Bible & Theology

Making the case for Christian belief with reasons, evidence, and argument. Nothing to do with apologizing.

How Jesus' death makes things right between God and people. Christians agree it does; they've written libraries on exactly how.

"Universal" — as in the creeds' "holy catholic church," meaning the whole church of all times and places. Not the same as the Roman Catholic Church.

A binding promise between God and people — with commitments on both sides — that structures the whole Bible: God's covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel, David, and the "new covenant" in Christ.

A short, formal summary of Christian belief, recited in worship — the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds are the oldest and are shared by nearly all Christians.

A church's official teaching on a topic — what it holds to be true about God, Jesus, salvation, the Bible, and the rest — organized, stated, and passed on.

Careful reading and interpretation of a Bible passage — drawing out what it meant (exegesis) — and the principles and methods for doing that well (hermeneutics).

The story in Genesis 3 of humanity's first disobedience — Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit — and the brokenness of the world and human nature that Christians believe followed.

Jesus' final instruction to His followers — to go to all nations, make disciples, baptize, and teach — and the reason Christians do missions and evangelism.

Two stages of the Christian life in Protestant teaching — being declared right with God (justification, instant, by faith) and being made actually good over a lifetime (sanctification, gradual).

God's rule and reign — the realm where His will is done — which Jesus said is both already here and still coming. Not only the afterlife.

A Bible verse a person has adopted as personally meaningful — a motto, a promise, or a summary of their faith — often for years, and often printed on something.

The two main sections of the Bible: the Old Testament (39 books in Protestant Bibles; the Jewish scriptures, before Jesus) and the New Testament (27 books: Jesus' life, the early church, and the apostles' letters).

"Correctly believing" — in line with historic Christian teaching, especially the creeds. With a capital O, it means the Eastern Orthodox Church. Same problem as "catholic," one letter over.

The teaching that God chose, before time, who would come to faith. Christian traditions hold it in different forms, and the debate over how it fits with human freedom is very old.

In some Protestant teaching, the moment when Christ returns and living believers are "caught up" to meet Him. More broadly, the cluster of beliefs about how history ends. Christians disagree widely on the details.

The Bible — the collection of books Christians hold to be inspired by God and authoritative for faith and life. "Scripture" is the reverent word for it.

Teaching considered correct, healthy, and faithful to the Bible. "Unsound" is the polite theological word for teaching that isn't.

The Christian belief that God is one God who exists eternally as three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — equal, distinct, and inseparable.

The system for locating passages in the Bible — book, chapter, verse, written "John 3:16" — and the small numbered units it divides the text into.

The Bible — or, in John chapter 1, Jesus Himself. Context tells you which; most of the time in conversation it's the Bible.