Prayer is a mode of communication between a human being and deity. Prayer is almost a human "instinct," reflecting man's innate need for contact with his Maker (Acts 17:27). It has been said that w...

See ELECT.

A priest is one who offers sacrifice and ministers in services pertaining thereto (cf. Heb. 5:1). This term implies recognition of sin and the need for atonement, in some fashion or another. (a) Th...

There are three kindred words in the Greek N.T. that represent the idea of "propitiation." Two are nouns -- hilasmos (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10) and hilasterion (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5), and the third is the ve...

The Greek word psallo is found five times in the N.T. It is rendered by the English terms "sing" (Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Jas. 5:13), and "make melody" (Eph. 5:19). In the era of classical Greek (...

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 ...

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...

A "redeemer" is one who is qualified to effect "redemption" on behalf of one in need of the same. The term "redeem" means "to buy out of," (Grk. exagorazo -- ek "out of" and agorazo, "buy"), as in ...

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...

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 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...