Word List

Word List

Abraham Abraham was the first Jew (see Word List: Jew). He was born about two thousand years before Christ in a place called Ur, which is now modern Iraq. God told Abraham to go to another country (Genesis 12:1), a country which God promised to give to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:7). That country was Israel. God told Abraham that He would make Abraham’s seed a great nation, from which all the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-3). That nation was the Jewish nation. The great blessing which came from that nation was Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who was a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).

Abraham was a man of great faith (see Galatians 3:6; Hebrews 11:8-12 and comments). The Jews took great pride in being descendants of Abraham according to the flesh. However, all those who believe in Christ are the true spiritual descendants of Abraham through faith (see Galatians 3:7-9 and comment).

Abraham’s life is described fully in Genesis Chapters 11-25.

Adoption Through faith in Christ, we become an adopted child of God. This is one aspect of our salvation in Christ (see Word List: Salvation).

Initially we all were slaves of sin and of Satan (see Word List: Satan). We were not in God’s family. God is the creator of all men, but He is not the Father of all men. He is the Father only of those who believe in Jesus. Only when we receive Christ’s righteousness through faith does God accept us into His family.

Any adopted child receives the full inheritance of the person who adopts him. Even though he is not a natural son according to the flesh, legally he is considered a son, and receives the full privileges of sonship. In the same way we, who were once by nature sinners, now through Christ become true sons and daughters of God spiritually. And in heaven we shall receive our full inheritance (see Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:3-7; Ephesians 1:4-5 and comments).

To become an adopted child of God is one of the greatest blessings of our salvation. It means that God’s nature enters into us through the Holy Spirit. It means that we are in close fellowship with God, as a child is with his earthly father. It also means that we must live like children of God. To be a child of God is a great privilege and joy; it is also a great responsibility.

Angel An angel is aheavenly or spiritual messenger. Angels are spirits created by God (Psalm 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:14). They are higher beings than humans (Hebrews 2:6-7). They were created before humans were created (Job 38:7).

Though angels have no earthly bodies as men do, they can still appear to men in bodily form (Luke 1:11,26-27; Acts 12:6-7). Angels do not marry, and they do not die (Luke 20:34-36).

All angels were created as holy beings. However, some angels rebelled against God and fell from their holy state. These fallen angels have become demons or evil spirits (see Word List: Demon). The chief of the demons is Satan (see Word List: Satan).

God has given angels various kinds of responsibilities to fulfill. Some angels stand in the presence of God and worship Him (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:11). Other angels assist and protect God’s people (Genesis 19:11; Psalm 91:11; Daniel 3:28; 6:22; Acts 5:19; 12:6-7).

Angels ministered to Christ after His temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11). An angel strengthened Him in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). An angel rolled the stone away from His tomb (Matthew 28:2-7).

Many Christians believe that each believer in Christ has a special guardian angel who stands in God’s presence and watches out for that believer (Matthew 18:10).

Apostle An apostle is a person appointed, sent, and inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel and to establish Christ’s church.

In the beginning only Jesus’ twelve main disciples were called apostles. But later others also were called apostles, such as Paul and James (1 Corinthians 15:7), Barnabas (Acts 14:3-4), Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6-7), and Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:7).

The main work of the apostles was to faithfully pass on the teachings of Christ, and to establish His church. In Ephesians 2:20, the apostles are called the church’s foundation.

Atonement Atonement is a special action which is performed in order to escape God’s wrath against sin or to avoid punishment for sin. In the Bible this action is usually some kind of blood sacrifice, called a propitiation.

All men have sinned and deserve to receive God’s judgment and punishment (see Numbers 14:18; Psalm 7:11; Romans 1:18; 3:10 and comments). But God in His mercy has provided a means for men to escape that punishment. In the Old Testament, the Jews sacrificed animals to divert God’s wrath. God’s wrath fell upon the animal instead of the man (Leviticus 4:27-31; 16:20-22). In addition to the ordinary sacrifices, God also established one day each year as a “day of atonement,” when the Jewish high priest would carry out a special sacrifice to atone for the sins of all the people (Leviticus 16:1-34).

However, after Jesus Christ came into the world, these Old Testament sacrifices for sin were no longer necessary, because Jesus Himself, God’s own Son, was sacrificed for our sins. He Himself is our propitiation, or sacrifice of atonement (see Romans 3:23-25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10 and comments). His sacrifice is once and for all. When we place our faith in Jesus and in His sacrifice (His death on the cross), we then no longer need any other sacrifice for sin (see Hebrews 9:26,28; 10:10,14 and comments). Our sins are all forgiven, because Christ took our punishment. He is our propitiation for removing God’s wrath against us.

In order to remove God’s wrath and receive forgiveness for sins, a living sacrifice is necessary. Blood must be shed. … without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). Christ Himself was that living sacrifice. He shed His blood on the cross (see Word List: Cross). Nails were driven through His hands and feet, and a spear was driven into His side from which blood flowed (John 19:34; 20:24-27).

Paul wrote that we have now been justified by his blood (Romans 5:9). This means we have been justified by Jesus’ death (Romans 5:10). It is not Jesus’ blood alone that saves us: it is Jesus’ death. The punishment of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Jesus had to die in order that we might live.

Baptism Baptism in the Old Testament means washing or cleansing (Exodus 30:17-21; Leviticus 11:25). John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance, so that men and women would be prepared to meet Jesus (see Mark 1:4 and comment). Jesus baptized believers with the Holy Spirit and with fire (see Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8 and comment).

In the New Testament, baptism is the application of water (by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is a sign ofthe believer’s repentance, ofhis forgiveness from sin, and of his cleansing from sin (Acts 2:38). Baptism is also a sign of the believer’s union with Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). When the believer is baptized, he partakes in the death of Christ. He dies to sin and to his old sinful nature. At the same time, the believer partakes in Jesus’ resurrection. Through faith he receives new spiritual life (see Romans 6:3-8 and comment). Finally, baptism is a sign that we have become members of the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:13 and comment). In short, baptism is a sign that we have received salvation (see Word List: Salvation). All these blessings ofbaptism we receive through faith in Christ.

Many Christians, however, believe that baptism is more than just a sign of having received these spiritual blessings. They believe that baptism is also a means by which believers receive these blessings. They believe that baptism is a means by which God puts our old sinful self to death and raises our new spiritual self to life. But all Christians acknowledge that the ceremony of baptism does nothing by itself; true faith in Christ is always necessary to receive any of the blessings of baptism. For a further discussion of this subject, see General Article: Water Baptism.

It is not necessary to be baptized in order to be saved (Luke 23:39-43). Salvation comes only through faith. But if a person refuses to be baptized, it shows that his faith is not real. The New Testament commands believers to be baptized. If we refuse, we are disobeying Christ. Those who deliberately remain in disobedience to Christ do not have true faith. Therefore, all Christians should be baptized at the first suitable opportunity.

There is another special kind of baptism called Holy Spirit baptism. For a further discussion of this subject, see General Article: Holy Spirit Baptism.

Church The church, in simplest terms, is believers united together in Christ.

The church can be thought of in two main ways: first, the local church—that is, a congregation ofbelievers in a particular locality; and second, the universal church—that is, the spiritual fellowship of Christians worldwide. In the New Testament, the word “church” is used in both these senses; in any verse, the sense can be determined by the context.

The local church is the visible manifestation of the universal church in a particular locality. The local church is considered by some Christians to be the highest authority for believers who are members of that church. According to this opinion, each local church is completely autonomous and self-governing.

Among other Christians, however, bishops have the highest authority, not the local churches. According to this system ofchurch government, one bishop exercises authority over a number of local churches together (see General Article: Church Government).

The church (both the local church and the universal church) is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27-28; Ephesians 4:11-12). The members of the church are therefore members of Christ’s body (Ephesians 5:30). The head of the church is Christ Himself (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18).

The church can also be described as God’s household (Ephesians 2:19). It is like a “living structure,” into which believers are built together and whose chief cornerstone is Christ (see Ephesians 2:20-22 and comment). Peter describes the church as a spiritual house, built up of members who are like living stones (1 Peter 2:5).

The main purpose of the church is to be a witness to Christ, to be a light in the world. The church is necessary for corporate worship and for the nurture and teaching of Christians; but its main purpose is to reach out to the world and draw men and women to Jesus Christ. This, then, is the mission of the church (see General Article: Purpose of the Church).

The church of Christ is the most important thing in the world, because through the church God lives and works in the world today to accomplish His eternal purposes (see Ephesians 3:10-12 and comment).

Circumcision Circumcision is the cutting off of the excess skin at the tip of the penis. God commanded Abraham and all ofhis descendants to be circumcised. This was to be a sign of the covenant which God made with the Jewish nation (Genesis 17:9-14). All Jewish males are required to be circumcised on the eighth day of life. Circumcision is the outward sign of being a Jew.

However, for receiving salvation circumcision gives no advantage (see Gal-atians 5:6 and comment). In fact, outward circumcision of the flesh is not even a sign of being a true Jew (see Romans 2:28-29 and comment). Therefore, it is not necessary for Gentile Christians to be circumcised (Acts 15:5-11).

Covenant A covenant is an agreement between two individuals or two parties. In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with the Jews. He promised to bless them (Genesis 15:18; Exodus 19:5-6; 2 Samuel 23:5). But the Jews, on their side, had to obey God’s law (see Word List: Law).

In the Old Testament, the Jews did not keep God’s law perfectly. They did not fulfill their part of the covenant. Therefore, God withdrew the promise He had made to them. Instead, God established a new covenant with men. He promised salvation to all who would believe in His Son Jesus. This new covenant is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:6-13.

In the Old Testament, a covenant was ratified by the shedding of blood. An animal was sacrificed and the parties agreeing to the covenant would walk between the pieces of the animal. In doing this, they were, in effect, saying: “Let it happen to whoever breaks this covenant as it has happened to this animal” (Genesis 15:17-18; Jeremiah 34:18-20). The shed blood of the animal was called the blood of the covenant (Exodus 24:5-8).

In the same way, Jesus’ shed blood became the blood of the new covenant between God and man (see Mark 14:24; 1 Corinthians 11:25; General Article: Lord’s Supper). God agreed to put the punishment for our sins upon His Son Jesus. God’s part in the covenant was to sacrifice His Son. Our part in the covenant is to believe in Jesus and to obey Him. And this covenant between us and God has been ratified by Jesus’ blood.

Cross In the New Testament, the word “cross” means a wooden post with a crosspiece. In the time of the Roman Empire, the cross was used by the Romans to execute criminals. The criminal was hung on the cross either with ropes or by means of nails driven through his hands and feet. Often it took two or three days for a criminal to die. To hasten death, the criminal’s legs were often broken.

Jesus was condemned to death by the Romans, and was hung on a cross to die. Therefore, the cross is a sign for all Christians ofJesus’ death and sacrifice for man’s sin. By dying on the cross, Jesus bore the death penalty for sin in our place (see Mark 10:45 and comment).

The cross is also a sign of the suffering that each Christian must be ready to endure for Christ’s sake (see Mark 8:34 and comment). It is also a sign of the death of our old sinful self (see Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14 and comments). The cross is also a sign of the Christian’s glory, because if we suffer with Christ, we shall also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17).

David David was the greatest king of the Jews. He was born in 1040 B.C., and his reign lasted from 1010 to 970 B.C. (forty years).

David established the Jewish capital at Jerusalem. During his rule, the Jewish nation, Israel, gained great power. David also wrote seventy-three of the Psalms in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself was descended from David (see Matthew 1:1,20; Luke 1:26-27,32-33 and comments).

David’s life is described beginning in 1 Samuel Chapter 16 and continuing through 1 Kings Chapter 2.

Demon In the Bible, demons are also called evil or unclean spirits. These spirits are not the spirits of dead people. They are spirits who were created by God but who later rebelled. The chief demon is Satan (see Word List: Satan).

These demons or spirits have no body of their own. Therefore, they desire to live within someone else’s body. Demons are intelligent and powerful. They can take control of people, and can cause blindness (Matthew 12:22), dumbness (Matthew 9:32), and insanity (Mark 5:1-5; 9:20-22).

In the world demons have great power (Ephesians 6:11-12). But the power of the Holy Spirit is greater (1 John 4:4). Christians must keep away from anything that is connected with demons, especially idol worship. An idol itself is nothing, but when people worship an idol, they are, in fact, worshiping a demon (see 1 Corinthians 10:19-21 and comment).

For a further discussion of demons, see General Article: Healing and Deliverance.

Discipline Discipline is any kind of trouble or pain which leads ultimately to our improvement or welfare.

Parents discipline their children in order to train them and teach them how to lead good lives. In the same way, God trains and disciplines believers in Christ. All of us have weaknesses and defects in our characters, and God wants to remove these weaknesses and defects and to make us perfect. Therefore, He allows trouble and persecution to come upon us in order to test us and to strengthen our faith and correct our faults.

God Himself does not send evil or temptation. But He allows the devil, Satan, to tempt us. In addition, our own sins bring trouble upon us.

When we are disciplined by God we should rejoice, because such discipline is proof that we are indeed the children of God (see Hebrews 12:5-12; James 1:24; 1 Peter 1:6-7 and comments).

Egypt The Egypt mentioned in the Bible is the same as the modern nation of Egypt located in northeast Africa. The Jews were held in bondage in Egypt for many generations, until they were set free by Moses in about 1400 B.C.

Eternal Life Eternal life is spiritual life that has no end. Eternal life begins as soon as one believes in Jesus and is born again (see John 3:3,5 and comment). Eternal life is eternal fellowship with God. This fellowship begins here on earth when we believe, and continues in heaven after our bodies die. Therefore, believers in Jesus need have no fear of death, because believers do not really die. Their spirits live forever (John 11:25-26). Not only that, believers will receive a new spiritual body in heaven (see Word List: Resurrection).

Eternal life is the main part of our salvation (see Word List: Salvation). All of the stages of salvation—forgiveness, justification, adoption—end in joyful and glorious eternal life for every true believer in Christ. Eternal life is not just living forever; it is living joyfully in the presence of God forever. Life here on earth is not worthy to be compared with eternal life in heaven (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17).

Evil Spirit (See Word List: Demon)

Faith The word “faith” in the New Testament means faith in God, faith in Christ. Faith is also a firm beliefthat Christ’s teachings are true, and that through His death we are saved.

Faith is not just a strong thought. It is placing complete trust in Christ. It is placing ourselves in dependence on Him. For example, say we come to a bridge. Perhaps we are sure it is strong. But if we are afraid to cross the bridge, we have no faith. Faith is crossing the bridge.

In the New Testament, the word “faith” is used to describe different degrees of belief in Jesus. Some people had faith in Jesus’ power to heal (Matthew 8:10). Some people believed He was a prophet (Mark 8:27-28; John 9:17). But true faith, saving faith, means to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior (Mark 8:29; John 9:35-38). This is the usual meaning of the word “faith” in the New Testament.

We are saved through faith (see Ephesians 2:8 and comment). We receive all spiritual blessings through faith. … without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). … everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

Faith is not a kind of “work” that we do. Rather faith is accepting the work that Christ has done for us on the cross. Faith is a gift from God (Romans 12:3).

However, after we believe, there will always be a change in our lives, in our behavior. When we believe, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. We begin to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). We are not saved by these works; we are saved only through faith. However, good works are the visible proof that our faith is true. If our faith does not lead us to love and obey God and to do works of love, then our faith is false, it is dead. Such “faith” will not save us (see Matthew 7:21; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-17 and comments).

Flesh Depending on the translation used, the word “flesh” in the New Testament can have two meanings. Which meaning to apply in any verse can be determined by looking at the context of that verse.

First, flesh can mean body. For example, “body” is the meaning intended in Romans 8:10-11; 12:1,4.

Second, flesh can mean sinful nature. Our bodies themselves are not sinful. But Paul often calls our sinful nature “flesh.” He does this, for example, in Romans 7:5,18,25; 8:3-9,12; 1 Corinthians 5:5; Galatians 5:13,16-17,19,24; 6:8. (The New International Version actually uses the expression “sinful nature” instead of flesh in all verses where this is the meaning called for.)

These two meanings of flesh are very different. When flesh means body, there is no evil connotation intended. There is nothing evil or sinful about our bodies. We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).

But what is evil is our sinful nature, our sinful desires. These desires are what cause us to sin (James 1:14-15). Therefore, when flesh is used to mean our sinful nature, its meaning is very different from body. Our sinful nature is evil; our bodies are not.

When the Holy Spirit controls our body, we will act rightly. When our sinful nature controls our body, we will act sinfully (see Romans 6:12-13).

Gentile In the Bible, all who are not Jews are called Gentiles. The Jews despised the Gentiles, because in Bible times most Gentiles did not believe in the one true God. They believed in many false gods and worshiped idols. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be impure.

Jesus Christ came to save not only the Jews but the Gentiles also—the whole world. The Apostle Peter gave the Gospel to the Gentile Cornelius and his family, and they became the first real Gentiles to believe in Christ and be saved (Acts 10:44-48). The Apostle Paul was appointed to be a special apostle to the Gentiles to bring them the Gospel of Christ (Acts 9:15; 22:21; Galatians 2:9).

Gospel The word “Gospel” in the New Testament means the good news about Jesus Christ—His life, His death, His resurrection. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus is the Savior of the world and that He has come to earth to save sinners. The Gospel is the good news that the kingdom of God has come near in Jesus Christ (see Mark 1:14-15). The Gospel is the good news that the only thing a person has to do to be saved is to believe in Jesus.

Grace Grace is the love and mercy of God toward man. God gives grace to men freely. Men do not deserve to receive God’s love and mercy, because they are sinful. But even though man is not deserving of God’s love, God still loves man. Even while we were sinners and enemies of God, He sent His own Son Jesus to save us (Romans 5:8).

Because of God’s grace, we receive salvation (Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11). By God’s grace we live our Christian lives. All blessings man has ever received, both material and spiritual, have come because of the grace of God. Because of grace, God sent His Son Jesus to save us. Because of grace, God sent His Holy Spirit to make us holy. Because of grace, believers in Christ will live with God forever.

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is God Himself. God is spirit (John 4:24). The Holy Spirit is one of God’s three forms or modes of existence. God is Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit: one God in three persons.

The Holy Spirit lives in believers (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Ephesians 2:22 and comments). The Holy Spirit teaches believers (John 14:26). He bears witness to Christ (John 15:26). He inspired and directed the writers of the Bible (Acts 1:16; 2 Peter 1:21). To have the Holy Spirit is essentially the same as having Christ, for when we accept Jesus we receive the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9-12). Since Jesus and God are one (John 10:30), the Holy Spirit is also Jesus’ Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives believers great power (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4 and comments). The Holy Spirit gives special gifts for service (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and comment). But most important, the Holy Spirit helps us lead holy lives and produces in us the nine fruits of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23 and comment). We cannot live a Christian life for one minute without the help of the Holy Spirit.

For a further discussion of the Holy Spirit, see General Articles: Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Baptism.

In Christ To be “in Christ” is a common expression used by the Apostle Paul. To be “in Christ” means first that we believe in Him. Then having truly believed in Christ, we become united with Him; that is, we have fellowship with Him, we know Him, we obey Him and we are blessed by Him. All of our spiritual blessings are in Christ (see Ephesians 1:3 and comment). When we are “in Christ” we become a new creation; we receive new life (see 2 Corinthians 5:17 and comment).

Israel In the New Testament, the usual meaning of Israel is the Jewish nation; that is, all the descendants of Abraham. But Paul sometimes uses the word “Israel” to describe those who are true spiritual children of Abraham through faith (Galatians 6:16).

In the Old Testament, Abraham’s grandson Jacob was given the name Israel by God (Genesis 35:10). Jacob had twelve sons, from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:23-26).

Today Israel is the name of a nation in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. This modern nation was established for the Jews in 1947 on the same land that God had first promised to give to Abraham’s descendants (Genesis 12:4-7). Its main city is still Jerusalem, which was the capital of the Jewish nation in New Testament times.

Israelite (See Word List: Jew)

Jew A Jew (or Israelite) is a descendant of Abraham, the father of the Jews (see Word List: Abraham).

God made a promise to Abraham saying: “I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). God established a covenant (see Word List: Covenant) with Abraham and his descendants. God said to Abraham: “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7-8). In this way God chose the Jews to be His special chosen people (Exodus 19:5-6). But God demanded that the Jews obey Him and worship only Him; that was their part of the covenant.

In Old Testament times, the Jews were the only race that worshiped the one true God. However, they fell away many times and disobeyed God, and God sent them prophets to call them to repent and turn from their evil ways.

God chose the Jews to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12:3). The main blessing to come from the Jews was Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who was Himself a Jew, a descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). Through Jesus Christ, the promise God made to Abraham was fulfilled.

It was possible for Gentiles (see Word List: Gentile) to become Jews by being circumcised (see Word List: Circumcision) and by carefully following the Jewish law (see Word List: Law). Gentiles who converted to the Jewish religion in this way were called Jewish proselytes.

Judgment In the New Testament the word “judgment” has three different meanings; that is, it is used in three different ways.

The first meaning is the judgment of men against each other. Jesus said that we must not judge each other (see Matthew 7:1 and comment). Man’s judgment is never completely true, because no man can ever know the full truth about another man. Only God knows everything about each person. Therefore, only God can truly and fairly judge.

The second kind of judgment mentioned in the New Testament is the punishment that God gives to evil doers. This punishment comes upon both believers and unbelievers (1 Corinthians 11:29-34 and comment). The purpose of this kind of judgment is to turn sinners to God and to correct and purify men’s lives.

The third kind of judgment mentioned in the New Testament is God’s final judgment, which will occur at the end of the world. God has given the final authority to judge mankind to Jesus Christ (John 5:22). Every man must stand before the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:10 and comment). Christ’s judgment will be without partiality. His judgment on that day will not be like the judgments of men in this world; it will be completely true and fair. Those who have believed in Christ in this world will be saved and go to heaven. Those who have not believed in Christ in this world will be condemned and go to hell (John 3:18,36). After the last judgment, there is no possibility of appeal. Therefore, a person must believe in Jesus in this life in order to receive salvation; there is no other way (Acts 4:12).

Kingdom of God The kingdom of God is not any particular place; it is not like an earthly kingdom. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom in which God rules with complete authority. In one sense, God’s kingdom is everywhere. But in the New Testament, the kingdom of God usually means the spiritual “kingdom” where men and angels worship and obey God. Therefore, in accordance with this meaning, the earth is not yet in God’s kingdom; it is in Satan’s kingdom. Satan is the prince of this world (see John 12:31; 16:11 and comments).

However, in another sense, Jesus brought the kingdom of God to earth. All who believe in Jesus are immediately delivered from Satan’s kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, and brought into God’s kingdom. Christians live in God’s kingdom even while still here on earth. We are citizens of God’s kingdom; God is our ruler. Through His Holy Spirit He helps us to overcome Satan. And after our bodies die, we will continue to live in God’s kingdom in heaven.

Therefore, when we are in Christ through faith, we enter God’s kingdom. In a sense the kingdom enters us—God’s rule enters us (see Luke 17:20-21 and comment). The main message that Jesus preached was: “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (see Mark 1:14-15 and comment).

Kingdom of Heaven (See Word List: Kingdom of God)

Law In the Bible when the word “law” is used, it usually refers to the Jewish law. The main part of the Jewish law is the ten commandments, which God wrote on two tablets of stone and gave to Moses to give to the Jews (Exodus 20:3-17; 31:18). In addition to the ten commandments, God gave Moses many other laws for the Jewish people, which are written in the books ofExodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. There are over six hundred other rules in the Jewish law which the Jews have to obey. All these together are known as the law. Sometimes the first five books of the Old Testament are also called the Law, or the Law of Moses.

The Jews believed that if they carried out these laws and commands completely they would thereby obtain salvation. However, the New Testament teaches and human experience confirms that no one can obey the law completely all the time (see Galatians 3:10; James 2:10 and comments). Thus no one can be justified or saved by the law (see Galatians 2:15-16 and comment). The law doesn’t save men; it condemns them. Indeed, Christ came to free men and women from the bondage of the law and to show them the true way to salvation—that is, Christ Himself (see Romans 8:1-4 and comment).

Christ came to fulfill the law (see Matthew 5:17 and comment). He Himself obeyed the law perfectly. Christ fulfilled the law not only by obeying it; He also fulfilled it in another way. The law demands the death penalty for sin; the law condemns all men to death, because all men are sinners (Romans 3:10-12). So Christ came to die in our place for our sins. In this way He fulfilled the demand of the law for the death penalty. Because Christ died, the law can now no longer condemn those who put their faith in Him. We are saved from the punishment of the law (eternal death) by our faith in Christ.

Lord’s Supper Jesus and His disciples celebrated the first Lord’s Supper on the day before Jesus died (see Mark 14:22-24 and comment). Jesus Himself commanded Christians to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in memory of His death (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 and comment).

During the celebration ofthe Lord’s Supper, Christians eat bread and drink wine or some other drink. When believers gather to commemorate the Lord’s death, the bread in some way represents Christ’s broken body, and the wine (or other drink) represents Christ’s shed blood. Concerning the bread, Jesus said: “… this is my body, given for you” (Mark 14:22). Concerning the wine, He said: “… this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). By Jesus’ blood, a new covenant has been ratified between man and God (see Word List: Covenant).

When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we in a way participate in His death and in His resurrection life. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we are in a special way, through faith, united with Christ. Many Christians believe that when we partake of the bread and wine, we receive anew through faith the spiritual blessings that have come from Christ’s death and resurrection—that is, forgiveness of sins, cleansing, and new life.

Only believers can partake of the Lord’s Supper. Before eating the bread and drinking the wine, the believer must have repented of all known sin and be walking in obedience to Jesus. Before partaking, each believer must carefully examine himself (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 and comment).

For a further discussion of the Lord’s Supper, see General Article: Lord’s Supper.

Moses Moses was the greatest leader of the Jewish people. He was born about 1500 B.C. He led the Jews out of bondage in Egypt. He received the ten commandments from God and delivered them to the Jews, so that they might walk in God’s way. He led the Jews for forty years in the Sinai desert. He wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. The description of Moses’ life can be found in the books of Exodus and Numbers.

Peace In the Bible the word “peace” has many meanings. In the Old Testament, “peace” is often used as a greeting. Peace can also mean the absence of war. It can also mean inner peace of mind.

In the New Testament, the word “peace” usually means complete well-being in body, mind, and spirit. But more important, it means peace with God. When we were unrepentant sinners, we were enemies of God. Now, through faith in Christ, we can make peace with God. We are no longer His enemies; we are His children (see Romans 5:1 and comment).

Passover The Passover festival was celebrated each year to commemorate the release of the Jews from bondage in Egypt. The festival lasted for one week, during which time the Jews were to eat only unleavened bread. The Passover festival, therefore, was also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On the first day of the festival, the Passover feast was eaten, and the Passover lamb was sacrificed (Leviticus 23:4-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8).

The word “passover” means a passing over. On the last night the Jews were in Egypt God determined to kill all the firstborn living creatures in Egypt, because the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, had refused to let the Jews go free. But first God instructed the Jews to sacrifice a lamb and put some of its blood on the doorposts of their houses. Then, when the destroying angel came and saw the blood, he would knownot to destroy the firstborn in those homes (Exodus 12:1-14,2130; Hebrews 11:28).

In the same way, Christ is like a Passover lamb (see 1 Corinthians 5:7). Through Christ’s blood (His death on the cross) we are set free from bondage to sin and death. Therefore, it was completely fitting that Christ Himself should die right at the time of the Passover festival (see Mark 14:1,12 and comment).

Christians, therefore, do not celebrate the Jewish Passover festival itself—that is, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Instead, Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. The celebration of His death is called Good Friday, and the celebration of His resurrection is called Easter.

Pentecost The word “pentecost” comes from the Greek language and means the fiftieth day. Thus the Jews celebrated the day of Pentecost on the fiftieth day after the Passover feast. The day of Pentecost was also called the Feast ofWeeks (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:9-11). It was also called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26), because on that day the Jews offered the first-fruits of their harvest to God.

The day of Pentecost is especially important to Christians because on the first Pentecost after Jesus’ death, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Jesus with great power. At that time the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, or baptized with the Spirit (see Acts 2:1-4 and comment; General Article: Holy Spirit Baptism).

Pharisee The Pharisees were a sect of the Jews. The word “pharisee” means separated one. In Christ’s time the Pharisees’ influence was very great among the Jews. They were a strict sect, who carefully tried to follow each detail of the Jewish law (see Word List: Law). They considered themselves righteous; but, in fact, in Christ’s time they were only outwardly righteous. Inwardly they were evil; they were hypocrites (see Matthew 23:13-32).

However, not all Pharisees were hypocrites. Nicodemus and Gamaliel were upright men who were also Pharisees (John 3:1; Acts 5:34). The Apostle Paul himself was a Pharisee (Acts 26:5; Philippians 3:5).

Prophecy Prophecy, according to its usual biblical usage, is a word coming directly from God that is spoken by men. Those who speak God’s word in this way are called prophets (see Word List: Prophet).

Prophecy can also mean the gift of prophecy—that is, the gift of speaking God’s words (1 Corinthians 12:10).

Prophecies can take many forms. They can be predictions of future events. They can be warnings from God. They can be important teachings that God wants to impart.

In every case, however, the prophecy is not something that originates with man; rather, a true prophecy always originates with God.

There are false prophecies, ofcourse, which do not come from God. The men who utter them are called false prophets. We are told to beware ofthem (Matthew 7:15; 1 John 4:1).

The Old Testament prophets were sent by God to the Jews to rebuke them for their disobedience and to remind them of God’s will. The Old Testament prophets also gave many prophecies concerning the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, there are also prophets. The gift of prophecy was very important in the New Testament church (1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:1; Ephesians 4:11). The entire New Testament book of Revelation can be considered a prophecy about the end of the world.

Prophet One who speaks prophecies is called a prophet (see Word List: Prophecy). The true prophets of the Bible received words from God and then spoke them to the people. They were God’s spokesmen. They were not simply tellers of the future.

The largest number of prophets referred to in the Bible are the Jewish prophets of the Old Testament. These Old Testament prophets carried out two special functions. First, they admonished the Jews concerning their repeated disobedience to God’s law. And second, they announced the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Propitiation (See Word List: Atonement)

Redemption Redemption means regaining possession of something by paying a price. It could mean the repurchasing of some article that was sold. Or, in the case of a slave, it could mean the purchasing of his liberty that was lost. But in the NewTestament, redemption means the “purchasing” ofour deliverance from the penalty of sin by paying a ransom or offering a sacrifice. Christ gave Himself as a ransom, or sacrifice, for us (see Mark 10:45 and comment). The payment for our deliverance was Christ’s own blood. Paul writes: In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood (Ephesians 1:7).

Redemption is one aspect of our salvation. In some New Testament verses, the words “redemption” and “salvation” can almost be used interchangeably (see Word List: Salvation).

Repentance To repent means not only to feel sorry for and ashamed of one’s sin, but it also means to turn from that sin. Confessing our sin is not enough; we must also stop sinning. When a person truly repents, his actions, thoughts, and desires will be changed. If a person says “I have repented” but there is no improvement in his life, then his “repentance” is false.

To repent is an essential step in receiving salvation. Without repenting, it is impossible to be saved (see Matthew 5:3-4; Mark 1:4,15; Acts 2:37-38; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9 and comments).

Resurrection Resurrection is a return to life after dying. Jesus has the power to raise the dead to life (John 5:24-25). He raised the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17); He raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days (John 11:38-44). He Himself overcame death and rose to life; therefore, through His power, others will overcome death also (see 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and comment). Among those on earth, believers in Christ will be the first to be raised when He comes again at the end of the world (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). But all men will be raised in the end, both good and evil. The resurrection ofbelievers will be in heaven; the resurrection of unbelievers will be in hell (see John 5:2829; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:4-15 and comments).

When our body dies our spirit continues to live, but we will not immediately receive a new body. We will receive our new body only when Jesus comes again at the end of the world. Paul calls this the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). Believers in Christ will receive their new bodies in heaven. These new bodies will never die. They will be glorified bodies. They will be like Christ’s resurrected body (see Luke 24:36-43; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2 and comments).

The most important event in the history of the world was the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see Mark 16:8 and comment). By His resurrection from the dead Jesus proved to men that He was indeed the Son of God, the Savior of the world (Romans 1:4). Because of His resurrection, we too have the hope of eternal life (John 11:25-26). Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).

Righteous To be determined righteous (that is, to be justified) is one of the main parts of our salvation (see Word List: Salvation). No unrighteous person can come into God’s presence. … without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

Since this is so, how then does a person become “righteous” in God’s sight? One cannot become righteous through his own effort, by good works. He can only become righteous by repenting of his sin and turning to Christ in faith. When we believe in Christ, Christ takes away our guilt, our punishment. Our guilt is placed on the innocent Christ, and thus we become “righteous” because of Christ. Through faith we receive Christ’s righteousness. Christ brings us before God and, in effect, says to God, “I have died for this person’s sins. Therefore, he no longer needs to be punished. He can now be considered innocent.” And God will then declare us righteous in His sight and accept us into His family (see Mark 10:45; Romans 3:24-26; Galatians 2:15-16 and comments).

Therefore, when God justifies us (declares us righteous), He frees us from the punishment of sin. He forgives our sin completely. We have peace with God (see Romans 5:1 and comment). We are no longer condemned (see Romans 8:1 and comment).

Righteousness Righteousness in the Bible means God’s righteousness. We can tell what the righteousness of God is by studying God’s law, especially the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) and the two great commands to love God and to love our neighbor (Mark 12:30-31). The law and commandments are God’s standard of behavior for all people.

No one has righteousness in himself (Romans 3:10). In God’s eyes, all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Only Christ was completely righteous. When we believe in Him we receive His righteousness, and therefore become acceptable in God’s sight.

There are two steps to receiving righteousness. First, we receive Christ’s righteousness through faith and are declared righteous by God (see Word List: Righteous). Second, through the work of the Holy Spirit (see Word List: Holy Spirit) Christ’s righteousness becomes more and more manifest in our behavior and actions. We become more and more holy and righteous in our daily lives.

Rome Rome today is the capital of the modern European nation of Italy. In the time of Jesus, Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire (see Word List: Roman Empire).

Roman Empire The Roman Empire was established in 31 B.C. and lasted for over four hundred years. In Christ’s time the Romans controlled most of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, including Egypt, Israel, Syria, Turkey, and Greece. They also controlled much of Europe as far north as England.

In New Testament times, the countries of the Roman Empire were divided up into provinces which were placed under the control of Roman governors. The Romans gave the local citizens of each province a certain amount of authority over local matters. In the beginning they allowed the people of each province to follow their own customs and to practice their own religion. But in Paul’s time, the Roman emperors began to demand that all people throughout the entire empire worship the emperor as a god. The Jews and Christians refused to do this. Therefore, the Romans began to persecute them. The Apostle Paul spent the end of his life in a prison in Rome, the capital of the empire (Acts 28:16,20). And in 70 A.D. the Roman armies completely destroyed the Jewish capital, Jerusalem, and killed all the Jews that were there.

However, in spite of persecution, the Christian church grew. Thousands of Christians were killed by the Romans. The Romans even fed Christians to lions, and for entertainment watched the lions eat them. Those Christians who weren’t killed outright the Romans turned into slaves. Nevertheless, the number of Christians kept growing. Finally, in about 310 A.D., the Roman emperor Constantine himself became a Christian. After that, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and subsequently spread all over the Middle East and Europe.

Sadducee The Sadducees were an important Jewish sect at the time of Christ. Most ofthe Jewish chiefpriests were Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the body or in eternal life. Like the Pharisees, they opposed Christ and His disciples.

Saint In the New Testament, believers in Christ are called saints. The word “saint” means holy or separated one. In the Bible, to be holy means to be both “righteous” and also “set apart” for God. Thus Christians are those people who through faith have received Christ’s righteousness and through the Holy Spirit have begun to live holy lives. Such people are truly “set apart” for God. They are separated from sin and from the power of Satan.

Salvation In the New Testament, salvation has a broad meaning. In short, it means to be delivered from God’s judgment and to receive eternal life (see Word List: Redemption).

All spiritual blessings are included in the word “salvation”. First, salvation is deliverance from sin, from both the power of sin and the punishment for sin, which is eternal death (Romans 6:23). When a person is saved, he receives forgiveness for his sins and is cleansed from sin. Thus he becomes righteous, or justified, in God’s sight (see Word List: Righteous). He becomes a member of God’s family (see Word List: Adoption). He becomes sanctified and glorified (see Romans 8:30 and comment). But the greatest of all the blessings of salvation is eternal life with God and Christ in heaven (see Word List: Eternal Life). We receive all of these blessings in Christ when we are saved (Ephe-sians 1:3).

There is only one way to receive salvation, and that is through faith in Jesus Christ; there is no other way (see General Article: Way of Salvation).

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin was the highest governing council of the Jewish nation. The leader of the council was the Jewish high priest. During New Testament times, the Sanhedrin had authority over all local and religious matters of the Jewish people. However, the Sanhedrin was not allowed to do anything in opposition to the Romans. Neither were the Jewish leaders allowed to carry out the death sentence against any criminal. This is why Jesus was put to death according to the order of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

The Sanhedrin had seventy members, plus the high priest. These members were chosen from among the leaders and elders of the Jewish nation.

Satan Satan is the chief of all evil spirits, or demons (see Word List: Demon). He is the chief enemy of God and men. Satan is a fallen angel; his main sin was pride. He tried to make himself like God, but God banished him from heaven (Isaiah 14:11-15; 1 Timothy 3:6).

Satan’s main work is to lead men into sin; that is, into disobedience to God. He does this mainly by deceiving men, by stirring up men’s evil desires, and by weakening men’s faith.

Satan has many names in the New Testament. He is called the devil (Revelation 12:9) and the accuser of our brothers (Revelation 12:10); he is called an enemy and a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). He is called Beelzebub (Mark 3:22), the tempter (Matthew 4:3), the father of lies (John 8:44), and the prince of this world (John 12:31).

Although Satan is very powerful, he is still under God’s control. He can only do as much as God permits him to do (Job 1:12; 2:6; Luke 22:31).

Through the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome Satan. If we resist him, he will flee (see James 4:7 and comment). He has already been defeated by Jesus on the cross (Hebrews 2:14-15), but he still has much power in this world. However, at the end of the world, when Christ comes again, Satan will be completely destroyed and cast forever into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10).

Temptation In the Bible, the word “temptation” (or “trial”) has two meanings. In each verse where temptation (or trial) is mentioned, it is necessary to determine which meaning to apply by looking at the context of the verse.

The first meaning of temptation is a test or trial. God examines and tests His people in order to improve, strengthen, and discipline them. He does this by allowing various difficulties to come upon them, or by putting them into difficult situations. In the Old Testament, God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19). God’s testing of Job is described in detail in the book of Job. Job said concerning God: “When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). In this same way, God tests and disciplines all Christians (see 1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:4-11; James 1:2,12; 1 Peter 1:6-7 and comments). In all of these examples, God tests us for our spiritual good, that we might become more holy. In testing us, God Himself does not send evil upon His children, but He does allow Satan to do so.

The second meaning of temptation found in the Bible is a desire to do evil, a desire to sin. These evil desires arise in man’s sinful nature or heart (see James 1:13-15 and comment). Satan is always trying to stir up these evil desires in our hearts in order to make us sin and turn from God. Satan is called a tempter (Matthew 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5). Satan tempted Eve (Genesis 3:1-6). He tempted Christ (Matthew 4:1-11), but he could not lead Christ into sin (see Hebrews 2:18; 4:15). This second kind of temptation (the temptation to do evil) never comes from God, and it is never for our good. These temptations to do evil always come from Satan. These are the temptations that we must pray to be saved from: Lord, lead us not into temptation (Matthew 6:13).

The first kind oftemptation, the trial or test, we must endure with patience. The second kind oftemptation, the desire to sin, we must resist and overcome.