(Definitions of Theological Words for all who Study, Teach or Preach).
| Theology | The study of God | A systematic analysis of the doctrines of God. |
| Hermeneutics | To interpret the Scriptures | The study & interpretation of the Holy Bible. |
| Exegesis | To study Bible passages | To study word meanings & grammar of the text. |
| Eisegesis | ——— | To interpret the text outside of proper exegesis. |
| Apologetics | To speak in defense of | The area of theology that aims to intelligently defend the Christian faith via witnesses written record of resurrection, miracles, prophecies etc. |
| Homiletics | To deal with others | The methods of constructing. preparing and delivering sermons. Homily – sermon/discourse. |
| Soteriology | To study salvation | To examine the provisions of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ and its application by the Holy Spirit of God. |
| Heilsgeschichte | Salvation History | A German word for ‘salvation history’. A theological thought that sees the ongoing story of God’s redemptive activity as a central theme in interpreting the Holy Bible. |
| Eschatology | To study last things | The study of the doctrines of future or the last things. ie. The end times prior to the millennial rule of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Amillennialism | To deny | The belief that there is no sufficient ground for belief in a thousand year reign of Christ. |
| Premillennialism | To return | The teaching that Christ will return, set up an earthly kingdom, and reign for a thousand years. |
| Postmillennialism | To return after | The idea that Christ will return after a thousand or more years of peace brought about by Christian’s preaching and teaching God’s Word. |
| Epistemology | The theory of knowledge | Investigating the origins, structure, methods and validity of knowledge. (It studies how we know what we know!) |
| Axiology | Of like value | The study and theory of values in philosophy. 1) The nature of value. 2) The types of value. 3) The criterion of value. 4) The metaphysical status of value. |
| Christiology | The study of Christ | The area of theology that deals with the person, life, works, faith, significance, and His divinity. |
| Pneumatology | The study of the Holy Spirit | In theology, the comprehensive study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. |
| Bibliology | Analysis of the Bible | To analysis the doctrines of Scripture as the foundation of all theological truth. |
| Ecclesiology | The study of the Church | To examine the origin, distinctive nature, mission, function, government, offices, ordinances and the destiny of the Church. |
| Angelology | The study of Angels | The area of theology that deals with the existence, nature and function of angels. |
| Apocrypha | The hidden things | 13 books outside of the canon of Scripture. |
| Agrapha | Unwritten sayings | The sayings of Jesus missing from the Gospels. |
| TULIP | 5 points of Calvanism | A mnemonic of the five points of Calvanism. 1) Total depravity. 2) Unconditional election. 3) Limited atonement. 4) Irresistible grace. 5) Perseverance of the saints. |
| Arminianism | A theological system | Different to Calvanism over predestination. 1) Conditional election, not on a choice of will, but according to God’s foreknowledge of who will believe. 2) Saving grace is not irresistible. 3) Believers can lose their salvation. |
| Predestination | To destine | In theology, the teaching that God has decided, or foreordained , every event that has happened, is happening, or will happen. There are three beliefs: 1) General predestination – God wills everyone to be saved and foreknows who will respond in faith. 2) Single predestination – God chooses those who will be saved. 3) Double predestination – God chooses who will be saved and who will be damned. |
| Trinity | Tri-unity of the Godhead | The absolute oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. |
| Homoousia | Of one substance | True God from True God. |
| Theophany | Manifestations of God | A theological term for any visible or auditory manifestation of God. |
| Redemption | To ‘buy back again’ | In theology the doctrine that Christ redeemed mankind by delivering those who accept Him from the curse of sin and its punishment. |
| Regeneration | Being ‘born again’ | The process of the new birth in which the sinner repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Believers are restored to a right relationship with God. |
| Repentance | To turn away from sin | A feeling of sorrow for what one has done, it is a change of mind. Repentance radically transforms attitude and direction. |
| Salvation | The forgiveness of sins | Brought by our Lord Jesus Christ and bought through His precious blood, bringing the gift of eternal life with God. |
| Santification | The setting apart of | The separation of the sacred from the sinful to make it holy. An on going work of God in believers. Individuals setting themselves apart and purifying themselves to be used by God. |
| Justification | To justify | The doctrine of God’s pardoning sinners and restoring them to a state of righteousness. |
| Propitiation | The sacrifice of Christ | Satisfies God’s wrath for our sins. |
| Atonement | The death of Christ | The restoration of fellowship between God and mankind through the substitutionary and vicarious death of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Imputation | To transfer sin to another | Refers to God’s crediting Christ’s righteousness to all who believe in Him. |
| Assurance | To know | The idea that a believer can know he or she is truly saved. It is not an emotional experience but is based on the believer’s acceptance of Biblical Truth. Some teach that our assurance is divinely given, whilst others teach that assurance comes from taking God at His Word. |
| Perseverance | To persist in a thing | The doctrine that true believers will continue in the faith until death. |
| Perfection | A gift of grace | The doctrine of progressive pure love reigning in the believer’s heart and life. Being conformed into the likeness of our Lord. |
| Omnificence | Attribute of God | Unlimited in creative power. |
| Omnipotence | Attribute of God | All powerful or infinite power. |
| Omnipresence | Attribute of God | Wholly present in all places at any given moment in time. |
| Omniscience | Attribute of God | The complete and perfect knowledge of all things. |
| Inerrancy | Free from error | The doctrine that the Holy Bible, in all it teaches, is free from error. |
| Infallibility | Free from mistakes | The doctrine that the Holy Bible, in all it teaches will not deceive nor disappoint. |
| Inspiration | To breathe into | In theology the doctrine of the Holy Spirit acting on the writers of the Holy Bible in a way that protects the truth of its message. |
| Polity | To govern within the church | Churches are generally: 1) Episcopal – Headed by a bishop/minister above the congregation. 2) Congregational – Governed by elders, one being a pastor. 3) Presbyterian – Governed by a hierachy of democratic assemblies. |
| Parable | A comparing | A short story embodying a message or moral teaching by means of comparison. Our Lord Jesus used over two dozen parables to show or illustrate essential truths about the human condition. |
| Paraclete | One called to someone’s aid | A theological term used to refer to the Holy Spirit as the ‘Comforter’ in the New Testament. |
| Parousia | A being present | Refers to the Second Coming of Christ. |
| Heresy | A choosing | Heresy is a teaching or belief that contradicts the doctrines of the Holy Scriptures. It is a deliberate denial of truth revealed by God in His Word. A person becomes a heritic, a false teacher. |
| Apostacy | A falling away | A deliberate and complete abandonment of the Christian faith. |
| Agnosticism | Unknowing | A profession of ignorance. |
| Atheism | Godless | The belief that there is no God. |
| Ecumenical | The inhabited world | Has two meanings: 1) Refers to the Church as a whole, or the Christian community. 2) Associated with a modern-day movement that attempts to bring about institutional unity of denominations. |
| Henotheism | Many gods | The worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods. The belief that there are many infinite gods with one supreme among them. This allows the teaching of many ways to heaven! |
| Monotheism | One God | The belief that there is one God and only one God. Amen! (It is so – or so be it – or Yes!) |
Date : 30/11/-0001
Copyright © 2024 Jacob’s Ladder Christian Fellowship. All rights reserved. All images used with permission. Site designed by Highpoint Media.
Please complete the form below to book your place at our next Shabbat meeting. We will contact you with confirmation of your booking, and information regarding time and location.