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The church in Thessalonica was established on Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17:1ff). After he left the region, he received a report regarding the congregation in Thessalonica, containing both positive and negative news. This letter, written from Corinth (Acts 18:1, 5), is a response to t...
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the very foundation of Christianity. If the Lord was not raised, the religion of Christ is a hoax (cf. 1 Cor. 15:4; 14-19). The Savior's resurrection was foretold by the prophets (Psa. 16:8ff), and promised by Jesus himself (Jn. 2:19-22; Mt. 12:39...
Peter addressed this letter to "the elect," i.e., Christians, who are dispersed in Asia Minor. The main theme of the epistle is explicitly stated. He urges the brethren to "stand fast" in the "grace of God" (5:12). The apostle appeals to these Christians to maintain courage, to be pure, and to re...
After Jacob had his famous encounter with the "messenger" of Jehovah (Gen. 32:29; cf. Hos. 12:4-5), his name was changed to "Israel," suggesting, "he who strove with God." Later, the name is applied to the descendants of Jacob generally (Gen. 32:32; Ex. 1:9; 12:3). When the kingdom split during t...
"Heresy" takes its rise from the Greek, hairesis (nine times in the N.T.). Originally, the term meant simply "to choose" (Lev. 22:18, 21 -- LXX). Then it came to signify a choice, i.e., an opinion -- especially a destructive opinion in the N.T. (2 Pet. 2:1). The term also takes on the sense of a ...
Contrary to the denominational claim that infants are born in sin, the Bible teaches otherwise. • Children do not inherit evil from their parents (Ezekiel 18:20). • The practice of sin begins in "youth" (Genesis 9:21), not at birth. • Both Jesus and Paul used little children as models to emulate ...
More than a dozen words are used in the Greek N.T. to represent various aspects of "sin" (e.g., bad, evil, transgression, iniquity, trespass, godless, unrighteous, etc.). The most frequently employed word is hamartia (173 times), which provides the picture of "missing the mark." The word is used ...
Homosexual activity is sexual intimacy between two persons of the same gender. This form of sexual conduct is uniformly condemned in the Bible. (a) It stands outside the divinely prescribed realm of authorized sexual gratification, i.e., the marriage union (Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:4; 1 Cor. 7:2), and i...
From the Greek word eschatos ("last") comes "eschatology," a study of "last things" (e.g., the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment day, the end of the world, heaven, and hell). Eschatology has to do with the consummation of God's redemptive scheme. The following el...
The Flood, recorded in Genesis 6-8, was the most widespread disaster ever to affect this planet. Waters from the atmosphere above and from chasms beneath the earth inundated the entire globe (Gen. 7:19, 21; cf. 2 Pet. 3:6). More than 200 traditions of an ancient, universal flood, from which only ...
The verb "reconcile" (Grk. katallasso) basically suggests a "change." In an ethical or religious sense, it denotes a change between parties who have been estranged. It may refer to human associations, or man's relationship to his Creator. (a) In human relationships that are breached, the fault ma...
The term "restoration" conveys a number of ideas in the Scriptures, depending upon the immediate context. (a) It may refer to the restitution of property or money in compliance to law (Dt. 22:2), or it may be a reflection of one's repentance (Lk. 19:8). (b) The term may be used of a spiritual inv...
The term "body" is used in Scripture in both literal and figurative sense. Literal user of the body In a literal sense, the term "body" in Scripture refers to the physical "tabernacle" in which the spirit of man dwells (2 Cor. 5:1ff). This human body was fashioned on the sixth day of the creation...
The doctrine of hereditary total depravity is also known as "original sin" in Roman Catholicism. This concept asserts that all children come into the world with both the effects and guilt of Adam's original sin. By "heredity," therefore, they are totally (completely) depraved (evil). Proponents o...
This is the title of a sovereign who exercises regal authority over a certain territory. The term is used in the following senses in Scripture. (a) Jehovah God is king over the entire earth (1 Sam. 12:12; Mt. 22:7; 1 Tim. 6:16). (b) The title is sometimes used of the political rule of certain ear...
The English "elect" derives from a compound Greek term, eklektos (ek -- "out of," and lego -- "to gather"). It suggests the idea of being selected or chosen. The New Testament uses the term in various senses. • God elected the nation of Israel to be the instrument through which Christ would come ...
The noun "baptism" and the corresponding verb "baptize" come directly from Greek into English with only slight spelling changes. The word literally denotes to immerse, dip, or submerge. When used metaphorically, it suggests being overwhelmed. It takes several senses in the New Testament, dependin...
This phrase has roots in the Old Testament. The book of Daniel alludes to "the abomination that makes desolate" (cf. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11). It is generally believed that 11:31 is a reference to the abominable (evil) power that desolated the Jewish system during that historical period between the Te...
This English term is a rendition of the Greek zoopoieo, "to make alive." It is found about a dozen times in the N.T. and is rendered by such expressions as "quicken," "give life," and "make alive." Consider these facts: (a) The power to "make alive" is always attributed either to God (Jn. 5:21; R...
In the Old Testament, this term denoted the firstborn offspring of humans or animals. The firstborn was accorded a place of special prominence (cf. Gen. 48:13-18; Dt. 21:15-17; 2 Chron. 21:3). The word also came to be used figuratively. The "firstborn" of death signified a particularly deadly dis...
