Wayne Grudem Defintions

Front 1

absolute authority

Back 1

The highest authority in one’s life; an authority that cannot be disproved by appeal to any higher authority. (4A.4)

Front 2

accommodation

Back 2

The theory that the biblical writers at times incidentally affirmed falsehoods believed by the people of their time so as not to obscure the larger points they were trying to make. (5B.4)

Front 3

active obedience

Back 3

A term referring to Christ’s perfect obedience to God during his entire earthly life, which earned the righteousness that God credits to those who place their faith in Christ. (27C.1)

Front 4

adoption

Back 4

An act of God whereby he makes us members of his family. (37A)

Front 5

adoptionism

Back 5

The false teaching that Jesus lived as an ordinary man until his baptism, at which time God “adopted” him as his “Son” and conferred on him supernatural powers; this teaching thus denies Jesu’s preexistence and divine nature. (14C.2.c)

Front 6

age of accountability

Back 6

The term used by some theologians to indicate a point in a person’s life before which (according to their view) he is not held responsible for sin and is not counted guilty before God. (24D.3)

Front 7

amillennialism

Back 7

The view that there will be no literal thousand-year bodily reign of Christ on earth prior to the final judgment and the eternal state; on this view, scriptural references to the millennium in Revelation 20 actually describe the present church age. (55A.1)

Front 8

angel

Back 8

A created, spiritual being with moral judgment and high intelligence, but without a physical body. (19A)

Front 9

Angel of the Lord

Back 9

A form that God took on at various times in Scripture in order to appear to human beings. (19A.11)

Front 10

annihilationism

Back 10

The teaching that after death unbelievers suffer the penalty of God’s wrath for a time, and then are “annihilated,” or destroyed, so that they no longer exist. Some forms of this teaching hold that annihilation occurs immediately upon death. (41C.2)

Front 11

anthropomorphic language

Back 11

Language that speaks of God in human terms. (11A.2)

Front 12

antichrist

Back 12

The “man of lawlessness” who will appear prior to the second coming of Christ and will cause great suffering and persecution, only to be destroyed by Jesus. The term is also used to describe other figures who embody such an opposition to Christ and are precursors of the final antichrist. (54F.3.e)

Front 13

Apocrypha

Back 13

The collection of books included in the canon of Scripture by the Roman Catholic Church but not included in the canon by Protestants (from the Greek word apocrypha, “things that are hidden”). (3a)

Front 14

Apollinarianism

Back 14

The fourth-century heresy which held that Christ had a human body but not a human mind or spirit, and that the mind and spirit of Christ were from the divine nature of the Son of God. (26C.1.a)

Front 15

apologetics

Back 15

The discipline that seeks to provide a defense of the truthfulness of the Christian faith for the purpose of convincing unbelievers. (1A.1)

Front 16

apostle

Back 16

A recognized office of the early church. Apostles are in several ways the New Testament counterpart to the Old Testament prophet and as such had the authority to write words of Scripture. (47A.1)

Front 17

p 1236 archangel

Back 17

An angel with authority over other angels. (19A.4)

Front 18

Arianism

Back 18

The erroneous doctrine that denies the full deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. (14C.2.a)

Front 19

Arminianism

Back 19

A theological tradition that seeks to preserve the free choices of human beings and denies God’s providential control over the details of all events. (16G)

Front 20

ascension

Back 20

The rising of Jesus from the earth into heaven forty days after his resurrection. (28B.1)

Front 21

asceticism

Back 21

An approach to living that renounces the comforts of the material world. (15D)

Front 22

aseity

Back 22

Another name for the attribute of God’s independence or self-existence. (11B.1)

Front 23

assurance of salvation

Back 23

The internal sense we may have based upon certain evidences in our lives that we are truly “born again” and will persevere as Christians until the end of our lives. (40D)

Front 24

atonement

Back 24

The work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation. (27)

Front 25

attributes of being

Back 25

Aspects of God’s character that describe his essential mode of existence. (12A)

Front 26

attributes of purpose

Back 26

Aspects of God’s character that pertain to making and carrying out decisions. (13D)

Front 27

authority of Scripture

Back 27

The idea that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God. (4)

Front 28

autograph

Back 28

The original copy of a biblical document (from αυτο-, “self,” and γραφ, “writing,”). (5B.3)

Front 29

baptism by the Holy Spirit

Back 29

A rendering of a phrase also translated “baptism in/with the Holy Spirit.” The translation of the Greek preposition ἐν (G1877) with the word “by” can seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit is the agent doing the baptizing, but the phrase more accurately refers to the Spirit as the element “in” which (or “with” which) believers are “baptized” at conversion. (39B)

Front 30

baptism in/with the Holy Spirit

Back 30

A phrase the New Testament authors use to speak of coming into the new covenant power of the Holy Spirit. This would include the impartation of new spiritual life (in regeneration), cleansing from sin, a break with the ruling power and love of sin, and some empowering for ministry. (39B)

Front 31

beatific vision

Back 31

The true and real, though not exhaustive, seeing of God that will occur in heaven (lit., “the vision that makes blessed or happy”). (12A.2)

Front 32

beauty

Back 32

The attribute of God whereby he is the sum of all desirable qualities. (13E.19)

Front 33

being filled with the Holy Spirit

Back 33

See “filled with the Holy Spirit”.

Front 34

being raised with Christ

Back 34

See “raised with Christ.”

Front 35

belief

Back 35

In contemporary culture this term usually refers to the acceptance of the truth of something, such as facts about Christ, with no necessary element of personal commitment or dependence involved. In the New Testament this term often involves the sense of commitment (see John 3:16; see also “faith”). (35A.1–3)

Front 36

believable profession of faith

Back 36

A central component of the “baptistic” view of baptism, which holds that only those who have given reasonable evidence of believing in Christ should be baptized. (49B)

Front 37

believers’ baptism

Back 37

The view that baptism is appropriately administered only to those who give a believable profession of faith in Jesus Christ. (49B)

Front 38

biblical theology

Back 38

The study of the teaching of the individual authors and sections of the Bible and of the place of each teaching in the historical development of the Bible. (1A.1)

Front 39

“binding and loosing”

Back 39

Words of Jesus that refer to the actions of placing under and releasing from church discipline (Matt. 18:17-18; 16:19). (46B)

Front 40

p 1237 bishop

Back 40

Translation of the Greek ἐπίσκοπος (G2176), a term used interchangeably with “pastor,” “overseer,” and “elder” to refer to the main governing office of a local church in the New Testament. The term also refers to a priest who has authority over a group of churches in an episcopalian form of church government. (47A.2.b; 47C.1)

Front 41

blameless

Back 41

Morally perfect in God’s sight, a characteristic of those who follow God’s word completely (Ps. 119:1). (8A)

Front 42

blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Back 42

The unusually malicious, willful rejection and slander against the Holy Spirit’s work attesting to Christ, and attributing that work to Satan (also see “unpardonable sin”). (24D.6)

Front 43

blessedness

Back 43

The doctrine that God delights fully in himself and in all that reflects his character. (13E.18)

Front 44

blood of Christ

Back 44

A phrase referring to Christ’s death in its saving aspects, since the blood he shed on the cross was the clear outward evidence that his life blood was poured out when he died a sacrificial death to pay for our redemption. (27C.2.c. (3))

Front 45

Body of Christ

Back 45

A scriptural metaphor for the church. This metaphor is used in two different ways, one to stress the interdependence of the members of the body, and one to stress Christ’s headship of the church. (44A.4)

Front 46

born again

Back 46

A scriptural term (John 3:3-8) referring to God’s work of regeneration by which he imparts new spiritual life to us. (34A)

Front 47

born of the Spirit

Back 47

Another term for “regeneration” that indicates the special role played by the Holy Spirit in imparting new spiritual life to us. (34A)

Front 48

born of water

Back 48

A phrase used by Jesus in John 3:5 that refers to the spiritual cleansing from sin that accompanies God’s work of regeneration (cf. Ezek. 36:25-26). (34C)

Front 49

Calvinism

Back 49

A theological tradition named after the sixteenth-century French reformer John Calvin (1509–64) that emphasizes the sovereignty of God in all things, man’s inability to do spiritual good before God, and the glory of God as the highest end of all that occurs. (16)

Front 50

canon

Back 50

The list of all the books that belong in the Bible (from the Greek κανών, G2834, “reed; measuring rod; standard of measure”). (3)

Front 51

canonical

Back 51

A term describing preserved writings that are deemed to have divine authorship and therefore which are to be included in the canon of Scripture as God’s authoritative words in written form. (3)

Front 52

certain knowledge

Back 52

Knowledge that is established beyond doubt or question. Because God knows all the facts of the universe and never lies, the only absolutely certain knowledge we can have is found in God’s words in Scripture. (3C)

Front 53

cessationist

Back 53

Someone who thinks that certain miraculous spiritual gifts ceased when the apostles died and Scripture was complete. (17D.2;52B)

Front 54

Chalcedonian definition

Back 54

The statement produced by the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 that has been regarded by most branches of Christianity as the orthodox definition of the biblical teaching on the person of Christ. (26C.2)

Front 55

charismatic

Back 55

A term referring to any groups or people that trace their historical origin to the charismatic renewal movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Such groups seek to practice all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament but, unlike many Pentecostal denominations, allow differing viewpoints on whether baptism in the Holy Spirit is subsequent to conversion and whether tongues is a sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit. (39)

Front 56

cherubim

Back 56

A class of created spiritual beings who, among other things, guarded the entrance to the Garden of Eden. (19A.3.a)

Front 57

Christian ethics

Back 57

Any study that answers the question, “What does God require us to do and what attitudes does he require us to have today?” with regard to any given situation. (1A.4)

Front 58

p 1238 church

Back 58

The community of all true believers for all time. (44A.1)

Front 59

circular argument

Back 59

An argument that seeks to prove its conclusion by appealing to a claim that depends on the truth of the conclusion. (4A.5)

Front 60

clarity of Scripture

Back 60

The idea that the Bible is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by all who will read it seeking God’s help and being willing to follow it. (6C)

Front 61

classis

Back 61

The term for a regional governing body within the Christian Reformed Church (similar to a presbytery in a presbyterian system). (47C.2)

Front 62

common grace

Back 62

The grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not part of salvation. (31A)

Front 63

communicable attributes

Back 63

Aspects of God’s character that he shares or “communicates” with us. (11A.1)

Front 64

communion

Back 64

A term commonly used to refer to the Lord’s Supper. (50C.1)

Front 65

communion of saints

Back 65

A term commonly used to refer to the Lord’s Supper. (50C.1)

Front 66

compatibilism

Back 66

Another term for the Reformed view of providence. The term indicates that absolute divine sovereignty is compatible with human significance and real human choices. (16A)

Front 67

complementarian

Back 67

The view that men and women are equal in value before God but that some governing and teaching roles in the church are reserved for men. (Preface, 2; 47D)

Front 68

concordist theory

Back 68

Another term for the day-age theory of creation, so named because it seeks agreement or “concord” between the Bible and scientific conclusions about the age of the earth. (15E.4.a. (1))

Front 69

concurrence

Back 69

An aspect of God’s providence whereby he cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do. (16B)

Front 70

conditional immortality

Back 70

The teaching that God has created people so that they only have immortality (the power to live forever) if they accept Christ as Savior. Under this view, those who do not become Christians will simply cease to exist at death or at the time of the final judgment. (56G)

Front 71

congregational government

Back 71

The form of church government in which final governing authority rests with the local congregation. (47C)

Front 72

consequent absolute necessity

Back 72

The view that the atonement was not absolutely necessary, but, as a “consequence” of God’s decision to save some human beings, the atonement was absolutely necessary. (27B)

Front 73

consistory

Back 73

The term for a local board of elders in the Christian Reformed Church (similar to a “session” in a presbyterian system). (47C.2)

Front 74

contradiction

Back 74

A set of two statements, one of which denies the other. (1E.3)

Front 75

conversion

Back 75

Our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation. (35)

Front 76

cosmological argument

Back 76

An argument for the existence of God based on the observation that, since every known thing in the universe has a cause, the universe itself must also have a cause, which can only be God. (9C)

Front 77

covenant

Back 77

An unchangeable, divinely imposed legal agreement between God and man that stipulates the conditions of the relationship. (25)

Front 78

p 1239 covenant community

Back 78

The community of God’s people. Protestant proponents of infant baptism view baptism as a sign of entrance into the “covenant community” of God’s people. (49B.4)

Front 79

Covenant of grace

Back 79

The legal agreement between God and man, established by God after the fall of Adam, whereby man could be saved. Although the specific provisions of this covenant varied at different times during redemptive history, the essential condition of requiring faith in Christ the redeemer remained the same. (25C)

Front 80

covenant of redemption

Back 80

The agreement between the members of the Trinity in which each agreed to fulfill his respective role to accomplish the salvation of human beings. (25B)

Front 81

covenant of works

Back 81

The legal agreement between God and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden whereby participation in the blessings of the covenant depended on the obedience, or “works,” of Adam and Eve. (25A)

Front 82

creation

Back 82

The doctrine that God created the entire universe out of nothing. The universe was originally very good; and he created it to glorify himself. (15)

Front 83

Darwinian evolution

Back 83

The general theory of evolution (see also “macro-evolution”) named after Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who expounded this theory in 1859 in his Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. (15E.2.c.1)

Front 84

day-age theory

Back 84

An “old earth” theory of creation that views the days of Genesis 1 as extremely long “ages” of time. (15E.4.a. (1))

Front 85

deacon

Back 85

A translation of the Greek διάκονος (G1356, “servant”). In certain contexts the term refers to a church officer whose responsibilities involve various forms of service, including financial oversight, administrative responsibilities, and caring for the physical needs of the congregation. (47A.3)

Front 86

death

Back 86

The termination of life brought about by the entrance of sin into the world. (For the Christian, death brings us into the presence of God because of Christ’s payment of the penalty for our sins) (41A)

Front 87

decrees of God

Back 87

The eternal plans of God whereby, before the creation of the world, he determined to bring about everything that happens. (2B.1; 16D)

Front 88

deism

Back 88

The view that God created the universe but is not now directly involved in the creation. (15B)

Front 89

demonized

Back 89

To be under demonic influence (Greek δαιμονίζομαι, G1227). The term often suggests more extreme cases of demonic influence. (20D.3)

Front 90

demon possession

Back 90

A misleading phrase found in some English translations of the Bible that seems to suggest that a person’s will is completely dominated by a demon. The Greek term δαιμονίζομαι (G1227) is better translated “under demonic influence,” which could range from mild to strong influence or attack. (20D.3)

Front 91

demons

Back 91

Evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world. (20)

Front 92

depravity

Back 92

Another term for “inherited corruption.” (24C.2.a)

Front 93

determinism

Back 93

The idea that acts, events, and decisions are the inevitable results of some condition or decision prior to them that is independent of the human will. (32C.2.d)

Front 94

dichotomy

Back 94

The view that man is made up of two parts, body and soul/spirit. (23A)

Front 95

dictation

Back 95

The idea that God expressly spoke every word of Scripture to the human authors. (4A.6)

Front 96

difference in role

Back 96

The idea that men and women have been given by God different primary functions in the family and the church. (22C)

Front 97

p 1240 diocese

Back 97

In an episcopalian system of church government, the churches under the jurisdiction of a bishop. (47C.1)

Front 98

dispensationalism

Back 98

A theological system that began in the nineteenth century with the writings of J. N. Darby. Among the general doctrines of this system are the distinction between Israel and the church as two groups in God’s overall plan, the pretribulational rapture of the church, a future literal fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel, and the dividing of biblical history into seven periods or “dispensations” of God’s ways of relating to his people. (55A.3.b)

Front 99

dispensational premillennialism

Back 99

Another term for “pretribulational premillennialism.” The term “dispensational” is used because most proponents of this view wish to maintain a clear distinction between the church and Israel, with whom God deals under different arrangements, or “dispensations.” (55A.3.b)

Front 100

distinguishing between spirits

Back 100

A special ability to recognize the influence of the Holy Spirit or of demonic spirits in a person. (20D.4; 53G)

Front 101

distortion of roles

Back 101

The idea that in the punishments God gave to Adam and Eve after their sin, he did not introduce new roles or functions, but simply introduced pain and distortion into the functions they previously had. (22C.2.h)

Front 102

docetism

Back 102

The heretical teaching that Jesus was not really a man but only seemed to be one (from the Greek verb δοκέω (G1506), “to seem, to appear to be”). (26A.5)

Front 103

doctrine

Back 103

What the whole Bible teaches us today about some particular topic. (1A.4)

Front 104

dogma

Back 104

Another term for “doctrine.” The word is often used to refer more specifically to doctrines that have official church endorsement. (1A.4)

Front 105

dogmatic theology

Back 105

Another term for “systematic theology.” (1A.4)

Front 106

dualism

Back 106

The idea that both God and the material universe have eternally existed side by side as two ultimate forces in the universe. It implies that there is an eternal conflict between God and the evil aspects of the material universe. (15B; 24B)

Front 107

dying with Christ

Back 107

A phrase that describes a person’s break with his old way of life by virtue of his being united with Christ through faith. (43A.3.a)

Front 108

Eastern Church

Back 108

A major segment of the church, now known as the Orthodox church, that separated from the Western (Roman Catholic) chruch in A.D. 1054. (45E)

Front 109

economic subordination

Back 109

The teaching that certain members of the Trinity have roles or functions that are subject to the control or authority of other members. (14D.2)

Front 110

effective calling

Back 110

An act of God the Father, speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel, in which he summons people to himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith. (33A)

Front 111

egalitarian

Back 111

The view that all functions and roles in the church are open to men and women alike. (Preface, 2; 47D)

Front 112

ἐκκλησία (G1711)

Back 112

A Greek term translated “church” in the New Testament. The word literally means “assembly,” and in the Bible indicates the assembly or congregation of the people of God. (44A.1)

Front 113

elder

Back 113

The main governing group in a church in the New Testament (Greek πρεσβύτερος, G4565). (47A.2.a)

Front 114

election

Back 114

An act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure. (32)

Front 115

empowerment for service

Back 115

A primary aspect of the work of the Holy Spirit to bring evidence of God’s presence and to bless. (30A.2)

Front 116

episcopalian government

Back 116

A hierarchical form of church government in which bishops have governing authority over groups of churches (from the Greek ἐπίσκοπος, G2176, “overseer,” “bishop”). (47C.1)

Front 117

p 1241 equality in personhood

Back 117

The idea that men and women are created equally in God’s image and therefore are equally important to God and equally valuable to him. (22B)

Front 118

eschatology

Back 118

The study of “the last things,” or future events (from the Greek ἔσχατος, G2274, “last”). (54)

Front 119

eternal begetting of the Son

Back 119

Description of the eternal relationship that has existed within the Trinity between the Father and the Son in which the Son has eternally related to the Father as a Son. (14C.2.a)

Front 120

eternal conscious punishment

Back 120

A description of the nature of punishment in hell, which will be unending and of which the unbeliever will be fully aware. (56G)

Front 121

eternal security

Back 121

Another term for “perseverance of the saints.” However, this term can be misunderstood to mean that all who have once made a profession of faith are “eternally secure” in their salvation when they may not have been genuinely converted at all. (40D.3)

Front 122

eternity

Back 122

When used of God, the doctrine that God has no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time. (11B.3)

Front 123

ethics

Back 123

See “Christian ethics.”

Front 124

Eucharist

Back 124

Another term for the Lord’s Supper (from the Greek εὐχαριστία, G2374, “giving of thanks”). (50C.1)

Front 125

Eutychianism

Back 125

Another term for monophysitism, named after the fifth-century monk Eutyches. (26C.1.c)

Front 126

evangelism

Back 126

The proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers (from the Greek εὐαγγελίζω, G2294, “to announce good news”). (44C.3; also 48B.10)

Front 127

exaltation of Christ

Back 127

One of the two “states” of Christ, the other being humiliation. The state of exaltation includes four aspects of his work: his resurrection, ascension into heaven, session at the right hand of God, and return in glory and power. (28C)

Front 128

example theory

Back 128

The view that in the atonement Christ did not bear the just penalty of God for our sins but that he simply provided us with an example of how we should trust and obey God perfectly, even if this leads to death. (27C.2.d. (3))

Front 129

excommunication

Back 129

The final step of church discipline in which a person is put out of the fellowship, or “communion,” of the church. (46D.1.a)

Front 130

exegesis

Back 130

The process of interpreting a text of Scripture. (6D)

Front 131

ex nihilo

Back 131

Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing,” referring to God’s creation of the universe without the use of any previously existing materials. (15A.1)

Front 132

ex opere operato

Back 132

A Latin phrase meaning “by the work performed.” In Roman Catholic teaching the phrase is used to indicate that the sacraments, such as baptism, work in virtue of the actual activity done, independent of the subjective attitude of faith in the participants. (50B.3)

Front 133

exorcism

Back 133

The action of driving out an evil spirit by a spoken command. (20D.6)

Front 134

external calling

Back 134

The general gospel invitation offered to all people that comes through human proclamation of the gospel. Also referred to as “general calling” or “the gospel call,” this call can be rejected by people. (33A)

Front 135

extreme unction

Back 135

One of the seven sacraments in Roman Catholic teaching, the anointing with oil that is administered to a dying person (also known as “last rites”). (48A)

Front 136

faith

Back 136

Trust or dependence on God based on the fact that we take him at his word and believe what he has said. (See also “saving faith”). (18C.2.; also 35A.3)

Front 137

faith and practice

Back 137

A term used by some people who, denying the inerrancy of the Bible, claim that the Bible’s purpose is only to tell us about these two subjects. (5B.1)

Front 138

faithfulness

Back 138

The doctrine that God will always do what he has said and fulfill what he has promised. (12B.5)

Front 139

p 1242 fasting

Back 139

The discipline of abstaining for a time from all or certain foods. In the Bible, fasting often accompanies prayer for the purpose of intensive intercession, repentance, worship, or the seeking of guidance. (18C.12)

Front 140

fatalism

Back 140

A system in which human choices and human decisions make no real difference because things will turn out as they have been previously ordained. This is in contrast to the doctrine of election, in which people make real choices that have real consequences and for which they will be held accountable. (32C.1)

Front 141

filioque

Back 141

Latin for”and from the Son,” a term referring to a clause inserted into the Nicene Creed to indicate that the Holy Spirit proceeds not from the Father only but also from the Son. The controversy that arose over this doctrinal point contributed to the split between the Eastern and Western churches in A.D. 1054. (14C.2.d)

Front 142

filled with the Holy Spirit

Back 142

An event subsequent to conversion in which a believer experiences a fresh infilling with the Holy Spirit that may result in a variety of consequences, including greater love for God, greater victory over sin, greater power for ministry, and sometimes the receiving of new spiritual gifts. (39D.2.c)

Front 143

final judgment

Back 143

The last and ultimate proclamation by Jesus Christ of the eternal destinies of all people which will take place after the millennium and the rebellion that occurs at the end of it. (56A.1)

Front 144

firstfruits

Back 144

The first portion of a ripening harvest (Greek ἀπαρχή, G569). In describing Christ in his resurrection as the “firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:20), the Bible indicates that our resurrection bodies will be like his when God raises us from the dead. (28A.4.c)

Front 145

flood geology

Back 145

The view that attributes the present geological status of the earth to the tremendous natural forces caused by the flood of Genesis 6-9. (15E.4.b. (2))

Front 146

foreknowledge

Back 146

Relating to the doctrine of election, the personal, relational knowledge by which God thought of certain people in a saving relationship to himself before creation. This is to be distinguished from the mere knowledge of facts about a person. (32C.2.a)

Front 147

forensic

Back 147

A term that means “having to do with legal proceedings.” This term is used to describe justification as being a legal declaration by God that in itself does not change our internal nature or character. (36A)

Front 148

free choices

Back 148

Choices made according to our free will (see “free will”). (16B.9)

Front 149

free will

Back 149

(a) with respect to God: All things that God decided to will but had no necessity to will according to his nature. (13D.14.b) (b) with respect to man: The ability to make willing choices that have real effects (however, other people define this in other ways, including the ability to make choices that are not determined by God). (16B.9)

Front 150

gap theory

Back 150

The idea that between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 is a gap of millions of years during which God judged an earlier creation, making it “without form and void” and necessitating a second creation depicted in Genesis 1:3-2:3. (15E.2.d)

Front 151

general assembly

Back 151

In a presbyterian form of church government, the term for the national (or regional) governing body. (47C.2)

Front 152

general eschatology

Back 152

The study of future events that will affect the entire universe, such as the second coming of Christ, the millennium, and the final judgment. (54)

Front 153

general redemption

Back 153

Another term for “unlimited atonement.” (27D)

Front 154

general revelation

Back 154

The knowledge of God’s existence, character, and moral law that comes through creation to all humanity. (7E)

Front 155

gifts of the Holy Spirit

Back 155

All abilities that are empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church. (52A)

Front 156

glorification

Back 156

The final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who p 1243 have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own. (42)

Front 157

glory

Back 157

The created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of himself. In another sense of the term, it refers to God’s honor. (13E.20)

Front 158

God

Back 158

In the New Testament, a translation of the Greek word θεός (G2536), which is usually, but not always, used to refer to God the Father. (26B.1.a)

Front 159

God-breathed

Back 159

Translation of the Greek word θεόποευστος (G2535, sometimes translated “inspired by God”), which the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16) uses metaphorically to describe the words of Scripture as being spoken by God. (4A)

Front 160

goodness

Back 160

The doctrine that God is the final standard of good, and that all that God is and does is worthy of approval. (12C.6)

Front 161

gospel call

Back 161

The general gospel invitation to all people that comes through human proclamation of the gospel. Also referred to as “external calling.” (33A)

Front 162

government

Back 162

An aspect of God’s providence that indicates that God has a purpose in all that he does in the world and he providentially governs or directs all things in order that they accomplish his purposes. (16C)

Front 163

governmental theory

Back 163

The theory that Christ’s death was not a payment for our sins but God’s demonstration of the fact that, since he is the moral governor of the universe, some kind of penalty must be paid whenever his laws are broken. (27C.2.e. (4))

Front 164

grace

Back 164

God’s goodness toward those who deserve only punishment. (12C.8)

Front 165

Great Commission

Back 165

The final commands of Jesus to the disciples, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. (1C.1)

Front 166

great tribulation

Back 166

An expression from Matthew 24:21 referring to a period of great hardship and suffering prior to the return of Christ. (54F.3.b; 55E)

Front 167

great white throne judgment

Back 167

Another term for the final judgment spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15. (56A.2)

Front 168

healing

Back 168

A gift of the Holy Spirit that functions to bring a restoration to health as a foretaste of the complete freedom from physical weakness and infirmity that Christ purchased for us by his death and resurrection. (53D)

Front 169

heaven

Back 169

The place where God most fully makes known his presence to bless. It is in heaven where God most fully reveals his glory, and where angels, other heavenly creatures, and redeemed saints all worship him. (57A.1)

Front 170

hell

Back 170

A place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked. (56G)

Front 171

hermeneutics

Back 171

The study of correct methods of interpreting texts. (6D)

Front 172

hierarchical government

Back 172

Another term for an episcopalian form of church government in which final decision-making authority lies outside the local church. (47c)

Front 173

historical theology

Back 173

The historical study of how Christians in different periods have understood various theological topics. (1A.1)

Front 174

historic premillennialism

Back 174

The view that Christ will return to the earth after a period of great tribulation and then establish a millennial kingdom. At this time believers who have died will be raised from the dead and believers who are alive will receive glorified resurrection bodies, and both will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. (55A.3.a)

Front 175

history of redemption

Back 175

The series of events throughout history by which God acted to bring about the salvation of his people. (3B)

Front 176

holiness

Back 176

The doctrine that God is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor. (12C.8)

Front 177

holy orders

Back 177

One of the seven sacraments in Roman Catholic teaching, the ordination to the priesthood or diaconate. (48A)

Front 178

p 1244 Holy Spirit

Back 178

One of the three persons of the Trinity whose work it is to manifest the active presence of God in the word, and especially in the church. (30)

Front 179

ὁμοιούσιος

Back 179

A Greek word meaning “of a similar nature,” used by Arius in the fourth century to affirm that Christ was a supernatural heavenly being but to deny that he was of the same nature as God the Father. (14C.2.a)

Front 180

ὁμοούσιος

Back 180

A Greek word meaning “of the same nature,” which was included in the Nicene Creed to teach that Christ was of the exact same nature as God the Father and therefore was fully divine as well as fully human. (14C.2.a)

Front 181

homo sapiens

Back 181

The scientific designation for an early form of man (lit. “wise man”), believed by many to have lived sometime between 300,000 B.C. and 40,000 B.C.. (15E.3.b)

Front 182

humiliation of Christ

Back 182

One of the two “states” of Christ, the other being exaltation. The state of humiliation includes four aspects of his work: his incarnation, suffering, death, and burial. (28C)

Front 183

hypostatic union

Back 183

The union of Christ’s human and divine natures in one person (from the Greek ὑπόστασις, G5712, “being”). (26C.2)

Front 184

ICBI

Back 184

International Council on Biblical Inerrancy. This organization drafted the “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy” in 1978 that affirmed the inerrancy of Scripture and defined what most evangelicals understand by the term inerrancy. (5B.2; Appendix 1)

Front 185

ideal time theory

Back 185

Another name for “mature creationism.”

Front 186

image of God

Back 186

The nature of man such that he is like God and represents God. (21C.1)

Front 187

imago dei

Back 187

A Latin phrase meaning “image of God.” (21C.1)

Front 188

immanent

Back 188

Existing or remaining in. The term is used in theology to speak of God’s involvement in creation. (15B)

Front 189

immersion

Back 189

The mode of baptism in the New Testament in which the person is put completely under the water and then brought back up again. (49A)

Front 190

imminent

Back 190

A term referring to the fact that Christ could return and might return at any time, and that we are to be prepared for him to come at any day. (54F.1)

Front 191

immutability

Back 191

Another term for God’s unchangeableness. (11B.2)

Front 192

impassibility

Back 192

The doctrine, often based on a misunderstanding of Acts 14:15, that God does not have passions or emotions. Scripture instead teaches that God does have emotions, but he does not have sinful passions or emotions. (11B.2.c)

Front 193

impeccability

Back 193

The doctrine that Christ was not able to sin. (26A.4)

Front 194

impute

Back 194

To think of as belonging to someone, and therefore to cause it to belong to that person. God “thinks of” Adam’s sin as belonging to us, and it therefore belongs to us, and in justification he thinks of Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us and so relates to us on this basis. (24C.1.; 36C)

Front 195

incarnation

Back 195

The act of God the Son whereby he took to himself a human nature. (26B)

Front 196

“in Christ”

Back 196

A term referring to a variety of relationships between believers and Christ through which Christians receive the benefits of salvation. (43A)

Front 197

incommunicable attributes

Back 197

Aspects of God’s character that God does not share with us. (11A.1)

Front 198

incomprehensible

Back 198

Not able to be fully understood. As this applies to God, it means that God cannot be understood fully or exhaustively, although we can know true things about God. (10B)

Front 199

incorruptible

Back 199

The nature of our future resurrection bodies, which will be like Christ’s resurrection body and therefore will not wear out, grow old, or be subject to any kind of sickness or disease. (28A.4.c)

Front 200

p 1245 independence

Back 200

The doctrine that God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy. (11B.1)

Front 201

inerrancy

Back 201

The idea that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. (5A)

Front 202

infallibility

Back 202

The idea that Scripture is not able to lead us astray in matters of faith and practice. (5B.1)

Front 203

infinite

Back 203

When used of God, a term referring to the fact that he is not subject to any of the limitations of humanity or of creation in general. (11B.2.e)

Front 204

infinity with respect to space

Back 204

Another term for God’s omnipresence. (11B.4)

Front 205

infinity with respect to time

Back 205

Another term for God’s eternity. (11B.3)

Front 206

infused righteousness

Back 206

Righteousness that God actually puts into us and that changes us internally. The Roman Catholic Church understands justification to involve such an infusion, which differs from Protestantism’s view that justification is a legal declaration by God. (36C)

Front 207

inherited corruption

Back 207

the sinful nature, or the tendency to sin, which all people inherit because of Adam’s sin (often referred to as “original pollution”). This idea entails that (1) in our natures we totally lack spiritual good before God; and (2) in our actions we are totally unable to do spiritual good before God. (24C.2)

Front 208

inherited guilt

Back 208

The idea that God counts all people guilty because of Adam’s sin (often referred to as “original guilt”). (24C.1)

Front 209

inherited sin

Back 209

The guilt and the tendency to sin which all people inherit because of Adam’s sin (often referred to as “original sin”). (24C)

Front 210

“in Jesus’ name”

Back 210

A term referring to prayer made on Jesus’ authorization and consistent with his character. (18B.3)

Front 211

inner sense of God

Back 211

An instinctive awareness of God’s existence that every human being has. (9A)

Front 212

inspiration

Back 212

A term referring to the fact that the words of Scripture are spoken by God. Because of the weak sense of this word in ordinary usage, this text prefers the term “God-breathed” to indicate that the words of Scripture are spoken by God. (4A.1)

Front 213

intelligent design

Back 213

The view that God directly created the world and its many life forms, which stands against the view that new species came about through an evolutionary process of random mutation. (15E.2.b)

Front 214

intercession

Back 214

Jesu’ ongoing act of standing in God’s presence and making petitions before him on our behalf as our great high priest. (29B.3) The term is also used to refer to prayers of request for ourselves or others. (18)

Front 215

intermediate state

Back 215

The condition or mode of being of a person between the time of one’s death and the time that Christ returns to give believers new resurrection bodies. (41C)

Front 216

internal calling

Back 216

Another term for “effective calling.” (33A)

Front 217

interpretation of tongues

Back 217

The gift of the Holy Spirit by which the general meaning of something spoken in tongues is reported to the church. (53E.2.e)

Front 218

“in the Holy Spirit”

Back 218

The state of consciously dwelling in an atmosphere of God’s manifested presence. (30E)

Front 219

invisibility

Back 219

The doctrine that God’s total essence, all of his spiritual being, will never be able to be seen by us, yet God still shows himself to us through visible, created things. (12A.2)

Front 220

invisible church

Back 220

The church as God sees it. (44A.2)

Front 221

“in, with, and under”

Back 221

A phrase descriptive of the Lutheran view of the Lord’s Supper that holds, in contrast to the idea that the bread actually becomes the physical p 1246 body of Christ, that the physical body of Christ is present “in, with, and under” the bread of the Lord’s Supper. (50C.2)

Front 222

irresistible grace

Back 222

A term that refers to the fact that God effectively calls people and also gives them regeneration, both of which guarantee that we will respond in saving faith. This term is subject to misunderstanding since it seems to imply that people do not make a voluntary, willing choice in responding to the gospel. (34A)

Front 223

jealousy

Back 223

The doctrine that God continually seeks to protect his own honor. (12C.12)

Front 224

judgment of the nations

Back 224

In the dispensational, premillennial view, a judgment that will come between the tribulation and the beginning of the millennium, during which time nations are judged according to how they have treated the Jewish people during the tribulation. (56A.2)

Front 225

justice

Back 225

Another term for God’s righteousness. (12C.11)

Front 226

justification

Back 226

An instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in his sight. (36)

Front 227

kenosis theory

Back 227

The theory that Christ gave up some his divine attributes while he was on earth as a man (from the Greek verb κενόω, G3033, which means “to empty”). (26B.3)

Front 228

“keys of the kingdom”

Back 228

A phrase used by Jesus in Matthew 16:19 referring to the authority to preach the gospel and to exercise discipline within the church. (46B)

Front 229

king

Back 229

One of the three offices fulfilled by Christ in which he rules over the church and the universe. (29)

Front 230

knowable

Back 230

A term referring to the fact that we can know true things about God, and that we can know God himself and not simply facts about him. (9A)

Front 231

knowledge

Back 231

The doctrine that God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act. (12B.3)

Front 232

laying on of hands

Back 232

A practice that often accompanied prayer in the New Testament as a means of personal ministry to individuals. (48B.11)

Front 233

likeness

Back 233

A term referring to something that is similar but not identical to the thing it represents, such as man’s being made after God’s “likeness” (Gen. 1:26, translating Hebrew דְּמוּת, H1952) (21C.1)

Front 234

limbo

Back 234

According to a view common in Roman Catholic theology, the place where the souls of believers who died before Christ’s resurrection went to wait for his work of redemption to be complete (from the Latin limbus, “border”). (41C.1.c)

Front 235

limited atonement

Back 235

The Reformed view that Christ’s death actually paid for the sins of those whom he knew would ultimately be saved. A preferable term for this view is “particular redemption” in that the power of the atonement is not limited, but rather it is fully effective for particular people. (27D.1)

Front 236

literary framework theory

Back 236

An “old earth” theory of creation that views the six days of Genesis 1 not as a chronological sequence of events, but as a literary “framework” that the author uses to teach about God’s creative activity. (15E.4.a. (2)).

Front 237

living creatures

Back 237

A class of created spiritual beings with appearances like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle who are said to worship around the throne of God. (19A.3.c)

Front 238

λόγος

Back 238

The Greek term for “word” by which the apostle John referred to Jesus in John 1:1. As applied to Jesus, the term implies both the Old Testament concept of the powerful, creative word of God and the Greek idea of the organizing and unifying principle of the universe. (26B.1.c)

Front 239

Lord

Back 239

In the New Testament, a translation of the Greek word Κύριος (G3261) that is usually, but not always, used to refer to Christ. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word is used to translate the Hebrew יהוה, H3378, the personal name of the omnipotent God. (26B.1.b)

Front 240

p 1247 Lord’s Supper

Back 240

One of the two ordinances that Jesus commanded his church to observe. This is an ordinance to be observed repeatedly throughout our Christians lives as a sign of continuing in fellowship with Christ. (50)

Front 241

love

Back 241

When used of God, the doctrine that God eternally gives of himself to others. (12C.7)

Front 242

macro-evolution

Back 242

The “general theory of evolution,” or the view that all organisms emerged from nonliving substance. (15E.2.c.1)

Front 243

major doctrine

Back 243

A doctrine that has a significant impact on our thinking about other doctrines, or that has a significant impact on how we live the Christian life. (1C.2)

Front 244

manifestation of God’s active presence

Back 244

A description of the work of the Holy Spirit, the member of the Trinity whom Scripture most often represents as being present to do God’s work in the world. (30)

Front 245

μαράνα θά

Back 245

An Aramaic term used in 1 Corinthians 16:22 meaning “Our Lord, come,” expressing eager longing for Christ’s return. (54B)

Front 246

marks of the church

Back 246

The distinguishing characteristics of a true church. In Protestant tradition, these have usually been recognized as the right preaching of the Word of God and the right administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper). (44B.1)

Front 247

materialism

Back 247

The view that the material universe is all that exists. (15B)

Front 248

mature creationism

Back 248

A “young earth” theory of creation which holds that the original creation had an “appearance of age” from the very beginning. Also called the “ideal time” theory, in that the appearance of age does not in fact indicate any actual time. (15E.4.b. (1)).

Front 249

means of grace

Back 249

Any activities within the fellowship of the church that God uses to give more grace to Christians. (48A)

Front 250

mediator

Back 250

The role that Jesus plays in coming between God and us, enabling us to come into the presence of God. (18B.2)

Front 251

mental attributes

Back 251

Aspects of God’s character that describe the nature of his knowing and reasoning. (12B)

Front 252

mercy

Back 252

God’s goodness toward those in misery and distress. (12C.8)

Front 253

Michael

Back 253

An archangel who appears as a leader in the angelic army. (19A.4)

Front 254

micro-evolution

Back 254

The view that small developments occur within one species without creating new species. (15E.2.c. (1))

Front 255

middle knowledge

Back 255

An Arminian view of God’s foreknowledge which teaches that, because God knows what every creature would do in any given set of circumstances, he therefore foreknows everything that happens in the world by bringing about the situations in which all creatures act. (16H.5.a)

Front 256

midtribulation rapture

Back 256

A variation of the pretribulational premillennial view in which Christ returns in the middle of the seven-year tribulation to rescue believers, and then again after the tribulation to reign on earth for 1,000 years. (55A.1.b)

Front 257

mighty work

Back 257

A biblical term for miracles (translating the Hebrew גְּבוּרָה, H1476, and the Greek δύναμις, G1539), indicating an act displaying great or divine power. (17A)

Front 258

millennium

Back 258

A term that refers to the period of 1.000 years mentioned in Revelation 20:4-5 as the time of the reign of Christ and believers over the earth (from Lat. millennium, “thousand years”). (55)

Front 259

minor doctrine

Back 259

A doctrine that has very little impact on how we think about other doctrines, and that has very little impact on how we live the Christian life. (1C.2.c)

Front 260

miracle

Back 260

A less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself. (17A)

Front 261

miraculous gifts

Back 261

Gifts given by the Holy Spirit that are less common, and that arouse people’s awe and wonder and bear witness to God. (52A.6)

Front 262

p 1248 modalism

Back 262

The heretical teaching that holds that God is not really three distinct persons, but only one person who appears to people in different “modes” at different times. (14C.1)

Front 263

modalistic monarchianism

Back 263

Another term for modalism. (14C.1)

Front 264

monism

Back 264

The view that man is only one element, and that his body is the person. (23A)

Front 265

monophysitism

Back 265

The fifth-century heresy which held that Christ had only one nature which, that being a mixture of divine and human natures (from the Greek μόνος, G3668, “one,” and φύσις, G5882, “nature”). (26C.1.c)

Front 266

monothelite view

Back 266

The position that Jesus had only one will, a view that was rejected as heretical in the seventh century. (26C.3.a)

Front 267

moral argument

Back 267

An argument for the existence of God which reasons that there must be a God who is the source man’s sense of right and wrong. (9C)

Front 268

moral attributes

Back 268

Aspects of God’s character that describe his moral or ethical nature. (12C)

Front 269

moral influence theory

Back 269

The theory that Christ’s death was not a payment for sins but simply a demonstration of how much God loved human beings by identifying with their sufferings, even to the point of death. This becomes, then, an example designed to draw from us a grateful response. (27C.2.e. (2))

Front 270

mortal sin

Back 270

In Roman Catholic teaching, a sin that causes spiritual death and cannot be forgiven. (24D.4.b)

Front 271

mutual submission

Back 271

Phrase that proponents of egalitarianism use to describe the type of relationship they believe should exist between husband and wife, in which each is subject to the other in the same way. In this understanding of “mutual submission,” it undermines the unique authority that the Bible gives to the husband in the marriage relationship. (22C.3)

Front 272

mystical union

Back 272

A term referring to the union between the believer and Christ, the workings of which are not fully understood and are known only through God’s revelation in Scripture. (43)

Front 273

names of God

Back 273

Various descriptions of God’s character that are found in Scripture. (11A.2)

Front 274

natural law

Back 274

Relative to the discussion on miracles, any of the “laws of nature” or inherent qualities of the natural order that are viewed by some people as operating independently of God. (17A)

Front 275

natural selection

Back 275

The idea, assumed in evolutionary theory, that living organisms that are most fitted to their environment survive and multiply while others perish (also called “survival of the fittest”). (15E.2.c. (1)).

Front 276

necessary will

Back 276

Those things that God must will according to his own nature. (13D.14.b)

Front 277

necessity of Scripture

Back 277

The idea that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but is not necessary knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws. (7)

Front 278

neo-catastrophism

Back 278

Another term for the flood geology view of the geological status of the earth. (15E.4.b. (2)).

Front 279

neo-orthodoxy

Back 279

A twentieth-century theological movement represented by the teachings of Karl Barth. Instead of the orthodox position that all the words of Scripture were spoken by God, Barth taught that the words of Scripture become God’s words to us as we encounter them. (4A.2)

Front 280

Nestorianism

Back 280

A fifth-century heresy that taught that there were two separate persons in Christ, a human person and a divine person. (26C.1.b)

Front 281

p 1249 new covenant

Back 281

The administration of the covenant of grace established after the death and resurrection of Christ, a covenant in which Christ’s atoning death covers all of the believer’s sins and the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to fulfill the righteous demands of the law. (25C.2)

Front 282

new covenant experience of the Holy Spirit

Back 282

The more powerful work of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives that began at Pentecost for the disciples and now happens at conversion for believers. (39B)

Front 283

new heavens and new earth

Back 283

A description of the entirely renewed creation in which believers will dwell after the final judgment. (57A)

Front 284

New Testament theology

Back 284

The study of the teaching of the individual authors and sections of the New Testament, and of the place of each teaching in the historical development of the New Testament. (1A.1)

Front 285

nonmiraculous gifts

Back 285

Gifts given by the Holy Spirit that are more common and appear to be more ordinary, such as serving, teaching, encouraging, and doing acts of mercy. (52A.6)

Front 286

“not discerning the body”

Back 286

Phrase used in 1 Corinthians 11:29 of the Corinthians’ abuse of the Lord’s Supper. In their selfish, inconsiderate conduct toward each other during the Lord’s Supper, they were not understanding the unity and interdependence of people in the church, which is the body of Christ. (50D)

Front 287

office

Back 287

A publicly recognized position of one having the right and responsibility to perform certain functions for the benefit of the whole church. (47A)

Front 288

officer

Back 288

Someone who has been recognized as having the right and responsibility to perform certain functions for the benefit of the whole church. (47A)

Front 289

old covenant

Back 289

A term referring specifically to the Mosaic covenant established at Mount Sinai, which was an administration of detailed written laws given for a time to restrain the sins of the people and to be a custodian to point people to Christ. (25C.2)

Front 290

old covenant experience of the Holy Spirit

Back 290

The less powerful and less extensive work of the Holy Spirit that characterized the old covenant before the day of Pentecost. (39B)

Front 291

“old-earth” theory

Back 291

A theory of creation that views the earth as very old, perhaps as old as 4.5 billion years. (15E.3)

Front 292

Old Testament theology

Back 292

The study of the teaching of the individual authors and sections of the Old Testament, and of the place of each teaching in the historical development of the Old Testament. (1A.1)

Front 293

omnipotence

Back 293

The doctrine that God is able to do all his holy will (from Latin omni, “all,” and potens, “powerful”). (13D.16)

Front 294

omnipresence

Back 294

The doctrine that God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places. (11B.4)

Front 295

omniscience

Back 295

The doctrine that God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act. (12B.3)

Front 296

one simple and eternal act

Back 296

A term referring to an aspect of God’s knowledge whereby he is always fully aware of everything and his knowledge never changes or grows. (12B.3)

Front 297

only begotten

Back 297

A mistranslation of the Greek word μονογενὴς (fromμονογενής (from G3666, John 3:16, et al), which actually means “unique” or “one-of-a-kind.” The Arians used this word to deny Christ’s deity, but the rest of the church understood it to mean that the Son eternally related as a son to the Father. (14C.2.a)

Front 298

ontological argument

Back 298

An argument for the existence of God that begins with the idea of God as the greatest of beings that can be imagined. As such, the characteristic of p 1250 existence must belong to such a being, since it is greater to exist than not to exist. (9C)

Front 299

ontological equality

Back 299

A phrase that describes the members of the Trinity as eternally equal in being or existence. (14D.2)

Front 300

order

Back 300

Another term for God’s peace. (12C.10)

Front 301

order of salvation

Back 301

A theological term referring to a list of the events in which God applies salvation to us in the specific order in which they are believed to occur in our lives (sometimes referred to by the Latin phrase ordo salutis). (32)

Front 302

ordinance

Back 302

A term commonly used by Baptists to refer to baptism and the Lord’s Supper; other Protestants such as those in Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican churches have preferred the word “sacrament” for these ceremonies. (See also “sacrament.”) (49)

Front 303

original guilt

Back 303

Another term for “inherited guilt.” (24C.1)

Front 304

original pollution

Back 304

Another term for our inherited sinful nature (see “inherited corruption”). (24C.2)

Front 305

original sin

Back 305

The traditional term for the doctrine referred to in this text as “inherited sin.” (24C)

Front 306

overseer

Back 306

A translation of the Greek ἐπίσκοπος (G2176), a term used interchangeably with “overseer” “pastor,” and “elder” to refer to the main governing office of a local church in the New Testament. (47A.2.b)

Front 307

paedobaptism

Back 307

The practice of baptizing infants (the prefix “paido-” is derived from the Greek παῖς, G4090, “child”). (49B.4)

Front 308

pantheism

Back 308

The idea that the whole universe is God or part of God. (15B)

Front 309

paradox

Back 309

A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true; an apparent but not real contradiction. (1D.3)

Front 310

παρουσία

Back 310

The second coming of Christ (from the Greek παρουσία, G242, “coming”). (54A)

Front 311

particular redemption

Back 311

Another, more preferable term for the Reformed doctrine of “limited atonement.” (27D.1)

Front 312

pastor

Back 312

Term used interchangeably with “elder,” “overseer,” and “bishop” to refer to the main governing office of a local church in the New Testament. Translating the Greek ποιμήν (G4478), the term identifies the shepherding task with the office of elder. (47A.2.b)

Front 313

passive obedience

Back 313

A term referring to Christ’s sufferings for us in which he took the penalty due for our sins and as a result died for our sins. (27C.2)

Front 314

patience

Back 314

God’s goodness in withholding of punishment toward those who sin over a period of time. (12C.8)

Front 315

peace

Back 315

The doctrine that God is separate from all confusion and disorder in his being and in his actions, yet he is continually active in innumerable well-ordered, fully controlled, simultaneous actions. (12C.10)

Front 316

Pelagius

Back 316

A fifth-century monk who taught (Pelagianism) that man has the ability to obey God’s commands and can take the first and most important steps toward salvation on his own. (24D.2)

Front 317

penal substitution

Back 317

The view that Christ in his death bore the just penalty of God for our sins as a substitute for us. (27C.2.c. (4))

Front 318

Pentecost

Back 318

A Jewish feast during which, following the ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was poured out in new covenant fullness and power on the disciples. This day marked the point of transition between the old covenant work and ministry of the Holy Spirit and the new covenant work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. (39B)

Front 319

pentecostal

Back 319

Any denomination or group that traces its historical origin back to the Pentecostal revival that began in the United States in 1901 and that holds to the doctrinal positions (a) that baptism in the Holy Spirit is ordinarily an event subsequent to p 1251 conversion, (b) that baptism in the Holy Spirit is made evident by the sign of speaking in tongues, and (c) that all the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament are to be sought and used today. (39)

Front 320

perfection

Back 320

The doctrine that God completely possess all excellent qualities and lacks no part of any qualities that would be desirable for him. (13E.17)

Front 321

perfectionism

Back 321

The view that sinless perfection, or freedom from conscious sin, is possible in this life for the Christian. (38B.4)

Front 322

perseverance of the saints

Back 322

The doctrine that all those who are truly “born again” will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly “born again.” (40)

Front 323

personal address

Back 323

A form of God’s word in which he speaks directly to people on earth. (2B.2)

Front 324

personal eschatology

Back 324

The study of future events that will happen to individuals, such as death, the intermediate state, and glorification. (54)

Front 325

perspicuity

Back 325

An older term for the clarity of Scripture. (6C)

Front 326

philosophical theology

Back 326

The study of theological topics that primarily employs the tools and methods of philosophical reasoning and what can be known about God from observing the universe. (1A.1)

Front 327

pictorial-day theory

Back 327

Another term for the literary framework view of Genesis 1. (15E.4.a. (2))

Front 328

plenary inspiration

Back 328

The idea that all the words of Scripture are God’s words (plenary meaning “full”). (4A.1)

Front 329

postmillennialism

Back 329

The view that Christ will return to the earth after the millenium. In this view, the millennium is an age of peace and righteousness on the earth, brought about by the progress of the gospel and the growth of the church. (55A.2)

Front 330

posttribulational premillennialism

Back 330

Another term for historic premillennialism (or “classic premillennialism”). This is distinguished from other premillennial views by the idea that Christ will return after the great tribulation. (55A.3.a)

Front 331

posttribulational rapture

Back 331

The “taking up” of believers after the great tribulation to be with Christ just a few moments prior to his coming to earth with them to reign during the millennial kingdom (or, on the amillennial view, during the eternal state). (55E)

Front 332

power

Back 332

Another term for God’s omnipotence. (13D.16)

Front 333

power of the church

Back 333

The church’s God-given authority to carry on spiritual warfare, proclaim the gospel, and exercise church discipline. (46)

Front 334

prayer

Back 334

Personal communication with God. (18)

Front 335

predestination

Back 335

Another term for “election;” in Reformed theology generally, this is a broader term that includes not only election (for believers) but also reprobation (for nonbelievers). (32)

Front 336

premillennialism

Back 336

A term that includes a variety of views having in common the belief that Christ will return to the earth before the millennium. (55A.3)

Front 337

presbyterian government

Back 337

A form of church government in which elders govern their respective local churches, and some elders, through a presbytery and general assembly, govern churches in a region and the denomination as a whole. (47C.2)

Front 338

presbytery

Back 338

A group of elders drawn from several churches in a region and having governing authority over those churches. (See also “classis”) (47C.2)

Front 339

preservation

Back 339

An aspect of God’s providence whereby he keeps all created things existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them. (16A)

Front 340

presupposition

Back 340

An assumption that forms the beginning point of any study. (1B)

Front 341

pretribulation rapture

Back 341

The “taking up” of believers into heaven secretly during Christ’s first return prior to the great tribulation. (55E)

Front 342

p 1252 pretribulational premillennialism

Back 342

The view that Christ will return secretly before the great tribulation to call believers to himself, and then again after the tribulation to reign on earth for 1,000 years. (55A.3.b)

Front 343

priest

Back 343

A person appointed by God in the Old Testament to offer sacrifices, prayers, and praises to God on behalf of the people. This office was fulfilled by Christ, who has become the great high priest for all believers. The term can also refer to a category of church officers in both Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, though they each attach different meanings to the word “priest.” (29; 47C)

Front 344

primary cause

Back 344

The divine, invisible, directing cause of everything that happens. (16B.4)

Front 345

primogeniture

Back 345

The Old Testament practice in which the firstborn in any generation in a human family has leadership in the family for that generation. (22C.2.a)

Front 346

principalities and powers

Back 346

Other names for demonic powers in some verses of the Bible.

Front 347

progressive creationism

Back 347

An “old earth” theory which holds that God created new types of plant and animal creatures at several different points of time in the earth’s history, and between those points, plant and animal life developed more diversity on its own.

Front 348

prophecy

Back 348

(as a spiritual gift in the New Testament): The New Testament gift of the Holy Spirit that involves telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind. (53A)

Front 349

prophet

Back 349

One of the offices fulfilled by Christ, the office by which he most fully reveals God to us and speaks to us the words of God. (29A)

Front 350

propitiation

Back 350

A sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and in so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor. (27C.2.b. (4))

Front 351

providence

Back 351

The doctrine that God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do: and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes. (16)

Front 352

purgatory

Back 352

In Roman Catholic doctrine, the place where the souls of believers go to be further purified from sin until they are ready to be admitted into heaven. (41C.1.a)

Front 353

purity of the church

Back 353

The church’s degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will for the church. (45B)

Front 354

raised in glory

Back 354

A phrase describing our future resurrection bodies, which will exhibit a beauty and radiance appropriate to the position of exaltation and rule over creation that God will give us after the manner of Christ. (28A.4.c.; also 42C)

Front 355

raised in power

Back 355

A phrase describing our future resurrection bodies, which will exhibit the fullness of strength and power that God intended human beings to have in their bodies when he created them. (28A.2; also 42C)

Front 356

raised with Christ

Back 356

A phrase that describes the aspect of union with Christ by which a person receives new spiritual life and a change in his character and personality after coming to faith. (43A.3.a)

Front 357

random mutation

Back 357

The view that various life forms resulted from an evolutionary process in which random differences occurred when cells reproduced themselves. (15E.2.b)

Front 358

ransom to Satan theory

Back 358

The view that in the atonement Christ paid a ransom to Satan to redeem us out of his kingdom. (27C.2.e. (1))

Front 359

p 1253 rapture

Back 359

The “taking up” or snatching up (from Latin rapio, “seize, snatch, carry away”) of believers to be with Christ when he returns to the earth. (55A.3.b.; also 55E)

Front 360

reconciliation

Back 360

The removal of enmity and the restoration of fellowship between two parties. (27C.2.d. (3)).

Front 361

rector

Back 361

The officer in charge of a local parish in an episcopalian system of church government. (47C.1)

Front 362

redemption

Back 362

Christ’s saving work viewed as an act of “buying back” sinners out of their bondage to sin and to Satan through the payment of a ransom (though the analogy should not be pressed to specify anyone to whom a ransom was paid). (27C.2.d. (4))

Front 363

Reformed

Back 363

Another term for the theological tradition known as Calvinism. (16)

Front 364

regeneration

Back 364

A secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us; sometimes called “being born again.” (34)

Front 365

repentance

Back 365

A heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ. (35B)

Front 366

reprobation

Back 366

The sovereign decision of God before creation to pass over some persons, in sorrow deciding not to save them, and to punish them for their sins and thereby to manifest his justice. (32E)

Front 367

resurrection

Back 367

A rising from the dead into a new kind of life not subject to sickness, aging, deterioration, or death. (28A)

Front 368

revealed will

Back 368

God’s declared will concerning what we should do or what God commands us to do. (13D.14.b.2)

Front 369

righteousness

Back 369

The doctrine that God always acts in accordance with what is right and that he is himself the final standard of what is right. (12C.11)

Front 370

Sabellianism

Back 370

Another name for modalism, a term derived from the third-century teacher Sabellius, who propagated this doctrine. (14C.1)

Front 371

sacrament

Back 371

In Protestant teaching, a ceremony or rite that the church observes as a sign of God’s grace and as one means by which those who are already justified receive God’s continuing grace in their lives. The two Protestant sacraments are baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In Roman Catholic teaching, there are seven sacraments, and they are understood as a necessary means of conveying saving grace. (See also “ordinance.”) (48A; 49)

Front 372

sacrifice

Back 372

Christ’s death on the cross viewed from the standpoint that he paid the penalty that we deserved. (27C.2.d. (1))

Front 373

sanctification

Back 373

A progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives. (38)

Front 374

Satan

Back 374

The personal name of the head of the demons. (20B)

Front 375

saving faith

Back 375

Trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God. (35A.3)

Front 376

Scripture

Back 376

The writings (Greek γραφή, G1210, rendered in Latin by scriptura) of the Old and New Testaments, which have historically been recognized as God’s words in written form. Another term for the Bible. (4A)

Front 377

secondary cause

Back 377

The properties and actions of created things that bring about events in the world. (16B.4)

Front 378

second coming of Christ

Back 378

The sudden, personal, visible, bodily return of Christ from heaven to earth. (54A)

Front 379

secret will

Back 379

God’s hidden decrees by which he governs the universe and determines everything that will happen. (13D.14.b.2)

Front 380

self-attesting

Back 380

The self-authenticating nature of the Bible by which it convinces us that its words are God’s words. (4A.4)

Front 381

self-existence

Back 381

Another term for God’s independence. (11B.1)

Front 382

p 1254 separation

Back 382

With reference to the church, the act of formal division of one group from another on the basis of doctrinal differences, matters of conscience, or practical considerations. Such separation can also take more severe forms, such as the refusal to cooperate or the avoidance of personal fellowship. (45E-F)

Front 383

seraphim

Back 383

A class of created spiritual beings that are said to continually worship God. (19A.3.b)

Front 384

session

Back 384

The “sitting down” of Christ at God’s right hand after his ascension, indicating that his work of redemption was complete and that he received authority over the universe. The term can also refer to the group of elders with governing authority over a local church in a presbyterian form of church government (28B.3.; 47C.2)

Front 385

sign

Back 385

A biblical term for miracles (translating the Hebrew אֹות, H253; and the Greek σημεῖον, G4956), specifically meaning something that points to or indicates something else, especially God’s activity and power. (17A)

Front 386

“signs of an apostle”

Back 386

A phrase used by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:12 that refers to those various things that distinguished him as a true apostle from others who were false apostles. Some who deny the continuation of miracles today use this phrase to contend that miracles were uniquely the signs that distinguished apostles from ordinary Christians. (17D.2)

Front 387

simplicity

Back 387

Another term for the unity of God. (11B.5)

Front 388

sin

Back 388

Any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. (24A)

Front 389

sinless perfection

Back 389

The state of being totally free from sin; some hold that such a state is possible in this life (see also “perfectionism”). (38B.4)

Front 390

Son of God

Back 390

A title often used of Jesus to designate him as the heavenly, eternal Son who is equal in nature to God himself. (26B.1.c)

Front 391

Son of Man

Back 391

The term by which Jesus referred to himself most often, which had an Old Testament background, especially in the heavenly figure who was given eternal rule over the world in the vision in Daniel 7:13. (26B.1.c)

Front 392

sons of God

Back 392

Another name for angels (Job 1:6; 2:1). (19A.2)

Front 393

soul

Back 393

The immaterial part of man; used interchangeably with “spirit.” (23B.1)

Front 394

soul sleep

Back 394

The doctrine that believers go into a state of unconscious existence when they die, and that they return to consciousness when Christ returns and raises them to eternal life. (41C.1.b)

Front 395

sovereignty

Back 395

God’s exercise of power over his creation. (13D.16)

Front 396

speaking in tongues

Back 396

Prayer or praise spoken in syllables not understood by the speaker. (53E.2)

Front 397

special grace

Back 397

The grace of God that brings people to salvation; also known as “saving grace.” (31A)

Front 398

special revelation

Back 398

God’s words addressed to specific people, including the words of the Bible. This is to be distinguished from general revelation, which is given to all people generally. (7E)

Front 399

spirit

Back 399

The immaterial part of man; a term used interchangeably with “soul.” (23B.1)

Front 400

spiritual body

Back 400

The type of body we will receive at our future resurrection, which will not be “immaterial” but rather suited to and responsive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (28A.2.; 42C)

Front 401

spirituality

Back 401

The doctrine that God exists as a being that is not made of any matter, has no parts or dimensions, is unable to be perceived by our bodily senses, and is more excellent that any other kind of existence. (12A.1)

Front 402

spiritual presence

Back 402

A phrase descriptive of the Reformed view of the Lord’s Supper that regards Christ as spiritually present in a special way as we partake of the bread and wine. (50C.3)

Front 403

p 1255 states of Jesus Christ

Back 403

The different relationships Jesus had to God’s law, to the possession of authority, and to receiving honor for himself, during the various stages in his work. The two states of Jesus Christ are humiliation and exaltation. (28C)

Front 404

subordinationism

Back 404

The heretical teaching that the Son was inferior or “subordinate” in being to God the Father. (14C.2.b)

Front 405

sufficiency of Scripture

Back 405

The idea that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains all the words of God we need for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly. (8A)

Front 406

summary attributes

Back 406

God’s attributes of perfection, blessedness, beauty, and glory, which are called “summary” attributes in this book because they have to do with looking at and evaluating all the other attributes of God considered together as a whole.

Front 407

symbolic presence

Back 407

The common Protestant view that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper symbolize the body and blood of Christ, rather than change into or somehow contain the body and blood of Christ. (50C.3)

Front 408

synod

Back 408

A national governing assembly of a denomination (sometimes called a general assembly). (47C.2)

Front 409

systematic theology

Back 409

Any study that answers the question, “What does the whole Bible teach us today?” about any given topic. (1A)

Front 410

teaching

Back 410

In the New Testament, the ability to explain Scripture and apply it to people’s lives. (53B)

Front 411

teleological argument

Back 411

An argument for the existence of God which reasons that, since the universe exhibits evidence of order and design, there must be an intelligent and purposeful God who created it to function in this way. (9C)

Front 412

temporary blessings

Back 412

Influences of the Holy Spirit and the church that make unbelievers look or sound like genuine believers when in fact they are not. (40C)

Front 413

textual variants

Back 413

Occurrences of different words in different ancient copies of the same verse of Scripture. (5B.3)

Front 414

theistic evolution

Back 414

The theory that God used the process of evolution to bring about all of the life forms on earth. (15E.2.b)

Front 415

theophany

Back 415

An “appearance of God” in which he takes on a visible form to show himself to people. (12A.2)

Front 416

total depravity

Back 416

The traditional term for the doctrine referred to in this text as “total inability.” (24C.2.a)

Front 417

total inability

Back 417

Man’s total lack of spiritual good and inability to do good before God (often referred to as “total depravity”). (24C.2.a)

Front 418

traducianism

Back 418

The view that the soul of a child is inherited from the baby’s mother and father at the time of conception. (23F).

Front 419

transcendent

Back 419

The term used to describe God as being greater than the creation and independent of it. (15B)

Front 420

transitional types

Back 420

Fossils showing some characteristics of one animal and some of the next developmental type which, if found, would provide evidence for evolutionary theory by filling in the gaps between distinct kinds of animals.(15E.2.c)

Front 421

transubstantiation

Back 421

The Roman Catholic teaching that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper (often referred to as “the eucharist”) actually become the body and blood of Christ. (50C.1)

Front 422

trichotomy

Back 422

The view that man is made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. (23C)

Front 423

Trinity

Back 423

The doctrine that God eternally exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and each person is fully God, and there is one God. (14)

Front 424

tritheism

Back 424

The belief that there are three gods. (14C.3)

Front 425

p 1256 trust

Back 425

An aspect of Biblical faith or belief in which we not only know and agree with facts about Jesus, but also place personal trust in him as a living person. (35A.3)

Front 426

truthfulness

Back 426

The doctrine that God is the true God and that all his knowledge and words are both true and the final standard of truth. (12B.5)

Front 427

twenty-four-hour day theory

Back 427

The view that the six “days” of creation in Genesis 1 are to be understood as literal twenty-four-hour days. (15E.3.e)

Front 428

two-class Christianity

Back 428

A view of the church that divides it into two categories of believers, such as ordinary believers versus “sanctified” believers, or ordinary believers versus Spirit-baptized believers. (39D.1)

Front 429

ubiquity of Christ’s human nature

Back 429

The teaching, put forth by Martin Luther in support of his view of the Lord’s Supper, that Christ’s human nature was present everywhere (“ubiquitous”) after his ascension. (50C.2)

Front 430

unchangeableness

Back 430

The doctrine that God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet he does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations. (11B.2)

Front 431

union with Christ

Back 431

Phrase that summarizes several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are like Christ, and we are with Christ. (43)

Front 432

unity

Back 432

The doctrine that God is not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes of God emphasized at different times. (11B.5)

Front 433

unity of the church

Back 433

The church’s degree of freedom from divisions among true Christians. (45B)

Front 434

universalism

Back 434

The doctrine that all people will ultimately be saved. (56G)

Front 435

unlimited atonement

Back 435

The view that Christ’s death actually paid for the sins of all people who ever lived. (27D)

Front 436

unpardonable sin

Back 436

The unusually malicious, willful rejection and slander against the Holy Spirit’s work attesting to Christ, and attributing that work to Satan. (24D.6)

Front 437

valid proofs

Back 437

Arguments for the existence of God that are based on facts and that correctly reason to a true conclusion. No such proofs, however, are able to compel agreement from everyone who considers them. (9C)

Front 438

venial sin

Back 438

In Roman Catholic teaching, a sin that can be forgiven, although perhaps after punishments in this life or in purgatory. (24D.4.b)

Front 439

veracity

Back 439

Another term for God’s truthfulness. (12B.5)

Front 440

vicar

Back 440

In an episcopalian system of church government, a church officer in charge of a local parish and acting in place of a rector. (47C.1)

Front 441

vicarious atonement

Back 441

The work Christ did to earn our salvation by standing in our place in his life and death. (27C.2.c. (4))

Front 442

virgin birth

Back 442

The biblical teaching that Jesus was conceived in the womb of his mother Mary by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit and without a human father. (26A.1)

Front 443

visible church

Back 443

The church as Christians on earth see it. Because only God sees our hearts, the visible church will always include some unbelievers. (44A.2)

Front 444

voluntary choices

Back 444

Choices that are made in accord with our desires, with no awareness of restraints on our will or compulsion against our will. (16H.3)

Front 445

waiting on the Lord

Back 445

A posture of the heart during prayer in which we wait quietly before God for some sense of guidance in our prayer, and also for an assurance of God’s presence and of his answer to our prayer. (18C.9)

Front 446

watchers

Back 446

Another name for angels (Dan. 4:13, 17, 23). (19A.2)

Front 447

Western church

Back 447

A term referring to the Roman Catholic church, from which the Eastern (Orthodox) church separated in A.D. 1054. Later, the Western church split into Protestant and Roman Catholic branches. (45E)

Front 448

will (God's Attribute)

Back 448

The attribute of God whereby he approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence and activity of himself and all creation. (13D.14)

Front 449

willing choices

Back 449

Choices that are made in accord with our desires, with no awareness of restraints on our will. (16B.9).

Front 450

wisdom

Back 450

The doctrine that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals. (12B.4)

Front 451

wonder

Back 451

A biblical word for miracles (translating the Hebrew מֹופֵת, H4603, and the Greek τέρας, G5469), specifically referring to an event that causes people to be amazed or astonished. (17A)

Front 452

Word of God

Back 452

A phrase that refers to several different things in the Bible, including the Son of God, the decrees of God, God’s words of personal address, God’s words spoken through human lips, and God’s words in written form, the Bible. It is this last form of the word of God that is the focus of systematic theology, since it is the form that is available for study, for public inspection, for repeated examination, and as a basis for mutual discussion. (2)

Front 453

word of knowledge

Back 453

The ability to speak with knowledge about a situation. (53F)

Front 454

word of wisdom

Back 454

The ability to speak a wise word in various situations. (53F)

Front 455

worship

Back 455

The activity of glorifying God in his presence with our voices and hearts. (51A)

Front 456

wrath

Back 456

As an attribute of God, the doctrine that God intensely hates all sin. (12C.13)

Front 457

“young earth” theory

Back 457

A theory of creation that views the earth as relatively young, perhaps as young as 10,000 to 20,000 years old. (15E.3)