Content on Acts 13:33–34
56 results
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Agnostic
The word "agnostic" does not appear in the English Bible. The term derives, however, from Greek roots suggesting the idea "not known." When Paul visited Athens, he noted that the pagans there had erected an altar to an "unknown" (agnostos) god (Acts 17:23). The apostle used that inscription as th...
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Church
The English word "church" is derived from the Greek kurikon, meaning "belonging to the Lord." The actual word in the Greek text, which stands behind the modern rendition, "church," is ekklesia, "called out." It is now generally conceded that the basic meaning of the term is "assembly" or "congreg...
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Woman
Woman was fashioned from flesh and bone taken from the side of man (Gen. 2:21-24). Male and female qualities were designed by God (Mt. 19:4); these characteristics are not accidental developments of an imagined "evolutionary" process. The Hebrew term for "woman" is ishsha, thought to derive from ...
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Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a system that divides history into seven dispensations, each corresponding to one day of creation week. C.I. Scofield popularized the theory in his Reference Bible (1909). These dispensations are alleged to be: • Innocence • Conscience • Human Government • Promise • Law • Gra...
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Intercession
The idea of "intercession" is expressed in both Testaments of the Bible. The Greek verb entunchano suggests the concept of making an appeal to someone with reference to another person. It can mean to make an appeal against another, as when the Jews "made suit" to Festus that Paul should not live ...
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Lord
The Greek expression for "lord" is kurios. One must look at the context to observe the sense conveyed in a particular setting. "Lord" may be used as a mere title of respect, or it can suggest one who is deity. (a) Kurios is sometimes used in the sense of one who is owner or master of a thing, i.e...
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Worship
References to "worship" are common in both the O.T. and the N.T. The Hebrew term shachah (about 100 times) refers to "bowing" before an object of religious devotion. Similarly, proskuneo (59 times) in the N.T. means to prostrate oneself, do obeisance. Worship can be offered to the true God (Gen. ...
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Zephaniah, Book Of
The prophet Zephaniah was the great, great-grandson of King Hezekiah (1:1). His prophetic ministry was conducted in the days of Judah's good king, Josiah (ca. 639-09 B.C.). Josiah came to the throne as a boy of eight, but he grew spiritually (2 Kg. 22, 23; 2 Chron. 34, 35). He initiated a signifi...
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Holy
"Holy" comes from the Greek hagios, which conveys the idea of something being set apart from other things. The Bible applies the word to various persons and objects. • God stands utterly apart from sinful man; thus, he is absolutely holy (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), as is Christ (Hebrews 7:26) a...
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Ten Commandments
The "Ten Commandments" constituted the core element of the law of Moses (see Ex. 19:16-20:17). They were written by God himself on the two tables of stone (Ex. 31:18; 32:15-16; 34:1, 28; Dt. 10:4). Moses shattered the first set when he learned of Israel's worship of the golden calf (Ex. 32:19). E...
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Gods
The gods of the biblical era were profuse. They were the inventions of the human mind in a world that had rejected the true God and his sovereignty over humanity. The Old Testament prophets denied the existence of pagan gods (cf. Jer. 2:28), as did the New Testament writers (1 Cor. 8:4). Neverthe...
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Ransom
Jesus once declared that he came to this earth to give up his life as a "ransom" for others (cf. Mt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45). The term for "ransom" is lutron. Lutron derives from luo, "to loose," and when the suffix is added, the meaning suggested is "the means of loosing." In the O.T., the word was us...
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Retribution
Retribution will be the dispensing of the "wrath of God," as an expression of divine justice, upon those who have persisted in wicked rebellion against their Maker. The expression "wrath of God" is found about twelve times in the English Bible. One term in the Greek N.T., that suggests the divine...
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Slavery
The term "slave" (Grk. doulos) is used in the Bible in both a literal and a figurative sense. (a) Literal slaves were common in the ancient world. A person could be purchased as a slave, become a slave as spoil of war, be born into a slave family, or sell himself into slavery. In most countries t...
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Truth
The term "truth" carries several connotations in the Bible. (a) Truth can convey the idea of loyalty. Those who abide in Jesus' teaching are "truly" his disciples (Jn. 8:31). (b) True may denote that which is genuine, in contrast to the counterfeit. God is "true" deity; idols are not (1 Thes. 1:9...
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Citizenship
Citizenship is the legal relationship that one sustains to a city, state, or country. Paul was a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 21:39), and he enjoyed the privileges of "citizenship" in the Roman empire (Acts 22:28). His citizenship granted certain protective procedures (cf. 22:25), and the p...
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Quicken
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...
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Salvation
"Salvation" is the result of having been "saved." The verb "save" (sozo) had a variety of ancient meanings. It could signify to deliver, to heal, to liberate, to preserve, etc., depending upon the context. Most prominently in the N.T. it has to do with deliverance from the guilt and ultimate cons...
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Return Of Christ
During his earthly ministry, Jesus promised that, following his death and ascension back to heaven, he would "come again" eventually (Jn. 14:3; cf. Mt. 24:37ff; 25:31ff). When he left the earth, angels vowed he would return again (Acts 1:10-11). The doctrine of the second coming was steadfastly p...
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Gift
The Bible is filled with affirmations of our Creator's generosity. Every good and perfect gift is from him (Jas. 1:17). Surely our gratitude must be lavishly expressed for his graciousness. God has given us life itself (Acts 17:25; 1 Tim. 6:13). Human life, therefore, is sacred. Jehovah gives us ...
