The English word “atonement” derives from an Anglo-Saxon term that practically signifies “a making at one.” Though the English term “atonement” is common to the Old Testament, it is found only once...

The names “Jesus Christ” mean “savior” and “anointed,” suggesting that this noble person was “anointed” of God (Acts 10:38) to be prophet, priest, and king, and indeed, the Savior of the world (Mt....

Literally speaking, the “tongue” is an organ of taste and speech within the mouth. By metaphorical extension, it is used in literature for a human language. In the N.T., the gift of being able to "...

Three Greek terms in the N.T. reflect the idea of a “miracle,” and there are three contexts in which all three terms are found together (Acts 2:22; 2 Thes. 2:9; Heb. 2:4). The Greek terms are as fo...

Peter’s second letter is a caustic warning regarding false teachers who are promoting “destructive heresies” (2:1). The false teaching concerns the nature of Christ, sensual indulgence, the coming ...

“Belief” is the noun form of the verb “believe.” True belief embraces several important elements. 
Despite God’s invisibility and inaudibility, our belief in him is not rooted in superstition. Beli...

The English word “bible” means “scroll” or “book” and refers to the sixty-six documents that comprise the book of Scripture — thirty-nine Old Testament documents and twenty-seven New Testament boo...

The title “Christ” was applied to Jesus of Nazareth because he fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. 

The prophets previewed Jesus as the Messiah (Psa. 2:1ff; Dan. 9:25-27)....

The revelation of God has to do with the processes by which the Creator has made himself known to his rational creation. (a) Jehovah has revealed himself to humanity in the abstract features of the...

Adultery is sexual intimacy between a married person and someone other than their lawful mate. The act begins in the mind (Mt. 5:28; Mk. 7:21) and ultimately manifests in physical union (cf. Jn. 8:...

The term “tradition” renders a Greek word that suggests the idea of “instruction that has been handed down.” It takes on two senses in Scripture. (a) “Tradition” may be instruction that is divinely...

Blood is a prominent theme in the Bible.

Because blood is the life stream of a person (Lev. 17:11), it becomes the biblical representation of life. Because of sin, man has forfeited the right to ...

“Good” in the Bible is expressed in various ways. It can refer to something perfect in design or flawless. Such was the state of the earth at the conclusion of the creation week (Gen. 1:30), which,...

This book contains the historical record of the change in Israel’s form of government from judges to that of the kings. The nation, in an act of rejecting God, desired a king to be like their pagan...

The Greek word for “heart” is kardia (as in the English word “cardiac”). Although “heart” literally refers to the blood-pumping organ in a person’s body, the term is rarely used to refer to the phy...

The Greek term for “man” is anthropos. Plato suggested that the word reflects the idea of an “upward looking” one, hinting, perhaps, that man finds no rest upon this planet. He is ever searching fo...

The “church” is a body of baptized believers, called by the gospel from the “world” into a special fellowship with Christ. 

We must acknowledge, however, that the church exists in the modern world...

Ezekiel was a prophet during the Babylonian captivity; his ministry lasted more than twenty years. Jeremiah had foretold that the captivity would last seventy years (Jer. 25:11), but false prophets...

A number of terms, both in the O.T. and the N.T., suggest the idea of a “path” or “way” of travel. The words come to be employed of a “course of conduct,” whether for good (Ex. 18:20; 32:8; Dt. 31:...

The term “brother” is from the Greek adelphos. It technically signifies “from the same womb.” The word is used in different senses in the New Testament. 
• It is employed literally to identify sibl...