Knowledge refers to a body of factual data that is received and understood by a rational human being. The acquisition of spiritual knowledge is fundamental to Christianity. The prophets foretold th...

The Greek word is huiothesia, from huios, “son,” and tithemi, “to set, put, or place.” 

The word suggests the idea of putting one into the position of a son. It is used five times in the New Testa...

Apostasy is an English term based on the Greek apotasia. Originally, it meant to desert one’s post; it was used for political revolt.

In the Old Testament, the word implies a turning away from Go...

Form Criticism is a modern approach to the Bible that originated in a liberal theological context. It holds, for example, that the Gospel accounts are mythological. The “scholarly critic,” therefor...

This word comes directly from Greek into English, letter-for-letter: hades.

W.E. Vine noted that some derive the term from the negative prefix a (“not”) and eido (“seen”), hence “the unseen,” thou...

A genealogy is a record of the names of a person’s ancestors or descendants.

Several genealogical lists are recorded in the Bible, for example, in Genesis, Chronicles, Matthew, and Luke. These ar...

A significant portion of the Old Testament record embodies the law of Moses. Some basic facts relative to that system must be understood. (a) It was given by God, and ordained by angels; it came th...

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...

A covenant is an agreement between two parties. In some cases, the parties stand on equal footing, and each party contributes to the conditions of the covenant. 

It can be the case, however, that ...

The Greek term onoma takes on a very important place in the New Testament.

Sometimes, by a figure known as metonymy, the name stands for the person himself. To trust in the Lord’s name is to trus...

The Old Testament, the revered Hebrew Bible, is a divine collection of thirty-nine books. These books, inspired by God (Mt. 22:31-32; 2 Tim. 3:15-17), were produced over a period of about 1,000 yea...

Jesus once prayed that the “will” of God might be done on earth, just as it is in heaven (Mt. 6:10). Jehovah’s will is that which is best for humanity, and which he requires that we implement in ou...

The Greek word for “reformation” is diorthosis, which indicates the idea of making something “straight.” A kindred form of the term is used in Acts 24:2, where the flattering orator Tertullus descr...

By virtue of man’s transgression, death and all its attendant evils, including illness, have become a part of the human experience. It is not surprising, therefore, that “healing” is a biblical the...

The doctrine of “annihilation” is the idea that eventually, after a sufficient period of punishment, the souls of the wicked will go out of existence. This dogma is without biblical support. 

The ...

“Christian” is the name given to the disciples of Christ in Antioch of Syria following the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:26).

The verb chrematizo (“called”) in this passa...

In the N.T. (cf. Heb. 7:6, 9), this term derives from the Greek, dekatos, meaning “tenth.” (a) In the Patriarchal period of history, it appears to have been the practice that godly men gave a tenth...

Some religions are based upon philosophical premises that are embraced emotionally, apart from intellectual substance. That is not the case with Christianity. Christianity is grounded in history, a...

The Greek term graphe (“writing”) comes into the English Bible (via Latin, scriptura) as “scripture.” The word almost always has the definite article “the scriptures.” The expression may refer to a...

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:...