Adoption
Adoption is God's act of granting those in Christ the recognized standing, inheritance, and full rights of sons within His household.
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Biblical & Theological Glossary
Clear definitions for words that matter.
Many biblical and theological terms are used often but understood poorly. This glossary exists to define important words clearly, biblically, and usefully.
Built for the Church
Use these definitions to teach, preach, and disciple with clarity and confidence.
Apostle
An apostle is one sent with delegated authority to represent and carry out the mission of the one who sent him.
Read full definition →Assurance
Assurance is the settled confidence that one belongs to God through faith in Jesus Christ and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit.
Read full definition →Atonement
Atonement is the saving work of Jesus Christ by which sin is dealt with, justice is satisfied, and reconciliation with God is made possible.
Read full definition →Authority
Authority is the God-given right to rule, command, or act on behalf of another, delegated for the accomplishment of God's purposes.
Read full definition →Baptism
Baptism is the Gospel sign by which a believer publicly identifies with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Bishop
A bishop is an overseer of a local church.
Read full definition →Body of Christ
The Body of Christ is one of the primary biblical images for the church.
Read full definition →Born Again
Born again refers to the new life given by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Calling
Calling is God's summons by which He brings people to Himself and appoints them to walk in His purposes.
Read full definition →Church
The church is the gathered people of God called through the Gospel and ordered under Christ for worship, teaching, fellowship, discipline, and witness.
Read full definition →Church Discipline
Church discipline is the loving and ordered correction exercised by a local church to call the erring to repentance, protect the congregation, and restore fellowship where possible.
Read full definition →Church Membership
Church membership is the committed relationship between a believer and a local congregation.
Read full definition →Communion
Communion is the shared participation and fellowship of believers with Christ and with one another through the New Covenant.
Read full definition →Covenant
Covenant is a binding relational order established by God through His promises, authority, and faithfulness.
Read full definition →Creation
Creation is God's act of bringing all things into existence by His word, and the ordered universe that resulted from that act.
Read full definition →Depravity
Depravity is the corruption of human nature through sin, affecting every part of man and leaving him unable to restore himself to right standing before God.
Read full definition →Discipleship
Discipleship is the process of following Christ and helping others follow Him.
Read full definition →Discipline
Discipline is placing oneself under rightful authority for the purpose of growth, correction, and development.
Read full definition →Doctrine
Doctrine is the body of truth taught by Scripture concerning God, His works, and His will for His people.
Read full definition →Elder
An elder is a spiritually mature man recognized by a local church for leadership, teaching, and oversight.
Read full definition →Election
Election is God's choosing of Christ as the appointed Redeemer, so that those in Him share in His chosen standing and purpose.
Read full definition →Embassy
Embassy is a biblical picture of the local church as Christ's authorized representative, displaying the life and authority of His kingdom in the midst of the world.
Read full definition →Eschatology
Eschatology is the study of the last things and the fulfillment of God's purposes in history through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Evangelism
Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel with the goal of calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Expiation
Expiation is the removal and cleansing of sin through the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Faith
Faith is trusting reliance upon God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Fellowship
Fellowship is the shared participation of believers in Christ and in the life of His church.
Read full definition →Flock
The flock is a biblical image for God's people.
Read full definition →Foreknowledge
Foreknowledge is God's perfect knowledge of all things, including His relational knowledge and purpose concerning those who are in Christ.
Read full definition →Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the gracious release of the guilt and debt of sin, made possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Gentiles
Gentiles are the nations outside the covenant nation of Israel, whom God has graciously brought near through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Glory
Glory is the revealed worth, beauty, and visible display of who God truly is, most fully revealed in Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Gospel
The gospel is God's authoritative good news concerning His Son, Jesus Christ: that Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and saves all who trust in Him.
Read full definition →Grace
Grace is unearned favor expressed in generous giving.
Read full definition →Hell
Hell is the final judgment and separation from God experienced by those who remain in rebellion against Him.
Read full definition →Holiness
Holiness is being set apart to God for His rightful use and brought into right order under His will.
Read full definition →Holy Nation
Holy Nation is God's description of His redeemed people, set apart to belong to Him, reflect His character, and proclaim His greatness.
Read full definition →Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, poured out by the exalted Christ at Pentecost to empower the church's witness, guide believers into truth, and apply the finished work of Christ.
Read full definition →Hope
Hope is the confident expectation that God will fulfill every promise He has made.
Read full definition →Humility
Humility is the right understanding of oneself before God, expressed in dependence upon Him and service toward others.
Read full definition →Imputation
Imputation is the reckoning or counting of righteousness to believers through union with Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →In Christ
To be in Christ is to stand within the reality of the One in whom God's saving purpose is fulfilled.
Read full definition →Israel
Israel is the covenant nation descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen by God to receive His covenants, preserve His revelation, and bring the Messiah into the world.
Read full definition →Judgment
Judgment is God's righteous evaluation of every person, deed, and motive according to His perfect holiness and justice.
Read full definition →Justice
Justice is the righteous ordering of all things according to the truth, holiness, and character of God.
Read full definition →Justification
Justification is God's act of grace, bringing the sinner into right standing—placing him upon the level ground of Christ's righteousness in the presence of God—received by faith alone.
Read full definition →Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is the rightful reign of God established in Jesus Christ, present now wherever He is trusted and obeyed, and awaiting full visible completion at His return.
Read full definition →Law
Law is the revealed order, command, and righteous standard of God governing His creation and human conduct.
Read full definition →Lordship
Lordship is the rightful authority and rule of Jesus Christ over all creation and over the lives of those who belong to Him.
Read full definition →Love
Love is the committed, self-giving pursuit of another's good according to the truth and character of God.
Read full definition →Mercy
Mercy is compassion shown to the guilty and the suffering, by which deserved judgment is withheld and needed help is given.
Read full definition →Mercy Seat
The mercy seat was the golden lid over the Ark of the Covenant where God met His people through blood; fulfilled in Christ, our true mercy seat.
Read full definition →Mission
Mission is the work God has given His people in the world.
Read full definition →Nation
Nation is a distinct people united by a common identity, history, and heritage under God's sovereign ordering.
Read full definition →Nations
Nations are the peoples of the earth collectively, through whom God displays both His righteous judgment and His redemptive purpose.
Read full definition →Obedience
Obedience is the willing submission of life and action to the truth, authority, and will of God.
Read full definition →Ordinance
An ordinance is a practice established by Christ for His church to observe.
Read full definition →Overseer
Overseer is another New Testament term for the office commonly called bishop.
Read full definition →Pastor
A pastor is a shepherd of God's people who teaches, leads, protects, and cares for the church under the authority of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Peace
Peace is the inward settledness that flows from being made right with God and yielding control to His wise rule.
Read full definition →Pentecost
Pentecost was the Jewish feast day on which the risen and exalted Christ poured out the Holy Spirit upon His gathered disciples, publicly empowering and launching the church into its witness to Christ.
Read full definition →Perseverance
Perseverance is the continuing endurance of faith and obedience in those who truly belong to Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Prayer
Prayer is the privilege of communion with God, through which His people worship Him, confess their sins, give thanks, and present their requests in the name of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Predestination
Predestination is God's determination beforehand of what those in Christ are appointed to become and to do.
Read full definition →Promise
Promise is God's faithful commitment to accomplish what He has declared according to His character and purposes.
Read full definition →Propitiation
Propitiation is the satisfaction of God's righteous wrath against sin through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Rebellion
Rebellion is the willful rejection of God's rightful authority in pursuit of autonomy from Him.
Read full definition →Reconciliation
Reconciliation is the restoration of peace and right relationship between God and man through Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Redemption
Redemption is God's act of reclaiming and delivering sinners through Jesus Christ, establishing them as His own through the cost of His Son's blood.
Read full definition →Regeneration / New Birth
Regeneration, or the new birth, is the beginning of new life produced by God through His Word and Spirit.
Read full definition →Repentance
Repentance is the turning of a person from sin and falsehood to God in truth.
Read full definition →Resurrection
Resurrection is God's act of raising the dead to life, most fully revealed in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read full definition →Rest
Rest is the condition that exists when the work upon which obligation depends has been completed.
Read full definition →Restoration
Restoration is God's work of repairing what has been damaged by sin.
Read full definition →Revelation
Revelation is God's act of making Himself and His truth known to His creation.
Read full definition →Righteousness
Righteousness is conformity to the character, will, and standard of God.
Read full definition →Salvation
Salvation is God's work of delivering sinners from sin, death, and judgment through Jesus Christ and bringing them into eternal life under His rule.
Read full definition →Sanctification
Sanctification is the ongoing work of God the Spirit, by which the new life He has given increasingly overtakes the old patterns of sin.
Read full definition →Scripture
Scripture is the inspired written revelation of God, given through human authors to make Him known and to equip His people for every good work.
Read full definition →Shepherd
A shepherd is one who cares for, protects, guides, and feeds God's people.
Read full definition →Sin
Sin is placing one's own will above the will of God.
Read full definition →Sovereignty
Sovereignty is God's absolute authority, power, and freedom to accomplish His will over all creation according to His wisdom and character.
Read full definition →Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are abilities given by the Holy Spirit for the service, growth, and edification of the church.
Read full definition →Temple
Temple is the dwelling place of God among His people, where His presence is revealed and He is worshiped according to His purpose.
Read full definition →Truth
Truth is reality as it is, revealed by the God who cannot lie.
Read full definition →Unconditional
Unconditional means not based on prior merit, worthiness, or achievement; describes God's grace, love, and promises as originating in His own character.
Read full definition →Unity
Unity is the God-given oneness of His people in Jesus Christ, expressed through a shared faith, a common life, and mutual love.
Read full definition →Witness
Witness is the truthful testimony of God's people to the person and work of Jesus Christ, proclaimed by both word and life.
Read full definition →Worship
Worship is the response of heart, mind, and life to God as He truly is, giving Him honor, trust, gratitude, and obedience.
Read full definition →Wrath
Wrath is God's righteous and holy opposition to sin, evil, and all that destroys His creation and glory.
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