Differentiating between what is doctrine and what is terminology may help shed some light into our study of the Bible. Doctrines are statements about what we believe, and terminology are the words that we use to describe something. Some examples of doctrine and terminology are presented below:

Example	Answer
Is Heaven the same as Paradise?	terminology
Is having Faith the same as Believing?	terminology
Is the Holy Ghost the same as the Spirit?	terminology
Is Charity the same as Love?	terminology
After death, do we immediately go to heaven or go directly to a holding place?	doctrine
Once a person is Saved, if they sin, are they still saved, or do they go to Hell?	doctrine
When we become saved, is the Christian life hard, or is God's yoke easy and His burdens light?	doctrine
When Noah's youngest son saw him nude, was the curse upon his son the darkening of his skin, or that his grandson be slave to his brothers?	doctrine

We all do not have to use the same terminology, but we should continue to strive to understand and work together, even if we don't speak the same language. One thing for sure is that we could draw many people to the Church if we were all on one accord as they were at Pentecost.

If there is a term you would like included, please complete our contact form. Come to think of it, send us an e-mail – it is good to know that someone is reading this stuff!

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Term	Definition
A.D.	Latin meaning Anno Domini; English meaning in the year of our Lord; same as C.E.
Abba	Aramaic word meaning Father.
Abomination	Anything ritually or ethically repugnant or loathsome to God and men.
Adultery	The act of unfaithfulness in marriage when one partner voluntarily engages in sexual intercourse with another person.
Agape	Greek word meaning love.
Alpha and Omega	God and Christ are the beginning and the end, the first and last.
Altar	An artificial erection for the offering of sacrifices and prayers.
Amen	Hebrew meaning for truth; used as a confirmatory response at the close of prayer (may it be so).
Angel	A heavenly messenger or agent of God; celestial being.
Anoint	Application of oil used for high priests, kings, and prophets.
Antichrist, The	False Christs; false teachers.
Antioch	The great central point where missionaries to the Gentiles were sent forth.
Apocalypse, The	Greek name of the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.
Apocrypha	Books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate, but excluded from Jewish and Protestant canons of the Old Testament.
Apostle	One sent forth; a messenger.
Aramaic	A North Semitic language similar to Phoenician and Hebrew.
Ark	Noah's ark which was intended to preserve certain persons and animals from the deluge which God was about to bring over the earth.
Ark of the Covenant	Names the original container for the Ten Commandments & the central symbol of God's presence with the people of Israel.
Armageddon	The place of the final great struggle between the forces of good and evil; it is linked to Megiddo.
Ascension, The	Christ visibly leaving the earth and returning to heaven 40 days after His death.
Atonement	State of being at one or being reconciled; make satisfaction for one's offenses.
B.C.	Before Christ; same as B.C.E.
B.C.E.	Before the Common Era; indicates that a time division falls before the Christian era; same as B.C.
Baptism	A declaration and public identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Behold	Look; see.
Believe	To trust God; have faith.
Beloved	As loved by God; believers; My chosen.
Bible	Ta biblia meaning the books; God's inspired written Word; Holy Scriptures; the Law.
Bishop	An overseer; elder; pastor.
Blasphemy	Speaking contemptuously of God or sacred things.
Blessed	Fortunate; happy.
Blood of the Lamb	Redeemed to God by Jesus' blood.
Books of the Bible	Scripture; The Pentateuch.
Born Again	A unique experience of beginning a changed life in Christ.
Burden	A weight pressing on one physically or spiritually.
C.E.	Of the Common Era; indicates that a time division falls within the Christian era; same as A.D.
Canon	A collection of books accepted as holy scripture.
Charity	Love; the greatest of the three Christian graces.
Cherubim	A symbolical winged creature with a human face.
Christ	Greek meaning for the Anointed One; the Messiah (Hebrew).
Christian	A follower of Jesus Christ; saints; believers; the faithful; the elect.
Christianity	Everything about Christianity is determined by the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Church, The	The body of believers in Christ; the house of the Lord; assembly.
Circumcision	Removal of the foreskin.
Communion	Fellowship with God; The Lord's Supper.
Compassion	To feel passion with someone; to enter sympathetically into their sorrow & pain.
Concordance	Bible dictionary or reference.
Condemn	The act of pronouncing someone guilty after weighing the evidence.
Congregation	The assembled people of God.
Consecration	The devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship service of God.
Convocation	Drawing the focus of the people to the altar of divine mercy.
Covenant	A divine oath or promise.
Creation	The creative act of God by the power of His word.
Cross	The instrument of crucifixion; used to crucify Christ; denotes any severe affliction or trial.
Crucifixion	A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times; Christ crucified.
Curse	The disfavor of Jehovah; to dishonor or treat with contempt.
Deacon	A servant; a runner (should be apt to teach).
Dead Sea Scrolls	Scrolls discovered by young Bedouins shepherds in the Qumran ruins in 1947.
Death	Separation of the soul from the body; separation of man from God; the penal consequence of sin.
Deity	The Godhead.
Deliverance	Rescue from danger.
Demon	A fallen angel.
Denomination	A different faith.
Disciple	A follower of Jesus Christ; one who is sent on behalf of another; a messenger; an envoy.
Divine	The power and nature of God.
Division	A parting; distribution; works of the flesh.
Divorce	Dissolution of marriage; only was permissible in the case of unfaithfulness.
Doctrine	The basic body of Christian teaching or understanding.
Edification	Building up; encouragement and consolation.
Elder	A person clothed with authority and entitled to respect and reverence; pastor, bishop; overseer.
Emmanuel	God with us.
Epistle	A letter of commendation.
Eternal	Everlasting; forever.
Eternity	God's home and the place where believers in Christ will live forever.
Evangelist	A gospel preacher who helps bring people into the body of Christ; a messenger of good news.
Everlasting	Eternal; the end either of a space of time or of unmeasured time.
Evil	That which is opposed to God & His purposes.
Exhortation	The goal of orderly worship.
Faith	Loyalty to a person to whom one is bound by promise or duty.
Fasting	Involving the total abstinence of food.
Fear	The natural feeling of alarm caused by expectation of imminent danger; religious fear appears as the result of awe and reverence toward a supreme power.
Feast	A festival; the chief meal of the day.
Fire	A consistent element in the relationship of God with His people, often being used as an instrument of His power, either in the way of approval or destruction.
Firmament	Heaven or sky.
Forgiveness	An act of God's grace to forget forever.
Fornication	Various acts of sexual immorality.
Forsake	To leave or abandon.
Fruits of the Spirit	Love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and self-control.
Fulfill	A prophetic sense of corresponding to what was promised or predicted.
Garden of Eden	A prophetic sense of corresponding to what was promised or predicted.
Gentiles	People who are not part of God's chosen family at birth and thus can be considered pagans.
Gifts of the Spirit	The skills & abilities which God gives through His Spirit to all Christians which equip them to serve Him in the community (ie, loving, teaching, prophesying, exercising faith, healing, performing miracles, discerning spirits, speaking in tongues & interpreting tongues).
Gleaning	The processing of gathering grain or produce in a field by reapers or on a vine or tree by pickers.
Glorification	The deliverance from the very presence of sin.
Glory	The weighty importance and shining majesty which accompany God's presence.
God	The personal Creator worthy of human worship because of His holy nature and perfect love; our heavenly Father.
Godhead	God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Deity.
Gospel	Meaning good news; the word to designate the message and story of God's saving activity through Jesus.
Grace	Undeserved acceptance and love received from God; God's gift of unmerited salvation in Christ.
Grave	The pit or cave in which a dead body is buried.
Great Commission, The	A command or series of commands, commissioning all believers to make disciples from people they are in contact with at any time of their lives.
Great Tribulation, The	That interval of time which separates the removal of the Church from the earth and the return of Christ to the earth is designated by various descriptions in the Word of God.
Hallelujah	Hebrew word for praise ye the Lord; exclamation of praise to God for His power, wisdom, blessings and liberation of His people.
Harlot	A woman consecrated or devoted to prostitution in connection with the abominable worship of Asherah or Astarte, the Syrian Venus.
Heaven	Where God is; a place of rest; final destination of the righteous; firmament.
Hell	Final destiny of the wicked; Hades; Lake of Fire; eternal damnation.
Holiness	In the highest sense belongs to God; to Christians as consecrated to God's service, and in so far as they are conformed in all things to the will of God.
Holy	Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood.
Holy of Holies	The second or interior portion of the tabernacle which was left in total darkness; no one was permitted to enter it except the high priest, and that was only once a year and it contained the ark of the covenant only.
Holy Spirit, The	The Spirit of God is His power by which He achieves all His purposes; the Comforter; the third in the Trinity.
Homosexuality	Sexual preference for and sexual behavior between members of the same sex considered to be an immoral life-style.
Honor	Our ideas of esteem, respect (high) regard or (good) reputation; the preciousness of Christ.
Hope	To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future.
Hosts	An array of angelic servants.
Humility	A personal quality in which an individual shows dependence on God and respect for other persons.
Hypocrite	One who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not; a dissembler in religion.
Idol	An image or anything used as an object of worship in place of the true God.
Incense	A fragrant composition prepared by the art of the apothecary.
Infinite	God is not limited by or confined to the universe.
Inheritance	Rewards of discipleship.
Iniquity	Sin; wickedness; evil.
Inspired	God-breathed.
Interpretation	The act or process of explaining the meaning of something.
Israelites	The chosen people of God.
Jealous	Being envious of someone who has something we don't have.
Jehovah	Yahweh; the covenant name of God.
Jesus	Greek form of Joshua (the Lord saves); Son of God; savior; deliverer.
Jews	The name derived from the patriarch Judah, at first given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah; in contradistinction from those belonging to the kingdom of the ten tribes, who were called Israelites; during the Captivity, and after the Restoration, the name, however, was extended to the entire Hebrew nation without distinction.
Jubilee	A joyful shout or clangor of trumpets, the name of the great semi-centennial festival of the Hebrews which lasted for a year; this year the land was to be fallow, and the Israelites were only permitted to gather the spontaneous produce of the fields; all landed property during that year reverted to its original owner, all who were slaves were set free, and all debts were remitted.
Judge	To form an opinion or estimation of after careful consideration or one who judges.
Justification	Something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary.
Kingdom of God	Christ's mediatorial authority or his rule on the earth.
Lake of Fire	Eternal damnation; hell.
Last Supper, The	The meal held by Christ and His disciples on the eve of His Passion at which He instituted the Holy Eucharist.
Law, The	Written by the finger of God on two tables of stone; also called The Commandments, The Ten Commandments, or The Decalogue.
Lord	Name to reverence God and Jesus.
Lord's Prayer, The	Jesus teaches this prayer to his disciples as a paradigm of proper prayer as he trains them for the missionary task of the messianic age.
Lord's Supper, The	An act of thanksgiving by the church; a sacrament and an ordinance of Christ.
Love	Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another; charity.
Lucifer	Latin word meaning light bringer; satan.
Magi	The wise men from the East who came to worship the infant Christ.
Major Prophets	Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Lamentations.
Manna	The food God miraculously supplied to the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness.
Mary	The mother of Jesus.
Megiddo	Believed to be the place of Armageddon, the final struggle.
Mercy	By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness.
Messiah	Hebrew meaning the Anointed One; Christ (Greek).
Millennium, The	A period of 1,000 years when Christ reigns on earth with His saints.
Minister	A voluntary servant.
Minor Prophets	Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi.
Miracles	Extraordinary events manifesting Divine intervention in human affairs.
Mission	The divine activity of sending intermediaries, whether supernatural or human, to speak or do God' will so that his purposes for judgment or redemption are furthered.
Myrrh	Perfume.
New Testament	New covenant; 27 books of the Greek Scriptures and The Revelation. These books were written after the birth of Jesus.
Offering	An oblation, dedicated to God.
Old Testament	Old covenant; 33 books of the Hebrew Scriptures constitutes the first major part of the Christian Bible, usually divided into the categories law, history, poetry (or wisdom books) and prophecy. These books were written before the birth of Jesus.
Omnipotent	God' eternal power and deity.
Omnipresent	God is fully present everywhere.
Omniscient	God knows everything, including our own thoughts.
Ordain	Establish or set in authority; commissioning of persons for special service to the Lord and his people.
Parable	A placing beside; a comparison.
Paradise	It came in course of time to be used as a name for the world of happiness and rest hereafter.
Parsonage	An official residence provided by a church for its parson, vicar, rector, or pastor.
Passover	The name given to the chief of the three great historical annual festivals of the Jews. It was kept in remembrance of the Lord's passing over the houses of the Israelites when the first born of all the Egyptians were destroyed.
Pastor	One who tends herds or flock (people of God).
Pentateuch	The Law; the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; the 1st of three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible.
Pentecost	Fiftieth; in the Christian Church it is the day on which the Spirit descended upon the apostles, and on which, under Peter' preaching, so many thousands were converted in Jerusalem.
Permissive Will of God	Is what God allows to take place.
Persecution	To oppress; harass and also to bring to judgment or punishment.
Praise	Call attention to God's glory.
Prayer	To converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him.
Preacher	God's ambassador and the herald or proclaimer of the divine word.
Predestination	Everyone is called to and God desired everyone to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Priest	All believers represent God to witness and minister to men in His name and power.
Prophecy	A miracle of knowledge; a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee; discern or conjecture.
Prophesy	An act of predicting or foretelling.
Prophet(ess)	One who speaks forth or openly; a proclaimer of a divine message.
Psalms	Collection of Biblical hymns, ie, sacred songs or poems used in worship and non-canonical passages.
Pulpit	An elevated platform, lectern, or stand used in preaching or conducting a religious service.
Purgatory	A Roman Catholic belief of a waiting place after death.
Queen	The wife or widow of a monarch and the female monarch reigning in her own right.
Quicken	Term meaning "living, alive"; "make alive, revive, refresh".
Qumran	Archaeological site near the caves where Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and left of Jewish Essene community.
Rabbi	Meaning "my master"; teacher
Ram	A male sheep; ransom on behalf of; Christ gave up His life and provided a ransom for those who receive Him to obtain deliverance from the penalty due to sin.
Rapture	When Christ comes for His saints.
Redemption	The purchase back of something that had been lost, by the payment of a ransom.
Regeneration	The new birth or the divine side of that change of heart; conversion.
Religion	A system of beliefs about the divine and how it is related to the world.
Remnant	A small surviving group of people.
Repentance	To turn or return; a personal decision to turn away from sin and to God.
Resurrection	The act of rising from the dead or return to life; the rising of Jesus on the third day after Crucifixion.
Revelation	God revealing Himself to man in: nature, creation, history, prophets and Christ.
Sabbath	A day of rest; to cease or desist.
Sacrament	An oath or vow by way of emphasis to the Lord's Supper, where the most sacred vows are renewed by the Christian in commemorating the death of his Redeemer.
Sacrifice	Anything consecrated and offered to God.
Saints	The designation given to God's called out people.
Salvation	Deliverance from evil or danger.
Sanctified	Set apart; the set apart one; becoming holy.
Satan	Adversary; opponent; the Devil; the tempter; the evil one.
Scribes	The scholars or men of letters to whom belonged to the professional study of the Mosaic Law and the Christian church.
Scripture(s)	Writings; the sacred books of the Jews in the New Testament.
Septuagint	The Greek version of the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha) translated by Jewish scholars in the 3rd to 2nd centuries B.C.E.
Sermon on the Mount, The	Jesus' expectations for those who have followed Him as disciples.
Serpent	Snake; symbol for evil and satan.
Shofar	An ancient musical horn made from the horn of a ram; used in ancient times by the Israelites to sound a warning or a summons; used in synagogues today on solemn occasions.
Sin	Any voluntary transgression of a known law of God; sins of commission and omission; falling short of the mark.
Sovereignty of God	God is in all and over all.
Synagogue	The local meeting place and assembly of the Jewish people during New Testament times.
Tabernacle	A sacred tent or sanctuary where God met with His people.
Tarry	To stay or remain behind; to wait.
Teacher	Instructor of the truths of God's word; Rabbi.
Temple	A place of worship; sacred or holy space.
Ten Commandments, The	The ten words; the indisputable moral law written by the finger of God on two tables of stone; the tables of the covenant.
Testament	A covenant between humans and God.
Testimony	Witness; evidence; proof of some fact.
Thicket	Thick or dense growth of shrubs, bushes, or small trees.
Tithe	A tenth part offered to God for just and merciful living.
Tongues	Diverse languages; a response to the experience of the Holy Spirit.
Transgressions	Sins; shortcomings.
Tree of Life	Cross.
Tribulation	Period of turmoil and affliction on earth; for a period of 7 years of before Christ' return again with His church.
Trinity, The	God is One in His essential being, existing in 3 forms yet constituting One person (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
Truth	That which is reliable and can be trusted; faithfulness; justice.
Usher	One who is employed to escort people to their seats, as in a theater, church, or stadium.
Utterance	The ability to speak in languages that are not previously known.
Verse	A passage of scripture from the Holy Bible.
Vision	An experience in the life of a person, whereby a special revelation from God was received.
Vow	A voluntary expression of devotion usually fulfilled after some condition had been met.
Vulgate	The Latin translation of the Bible by Jerome about A.D. 400.
Wisdom	Real wisdom is the Fear of God; the art of learning how to succeed in life.
Witness	The testimony of a person or something which bears testimony to a person or an event.
Worship	Human response to the perceived presence of the divine.
Wrath	God's anger; a divine response to human sin & injustice.
Xanthicus	Name of a month that corresponds to Nisan (April) of the Jewish calendar.
Xerxes	King of Persia; aka Ahasuerus and possibly Artaxerxes.
Yahweh	A name for God assumed by modern scholars to be a convention for pronouncing the Tetragrammaton.
Zealot	A militant radical; a particular division of the Jewish population who continually tried to overthrow foreign oppression.
Zion	The transliteration of the Hebrew and Greek words that originally referred to the fortified hill of pre-Israelite Jerusalem between the Kedron and Tyropean valleys; Zion was used by biblical writers in a variety of ways.