A careful consideration of the various texts in the Old Testament that mention the “angel of the LORD” (KJV) or the “angel of Jehovah” (ASV) reveals that this being was not of the ordinary angel cl...

“God” (theos) denotes the divine nature, the essence of what it means to be a deity. Here are some essential facts regarding God’s nature. There is only one God (Dt. 6:4; Jas. 2:19), that is, one u...

Death is a term that, in one sense or another, suggests the idea of separation.

Physical death is that state of the body which is separated from the “spirit” or “soul” (Gen. 25:8; 35:18; Jas. 2:2...

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). 

Th...

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 associatio...

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, "...

Characters in the book of Joshua present interesting and valuable studies that offer powerful, transforming spiritual lessons

There is a popular view that “heaven” will be on “earth,” after our planet has been purged by fire at the end of time. This theory is wholly without merit and results from a failure to understand the symbolic nature of several passages of scripture.

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 m...

Several Hebrew words are rendered by the English “wine,” the most common of which are yayin (134 times) and tirosh (33 times). The basic term for “wine” in the Greek New Testament is oinos (33 time...

Justification may be defined as the divine process by which God acquits the sinner and reckons him as righteous. The noun dikaiosis (“justification”) is used but twice in the N.T. (Rom. 4:25; 5:18)...

“Suffering” is a term that embraces the various physical and emotional ills to which the human family is heir. Skeptics charge that human suffering is irreconcilable with the idea of an all-powerfu...

Expediency is sometimes defined as the method by which a determined goal is achieved, regardless of the moral consequences. This is not the biblical concept of expediency.

In Bible parlance, a me...

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). Thes...

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...

The English word “obey” translates both Hebrew and Greek words that express parallel ideas: listening and being attentive to someone who possesses authority. Thus, the words suggest an active respo...

The term “grace” occurs about 155 times in the New Testament. The word relates to the Greek term chairo, meaning “to rejoice,” and grace itself comes to mean favor, gratification, or gratitude — d...

Many analysts see some serious “flaws” in what is called “the new Christian generation.” It does appear there are serious problems with many who identify themselves with Jesus Christ.

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 s...

The word “accursed” (KJV) translates the Greek anathema four times in the New Testament. It carries the weighty idea of being “devoted to destruction,” a term that should be approached with caution...