glossary

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adoptionism
A doctrine held by some early Christians which asserted that Jesus had been "adopted" by God as his chosen son, and so given divine power, above that of such Old Testament figures as Moses, to act as God's mediator. Adoptionism was seen as heretical by the early church because it saw Jesus as "merely" human, and not divine.

agape
One of three Greek words for "love." Specifically, it is unmotivated, unselfish love, or love interested only in the well-being of the person loved. It is the term for love used most commonly by NT authors (see 1 Cor 13).

allegory
In the NT, typically a story in which truth or reality is represented symbolically through fictitious or idealized characters and situations. Jesus' parables are often allegorical in nature, and the book of Revelation, with its symbolic dream sequences and mythological monsters, is often interpreted allegorically. Such sayings/writings are intended to be interpreted figuratively, and can lead to misunderstanding when interpreted literally.

anachronism
In literature such as the Bible, any person, event, or other element of a story placed within a historical/temporal context in which it does not belong. The descriptions of the monarchy and temple given to Moses as part of the Sinai covenant are generally viewed as anachronistic, since both institutions were centuries away from existing.

annunciation
The name given to the moment in Luke's gospel (1:26-38) when the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to the "Son of God," and name him Jesus. Commemorated on March 25.

antichrist
A term used in the letters of John to refer to certain opponents of the author and the community to whom he wrote. Although this connection is never made in the NT itself, the term has come to be used in connection to the "beast" of Revelation, and the "lawless one" of 2 Thess 2.

antitheses
The name given to Matt 5:21-48, a section of the "Sermon on the Mount" where Jesus offers six reinterpretations of specific precepts of the Mosaic law. The reinterpreations are not antithetical in that they oppose the law. Rather, they focus on the believer's inward disposition, the antithesis of the law's focus on outward action.

aphorism
A brief, straightforward saying that attempts to define a universal principal or generally accepted truth, i.e. "Do to others what you would have them do to you."

apocalypticism
A doctrine or belief concerning the end of the world, and a final judgment. Apocalytic beliefs were particularly prominent in Judaism from 200 BC to 200 AD, and in Christianity from @30-200 AD. Such beliefs tend to resurface around times thought to be symbolically significant, such as the turn of the millenium.

apocrypha
Greek for "hidden things," refers mainly to the deuterocanonical books found in Catholic bibles that were included in the Septuagint translation of the books of the Old Testament, but were not found in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew scriptures. The term is also sometimes applied to certain Christian writings relevant to the study of the early church, but not included in the New Testament canon.

apology
From a Greek word meaning "defense," refers to a writing intended to offer reasoned, philosophical support for one's beliefs, often in response to the claim that those beliefs are unreasonable. The Letter to the Galatians is often considered an apology for Paul's "law-free" gospel.

apostacy
From a Greek word meaning "to revolt," it is the act of rejecting a religious doctrine or faith to which one previously adhered.

apostle
From a Greek word meaning "to send forth," an apostle was someone commissioned to carry a message, usually on behalf of someone else, such as a teacher or mentor. In the New Testament, the term is used in various contexts to refer sometimes strictly to Jesus' inner circle of twelve disciples, and sometimes to anyone who carries the gospel message.

apotheosis
In the Greek and Roman world, the elevation of certain heroic or powerful people to divine status. The deification of Roman emperors (usually posthumously) is an example.

aramaic
A Semitic language originating in Syria, it became the official language of the Persian empire. It was brought to Palestine by Jews who returned there after the Babylonian exile. Aramaic was most likely the language spoken by Jesus in the first century AD.

archetype
The original and essential form (or universal type) of a concept or character, to which all succeeding examples are compared and must conform. In Deut 18:15, for example, Moses is presented as the archetype of a prophet from God, as David is similarly the archetype of a divinely supported monarch.

arianism
A doctrine held by some early fourth century Christians and named after Arius, an Alexandrian priest with whom the doctrine originated. Arians saw Jesus as both begotten and created by God, but not eternally coexisting with Him, or "one in the same." Jesus was therefore not of the same divine status as God. Arianism was essentially an attempt to maintain the Christian connection with Jewish monotheism, but it was seen as heretical by the council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which asserted that Jesus was begotten by God, but not created by Him, and that Jesus was of the same substance as God.

armageddon
A Greek word derived from the Hebrew "Har Megiddon," (lit. "mountain of Megiddo"), a battlefield mentioned several times in the Deuteronomistic History. In the book of Revelation, it is the sight where the apocalyptic battle between good and evil will take place at the end of time.

atonement
In Christian theology, the view that Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross reconciled humans with their creator and paid the "debt price" necessary to free humankind from the "slavery" of sin.

augustus
Title given to Octavius ("Augustus Caesar") when he became the first official Roman emperor (30 BC). Augustus inaugurated the Pax Romana, and, according to the gospel of Luke, was emperor at the time of Jesus' birth.

ban
In ancient times, the policy of slaughtering all of the inhabitants and livestock of a conquered land, along with burning all buildings and property, as a sacrifice to the victor's god/s. The book of Joshua describes the Israelites as placing many of the Canaanite cities they conquered under the ban under orders from Yahweh.

baptism
A religious ritual performed in ancient Judaism and in Christianity from its earliest times. Probably related to Jewish ritual purity washings, as well as being symbolically connected to the Exodus story, baptism is described in the New Testament as being performed for "repentance of sins," and for initiation into the Christian community.

beatitude
A blessing. The term is most commonly associated with the list of blessings offered by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, 5:3-12 (also found partially in Luke).

benedictus
Latin for "blessed," refers to the poetic oracle of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, found in Luke 1:68-79. Named after the first word in the Latin translation, the Benedictus has been integrated into the Church's liturgy.

benefactor
In the Greco-Roman context, one who provides benefits, primarily financial, legal, and social, to clients who in return provide various services including labor, political support, and public displays of honor. Benefactors (also, "Patrons") were typically of higher social and political standing than their clients.

blasphemy
Any speech, writing, or action that is seen as offensive or insulting to one's god/s. In antiquity, many Jews thought it blasphemous to speak or write the very name of God, substituting instead the tetragrammaton. In the New Testament, Jesus is often charged with blasphemy for appearing to claim divine authority for himself; early Christians were seen as blasphemous by Jews for considering Jesus, a crucified Galillean peasant, to be the incarnation of Yahweh.

canon
From the Greek "kanon," which referred to a "standard." A canon is a list of wriitngs considered authoritative, or in the case of the Old and New Testament canons, writings considered divinely inspired. The canon of Hebrew scriptures was not officially determined in Judaism until around 90 AD; for Christians, the New Testament canon was not officially determined until the late fourth century AD.

catholic
From a Greek word meaning "universal" or "general," used in reference to the later letters of the NT (James, Jude, 1&2 Peter, 1,2,& 3 John, and Hebrews) which are thought to have been written to the church in general, rather than to specific communities at specific times.

christ
From the Greek "Christos," meaning "anointed." The word is used in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures to translate the Hebrew "messiah" (or "mashaih"), and today "Christ" and "Messiah" are often used interchangeably to refer to Jesus as "chosen" by God. Originally, the term was used in reference to the anointing ceremony that took place at the coronation of a king.

church
From the Greek word "ekklesia," meaning "assembly." In the New Testament, the term is typically used in reference to a group of people, i.e. a "faith community," and it is never used in reference to a building. It may have been intended to contrast with the "synagogue," a term commonly designating the place where Jews would gather to study and discuss their sacred scriptures.

covenant
In biblical terms, typically an agreement made between individuals or groups in which expectations or requirements are placed on both parties, although the word is also used to describe some of the more significant promises Yahweh makes to certain individuals/groups in the Old Testament, even though these promises may be one-sided.

crucifixion
A form of public execution used by the Roman empire in the first century AD, typically reserved for non-citizens as a punishment for sedition. Victims had their arms and feet either tied or nailed to the cross and were left hanging there to die, possibly from asphixiation. Death could come in as little as a few hours, but as long as several days.

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The Narrow Gate
2003-2004