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Page A.D.
From the Latin,
"Anno Domini," which means in the year of our Lord. The Western Calendar
is dated from the birth of Christ. Therefore, 2000 A.D. means 2000 years
after the birth of Jesus. Recently, it has become
preferable to use "Common Era" (C.E.) rather than A.D. A
priori
Knowledge,
judgments, and principles which are true without verification or testing.
It is universally true. Abaddon
The Hebrew
word for "destroyer" whose Greek equivalent was "Apollyon." Abaddon is the
satanic angel of the Abyss (Rev. 9:11 ).
Absolution
In Catholicism, the act of releasing someone from their sin by God, through
the means of a priest. Abyss
The abode of
the dead and the place where evil spirits are imprisoned (Rev. 9:1-11). Active Obedience
As distinguished from passive obedience in Reformed Theology. Active obedience
is Jesus' actively fulfilling all the law of God.
This active obedience is imputed to the believer when he believes; that is, God
reckons to the believer the righteousness of Christ when the believer trusts in
Christ and His work. Adiaphora
Teachings and practices that are neither commanded nor forbidden
in scripture. An example might be whether or not to use a sound-board in
a church, to meet in a tent or a building, to have two or more services or simply
one on the day of worship. Adoptionism
Adoptionism is a view concerning Jesus that
first appeared in the second century. Those who held it denied the preexistence
of Christ and, therefore, His deity. Adoptionists taught that Jesus was tested
by God and after passing this test and upon His baptism, He was granted supernatural
powers by God and adopted as the Son. As a reward for His great accomplishments
and perfect character Jesus was raised from the dead and adopted into the Godhead.
Advent
From the latin, “coming.” The coming of or the arrival of something very important
as in the advent of Christ’s return. Advent is also an Christian time of preparation
preceding Christmas. Agnosticism
The
belief that it is not possible to know if there is or is not a God. (Compare Atheism, Deism, and Theism.) Albigenses
A belief that arose during
the middle ages in the town Albi in Southern France. This involved the idea that
there were two gods: the good god of light usually referred to as Jesus
in the New Testament and the god of darkness and evil usually associated with
Satan and the "God of the Hebrew Bible." Anything material was considered evil
including the body which was created by Satan. The soul, created by the good god,
was imprisoned in the evil flesh and salvation was possible only through holy
living and doing good works. Amillennialism
The
teaching that there is no literal 1000 year reign of Christ as referenced in Revelation 20.
It sees the 1000 year period spoken of in Revelation 20 as figurative. Instead,
it teaches that we are in the millennium now, and that at the return of Christ
(1 Thess. 4:16
- 5:2) there
will be the final judgment and the heavens and the earth will then be destroyed
and remade (2 Pet. 3:10).
The Amillennial view is as old as the Premillennial view. (Also compare to Postmillennialism). Anabaptists
Any of a group of sects of the
early Reformation period of the 16th century that believed in rebaptism of people
as adults. Infant baptism was not recognized as valid and the Catholic Mass was
rejected. Anabaptist means “one who baptizes again.” They believed in non-violence
and opposed state run churches. Angel
Angel means messenger. Angels
are created (Psalm 148:2,5;
Col. 1:16), non-human, spirit
beings (Heb. 1:14). They
are immortal (Luke 20:36),
innumerable (Heb. 12:22),
invisible (Num. 22:22-31),
sexless (Matt. 22:30),
and do the will of God (Psalm 103:20).
These angels have a ministry to believers. They guide (Gen. 24:7, 40), protect
(Psalm 34:7),
and comfort (Acts 27:2, 24).
There are good angels (Gen. 28:12; Psalm 91:11)
and bad angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). The
only angels mentioned by name are Gabriel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21 ), Michael (Dan. 10:13,21; 112:1), and Lucifer (Luke 10:18).
Michael is always mentioned in the context of battle (Dan. 10:13) and Gabriel
as a messenger (Luke 1:26). Of course,
Lucifer, who became Satan, is the one who opposes God.
Angels were originally created for the purpose of serving and carrying out the
will of God. The fallen angels rebelled and became evil angels. Satan is such
an angel (Isaiah 14:12-16;
Ezekiel 28:12-15).
Animism
The belief
that everything in the universe contains a living soul. The belief that
every object is indwelt by a spirit. Annihilationism
The teaching that when a person
dies, he is annihilated, most often this doctrine is applied to the wicked, thereby
negating eternal hell fire. This is contradicted
by the Bible in Matt. 25:46
which says “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous
into eternal life.” Also, degrees of punishment will be given on the day of
judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). If
all, or only the wicked are annihilated, then degrees of punishment would be pointless. Anthropic Principle
The idea that the universe exhibits elements of design specifically for the purpose
of containing intelligent beings; namely, humans. Much debate surrounds
this issue. Is the universe necessarily arranged by God so as to make life
possible or is it simply that the universe is godless and that life came into
existence due to the chance state that we now find it in? Anthropomorphic
Manifesting in human form. It is from the Greek "anthropos" meaning "man"
and "morphe" meaning "form." In biblical theology, God is described in anthropomorphic
terms; that is, in human terms with human attributes. For example, God has
hands and feet in Exodus 24:9-11 and is
loving (1 John 4:8).
Antichrist
A figure who opposes God.
The word is used to describe a spirit of rebellion against God, "...the spirit
of the Antichrist..." (1 John 4:3)
and of a specific future person identified as a being of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:3).
The AntiChrist actively opposes Christ (2 Thess. 2:4)
and when he arrives, he will be able to perform miracles (2 Thess. 2:9).
Some believe he will be an incarnation of Satan and as such will be able to deceive
many. His number is 666 (Rev. 13:18).
A further possible description of him might be found in Zech. 11:15-17).
Antinomianism
The word comes from the Greek anti,
against, and nomos, law. It is the unbiblical practice of living without
regard to the righteousness of God, using God's grace as a license to sin, and trusting grace to cleanse of sin. In other words,
since grace is infinite and we are saved by grace, then we can sin all we want
and still be saved. It is wrong because even though as Christians we are not under
the Law (Rom. 6:14), we still
fulfill the Law in the Law of love (Rom. 13:8,10;
Gal. 5:14; 6:2). We are to
love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves
(Luke 10:27)
and, thereby, avoid the offense of sin which cost God His only begotten Son. Paul
speaks against the concept of antinomianism in Rom. 6:1-2: "Are
we to continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! How shall we who
died to sin still live in it?". We are not to use the grace of God as a means
of sin. Instead, we are to be controlled by the love of God and in that way bear
the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25). Apollyon
Greek
for "destroyer." He is the angel of the Abyss, "They have as king over
them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek
he has the name Apollyon," (Rev. 9:11 ). Apparition
An
unexpected, supernatural appearance of a ghost or a person. Folklore of
apparitions are particularly strong among Catholics who claim appearances of the
saints, Mary, and Jesus with messages of repentance and turning to the Catholic
sacraments and confession. Apocalypse
From
the Greek word for "revelation," or "unveiling." It is synonymous with Armageddon
and refers to those future things dealing with the return of Christ and the great
battle of Armageddon. Apocrypha
The word apocrypha means
hidden. It is used in a general sense to describe a list of books written by Jews
between 300 and 100 B.C. More specifically, it is used of the seven additional
books accepted by the Catholic church as being inspired. The entire list of books
of the apocrypha are: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Rest of Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, (also titled Ecclesiasticus),
Baruch, The Letter of Jeremiah,
Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, The Additions
to Daniel, The Prayer of Manasseh,
and 1 and 2 Maccabees.
The books accepted as inspired and included in the Catholic Bible are Tobit, Judith,
1 and 2 Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus), and
Baruch
The Jews never recognized these books as being
canonical (inspired). There is no record that Jesus or the apostles ever quoted
from the apocryphal books. The Septuagint (LXX) includes the books, not as scripture, but
as part of the translation of the Hebrew manuscripts as a whole. Apollinarianism
Apollinarianism was the heresy taught
by Apollinaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea in Syria about 361. He taught
that the Logos of God, which became the divine nature of Christ, took the place
of the rational human soul of Jesus and that the body of Christ was a glorified
form of human nature. In other words, though Jesus was a man, He did not
have a human mind but that the mind of Christ was solely divine. Apologetics
The word is derived from
the Greek word "apologia," which means to make a defense. It has come to mean
defense of the faith. Apologetics covers many areas: who Jesus is, the reliability of the Bible,
comparing and contrasting Christianity with other religions, explaining Christianity
in a contemporary context. In short, it deals
with giving reasons for Christianity being true. We are called by God to give
an apologia, a defense: "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always
being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for
the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Pet. 3:15). Apostasy
The falling away from the faith.
It can also describe a group or church organization that has "fallen away" from
the truths of Christianity as defined by the historic
creeds of the church. Apostle
Someone sent with a special
message or commission. Jesus is called the apostle and high Priest of our confession
in Hebrews 3:1. The
twelve apostles of Jesus were Simon Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John,
Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon
the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Paul became an apostle after Jesus' resurrection
(2 Cor. 1:1), along with Barnabas
(Acts 14:14),
and others.
Apostles established churches (Rom. 15:17-20),
exposed error (Gal. 1:6-9), and
defended the truth of the gospel (Phil. 1:7,17). Some were empowered
by the Holy Spirit to perform Miracles (Matt. 10:1,8)
and they were to preach the gospel (Matt. 28:19,20).
Archangel
In the
Bible, a Greek word found only in the New Testament in two places: 1
Thess. 4:16, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in
Christ shall rise first"; and Jude 9, "But
Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body
of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, 'The
Lord rebuke you.'" Archangels seem to of a class of angels of great
rank and power. Apparently, there are three archangels named: Michael,
Gabriel, and Lucifer. Argument from Design
An attempt to prove God's existence by arguing that the universe and things in
it exhibit attributes of design. A design must have a designer. Since
the Universe appears designed, it had to have someone who designed it. The concept
figures prominently in contemporary debates about "Intelligent
Design." Argumentum ad hominem
An irrelevant
attack upon a person to deflect the argument from the facts and reasons. Argumentum ad judicium
An
argument where appeal is made to common sense and the judgment of people as validating
a point. Argumentum ad populum
An
argument where appeal is made to emotions: loyalties, patriotism, prejudices,
etc. Argumentum ad verecundiam
An
argument using respect for great men, customs, institutions, and authority in
an attempt to strengthen one's argument and provide an illusion of proof. Arianism
An ancient theological error that appeared around the year 320. It taught that
God could not appear on the earth, that Jesus was not eternal and could not be
God. Additionally, it taught that there was only one person in the Godhead: the
Father. Jesus, then, was a creation. It was condemned by the Council of Nicea
in 325.
Ark of the Covenant
Also called the "Ark of the Testimony" (Ex. 30:6), "Ark
of God" (1 Sam. 3:3),
and the "Ark of the covenant of the Lord" (Deut. 10:8).
The Ark of the Covenant was very sacred to the Ancient Jews. It was a rectangular
box made of Acacia wood about 4 x 1.5 x 1.5 feet. It was covered with gold
and was carried by poles that were inserted into rings located on the four corners.
On top was a lid called "The Mercy Seat" which had two Cherubs with outstretched
wings pointing towards each other. Inside of the Ark was the tablets of
the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron's Rod that budded (Heb. 9:4).
It served as the symbol of the very presence of God. The Ark of the Covenant
was place in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple.
Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle blood
on the Mercy Seat. This was symbolic of the forgiveness of the sins of the
Jewish nation. Armageddon
The word "armageddon" only occurs in Rev. 16:16.
It is the location of the final great battle between good and evil called the
Great Day of God Almighty. Arminianism
There are five main tenets of Arminianism:
1) God elects or reproves on the basis of foreseen faith or unbelief, 2) Christ
died for all, although only believers are saved, 3) Man is so depraved that divine
grace is necessary unto faith or any good deed, 4) This grace may be resisted,
5) Whether all who are truly regenerate will certainly persevere in the faith
is a point which needs further investigation.1 (Compare with Calvinism) Ascension
The
bodily taking up of Jesus into the heavens to be at the right hand of God the
Father. The account of Jesus' ascension is record by Luke in Acts 1:4-11. Ascended Master
A
New Age term designating a person of great learning and wisdom who lives on the
astral plane. They are not physical beings. An astral plane is another
dimension of reality beyond our world and is outside of time and space.
Supposedly, Jesus, Buddha, Confuscious, etc. were Ascended Masters. Assumption
In
Catholicsm, the taking of the body and soul of Mary by God, into glory.
Catholic doctrine, apparently, does not state whether or not Mary died, but tradition
holds that she died and was immediately afterward assumed into heaven both body
and soul. Assurance
Theologically, assurance is the
state of being confident in a condition or outcome. Usually it is applied to one’s
assurance of salvation. Texts often used to support assurance of salvation are
John 10:28 “and
I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch
them out of My hand,” and 1 John 5:13, “These
things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order
that you may know that you have eternal life.” Astral Projection
In Eastern and New Age philosophies, astral projection is the practice of the
soul leaving the human body and traveling around this world or other planes of
existence. Astrology
A system
of divination using the positions of starts, planets,
and the moon, in the twelve Zodiac signs, as a means to predict the future.
One's birth date falls into a Zodia sign and this is used in determining predictive
events in relation to the astral body positions. Atheism
This word comes from two Greek words, a the negator, and theos,
God. Atheism teaches that there is no God of any kind, anywhere, anytime.
Some atheists claim to "Excercise no belief in a god" the same way they would
exercise no belief in pink unicorns. Atonement
To atone means to make amends,
to repair a wrong done. Biblically, it means to remove sin and to be
at-one with God. (See Reconciliation.) Aura
A term used frequently
used by New Agers to describe a field of energy emitted by every living thing,
particularly people. This aura takes on different colors depending on the
person's mood, state of wellness, etc., and some New Age practitioners claim the
ability to interpret the colors and diagnosis various conditions and states of
mind of the person with the aura. See also, Chakra. Autograph
An original writing of a
biblical document. The original manuscript written. The autographs would be the
actual, original written document from which copies are made. Autonomy
Freedom from all external constraints.
Independence consisting of self-determination. Baal
A Canaanite god.
The word means "lord" or "husband." He was a god of weather, associated
with thunder, who appointed the times of the rains, and was considered to be the
son of the pagan god Dagon. The ancient Jews were often tempted to follow
Baal because so much of their lives depended upon the rain that fed the crops. Babel
The Hebrew name
for Babylon, one of the cities founded by Nimrod. In Gen. 11:1-9, it
is the location where all the world spoke a single language and worked together
to build a tower into the heavens. It was representative of over-reaching
human pride. God confused their languages. The building of the tower
ceased and they dispersed. Babel, Tower of
The tower built the builders at Babel
constructed which became a symbol of their defiance against God (Gen. 11:1-6).
It was probably modeled after a ziggurat which is a mound of sun-dried bricks
and was probably constructed before 4,000 BC. Baptism
An immersion or sprinkling
of water that signifies one's identification with a belief or cause. In Christianity
it is the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection
(Rom. 6:4-54).
It is done in the name and authority (Acts 4:7) of Christ
with the baptismal formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Most
Christians believe that Baptism is a sacrament.
Baptismal Regeneration
The belief that baptism is essential to salvation,
that it is the means where forgiveness of sins is made real to the believer. This is incorrect. Paul
said that he came to preach the gospel, not to baptize (1 Cor. 1:14-17). If
baptism were essential to salvation, then Paul would have included it in his standard
practice and preaching of the salvation message of Jesus, but he did not. (See
also Col. 2:10-11.) Bible
A book or collection
of sacred writings. The term "bible" is best known in reference to the Christian
Scriptures consisting of the both the Old and New Testaments. The word comes
from the Greek, biblios, meaning "book." More
about the Bible. Blasphemy
Speaking evil of God or
denying Him some good which we should attribute to Him. Blasphemy of the Holy
Spirit is stating that Jesus did his miracles by the power of the devil (Matt. 12:22-32)
and is an unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-30).
Blasphemy arises out of pride (Psalm 73:9,11),
hatred (Psalm 74:18),
injustice (Isaiah 52:5),
etc. Christ was mistakenly accused of blasphemy (John 10:30-33).
Book of Life
A book kept by God with the list of names of people who will escape God's wrath
(Psalm 69:28;
Rev. 21:27).
Those who names are not in the book of Life are cast into hell (Rev.
20:15). Born
Again
The
new birth enjoyed by a Christian upon his conversion and regeneration. It is a work of the Holy Spirit within a believer. It is
related to faith in Christ. It means that the person is no longer dead in
sins (Eph. 2:1), no longer
spiritually blind (1 Cor. 2:14), and
is now a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). Bride of Christ
A symbolic term used to designate the Christian church in its relation to Christ
as one who is a virgin (2
Cor. 11:2), loved by Christ (Eph. 5:22-33),
who will be in the marriage supper to the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). Rev. 21:9 says,
"And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last
plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the bride,
the wife of the Lamb."
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