This word signifies “change in substance,” and it reflects the Roman Catholic doctrine that in the communion service, when the priest pronounces the words, “this is my body” and “this is my blood,”...

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 th...

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...

While the term “unity” is rare in the English Bible (Psa. 133:1; Eph. 4:3; 4:13), the idea prevails profusely in a variety of contexts. (a) Unity is that oneness that obtains perfectly among the me...

The false idea that all men will be saved ultimately is called “universalism.” (a) Universalism is illogical; it suggests that man’s use of his power of choice — for good or evil — is irrelevant....

The common word for “walk” in the New Testament is peripateo. It means to walk around or, in a figurative sense, “to conduct oneself” in a certain way. It was the common Jewish idiom for how one li...

Two principal Greek words are employed in the N.T. to represent the idea of “fighting” and “war.” Polemeo (18 times) means to “fight” or “make war.” Strateuomai (7 times) is to "carry out a militar...

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:...

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 term “works” is a perfectly noble word; yet, in the minds of some, there is a distorted view of this biblical term. Especially has the Protestant world reacted negatively to Catholicism’s "work...

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)...

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 thr...

This word comes directly from the Greek blasphemeo, which is believed to derive from blapto (to injure) and pheme (speech), hence injurious speech.

Scripture speaks of those who blaspheme God (Ro...

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 Bible uses the word “abomination” to reflect about a dozen terms in the original languages of both Testaments. The prevailing idea behind the words is a divine revulsion at transgressio...

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 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...

This word derives from the Greek — pan (“all”) and theos (“God”). Traditionally, the term reflects a religious theory that suggests the entire Universe is endowed with the nature of God. 

God is ...

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...

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...