Psalms is a collection of 150 songs of praise, authored by a variety of writers (seventy-three are attributed to David). They celebrate the Lord's power of creation and his sovereignty over nature....

"Prophecy" is a message from God; the act of bringing forth that message is "prophesying." "Prophecy" derives from a compound Greek term consisting of pro ("forth") and phemi, "to speak," hence, "t...

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, many of which were written by Solomon, king of Israel (cf. 1 Kgs. 4:32), and addressed to his son (presumably Rehoboam). The material within th...

The word "providence," is not used explicitly of divine activity in the Scriptures, though the concept is apparent in both Testaments. The word basically means "foresight." Theologically, it has be...

Purgatory is a state, fabricated by the Roman Catholic, which is supposed to be a depository for those who die, not wicked enough to enter hell, but not good enough to merit heaven. Accordingly, th...

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."...

The Greek noun hesuchia does not signify absolute silence, i.e., absence of sound, but that which is tranquil, causing no disturbance. When Paul addressed an unruly mob, and they perceived that he ...

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 whe...

This word derives from the Latin term rapio, "to snatch." The corresponding Greek expression is harpazo, signifying "caught up" (cf. 2 Cor. 12:2, 4) or "caught away" (Acts 8:39). At the time of Chr...

Reason is the intellectual ability of human beings to gather facts and from them draw correct conclusions. Reason is one of the traits of human kind that separates man from animals (cf. Jude 10). T...

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 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...

The Greek term palingenesia consists of two components. Palin means "again, back," and genesis, denotes "to become, come about, birth." The word thus signifies a rebirth or a renewal. The actual wo...

This term is found only a few times in the English Bible. In four cases it renders the Greek threskeia, which basically means holy service, the exercise of devotion to a transcendent Being or being...

Repentance has a variety of uses in the Scriptures. (a) One form of "repentance" is simply a feeling of remorse. It was in this sense that Judas "repented" (Mt. 27:3) just before he hanged himself ...

The term "restoration" conveys a number of ideas in the Scriptures, depending upon the immediate context. (a) It may refer to the restitution of property or money in compliance to law (Dt. 22:2), o...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the very foundation of Christianity. If the Lord was not raised, the religion of Christ is a hoax (cf. 1 Cor. 15:4; 14-19). The Savior's resurrecti...

The Bible clearly teaches that at the time of Christ's return, all the dead will be raised from their interment. (a) In the Patriarchal age, Job seems to allude to the hope of the resurrection (Job...

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...

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, an...