Here are some of the words we use and what they mean to us. If they are still not clear to you, or if you think any of the definitions are wrong, or if you would like to see us add definitions for other words, please click here. A – B Absolutism: The doctrine that there are universal ethical standards which are inflexible and absolute. For Christians, these standards are the laws of God set forth in the Bible. Accountability: The doctrine that we are to be accountable for our actions. Accountability begins when a child is able to reason and discern right from wrong. Before that age, the child’s parents are accountable for his or her actions. Adultery: Consensual sexual intercourse by a married person with someone other than his or her lawful spouse. Affliction: A state of great suffering and distress due to adversity. Agnostic / Atheist: Two terms that are often confused with each other, an agnostic is someone who claims that he or she does not know or are unable to know whether God exists; an atheist is someone who claims he or she knows that God does not exist. Apologetics / Apologist: The term comes from the Greek apologia, which means “defense” or “answer” and means defending a particular idea or belief system and answering its critics. A person who engages in apologetics is called an apologist. Thus, there can be Christian apologists, Muslim apologists, Mormon apologists, etc. Apostle: A missionary sent out by Jesus. Apostles mentioned in the New Testament include the disciples and Paul. Aramaic: A Semitic language related to Hebrew widely used in Syria, Palestine, and Mesopotamia at the time of Jesus. Atone / Atonement: Reconciliation of people who have sinned with God; the concept of forgiveness and repair, based on the mercy of God. Baptism: The rite of obedience symbolizing the washing away of sin by immersing, sprinkling or anointing with water. Catholics and many protestant denominations practice infant baptism by sprinkling. In accordance with the scriptures, almost all Evangelical Christians recognize baptism only for people who have reached accountability and only by immersion. Baptism is a statement to the world of faith in Jesus Christ that identifies a believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. [Hebrews 10:25] Believer: another word for a Christian; someone who “believes” in Jesus Christ. An “unbeliever” is someone who is not a Christian. Blasphemy: The act of showing contempt, insulting, or expressing a lack of reverence for God; the act of claiming the attributes of deity; defiant irreverence toward something considered sacred. Blessing: Either a gift that God has given us through His grace, or a short prayer of thanks before a meal. Blood of Christ: Jesus Christ died on the cross taking the penalty of death for sins. His blood being poured out (shed) on that cross is what covers sins. We are “cleansed” of our sin by His blood. [Romans 5:9] Body of Believers / Body of Christ: Persons who believe in the teachings of Jesus and try to obey them. Bondservant: Someone who willingly becomes a slave to another. The Apostles repeatedly used the term to describe their relationship to Christ. [Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1]. Jesus made it clear that He came to serve those who became His bondservants. [Mark 10:43-45; Luke 22:27; Philippians 2:7] Bride of Christ: His church. [Revelation 21:9; 2 Corinthians 11:1-2] Born again (also reborn): To be spiritually born after one has already been physically born. When one enters into a relationship with Christ, a new life has begun. The old life is past. [John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17] C – D Call / Calling: Discernment of those whom God is calling to various ministry roles in the life of the church including ordained ministries – also, identifying spiritual gifts. Canon: A fixed group of writings considered inspired and authoritative – the 66 books of the Bible. Christ: A Greek word literally meaning "anointed one," it is a title given to Jesus. Church: The people who gather together to worship God. Not necessarily a physical building. [Matthew 16:18, 1 Corinthians 11:18] Clergy: The generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion – pastors. Commentary: A written systematic series of explanations and interpretations of Scripture. Through a personal narrative, they can provide deeper understanding and insight into the Bible and can be valuable tools to assist both casual reading and serious study. Communion (the Lord’s Supper; the Last Supper): The sharing of bread and wine to remember the death and sacrifice of Jesus. The bread represents His body and the wine His blood. [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] Commandments: Usually used by Christians to refer to the laws of conduct written on stone and given to Moses by God at Mt. Sinai, but can sometimes refer to the directives of Jesus. Confess: Confess is used in two major ways in the Bible. The first type of confession is the confession or admission of sin. The second type is the confession of faith. This is where the Christian declares his or her faith, usually publicly, or declares his or her faith as a part of witnessing. Conviction: When Christians speak of conviction, they are talking about 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]. Covenant: A legal promise between two people or groups. Some kinds of covenants apply equally to both sides like a marriage; some only apply to one side like God’s promises. Crucifixion / Crucify: The cruel method of execution used by Romans where a person would be nailed or tied to a wooded cross and then left to die from pain and exposure. Deacon: A servant of the church who has been specifically qualified [1 Timothy 3:8-13]. Determinism: In contrast to free will, determinism asserts that every event in the universe is caused and controlled by natural law. Thus there can be no free will on the part of human beings, nor can outside agents (i.e. God) have an effect upon the course of events. Christians reject determinism as a false belief. Disciple: A student and follower. Christians are disciples or students of Christ. Doctrine: The teachings of scripture. E – F Edifying / Edification: To improve spiritually or morally by instruction or example. To build up. Election: God’s choice of an individual or group for a specific purpose or destiny. [Romans 9:10-13] Embody: Incarnate; representing something in bodily form. End times: Refers to the times reflected in the Book of Revelation right before Christ returns. There are certain trials and tribulations that are going to occur during these times. Epistle: A letter. Most of the New Testament is a series of letters from apostles to churches and from apostle to apostle. The letters of Paul are called the Pauline Epistles. Eternal life: To have a relationship with God that never ends. It cannot be earned or bought. It is a free gift through faith in Christ. [Romans 6:23] Evangelical: Adhering to the beliefs of the inerrancy of the Bible, salvation by faith (rather than good works), and that individuals are in direct contact with God without the need of mediation or religious education through a priest. Evangelizing: Preaching the Gospel to; converting. Exalt: To praise, glorify, or honor. Equipping: The act of arming a person with weapons in preparation for war. To Christians, this means providing them with the arms and armor to do battle with evil and Satan. Exegesis: To draw out from a text (such as the Bible) all the truth that is in it. Exposition: To expose, to make visible, to make known – to show something for what it really is. Faith: A belief, trust in and loyalty to God; complete trust. Fall (the): Disobedience of Adam and Eve [Genesis 3] that resulted in ill effects for the remainder of humanity. Fellowship: The sharing of common interests, desires, and motivations. Forgiveness: Canceling a debt; no longer liable for an account. Jesus has fully discharged all our obligations so that there is no legal ground for charges to be pressed against us anymore – thus Christians are said to be forgiven. Free will: The doctrine that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. God chose to give each individual free will, which each person can exercise to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation, and hence God’s actions and determinations follow according to man’s choice. Fulfillment: A level of immense personal satisfaction, happiness and contentment which only comes through living life as Christ wants. G – H Gentile: A person who is not a Jew or of the Jewish faith. Christians in the early church were both Jew and Gentile. Paul was a Jew as were most of the early church leaders, including Peter, James, John and Barnabas. However, Luke and others who were recruited by Paul were Gentiles. Glorification: The ultimate state of the believer after death when he or she becomes like Christ. [1 John 3:2; Romans 8:18, 19, 30] Gnosticism / Gnostic: Derived from the Greek word gnosis, meaning “knowledge,” Gnosticism was a belief system that flourished in the Greek world at the time of Christ. Gnostics held that the physical world of matter was corrupt and evil, and that salvation could be attained only through the embracing of the eternal goodness of the spiritual. In so doing, they wholly denied the human dimensions of Jesus, even to the point of saying that He was a purely spiritual entity who only “appeared” to suffer on the cross. Gnostics also claimed to have special knowledge, particularly of a religious nature, such as passwords for getting into the heavens or for controlling angels. The early apostles condemned Gnosticism (and other heretical beliefs) in many books of the Bible – especially Galatians, 1 Peter and Jude. God: The creator of time and space. Christians believe there is one God, but three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All are God equally, they are not separate or smaller parts of God. [John 1:1-5, Matthew 28:20] Gospel: Literally “good news” – the message that the Son of God, Jesus, came into this world to bring us hope and salvation. Grace: Receiving something we don’t deserve. By His grace, God forgives sins and gives us His love even though we don’t deserve it. We cannot earn His grace; it’s His gift to us when we accept the sacrifice that Christ made for us on the cross. Great Commission: The commandment given by Jesus before ascending into heaven where He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” [Matthew 28:18-20] Heaven: The ultimate paradise, God’s holy kingdom. Hebrew: A Jew. The ancient language of the Jews that has been revived as the official language of Israel. Hell: The place reserved for the devil (Satan) and his followers – all who do not accept Jesus. Hermeneutics: The science of interpreting the Bible to find what the text actually meant. Heresy / Heretic / Heretical: To go against or contradict the ruling or teaching of the Bible. Holy Spirit: God sent to help believers live more like Christ by giving guidance, strength, and love. He is inside of every Believer in Christ. [John 16:5-15] Hypocrite: Someone who pretends to have beliefs, virtues or feelings that he does not truly possess. The word derives from the Latin word hypocrisis and the Greek word hupokrisis both of which mean play-acting or pretence. I – O Incarnate: To take on bodily form. Jesus became fully human by being born in the flesh. He did not stop being fully God. He is both fully God and fully human. [John 1:14] Idol / Idolatry: A representation of something in the heavens or on the earth (such as the sun, moon, a statue, an animal, etc.) which is worshiped. An idol can be anything that takes the place of God: a car, a job, money, a person, a desire, etc. Worshiping an idol, or serving an idol in place of serving God is an abomination to God. [Exodus 20:4)] Intercede / Intercession / Intercessor: To go between two groups or people who are against each other and prevent one from harming the other. To plead on behalf of another before a judge or king. An advocate, or defense lawyer. [Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25] Jew: a person belonging to the worldwide group claiming descent from Jacob (or converted to it) and connected by cultural or religious ties. Jesus Christ: God. He became fully human to save us from everlasting death. Both completely God and completely man. We know He was fully man because He died on the cross. We know He was fully God because He rose from the grave. He conquered sin and death for us. Justification: God’s act of declaring us “not guilty” for our sins [Romans 4:25; 5:18] – which cannot come about by works (good deeds). [Romans 5:1, Galatians 2:16] Laity: The members of a local church, male or female, who have not been ordained as pastors or deacons. Lamb of God: Jesus referred to Himself as the Lamb of God several times in the New Testament. In Old Testament times, lambs were used as sacrifices and their blood washed away sins. Jesus came as the final sacrifice, taking the place of the lamb. Lord: God. Christians also use the term to signify God’s position as our ruler. Lord’s Supper (Communion, the Last Supper): The night of His arrest, Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. This is known as the Last Supper. He offered them bread as a symbol of His flesh that would be sacrificed for us and wine as a symbol of the blood He would shed for us. When we take the sacrament of communion, we do it in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Mercy: Not receiving what we deserve. For example, we don’t receive punishment for our sins because of Jesus. Messiah: The Anointed one from God. The One to deliver the world from sin. Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. [John 1:41] Minister / Ministering: Although many protestant denominations use this term to denote a person authorized to conduct religious worship, evangelical Christians use the word to refer to attending to the wants and needs of others. Omnibenevolence: Being perfectly good; a characteristic of God. Among other things, this means He is perfectly just, all-loving, and fully merciful. Omnipotence: Having all power; a characteristic of God. There is nothing as powerful as God. All the forces of the universe combined do not even come close to His power. Omnipresence: Having all presence; a characteristic of God. He is able to be everywhere at the same time. There is no place that God cannot go. Omniscience: Having all knowledge; a characteristic of God. He knows everything that was, is or ever will be. Ordained: Specially invested with ministerial functions; "an ordained pastor." Outreach: Going outside one’s normal operations or area of influence to provide information, resources or services. P – R Passion: From the Latin word for suffering, the crucifixion of Jesus and the events leading up to it. Passover: Festival celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from the Egyptians. Patriarch: A father. Biblical patriarchs refer to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are considered the fathers of the Hebrew nation. Pentecost: A Jewish feast day celebrated 50 days after Passover. [Exodus 34:22-23] It has significance to Christians because that first Pentecost after the crucifixion was when the Holy Spirit was sent to the Christians as the Comforter. [Acts 2] Pharisee: A group of extremely devout Jews who were intent on obeying the Laws of Moses to the letter. Their error was in missing the spirit of the laws. Today when Christians talk about someone being like a Pharisee, they are talking about a person who is rigidly applying the Scripture to their lives and missing the spirit of love that Jesus wants us to have. Prayer: Talking to God. Priesthood of the Believer: The belief that every individual is personally responsible for correctly understanding, interpreting and obeying the Bible. Prophet: A messenger from God. A person is only considered a prophet if their prophecy is true and consistent with God and His word. [Deuteronomy 18] Propitiation: The removal of God’s punishment for sin through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. [Romans 3:25] Reconcile: To restore a relationship. We are separated from God by our sin. When we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins on the cross, we are reconciled with God. [Colossians 1:20-22] Redeem: To receive something in exchange for something else. In the case of Christians, our sin was exchanged for eternal life. [Ephesians 1:7] Redemption: Jesus Christ has paid the price so we can go free. The price of sin is death; Jesus paid the price. [Romans 3:24; 8:23] He is called the Redeemer for this reason. Relativism: The opposite of absolutism, relativism is the belief that there are many valid views with regard to a particular ethical issues. For example, a relativist will argue that homosexual conduct may be wrong for some people but right for others. The Bible clearly rejects relativism with respect to its teachings. Remnant: A small, leftover portion. It generally refers to the small group of Jews who remained faithful to God through the Old Testament times. In the Book of Revelation, it refers to those who become or remain faithful to God during the tribulation. Repent: To turn away or to turn around completely. When Christians talk about the need to repent from sin, we’re saying that we need to turn away from those things that we know offend God. Resurrection: To come back to life and never die again. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of Christianity. When Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross, He shed His blood for our sins. When He came back to life, He proved that He had conquered the penalty of sin, which is death. [Romans 6:9] Revelation: Literally "unveiling;" an enlightening or astonishing disclosure; the last book in the Bible. Righteous: When speaking of man, the term means conformity to God’s standard of right and wrong; doing right. When speaking of God, righteousness is one of His chief attributes. It includes His integrity, equity, justice, and straightness. Jesus embodied righteousness. [Acts 3:14] Righteousness, like the Kingdom of Heaven, is God’s gift through grace. [Matthew 5:6, Matthew 6:33] and can be achieved by man only through faith in the atonement made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. [Romans 10:3-13] S – S Sacrifice: Giving up something that is valued a lot by a person or offering of animal to God for special favor or sign. To make an offering in payment for a debt. [Hebrews 11:11-16] Sacrament: A solemn Christian ritual believed to be a sign of faith, or obedience to Christ’s commands. In the Catholic church, there are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, communion, penance, last rites, ordination and marriage. In Protestant churches, only baptism and communion are regarded as sacraments. Salvation: Salvation is the gift of eternal life that God offers us. In order to claim the gift, we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins. We ask Jesus to wash away our sins so that we can come before God blameless. The price of sin is eternal death but the gift of salvation is eternal life. By taking the penalty for all our sins, Jesus can offer us the gift of salvation. [John 3:14-17] Saved: Used by Christians to describe salvation; Christians are saved from death and saved into eternal life. Sanctification: Literally "set apart;" becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 5:2; 15:16] Savior: A person who saves or rescues others from danger or death. [2 Timothy 1:10] Scripture: The inspired word of God. The Bible. [2 Timothy 3:16] Semitic: A name given to Middle East peoples that trace their origin from the biblical Noah and his son Shem. These people include both Jews and Arabs. Secular: Of the non-religious world. Sin: Turning away from God’s love; doing something wrong; disobeying the commandments of God. Any transgression or lack of conformity to the perfect law of God. Sin is what separates us from God. Sin refers to those things we do that we know are wrong but do them anyway even if they hurt us and cause offense to God. Our goal as Christians is to strive to eliminate sin from our lives; to only do those things that please and honor God. Sola fide: A Latin term literally meaning “only faith” – the doctrine that faith is all that is necessary for salvation. Solo scriptoria: A Latin term literally meaning “only Scripture” – the belief that there is no Christian authority other than the 66 canonized books of the Holy Bible and that anything which contradicts their teaching must be rejected. Son of Man: The title used 81 times by Jesus to refer to himself in the Gospels, but never by anyone else. Spiritual Gifts: Gifts given by Jesus to His church [1 Corinthians 12 – 14; Romans 12]. To see a list of some of these gifts, click here. Steward: Someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else. The Bible teaches that everything belongs to the one God who created everything, and that we are merely stewards of that with which He has entrusted to us. Stewardship: Taking good care of resources entrusted to you. T – Z Testament: A witness or evidence given for belief. The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is about events that took place before Christ and the New Testament is about the birth of Christ, His ministry, and events that took place a few years after His resurrection. Ten Commandments: Laws of conduct written on stone and given to Moses by God at Mt. Sinai. [Exodus 20:1-17] Theodicy: Literally "justification of God;" the branch of theology that studies the question of how an omnibenevolent and omnipotent could God have permitted evil and human suffering to be part of His creation. Theology: Derived from the two Greek words (Theos) meaning “God” and (logos) meaning “word,” theology means “the study or science of God.” Generally, theology is the means by which God gives us understanding to the things concerning Himself and our relationship to Him. In a broader sense, theology is Christ living out His life in our lives through His Spirit that we may know God as He knows God, and be One with the Father, as He and the Father are One. Tithe: 10 percent of what we earn. Torah: The first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Transfiguration: The event described in Mark 9:2-8, Matthew 17:1-8, and Luke 9:28-36, in which Peter, James and John saw Jesus transformed into a glowing heavenly figure and talking with Elijah and Moses. Transformation: A complete change in one’s lifestyle and beliefs brought about through acceptance of Christ as Lord. Tribulation: A period of immense suffering and sacrifice, greater than anything before in history right before the return of Jesus. The tribulation is referred to in Matthew 24:21 and throughout the Book of Revelation. Christians are promised strong faith and powers to help them endure and prevail. Trinity: The doctrine that God is a single being existing simultaneously as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Universalism: The heretical belief that all souls will be saved by God in the end – that hell either does not exist or is temporary. Vestments: Distinctive clothing worn by clergy when performing liturgical and other services of the church – used to set clergy apart from laity. Evangelical Christian clergy typically reject vestments in favor of business suits or other similar attire. Virgin Birth: The belief that Jesus Christ had no human father, but was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Virgin Mary. It is based on Matthew 1 and Luke 1 in the New Testament. Wicked: Something morally bad in principle or practice; having committed unrighteous acts; a sinful person. Witness / Witnessing: A witness tells what he or she has seen. When Christians talk about witnessing, we mean that we telling people what we have seen Christ do in our lives. Witnessing is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a Christian. Works: Good deeds. Worship: To pray to; to give honor and acceptance to God in Jesus’ name. Perhaps you would like a copy of this glossary for future reference or to share with a friend. We have prepared this document in pdf format – which can be saved to your hard drive, or read any time using the Adobe Reader, or printed out as you desire. You can obtain your copy of the document here.