The act of "laying on of hands" served several functions in the N.T. (a) Some parents brought their children that Jesus might lay his hands upon them (Mt. 19:13). This involved no magical ritual; r...

The third book of the Hebrew Pentateuch is Leviticus, the title of which suggests "that which pertains to the tribe of Levi." This Mosaic document provides information regarding the sacrifices, the...

Life may be viewed under two categories -- physical life and spiritual life. (a) All biological organisms are characterized by physical "life." A living creature has independent movement, processes...

Logos is the term used in the Gospel of John to describe the preincarnate Christ. "In the beginning was the Word [logos] and the Word [logos] became flesh" (Jn. 1:1, 14). Though the term logos was...

The most common Greek word representing this idea is apollumi. The term can suggest the idea of an object that is estranged from its owner. A shepherd loses his sheep, a woman loses a coin, a Fathe...

The Greeks had several words that reflected various concepts of "love." Forms of three of these are found in the N.T. (a) The noun storge had a variety of uses in the ancient world, but it most com...

The third book of the N.T., the Gospel of Luke, was intended as a defense of the historical data regarding Jesus -- especially on behalf of the Greeks. Authored by Luke, a Gentile physician (Col. 4...

Roman numeral; seventy. Common abbreviation for the Greek Version of the O.T. (third century B.C.). See SEPTUAGINT.

Malachi is the last prophet of the O.T. record. In the final era of O.T. history (mid to late fifth century B.C.), the people of God fell into a state of spiritual lethargy. They were insensitive, ...

Mark's account of the life of Christ begins with the Savior's baptism. It is primarily directed to the Romans, one of the major cultures of the first century. It is designed to emphasize the action...

Mary was a Hebrew maiden who was chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ. Her miraculous conception was prophesied in the O.T. (Isa. 7:14). Mary was certainly worthy of honor as a godly Jewish woma...

"Materialism" is commonly used in two different senses. (a) Philosophical materialism is the idea that nothing exists except that which is material in nature (i.e., composed of matter). There is, t...

The word "Messiah" is of O.T. origin. It derives from a Hebrew term meaning to "anoint." It becomes a special title that applies to Jesus of Nazareth. See: ANOINT, CHRIST.

Micah lived south of Jerusalem during the reigns of Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (cir. 749-697 B.C.). He was a contemporary of both Hosea and Isaiah. Micah's mission was to rebuke the sins of both Is...

The term "millennium" signifies a period of 1,000 years. It is a common belief among many who are identified with "Christendom" that Jesus Christ will return to this earth to set up his kingdom in ...

There are three basic words in the Greek N.T. that convey the idea of "ministering" in one way or another. (a) Diakonos, occurs about thirty times in the N.T. Generally it simply means "to serve." ...

Three Greek terms in the N.T. reflect the idea of a "miracle," and there are three contexts in which all three terms are found together (Acts 2:22; 2 Thes. 2:9; Heb. 2:4). The Greek terms are as fo...

See TALMUD.

Under the preaching of Jonah, the wicked city of Nineveh had repented (Jon. 3:10; Mt. 12:40-41), and God had suspended the punishment of which he had warned those people. Eventually, though, they s...

The Greek term onoma takes on a very important place in the N.T. (a) Sometimes, by a figure known a metonymy, the name stands for the person himself. To trust in the Lord's name is to trust the Lor...