associated with John Calvin and later Reformed confessions.
It emphasizes God’s sovereignty, salvation by grace, and covenantal understandings of God’s dealings with humanity. It includes much more than later summaries about election.
Reformed thinkers differ over covenant, sacraments, and other questions. Compare their arguments with alternative traditions rather than reducing either side to a slogan.
John 6:35–45; Romans 8:28–30; Ephesians 1:3–14
The recognized collection of books received as Scripture.
Canon concerns the boundaries of the Bible and the authority attributed to its books. Recognition developed within Jewish and Christian communities over time.
Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Old Testament lists differ. Distinguish the historical process of recognition from theological accounts of why these writings are authoritative.
Luke 24:44; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Peter 3:15–16
The Greek title meaning anointed one, corresponding to Messiah.
Christ is not Jesus’ surname. The title expresses his role in fulfilling God’s promises through his life, death, resurrection, and reign.
Old Testament anointing involved kings and priests. Study how the New Testament reshapes messianic expectations around the suffering and risen Jesus.
Psalm 2; Mark 8:27–33; Luke 24:26–27; Acts 2:36
The study of the identity, person, and work of Jesus Christ.
Christology asks how Jesus is truly divine and truly human and how his incarnation, ministry, cross, resurrection, and exaltation reveal and accomplish salvation.
Historic creeds articulate boundaries for speaking of Christ, but their technical terms should be explained through Scripture rather than substituted for it.
John 1:1–18; Philippians 2:5–11; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:1–4
The people called together by God through Jesus Christ, locally gathered and worldwide.
The New Testament describes the church as Christ’s body, God’s household, and a temple of the Spirit. Its life includes teaching, worship, fellowship, witness, and service.
Distinguish the church as a people from a building or denomination. Traditions differ over its visible boundaries and structures of authority.
Acts 2:42–47; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Ephesians 2:19–22
The bodily covenant sign given to Abraham’s male descendants.
Circumcision marks Israel’s covenant identity. The prophets speak of a circumcised heart, and the early church debates whether Gentile believers must receive the physical sign.
Acts 15 and Galatians concern Gentile inclusion, not a dismissal of Jewish identity or a license for contempt toward Judaism.
Genesis 17:9–14; Deuteronomy 30:6; Acts 15; Galatians 5:1–6
Sharing or fellowship; often a name for the Lord’s Supper.
Believers share in life with God and one another. In the Lord’s Supper they remember and proclaim Christ’s death and express their unity as one body.
Christian traditions differ over Christ’s presence in the meal and sacrificial or memorial language. Distinguish these accounts from ordinary fellowship.
Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 1 Corinthians 11:23–29; 1 John 1:3
The human capacity for moral awareness and judgment about one’s actions.
Scripture portrays conscience as capable of witnessing, accusing, weakness, and distortion. Paul urges believers to act with integrity and care for another person’s conscience.
Conscience is not automatically infallible or identical with the Holy Spirit. It needs formation through truth, wisdom, and love.
Romans 2:14–16; Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8; 1 Timothy 1:5
Turning toward God in repentance and faith.
Conversion describes a reorientation of belief, allegiance, and life through the gospel. Biblical accounts include dramatic encounters and less precisely dated journeys of faith.
Distinguish conversion from a particular emotional experience. Traditions explain its relationship to baptism, regeneration, and lifelong growth differently.
Acts 3:19; Acts 9:1–19; 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10
A binding relationship established through promises and obligations.
Biblical covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David frame God’s dealings with his people. The New Testament presents Jesus as mediator of the new covenant.
Covenants differ in form and purpose. Compare their parties, promises, signs, and obligations before fitting them into a larger theological system.
Genesis 9:8–17; Genesis 15; Exodus 19–24; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Luke 22:20
A Reformed theological framework describing God’s saving relationship with sinners through Christ.
This framework connects the promises of salvation throughout Scripture and emphasizes that salvation comes by grace through a mediator rather than by fallen human merit.
The exact phrase is a theological construction, not a biblical quotation. Reformed accounts differ, and other Christian traditions organize salvation history differently.
Genesis 3:15; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Galatians 3:15–29; Hebrews 8
God’s act of bringing the world into being and giving it order, goodness, and purpose.
Genesis presents God as creator of all and humanity as bearing his image. The New Testament describes creation through the Son and anticipates its renewal.
Creation from nothing is a historic Christian teaching. Christians debate the interpretation of creation days and their relationship to scientific descriptions.
Genesis 1–2; John 1:1–3; Colossians 1:15–17; Hebrews 11:3
The instrument of Jesus’ execution and the central Christian sign of his self-giving death.
Roman crucifixion was public and shameful. The New Testament proclaims Jesus’ cross as the place where God deals with sin, reveals love, and defeats hostile powers.
The cross must be read with the resurrection. Its call to discipleship should never be used to excuse abuse or deny protection to victims.
Mark 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25; Galatians 6:14; Colossians 2:13–15
The surrounding material and circumstances that help determine a passage’s meaning.
Literary context includes sentences, paragraphs, genre, and a book’s structure. Historical context includes audience, culture, occasion, and setting; canonical context relates a passage to the wider Bible.
Distinguish evidence about the historical world from speculation. An interpretation should account for the actual wording rather than letting a reconstructed background overrule it.
Nehemiah 8:8; Luke 24:27; Acts 8:30–35
A concise confession of faith used to teach, worship, and identify shared belief.
The New Testament includes compact confessional statements. Later creeds, including the Nicene Creed, developed to express Christian belief and respond to controversy.
Distinguish biblical confessional passages from later creedal formulations. Churches differ in the authority they assign to particular creeds and confessions.
1 Corinthians 15:3–5; Philippians 2:6–11; 1 Timothy 3:16
Israel’s king whose dynasty became central to biblical hopes for a coming ruler.
David’s story includes faith, kingship, serious moral failure, and repentance. God’s promise concerning his house informs the New Testament identification of Jesus as David’s son.
Distinguish royal ideal, historical narrative, and messianic fulfillment. Scripture’s account does not endorse everything a biblical leader does.
1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 7; 2 Samuel 11–12; Luke 1:32–33
A minister or servant; also a recognized church role associated with service.
The New Testament uses service language broadly and describes deacons alongside overseers. Acts 6 is often connected with the role, though its seven leaders are not explicitly given that title there.
Duties, ordination, and eligibility differ among Christian traditions. Distinguish textual description from later church-order practice.
Acts 6:1–6; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8–13
A Catholic designation for certain Old Testament books and passages whose canonical reception was historically disputed.
These include books such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, and First and Second Maccabees. Protestant traditions generally place them among the Apocrypha; Orthodox collections vary.
The term concerns reception history, not a second grade of inspiration within Catholic teaching. Specify the tradition and book under discussion.
Luke 24:44; Romans 3:1–2; 2 Timothy 3:16–17
The practice of distinguishing truth from error and wise action from harmful alternatives.
Biblical discernment involves testing teaching, recognizing good and evil, and pursuing God’s will. It grows through Scripture, mature judgment, prayer, and the Spirit’s work.
Discernment is not a guarantee that a personal impression is divine. Test claims within accountable community and the wider biblical witness.
Romans 12:1–2; Philippians 1:9–11; Hebrews 5:14; 1 John 4:1
Learning from and following Jesus in belief, character, relationships, and action.
Jesus calls disciples to follow him, learn his teaching, love others, and bear witness. Discipleship includes both personal formation and shared life in the church.
Following Christ involves costly faithfulness, not earning salvation. Distinguish spiritual authority from coercive control by leaders.
Matthew 11:28–30; Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 8:34–38; John 13:34–35
An administration or stewardship; in some theological systems, a distinct stage in God’s dealings with humanity.
The New Testament uses stewardship language for entrusted responsibilities and God’s plan. Dispensational theology develops an account of stages in salvation history.
Dispensational thinkers differ, especially over Israel and the church. The occurrence of the word administration does not by itself establish a complete theological system.
1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:9–10; Ephesians 3:1–9
Teaching, especially an organized statement of what Christians believe.
The New Testament connects sound teaching with fidelity to the gospel and godly conduct. Christian doctrines summarize judgments drawn from Scripture within communities of interpretation.
Distinguish core confession, denominational teaching, and disputed interpretation. A systematic formulation should remain accountable to its biblical evidence.
Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 2:1–10
An expression of praise giving glory to God.
Biblical doxologies appear in prayer, songs, and letters. They join theological confession with worship rather than treating reflection on God as merely abstract knowledge.
A doxology may close a literary unit and clarify its theological purpose. Attend to whom praise is addressed and what saving acts are celebrated.
Romans 11:33–36; Ephesians 3:20–21; Jude 24–25
The study of the church’s identity, mission, worship, and order.
Ecclesiology examines biblical descriptions of God’s people and questions of membership, ministry, unity, sacraments, and governance.
Episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational structures express different judgments about authority. Their historical development should be distinguished from direct biblical terminology.
Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:42–47; Ephesians 4:1–16; 1 Peter 2:4–10
Efforts toward understanding, cooperation, and unity among Christians of different traditions.
Christians pursue unity in response to Jesus’ prayer and apostolic teaching about one body. Ecumenical work may include dialogue, common service, and attempts to resolve doctrinal divisions.
Cooperation does not necessarily mean institutional merger or agreement on every doctrine. State clearly what kind of unity is sought.
John 17:20–23; Ephesians 4:1–6; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27
Reading one’s own assumptions into a text rather than responsibly drawing meaning from it.
The term critiques interpretations controlled by outside ideas while neglecting wording, context, and authorial purpose. All readers have assumptions, but careful study tests them.
Calling an interpretation eisegesis is not an argument by itself. Demonstrate where it fails to account for the text and its historical or literary setting.
Nehemiah 8:8; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15
God’s choosing of people for his purposes, including service, covenant identity, and salvation.
Scripture speaks of Israel’s election and of believers chosen in Christ. Election highlights divine initiative and calls God’s people to holiness and witness.
Christians disagree over individual and corporate election, foreknowledge, and conditionality. Distinguish a passage’s purpose from later systematic questions.
Deuteronomy 7:6–8; Romans 9–11; Ephesians 1:3–14; 1 Peter 2:9
A recognized leader; in the church, one entrusted with oversight, teaching, and pastoral care.
Acts and the letters describe elders serving local congregations. Some passages closely associate elder and overseer language, though traditions organize offices differently.
Biblical qualifications stress character and faithfulness, not only skill. Explain denominational differences without importing them uncritically into every text.
Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17–28; Titus 1:5–9; 1 Peter 5:1–4
The study of last things and the fulfillment of God’s purposes.
Christian eschatology concerns Christ’s return, resurrection, judgment, eternal life, and renewed creation. The New Testament also describes the future age as already breaking into the present through Jesus.
Distinguish shared Christian hopes from disputed sequences of end-time events. Eschatology shapes present faithfulness as well as future expectation.
1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 21–22
Life in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ, beginning now and fulfilled beyond death.
John associates eternal life with knowing the Father and the Son. Resurrection hope makes it more than the endless continuation of present biological life.
The New Testament holds present possession and future fulfillment together. Avoid reducing salvation either to earthly prosperity or to escape from embodied existence.
John 3:16; John 5:24; John 17:3; Romans 6:22–23
Reflection on good conduct, moral responsibility, and human flourishing.
Christian ethics relates action to God’s character, Jesus’ teaching, the Spirit’s work, and love of neighbor. It addresses personal choices and shared social life.
Distinguish moral principles from prudential judgments about their application. Careful ethics considers facts, motives, relationships, consequences, and the vulnerable.
Micah 6:8; Matthew 22:34–40; Romans 12; James 2:14–17
Thanksgiving; a traditional name for the Lord’s Supper.
The term reflects Jesus’ giving thanks over bread and cup. Christians celebrate the meal in remembrance of Christ and anticipation of his coming.
Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, and other traditions understand Christ’s presence and the meal’s sacramental meaning differently.
Luke 22:14–20; 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Communicating the good news of Jesus Christ and inviting a response of faith.
Evangelism proclaims Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and lordship. It belongs with truthful witness, love, and respect for those who hear.
Distinguish persuasion from manipulation. Numerical growth alone does not establish faithfulness, and Christian witness must not depend on coercion.
Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 8:26–40; Romans 10:9–17; 1 Peter 3:15–16
Carefully explaining a passage by examining what it communicates in its setting.
Exegesis studies wording, grammar, genre, historical background, literary structure, and context. It provides a foundation for responsible theological interpretation and application.
Separate observation, interpretive argument, theological synthesis, and application while allowing them to inform one another. Original-language knowledge assists but does not replace sound reasoning.
Nehemiah 8:8; Luke 24:27; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15
Forced removal from one’s homeland; especially Israel’s and Judah’s displacement under foreign empires.
Assyrian and Babylonian conquests reshaped Israel’s history. Biblical writers interpret exile through judgment, lament, hope, and promises of return and restoration.
Later use of exile language for believers is a theological analogy, not an erasure of its particular historical meaning for Israel.
2 Kings 17; 2 Kings 24–25; Psalm 137; Jeremiah 29; 1 Peter 1:1
God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt, and the biblical book that tells its story.
The exodus leads toward covenant at Sinai and worship in God’s presence. Its themes of redemption, Passover, and deliverance shape later biblical hope.
Distinguish the event, the book’s literary presentation, and later theological reuse. The New Testament draws on exodus imagery without making every detail a prediction.
Exodus 1–15; Deuteronomy 5:6; Luke 9:31; 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
Trust in God and reliance on his promises, expressed in allegiance and action.
Biblical faith includes belief but is not mere agreement with facts. The New Testament places faith in relation to Christ, grace, obedience, and hope.
Paul’s rejection of earning justification and James’s rejection of inactive faith address different problems. Read each argument in context before treating them as contradictory.
Genesis 15:6; Romans 3:21–31; Hebrews 11:1–6; James 2:14–26
The theological name for humanity’s turning from God into sin and its consequences.
Genesis 3 portrays disobedience, alienation, shame, and death. Christian theology uses this account alongside Romans 5 to discuss humanity’s need for redemption.
Christians explain inherited corruption, guilt, and ancestral consequences differently. Do not assume every doctrine of original sin uses the same model.
Genesis 3; Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22
Voluntarily refraining from food for a time as an expression of prayer, repentance, or dependence on God.
Biblical fasting accompanies lament, intercession, discernment, and worship. Jesus warns against using it to impress others, and Isaiah rejects fasting divorced from justice.
Fasting is not a way to force God’s response. Medical circumstances may require alternatives; Christian discipline should not endanger health.
Isaiah 58; Matthew 6:16–18; Acts 13:1–3
The theological idea that a representative acts on behalf of a group, especially Adam or Christ.
Federal theology interprets Paul’s Adam–Christ contrast in covenantal and representative terms. Adam’s disobedience and Christ’s obedience have consequences extending beyond themselves.
Federal headship is a specific interpretive model, not Paul’s own technical phrase. Compare it with other accounts of participation and solidarity in Adam and Christ.
Romans 5:12–21; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22, 45–49
Shared participation in life with God and with other believers.
New Testament fellowship includes worship, generosity, mutual encouragement, and partnership in the gospel. It is deeper than social friendliness or attendance at events.
The Greek term koinonia can emphasize sharing, participation, or partnership. Let each passage determine its specific sense.
Acts 2:42–47; Philippians 1:3–5; 1 John 1:3–7
Release from the debt or guilt of wrongdoing, grounded in God’s mercy.
God forgives sinners, and Jesus calls his followers to forgive others. Forgiveness belongs with confession, repentance, and a life shaped by received mercy.
Forgiveness does not require concealing wrongdoing, abandoning justice, or immediately restoring trust where danger or unrepentant abuse remains.
Psalm 32; Matthew 6:9–15; Matthew 18:21–35; Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 1:9
The character qualities produced by the Holy Spirit in believers.
Galatians names love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Paul contrasts this life with destructive works of the flesh.
Distinguish fruit, which concerns character, from gifts, which concern capacities for service. Spiritual giftedness does not excuse harmful character.
Galatians 5:16–26; John 15:1–17
Reverent awe, trust, and submission before God.
Wisdom literature names fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge. It joins awareness of God’s holiness with a life that turns from evil.
Reverence should not be confused with manipulative terror imposed by leaders. Scripture also speaks of love casting out fear of punishment.
Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 103:11–14; 1 John 4:17–18
The nations or peoples outside Israel; commonly non-Jews.
Scripture’s story moves from promises concerning all nations to the inclusion of Gentiles through Christ. Acts and Paul address how Jews and Gentiles share life in the church.
Gentile does not inherently mean immoral or godless in every occurrence. Avoid interpretations that fuel contempt for Jewish people or erase Israel’s identity.
Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 49:6; Acts 10–11; Ephesians 2:11–22
God’s majesty, honor, and manifest presence; also honor given or shared by God.
Glory language appears in accounts of worship, the tabernacle, Jesus’ ministry, and final hope. John presents Christ’s self-giving death as a revelation of divine glory.
The word has several contextual senses. Do not import one definition mechanically into every Hebrew or Greek occurrence.
Exodus 33:18–23; Isaiah 6:1–3; John 1:14; John 12:23–33
God’s final transformation of believers to share in Christ’s resurrection life and glory.
Paul connects glorification with resurrection, the redemption of the body, and conformity to Christ. It completes rather than abolishes creaturely life.
Distinguish the promised future transformation from claims of present perfection. Christian hope includes embodied renewal, not simply an immortal soul’s escape.
Romans 8:17–30; 1 Corinthians 15:42–57; Philippians 3:20–21
The living creator and sustainer of all, whom Christians confess as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Scripture identifies God through his acts, names, character, and covenant faithfulness. God is holy, just, merciful, and loving, and is revealed decisively in Jesus Christ.
Biblical descriptions and theological attributes belong together. Trinitarian confession affirms one God, not three gods or three temporary disguises.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Exodus 34:6–7; Matthew 28:19; John 1:18
The good news of God’s saving work and reign through Jesus Christ.
The gospel announces Christ’s death for sins, burial, resurrection, and lordship. Gospel also names the four New Testament narratives about Jesus.
Distinguish the proclamation from its literary accounts while relating them. Avoid reducing the gospel to moral advice, private feeling, or material prosperity.
Mark 1:14–15; Romans 1:1–17; 1 Corinthians 15:1–8
God’s freely given favor and effective help, not something earned by human merit.
Grace is central to salvation, forgiveness, service, and transformed living. Paul describes both God’s undeserved gift and the power sustaining his ministry.
Traditions differ over how grace operates through sacraments, human response, election, and perseverance. All claims should be tested against the passages being discussed.
Romans 3:23–24; Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 2:11–14; 1 Corinthians 15:10
In Scripture, the skies or God’s dwelling and rule, depending on context.
Christians pray to the Father in heaven and hope to be with Christ. Revelation’s final vision joins heaven and earth in God’s renewed creation.
Do not assume every use names the final state. Distinguish present fellowship with Christ after death from the future resurrection and new creation.
Matthew 6:9–10; Philippians 1:21–23; Revelation 21:1–4
A common English term for final judgment and exclusion from the life of God.
Biblical judgment language includes Gehenna, destruction, darkness, and the lake of fire. Sheol and Hades often concern the realm of the dead and are not interchangeable in every context.
Christians debate eternal conscious punishment, conditional immortality, and other readings. Attend carefully to vocabulary, genre, and context rather than merging every image.
Matthew 10:28; Matthew 25:31–46; Mark 9:43–48; Revelation 20:11–15
The study of how texts are understood and interpreted.
Biblical hermeneutics considers language, genre, historical setting, canonical context, theological commitments, and the reader’s role. It guides how exegesis becomes understanding and application.
Different methods ask different questions. Responsible interpretation makes its assumptions explicit and tests conclusions against the text rather than relying on intuition alone.
Luke 10:25–28; Luke 24:27; Acts 8:30–35
God’s unique purity and otherness, and the consecration of people or things to him.
God’s holiness evokes reverence and shapes the moral life of his people. Biblical holiness includes worship, justice, mercy, and faithful conduct.
Distinguish ritual holiness from moral purity without separating them entirely. Holiness should not be reduced to withdrawal from society or external respectability.
Leviticus 19:1–18; Isaiah 6:1–7; 1 Peter 1:13–16
The Spirit of God, confessed in historic Christianity as the third person of the Trinity.
The Spirit gives life, inspires prophetic witness, empowers Jesus’ followers, forms Christlike character, and equips the church for service.
The Spirit is not merely an impersonal force. Christian traditions differ over particular gifts and experiences while sharing a broad confession of the Spirit’s divine work.
John 14:16–17, 26; Acts 2; Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 12
Confident expectation grounded in God’s promises and faithfulness.
Christian hope centers on Christ’s resurrection and the fulfillment of God’s purposes. It strengthens endurance in suffering without denying present grief.
Biblical hope differs from certainty about personal predictions or guaranteed earthly outcomes. Its object is God’s promised future.
Romans 5:1–5; Romans 8:18–25; 1 Peter 1:3–9
The union of full divinity and full humanity in the one person of Jesus Christ.
Historic Christology confesses that the Son became truly human without ceasing to be divine. Jesus is not two persons or a mixture that destroys either nature.
The Council of Chalcedon’s formulation is a historical doctrinal explanation. Distinguish its technical vocabulary from the biblical passages it seeks to summarize.
John 1:1–14; Philippians 2:5–11; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 2:14–18
The human family, created in God’s image and called to love God and neighbor.
Scripture presents human beings as embodied, relational creatures with dignity and responsibility. Sin distorts human life, while Christ reveals and restores its intended direction.
Biblical language about body, soul, spirit, and heart should be read contextually. Christians differ over philosophical models of human constitution.
Genesis 1:26–28; Psalm 8; Romans 5:12–21; Hebrews 2:5–18
Giving to created things the worship, trust, or allegiance that belongs to God.
Scripture condemns worship of images and false gods, but also exposes greed and distorted desire as idolatrous. The issue concerns misplaced ultimate loyalty.
Distinguish biblical critiques of idols from Christian disagreements about the use of religious images. Traditions explain representation and veneration differently.
Exodus 20:3–6; Isaiah 44:9–20; Romans 1:18–25; Colossians 3:5
The special dignity and vocation given to human beings as God’s representatives within creation.
Genesis attributes God’s image to humanity, male and female. This grounds human worth and responsibility and informs biblical prohibitions against violence and degrading speech.
Functional, relational, and substantive accounts emphasize different aspects. Human dignity must not depend on ability, status, ethnicity, or stage of life.
Genesis 1:26–28; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9–10; Colossians 3:10
Reckoning or crediting something to someone, especially righteousness in discussions of justification.
Paul uses accounting language when discussing Abraham’s faith and righteousness. Reformed and Lutheran theology develop this in accounts of Christ’s righteousness and believers’ standing before God.
Traditions differ over the relationship between reckoned righteousness and inner transformation. Explain the biblical metaphor before comparing doctrinal models.
Genesis 15:6; Romans 4; 2 Corinthians 5:21
The eternal Son’s becoming truly human in Jesus Christ.
The Word became flesh and shared human life, suffering, and mortality without sin. The incarnation reveals God and makes Christ’s representative and saving work intelligible.
Incarnation is not the transformation of God into a merely human being or the temporary appearance of a human body.
John 1:1–18; Galatians 4:4–5; Philippians 2:5–11; Hebrews 2:14–18
The belief that Scripture is without error in what it affirms, understood according to its intended sense.
Many evangelical accounts relate inerrancy to the original writings and to God’s truthfulness. They allow for genre, ordinary language, approximation, and faithful reporting of others’ false claims.
Christians differ over the term’s scope and usefulness. Distinguish theological commitments from the historical work of evaluating textual and interpretive questions.
Psalm 119:160; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16–17
God’s work through human authors by which Scripture serves as his authoritative witness.
Christian teaching on inspiration relates the Spirit’s action to the genuine language, perspectives, and circumstances of biblical writers. Scripture is given to instruct and equip God’s people.
Do not assume inspiration means mechanical dictation of every passage. Different Christian accounts explain divine and human authorship in different ways.
2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Luke 1:1–4
Prayer or advocacy on behalf of others.
Believers are called to pray for neighbors, leaders, and enemies. The New Testament also describes Christ’s heavenly intercession and the Spirit’s help in prayer.
Distinguish human petition from Christ’s unique mediatorial work. Traditions differ over the intercession of saints.
Romans 8:26–34; 1 Timothy 2:1–6; Hebrews 7:25
The name given to Jacob, his descendants, and the covenant people whose story shapes the Old Testament.
Israel can refer to an individual, the people, the northern kingdom, or the land in different passages. Jesus and the earliest church emerge within this Jewish story.
Distinguish biblical referents from modern political identities. Christian interpretations must avoid antisemitism and simplistic claims that erase Jewish history or identity.
Genesis 32:28; Exodus 19:3–6; Romans 9–11
The city associated with David’s kingship, the temple, and pivotal events in Jesus’ ministry.
Jerusalem is central to worship, prophetic judgment and hope, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the church’s early witness. Revelation envisions a new Jerusalem.
Distinguish the historical city, literary symbolism, and eschatological imagery. These uses should not be transferred directly into modern political claims without argument.
2 Samuel 5:6–10; Psalm 122; Luke 24; Revelation 21
Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians confess as the Messiah, Son of God, and risen Lord.
The Gospels recount his teaching, healings, proclamation of the kingdom, crucifixion, and resurrection. The apostolic witness locates salvation and the revelation of God in him.
Attend to each Gospel’s distinctive portrait while comparing their shared witness. Historical inquiry and doctrinal reflection ask related but distinguishable questions.
Mark 1:1; Luke 4:16–21; John 20:30–31; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8
God’s just evaluation of persons, communities, and actions.
Scripture includes judgments within history and a final judgment. God exposes evil, vindicates the oppressed, and calls all to accountability through Christ.
Read judgment alongside mercy and justice. Biblical warnings invite repentance, not confident speculation about the eternal destiny of particular individuals.
Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 25:31–46; Romans 2:1–16; Revelation 20:11–15
God’s act of setting sinners right with him through Jesus Christ.
Paul presents justification as a gift of grace received through faith rather than earned by works of the law. It addresses guilt and right standing before God.
Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox accounts differ over declarative and transformative dimensions and their relation. Compare precise formulations rather than relying on caricatures.
Romans 3:21–31; Romans 4–5; Galatians 2:15–21; James 2:14–26
Right judgment and action that honor God, uphold truth, and protect people from wrong.
Biblical justice includes impartial courts, honest dealings, and concern for the poor, stranger, widow, and orphan. It belongs with mercy and covenant faithfulness.
Distinguish shared biblical obligations from disputed policies proposed to fulfill them. Neither ritual observance nor political slogans substitute for accountable practice.
Deuteronomy 16:18–20; Isaiah 1:16–17; Amos 5:21–24; Micah 6:8
God’s royal rule, brought near in Jesus and awaiting its final fulfillment.
Jesus announces the kingdom, teaches its values through parables, and displays its power in healing and deliverance. It calls for repentance, faith, and transformed life.
The kingdom is not simply a geographical territory, a political program, or another name for the institutional church. Its present and future dimensions belong together.
Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 13; Luke 17:20–21; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
The common form of Greek used widely in the eastern Mediterranean during the New Testament period.
The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, reflecting both common usage and Jewish scriptural influences. Greek vocabulary and grammar aid close reading.
A dictionary gloss alone does not determine meaning. Syntax, discourse, genre, and historical usage control interpretation more than a word’s remote etymology.
Luke 1:1–4; John 20:30–31; Acts 21:37
An honest expression of grief, protest, and appeal to God in suffering.
Psalms, Lamentations, and Jesus’ own prayer show that pain and trust can coexist. Biblical lament asks God to hear, act, and restore justice.
Lament is not automatically unbelief. Allow its unresolved questions to stand instead of forcing every passage into immediate emotional resolution.
Psalm 13; Psalm 22; Lamentations 3; Mark 15:34
Instruction or command; often the Torah given through Moses.
Law can refer to the first five biblical books, particular commands, or a wider governing principle. Paul’s discussions require attention to covenant, sin, faith, and life in the Spirit.
Distinguish the law’s different senses and purposes. Christian traditions debate continuity and discontinuity without necessarily denying the Old Testament’s authority.
Exodus 20; Psalm 119; Matthew 5:17–20; Romans 7–8; Galatians 3
A classic or especially important passage used in discussion of a doctrine or subject.
The Latin phrase is an academic term, not a biblical expression. Examples include passages frequently studied for the Trinity, justification, or Christology.
A central passage must still be interpreted in context and alongside other evidence. It should not become an isolated proof text.
John 1:1–18; Romans 3:21–26; Philippians 2:5–11
A Greek word meaning word, message, or reason; in John 1, a title for the eternal Word who became flesh.
John identifies the Logos as with God, as divine, active in creation, and incarnate in Jesus. Elsewhere logos often simply means a spoken message or word.
Do not import all philosophical uses of logos into John or read John’s personal title into every occurrence of the Greek word.
John 1:1–18; Revelation 19:13; Hebrews 4:12
Faithful concern for another’s good, expressed in commitment and action.
Jesus identifies love of God and neighbor as central commandments. The cross reveals God’s love, and believers are called to love even enemies.
Love is not mere approval of every desire. Biblical love belongs with truth, justice, humility, and protection of those who are vulnerable.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 5:43–48; Matthew 22:34–40; 1 Corinthians 13
A handwritten copy of a text.
Biblical manuscripts survive in many forms, languages, dates, and degrees of completeness. Their differences provide evidence for reconstructing textual history.
A manuscript’s age matters but does not by itself settle the best reading. Textual criticism weighs relationships, scribal habits, and internal evidence.
Jeremiah 36; Luke 1:1–4; Colossians 4:16
The traditional Hebrew textual form of the Jewish Scriptures preserved with Masoretic reading and copying annotations.
Medieval Masoretes supplied vowel signs, accents, and notes within an inherited consonantal tradition. The Masoretic Text is the principal basis for many Old Testament translations.
Compare its witnesses with the Dead Sea Scrolls and ancient translations. Differences should be evaluated individually rather than assumed to prove wholesale corruption.
Deuteronomy 6:4–9; Nehemiah 8:1–8; Isaiah 40:6–8
Compassion expressed toward people in distress, guilt, or need.
God’s mercy is central to his covenant character and saving work. Jesus calls his followers to show mercy in practical care, forgiveness, and treatment of outsiders.
Mercy does not make injustice unimportant. Biblical mercy and justice work together in restoring people and confronting harm.
Exodus 34:6–7; Micah 6:8; Luke 10:25–37; Ephesians 2:4–7
Anointed one; the Hebrew title corresponding to Christ.
Israel’s kings and priests were anointed for office. Jewish hopes developed in varied forms, and the New Testament identifies Jesus as the promised Messiah through suffering and resurrection.
There was not one uniform messianic expectation in all ancient Jewish communities. Attend to the particular passage and historical setting.
Psalm 2; Isaiah 11:1–10; Mark 8:27–33; John 4:25–26
The thousand-year period described in Revelation 20.
Revelation depicts Satan’s binding, the reign of Christ’s people, and a final rebellion before judgment. Christians interpret the period’s symbolism and chronological relation to Christ’s return differently.
Compare premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial approaches with attention to Revelation’s genre and the wider New Testament.
Revelation 20:1–10; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
God’s sending of his people to witness, make disciples, and serve in the world.
Mission arises from God’s purposes for the nations and Jesus’ commission. It includes gospel proclamation and a life of love, justice, and faithful presence.
Distinguish mission from cultural domination or the uncritical export of a church’s local customs. Listening and contextual understanding matter.
Genesis 12:1–3; Matthew 28:18–20; John 20:21; Acts 1:8
The prophet and leader through whom God brought Israel from Egypt and mediated the Sinai covenant.
Moses’ story includes deliverance, lawgiving, intercession, and wilderness leadership. The New Testament honors his role while comparing it with Christ’s greater work.
Distinguish Moses as a narrative figure from scholarly questions about the composition of the Pentateuch. Neither inquiry should bypass the texts’ theological purposes.
Exodus 2–4; Exodus 19–20; Deuteronomy 34; Hebrews 3:1–6
God’s promised covenant of renewed relationship, forgiveness, and inward transformation, inaugurated through Jesus.
Jeremiah promises God’s law written on the heart. Jesus identifies the cup with the new covenant in his blood, and Hebrews relates it to his mediatorial work.
Christians differ over continuity with Israel and the old covenant. Read fulfillment language without assuming it licenses contempt toward Jewish people.
Jeremiah 31:31–34; Luke 22:20; 2 Corinthians 3; Hebrews 8–10
God’s renewal of people and ultimately the whole created order through Christ.
Paul describes those in Christ as new creation and looks toward creation’s liberation. Revelation portrays a new heaven and earth where God dwells with his people.
Present transformation and future cosmic renewal are related but not identical. The hope affirms God’s commitment to creation rather than its meaninglessness.
Isaiah 65:17–25; Romans 8:18–25; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21–22
The Christian designation for the Scriptures received from Israel before the New Testament writings.
These books include law, history, poetry, wisdom, and prophecy. Jesus and the apostles interpret their mission and message through Israel’s Scriptures.
Old does not mean worthless or obsolete in every respect. Canonical boundaries and arrangements differ among Jewish and Christian traditions.
Luke 24:27, 44–45; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:14–17
The doctrine that humanity’s sinful condition is connected with humanity’s primal disobedience.
Christian theology relates Genesis 3 to Paul’s contrast of Adam and Christ. The doctrine describes more than isolated bad choices: human life is marked by corruption, death, and alienation.
Western and Eastern traditions explain inherited guilt, corruption, and ancestral sin differently. Specify the model rather than assuming one universal formulation.
Genesis 3; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12–21; Ephesians 2:1–3
A comparison or story used to illuminate, challenge, or provoke reflection.
Jesus’ parables reveal the kingdom while confronting assumptions about God, neighbors, and discipleship. Their meaning depends on narrative setting, audience, and central contrasts.
Some details have symbolic significance, but not every detail requires a hidden meaning. Begin with the passage’s setting and stated explanation where one is supplied.
Matthew 13; Mark 4:1–34; Luke 10:25–37; Luke 15
Israel’s festival commemorating deliverance from Egypt.
Exodus associates Passover with the protection of Israelite households and the departure from slavery. Jesus’ final meal and death are presented in relation to Passover themes.
Christian theological use should respect the festival’s continuing Jewish significance. Compare the Gospel accounts carefully rather than flattening their chronological details.
Exodus 12; Deuteronomy 16:1–8; Luke 22:7–20; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8
The first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Also called the Torah, these books tell of creation, Israel’s ancestors, exodus, covenant, law, and wilderness life. They establish foundations for the rest of Scripture.
Traditional attribution to Moses and scholarly discussion of literary composition concern related but different questions about origin and authority.
Joshua 1:7–8; Luke 24:44; John 5:45–47
The Jewish festival during which Acts describes the Spirit’s outpouring on Jesus’ followers.
Acts 2 presents the Spirit’s coming as empowering multilingual witness and inaugurating a new phase of the church’s mission. Peter interprets the event through Joel and Jesus’ exaltation.
Christian traditions differ on how Pentecost relates to subsequent experiences of Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts.
Leviticus 23:15–21; Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2
A theological term for the mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The term helps Christians speak of the unity of the three divine persons without treating them as separate gods or collapsing their distinctions.
Perichoresis is later theological vocabulary, not a word used in the biblical text. Analogies with human community have limits and should not define God.
John 10:30, 38; John 14:9–11; John 17:20–23
Continuing in faith and faithfulness through trial by God’s sustaining grace.
The New Testament offers assurance of God’s keeping power alongside warnings against abandoning faith and calls to endure.
Reformed, Arminian, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions differ over final apostasy and assurance. Read promises and warnings together rather than silencing one set of texts.
John 10:27–30; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 3:12–14; Hebrews 6:4–12
The view that Christ returns after an extended era of gospel advance and righteousness commonly identified with the millennium.
Postmillennial readings expect the gospel’s historical influence to expand significantly before Christ’s return, though accounts of the era’s character and duration vary.
Distinguish theological confidence in gospel fruitfulness from assumptions that any modern nation or political project embodies God’s kingdom.
Psalm 72; Matthew 13:31–33; Matthew 28:18–20; Revelation 20:1–10
God’s prior determination concerning the fulfillment of his saving purposes.
Paul relates predestination to adoption and conformity to Christ. The doctrine emphasizes that salvation belongs within God’s purposeful action rather than chance.
Traditions disagree about foreknowledge, conditionality, individual and corporate aspects, and reprobation. Define the specific claim before comparing positions.
Romans 8:28–30; Ephesians 1:3–14; Acts 4:27–28
The view that Jesus returns before the millennium described in Revelation 20.
Premillennial interpreters expect a future reign following Christ’s return. Historic and dispensational versions differ concerning Israel, tribulation, and related events.
Premillennialism does not by itself determine the timing of a rapture or every detail of an end-time timeline.
Revelation 19:11–20:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
One appointed to represent people before God, especially through worship and sacrifice.
Old Testament priests serve at the sanctuary. Hebrews presents Jesus as the definitive high priest, while First Peter calls believers a priestly people.
Distinguish Aaronic priesthood, Christ’s unique mediation, and later Christian ministerial uses. Church traditions understand ordained priesthood differently.
Leviticus 8–9; Hebrews 4:14–5:10; Hebrews 7–10; 1 Peter 2:4–10
Speech communicating a message from God, including warning, encouragement, judgment, and promise.
Biblical prophets address concrete communities and covenant responsibilities, not only future events. Prophecy calls hearers to faithfulness and hope.
Evaluate genre, historical setting, fulfillment, and canonical reuse. Christians differ over the continuation and testing of prophetic gifts.
Deuteronomy 18:15–22; Jeremiah 1; Amos 5; 1 Corinthians 14:1–5, 29
An atonement term emphasizing the dealing with God’s righteous opposition to sin.
Some English translations use propitiation where others use atoning sacrifice or related language. The discussion concerns Christ’s death and God’s initiative in reconciling sinners.
Distinguish propitiation from expiation, which emphasizes removal of sin or guilt. The terms may describe complementary aspects; God is not manipulated by an unwilling third party.
Romans 3:25–26; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10
God’s sustaining care and governance of creation and history.
Scripture depicts God providing, directing, and working through ordinary events and human action. Trust in providence accompanies responsible action and prayer.
Christians explain divine sovereignty and creaturely freedom differently. Providence should not be used to declare every harmful act morally good or to dismiss suffering.
Genesis 50:20; Matthew 6:25–34; Acts 17:24–28; Romans 8:28
Shepherding people through spiritual guidance, encouragement, protection, and compassionate support.
Scripture portrays God and Christ as shepherds and calls leaders to serve rather than dominate. Care includes attention to suffering, spiritual growth, and community accountability.
Pastoral ministry does not replace medical, mental-health, safeguarding, or legal expertise when these are needed. Authority should protect, not exploit.
Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34; John 10:1–18; 1 Peter 5:1–4
Wholeness and right relationship, not merely the absence of conflict.
Biblical peace includes well-being, reconciliation with God, and renewed relationships among people. Jesus calls his followers to peacemaking without denying truth or justice.
The Hebrew shalom has a broad range of meanings determined by context. Peace should not be used to silence those reporting harm.
Numbers 6:24–26; Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 5:9; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14–18
Communion with God through praise, confession, thanksgiving, lament, and petition.
Jesus teaches his followers to address God as Father and seek his kingdom. Prayer expresses dependence and trust rather than an attempt to control God.
Unanswered prayer does not prove a person lacks faith. Scripture includes faithful lament, patient waiting, and petitions not granted as requested.
Matthew 6:5–15; Luke 11:1–13; Philippians 4:6–7; Romans 8:26–27
The restoration of a broken relationship, especially between God and humanity through Christ.
Paul describes God taking the initiative to reconcile sinners and entrusting the church with a message of reconciliation. Christ also overcomes hostility between peoples.
Distinguish reconciliation’s divine basis from its interpersonal applications. Restored human relationships require truth, safety, and accountability, not merely a demand to move on.
Romans 5:6–11; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21; Ephesians 2:11–22
Deliverance from bondage or loss, often expressed through the image of a price paid.
The exodus provides a major background for redemption. The New Testament describes freedom from sin and the future renewal of bodily life through Christ.
The ransom image does not require identifying a literal recipient for every metaphorical payment. Attend to each passage’s emphasis.
Exodus 6:6–8; Mark 10:45; Ephesians 1:7; Romans 8:23
God’s giving of new spiritual life, also described as new birth.
Jesus speaks of being born from above or again through the Spirit. The New Testament connects new life with mercy, cleansing, faith, and transformed conduct.
Traditions differ over regeneration’s relation to baptism and the order of faith and new birth. Distinguish those models from the shared claim of divine initiative.
John 3:1–8; Titus 3:4–7; 1 Peter 1:3, 23
Turning from sin toward God with a changed mind and direction of life.
Biblical repentance includes more than regret. John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles call for a response that bears fruit in changed conduct.
Repentance is not payment for forgiveness. Distinguish sincere turning from shame imposed through manipulation or a claim that one can achieve sinless self-reform.
Isaiah 55:6–7; Mark 1:14–15; Luke 3:7–14; Acts 2:37–39
God’s raising of the dead to life, centrally Jesus’ bodily rising and the promised future resurrection.
The New Testament treats Jesus’ resurrection as God’s vindication of him and the foundation of Christian hope. Believers anticipate transformed bodily life.
Resurrection is not merely survival of the soul, resuscitation to ordinary mortality, or a symbol of optimism. Study continuity and transformation in First Corinthians 15.
Luke 24; John 20; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
God’s making himself and his purposes known; also the title of the Bible’s final book.
Christian theology distinguishes God’s witness in creation from his particular self-disclosure in Israel’s history, Scripture, and supremely Jesus Christ.
Distinguish revelation as divine disclosure from interpretation of that disclosure. Claims of new private messages require testing rather than automatic acceptance.
Psalm 19; Romans 1:18–20; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 1:1–3
Rightness in character, conduct, judgment, or standing before God, according to context.
Biblical righteousness includes justice, faithful action, and God’s saving activity. Paul’s discussions connect it with Christ, faith, and justification.
Do not assume one English gloss captures every Hebrew or Greek usage. Legal, ethical, covenantal, and relational dimensions may be emphasized differently.
Genesis 15:6; Psalm 103:6; Matthew 5:6; Romans 3:21–26
The seventh-day rest established in Israel’s covenant life.
The Sabbath recalls creation and deliverance and provides rest for households and workers. Jesus’ Sabbath actions reveal mercy and his authority.
Christians differ over seventh-day observance, Sunday, and the continuity of the command. Distinguish New Testament teaching from later church practices.
Genesis 2:1–3; Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:12–15; Mark 2:23–28; Hebrews 4
A sacred act understood as a sign and means of God’s grace in many Christian traditions.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are central rites instituted by Christ. Some traditions recognize seven sacraments; others recognize two or prefer the term ordinances.
Do not use sacrament as if all traditions agree on its number or effect. Distinguish the rite, the promise it signifies, and the faith of its recipients.
Matthew 28:18–20; Luke 22:19–20; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
An offering presented to God; a major biblical image for Christ’s self-giving.
Old Testament sacrifices serve several purposes, including thanksgiving, purification, and atonement. Hebrews presents Christ’s offering as decisive, while believers offer praise and lives of service.
Not all offerings function identically. Study the particular rite before transferring its imagery to Christ or Christian living.
Leviticus 1–7; Hebrews 9–10; Romans 12:1–2; Hebrews 13:15–16
God’s rescue from sin, death, and evil into reconciled life with him.
Scripture uses deliverance language for historical rescues and the saving work of Christ. The New Testament speaks of salvation as accomplished, being experienced, and awaiting completion.
Different images emphasize distinct aspects of one saving work. Avoid reducing salvation to only a legal verdict, a feeling, or escape after death.
Matthew 1:21; Ephesians 2:1–10; Philippians 2:12–13; 1 Peter 1:3–9
Being set apart for God and being formed in holy living.
The New Testament can speak of believers as already sanctified and call them to ongoing growth. This growth involves the Spirit’s action and active obedience.
Traditions differ over stages, entire sanctification, and the relation to justification. Holiness includes love and justice, not merely outward separation.
1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–8; Hebrews 10:10–14; Galatians 5:16–25
The adversary or accuser, portrayed in the New Testament as opposing God’s purposes.
Scripture depicts temptation, accusation, and deception while affirming that evil powers are not equal to God. Christ’s victory grounds resistance and hope.
Identify the usage within each biblical setting. Avoid speculative demonology or attributing every illness and hardship directly to demonic action.
Job 1–2; Matthew 4:1–11; Luke 10:17–20; Revelation 12:7–12
The promised future return of Jesus Christ in glory.
The New Testament links Christ’s coming with resurrection, judgment, salvation’s completion, and the renewal of all things. It calls believers to watchful faithfulness.
Jesus warns against date-setting. Distinguish the shared hope of his return from debated timelines concerning tribulation, rapture, and millennium.
Acts 1:9–11; Matthew 24:36–44; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Titus 2:11–13
A fuller meaning of Scripture understood to be intended by God beyond what a human author may have consciously recognized.
The Latin expression is used especially in discussions of how later Scripture and Christ’s fulfillment disclose depths in earlier texts.
Proposals for fuller meaning need controls in wording, context, and canonical patterns. The concept should not authorize arbitrary hidden meanings.
Matthew 1:22–23; John 12:37–41; 1 Peter 1:10–12
The ancient Greek translation tradition of Jewish Scriptures, often abbreviated LXX.
It began with the Pentateuch and expanded over time into a varied collection. New Testament writers often use Greek scriptural forms related to this tradition.
The Septuagint is not a single uniform manuscript or translation made all at once. Its readings are important witnesses for textual and interpretive history.
Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:23; Psalm 40:6–8 with Hebrews 10:5–7
Failure to love and obey God, expressed in wrongdoing, distorted desires, and broken relationships.
Scripture describes sin as transgression, rebellion, unbelief, and a power that enslaves. It affects individual conduct and shared patterns of injustice.
Distinguish temptation, suffering, human limitation, and culpable wrongdoing. Not every hardship is punishment for a particular personal sin.
Psalm 51; Romans 3:9–26; Romans 6; James 1:13–15; 1 John 1:8–10
The Protestant principle that Scripture is the final normative authority for Christian doctrine.
The principle developed in Reformation debates about authority. Classical forms allow a subordinate role for creeds, teachers, and tradition rather than rejecting all inherited interpretation.
Distinguish sola scriptura from isolated individual interpretation. Catholic and Orthodox accounts relate Scripture and tradition differently.
Mark 7:6–13; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:14–17
The study of salvation and how God reconciles and renews people through Christ.
Soteriology examines grace, faith, atonement, justification, regeneration, sanctification, and final hope. It draws together images used throughout Scripture.
The order of salvation is a systematic model whose details differ among traditions. It should serve rather than replace exegesis of individual passages.
Romans 3–8; Ephesians 1–2; Titus 3:4–7
Capacities given by the Spirit for serving others and building up the church.
The New Testament names diverse gifts and insists that they function in love and mutual dependence. Their purpose is service, not spiritual status.
Continuationist and cessationist Christians differ over certain gifts today. All claims must be tested by scriptural teaching, truthful conduct, and communal accountability.
Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12–14; Ephesians 4:7–16; 1 Peter 4:10–11
Responsible care for resources and responsibilities entrusted by God.
Stewardship concerns money, abilities, time, relationships, and creation. Scripture links faithfulness with generosity, justice, and accountability rather than mere accumulation.
Giving does not purchase divine favor or guarantee wealth. Financial teaching should avoid exploiting people’s poverty, fear, or hope.
Genesis 2:15; Matthew 25:14–30; 1 Corinthians 4:1–2; 2 Corinthians 8–9
The experience of pain, loss, injustice, or distress in a world marked by mortality and evil.
Scripture allows lament, rejects simplistic blame, and presents Christ as sharing human suffering. Christian hope rests in resurrection and God’s final defeat of evil.
Not all suffering has one identifiable cause. Support for sufferers includes practical protection and care, not explanations that excuse abuse or discourage appropriate help.
Job 1–2; John 9:1–3; Romans 8:18–39; Revelation 21:1–4
Israel’s portable sanctuary associated with God’s presence during the wilderness journey.
Exodus describes its construction, furnishings, priesthood, and worship. Later biblical writers use sanctuary imagery to explain God’s presence and Christ’s priestly work.
Typological connections should follow biblical patterns rather than assigning invented spiritual meanings to every measurement or material.
Exodus 25–40; John 1:14; Hebrews 8–9
The sanctuary in Jerusalem associated with God’s presence and Israel’s worship.
The first temple is linked with Solomon; the second temple frames much of Jesus’ ministry. The New Testament applies temple imagery to Christ, the church, and the believer’s body.
Distinguish historical buildings from metaphorical uses. Temple imagery does not make church leaders exempt from accountability or turn their buildings into the Jerusalem temple.
1 Kings 8; John 2:13–22; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; Ephesians 2:19–22
An enticement toward sin; testing language may also describe a trial that reveals faithfulness.
Jesus resists temptation, and James distinguishes God’s good character from the pull of disordered desire. Believers are called to vigilance and dependence on God.
Being tempted is not identical to consenting to sin. Avoid treating intrusive thoughts or ordinary suffering as proof of moral failure.
Matthew 4:1–11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15; James 1:12–15
The study of manuscript evidence to evaluate textual variants and recover the earliest attainable wording.
Copyists produced differences in spelling, word order, omissions, and other readings. Scholars compare manuscripts, ancient translations, and quotations to assess these differences.
Textual criticism is not the same as attacking Scripture’s value. Significant variants are often identified transparently in modern Bible footnotes.
Mark 16:9–20; John 7:53–8:11; Acts 8:37 (compare translation footnotes)
Reasoned reflection on how belief in a good and powerful God relates to the existence of evil and suffering.
Job, lament psalms, the cross, and resurrection hope all inform Christian responses. Scripture does not give one simple explanation for every instance of suffering.
Distinguish philosophical explanation from pastoral care. A theory should not silence grief or imply that victims caused their own suffering.
Job 1–2; Job 38–42; Psalm 73; Luke 13:1–5; Romans 8:18–39
Disciplined reflection on God and all things in relation to God.
Christian theology draws on Scripture and considers the church’s historical witness, reason, worship, and experience. It aims at truthful belief and faithful living.
Biblical, systematic, historical, and practical theology have distinct but overlapping tasks. Technical learning should deepen humility and service rather than replace them.
Matthew 22:37; Romans 11:33–36; Colossians 1:9–10
God-bearer or Mother of God, a historic title for Mary emphasizing the identity of the one she bore.
The title affirms that Jesus is one person, the divine Son truly born as a human. It does not mean that Mary originated the divine nature.
Its historic Christological purpose should be distinguished from later disputes about Marian devotion. Christian traditions receive those devotional developments differently.
Luke 1:31–43; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4
Hebrew for instruction; often the first five books of Scripture.
Torah can refer to a command, instruction, or the Pentateuch as a collection. Its narrative and legal material shape Israel’s covenant life.
Translating Torah only as law can obscure the breadth of its teaching. Attend to how the term is used in Jewish and Christian contexts.
Deuteronomy 6:1–9; Psalm 1; Psalm 119; Luke 24:44
Teaching and practice handed on from one generation to another.
The New Testament can commend apostolic teaching that is handed down and criticize human traditions that displace God’s commands. The content and authority of a tradition must be examined.
Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant accounts differ over Scripture’s relationship to tradition. Distinguish apostolic witness from later customs.
Mark 7:1–13; 1 Corinthians 11:2, 23; 2 Thessalonians 2:15
The Christian confession that the one God exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Trinitarian doctrine brings together Scripture’s affirmation of one God and its witness to the Father, Son, and Spirit. The persons are distinct without being separate gods.
The word Trinity is later theological vocabulary. Avoid analogies that turn the persons into parts of God or merely changing roles.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1–18; 2 Corinthians 13:13–14
Interpreting earlier persons, events, or institutions as patterns fulfilled and transformed in later biblical realities.
Paul connects Adam and Christ, while Hebrews relates sanctuary and sacrifice to Jesus. Typology depends on correspondence within salvation history.
Distinguish typology from arbitrary allegory. A proposed pattern needs textual and canonical support and should respect the earlier passage’s own meaning.
Romans 5:14–21; 1 Corinthians 10:1–11; Hebrews 9–10
The believer’s participation in and relationship with Christ through the Spirit.
Paul’s language of being in Christ connects believers with his death, resurrection, righteousness, and life. It also grounds their unity with one another.
Union does not erase personal identity or make believers divine by nature. Legal, relational, and participatory images illuminate different dimensions.
Romans 6:1–11; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:3–14; John 15:1–11
Skill in understanding and living faithfully within God’s world.
Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes explore wise conduct, suffering, limits, and reverence for God. The New Testament identifies Christ as God’s wisdom.
Proverbs often state patterns, not unconditional promises. Job and Ecclesiastes challenge simplistic claims that righteous behavior always guarantees immediate prosperity.
Proverbs 1:1–7; Job 28; Ecclesiastes 12:13–14; 1 Corinthians 1:18–31; James 3:13–18
Actions or deeds, evaluated in relation to faith, grace, and obedience.
Paul rejects boasting in works as the basis of justification and teaches that believers are created for good works. James insists that living faith expresses itself in action.
Distinguish works of the law, moral deeds, and Spirit-enabled obedience in their respective arguments. Avoid assuming identical usage in every author.
Romans 3:27–31; Ephesians 2:8–10; James 2:14–26; Titus 3:4–8
Honoring and responding to God with praise, trust, obedience, and shared devotion.
Biblical worship includes prayer, song, Scripture, sacraments or ordinances, generosity, and everyday service. Jesus connects true worship with Spirit and truth.
Musical style is not the measure of authentic worship. Scripture challenges religious performance that coexists with exploitation or lack of love.
Psalm 95; Isaiah 1:10–17; John 4:19–24; Romans 12:1–2
Examining how a word is used in particular passages and historical settings.
A responsible word study compares usage, grammar, genre, and context. Translations, concordances, and lexicons help but do not automatically determine interpretation.
Avoid the root fallacy and illegitimate totality transfer: a word does not carry every possible meaning or its entire etymological history in each occurrence.
Nehemiah 8:8; Luke 1:1–4; 2 Timothy 2:15
A scholarly term for speaking an identifiable human language not previously learned by the speaker.
The term is often used in discussion of Acts 2, where listeners hear speech in their own languages. It is distinguished in some studies from glossolalia, broader tongues speech.
These are analytical labels, not terms used by Acts itself. Christians debate the relationship between Acts 2 and First Corinthians 12–14.
Acts 2:4–13; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 14:1–19
The four Hebrew consonants of God’s covenant name, often represented as LORD in English Bibles.
Exodus connects the divine name with God’s self-disclosure and covenant faithfulness. Jewish reading practice commonly substitutes Adonai or HaShem out of reverence.
Yahweh is a common scholarly reconstruction of pronunciation. LORD in small capitals is a translation convention, not a claim that the Hebrew text simply says lord.
Exodus 3:13–15; Exodus 6:2–8; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 23:1
A name associated with Jerusalem, its sacred hill, and God’s dwelling among his people.
Zion language develops from a geographical reference into imagery for worship, divine kingship, restoration, and hope. The New Testament also speaks of heavenly Zion.
Identify whether a passage uses the term geographically, poetically, or eschatologically. Do not equate every use directly with a modern movement or state.
2 Samuel 5:7; Psalm 48; Isaiah 2:1–4; Hebrews 12:22–24
Use this dictionary alongside careful Bible reading. Compare translations, trace a word through its passage, and consult reliable commentaries and academic resources for research.