advent—Christ's coming through the virgin birth to minister and provide salvation. His advent will also occur in the clouds for final judgment.
angel—A messenger from God, either heavenly or human, who delivers God's message of instruction, warning, or hope.
apostles—Men chosen by Jesus as his official messengers; this term refers generally to his twelve disciples.
baptism—The immersion or dipping of a believer in water symbolizing the complete renewal and change in the believer's life and testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the way of salvation.
church—The community of those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ; used to designate a congregation, a denomination, or all Christians.
covenant—A contract or agreement expressing God's gracious promises to his people and their consequent relationship to him.
cross—Two wooden beams shaped as a letter t or x used as an instrument to kill criminals by the Roman government; the wooden beams on which Jesus was killed and thus a symbol of Christian faith and responsibility.
crucifixion—A form of execution by affixing a victim to a cross to die; Jesus' death on the cross for sinners.
eternal life—The quality of life that Jesus gives his disciples and unending life with God given to those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
evangelism—The central element of the church's mission involving telling others the gospel of salvation with the goal of leading them to repentance and faith in Christ.
fasting—Going without food as a sign of repentance, grief, or devotion to God; often connected with devotion to prayer.
forgiveness—Pardon and release from penalty for wrongdoing; God's delivery from sin's wages for those who repent and express faith in Christ; the Christian act of freeing from guilt and blame those by whom one has suffered wrong.
Gentiles—People who are not part of God's chosen family at birth and thus can be considered “pagans.”
Godhead—The unity of the triune God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
gospel—The good news of the redeeming work of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Gospels—The four New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called Synoptic Gospels because they relate many of the same events and teachings of Jesus. John is the Fourth Gospel and tends to be more theological in nature, telling events and teachings not in the Synoptics.
heaven—The eternal dwelling place of God and the redeemed.
hell—The place of everlasting punishment for the lost.
Herodians—An aristocratic Jewish group who favored the policies of Herod Antipas and thus supported the Roman government.
high priest—The chief religious official for Israel and Judaism appointed as the only person allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and offer sacrifice on the Day of Atonement.
holy—God's distinguishing characteristic that separates him from all creation; the moral ideal for Christians as they seek to reflect the character of God as known in Christ Jesus.
Holy of Holies—The innermost and most sacred area of the tabernacle and temple, where God was present and where sacrifices were made by the high priest on the Day of Atonement.
Holy Spirit—The third person of the Trinity; the presence of God promised by Christ and sent to his disciples at Pentecost representing God's active presence in the believer, the church, and the world.
incarnation—The act of the divine Son Jesus becoming human and enduring all the experiences which tempt us and cause us to suffer, thus qualifying him to be the agent of God's saving plan for humanity.
Jerusalem—Capital city of Israel in the Old Testament; religious center of Judaism in the New Testament; also name of the heavenly city John describes in Revelation (New Jerusalem).
kingdom of God—God's sovereign rule in the universe and in the hearts of Christians.
law—God's instruction to his people about how to love him and others. When used with the definite article “the,” law may refer to the Old Testament as a whole but usually to the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy).
Messiah—The coming king promised by the prophets; Jesus Christ who fulfilled the prophetic promises; Christ represents the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “messiah.”
minister—The loving service of Christians to each other and to those outside the church in the name of Jesus.
miracle—An act of God beyond human understanding that inspires wonder, displays God's greatness, and leads people to recognize God at work in the world.
mission—The God-given responsibility of the church and each believer to bring God's love and the Christian gospel to all people through evangelism, education, and ministry. The word “missions” is used especially to refer to work done by Christians outside their own culture.
parable—A short story taken from everyday life to make a spiritual point; Jesus' favorite form of teaching.
passion—The suffering of Christ during his time of trial and death on the cross.
Passover—The Jewish feast celebrating the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. 12); celebrated by Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper.
repentance—A change of heart and mind resulting in a turning from sin to God that allows conversion and is expressed through faith.
resurrection—The raising of Jesus from the dead to eternal life; the raising of believers for eternal life with Christ; the raising of unbelievers to eternal punishment.
righteousness—The quality or condition of being in right relationship with God; living out the relationship with God in right relationships with other persons.
Sabbath—The seventh day of the week corresponding to the seventh day of creation when people in the Old Testament were called on to rest from work and reflect on God.
Sadducees—A religious group which formed during the period between the Old Testament and the New Testament when the Maccabees ruled Judah.
scribe—A Jewish teacher of the law who studied and copied Scripture.
second coming—Christ's return in power and glory to consummate his work of redemption.
Son of Man—The title Jesus most frequently used for himself that emphasized both his divinity as the prophesied One in the Old Testament and his identification with people.
sovereignty—God's freedom from outward restraint; his unlimited rule of and control over his creation.
transfiguration—Jesus' appearance in full glory to Peter, James, and John.
tribulation—Severe affliction or oppression experienced by God's people interpreted by some scholars as a period of persecution and suffering immediately before the second coming.
Trinity—God's revelation of himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit unified as one in the Godhead and yet distinct in person and function.
unpardonable sin—Persistence in refusing to accept Christ as Lord and Savior which prevents a person from receiving God's forgiveness; blasphemy that reflects such a condition.
virgin birth—The miraculous birth of Christ in which Mary remained a virgin as she conceived and bore Jesus through the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
worship—Reverence, honor, praise, and service shown to God.
Yahweh—The Hebrew personal name of God revealed to Moses; this name came to be thought of as too holy to pronounce by Jews; often translated Lord or Jehovah.