Category: Bible Terms

Definitions to key words found in the Bible and words that relate to faith and Bible reading.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Eternity

eternity

Time without beginning or end; forever.

Consider a timeline that goes an infinite distance into the past and an infinite distance into the future; this is a mathematical picture of eternity.

Followers of Jesus will spend a future eternity with him in heaven. Since God is bound by neither space or time — he exists outside the space-time continuum — eternity with him is not an unrealistic promise.

Key verse about Eternity: Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity (Psalm 93:2, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Eternal Life

eternal life

Eternal is simply without beginning or end. Eternal life, therefore, is life without end. This does not refer to an endless physical life but instead an endless spiritual life.

Through Jesus we can experience eternal life in heaven.

Without Jesus, there will be eternal death in hell.

Refer to the entry for eternity for an expanded discussion on this.

Key evrse about Eternal Life: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Eternal Death

eternal death

Eternal death, the opposite of eternal life, is an endless spiritual existence in hell.

Through Jesus we can experience eternal life in heaven.

Without Jesus, there will be eternal death in hell.

Refer to the entry for eternity for an expanded discussion on this.

Key verse about Eternal Death: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Categories
Bible Terms

Bible Term: Eternal

eternal

Eternal is simply without beginning or end.

Through Jesus we can experience eternal life in heaven.

Without Jesus, there will be eternal death in hell.

Refer to the entry for eternity for an expanded discussion on this.

Key verse about Eternal: Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Eschatology

eschatology

Although eschatology isn’t found in the Bible, it does refer to a biblical concept: the end of the world, sometimes called the end times. Eschatology, then is the study and theology of the end of the world as we know it.

The primary book in the Bible to addresses this is Revelation, though other books also contain passages or sections that cover this topic. The last half of Daniel is a key example.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all contain an end time teaching as well (Matthew 21, Mark 13, and Luke 21).

Some people read the book of Revelation as a literal account of what will actually happen at the end of the world.

Others understand it from a figurative perspective: a great supernatural battle will occur, evil will be defeated, and those who follow Jesus will join him in a new existence (that is, heaven).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Epistle

epistle

Any one of the letters that have been recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. These letters were written by church leaders and sent to various people or churches.

Most of the books in the New Testament are, in fact, these letters or epistles; the Apostle Paul is credited with writing many of them.

The epistles include:

Key verse about epistle: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:15, NKJV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Easter

easter

Easter is when Jesus rose from the dead. (It has nothing to do with bunnies, eggs, or candy.) Compare to Christmas.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Drink Offering

drink offering

A drink offering was a libation of wine poured over the alter or used with meat offerings as part of Jewish worship rituals. Instructions for its use occur over forty-five times in the Jewish law, with nineteen other references in the Old Testament.

During a time of war, there is a curious story of King David. He mentions he is thirsty for water from a specific well. Three of his mighty warriors break through enemy lines, draw water from that well, and return to David with it.

Instead of drinking it with gratitude, however, David pours it out on the ground as an offering to God. (1 Chronicles 11:17-19 and 2 Samuel 23:13-17). Apparently, he felt the risk the men took was so great that he was not worthy to taste the water, offering it to God instead.

Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament worship practices, it’s not surprising there are only two mentions of drink offerings in the New Testament.

Both were made by Paul, referring to him willingly pouring out his life as a drink-offering to God. (Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6).

Key verse about Drink Offering: With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering (Exodus 29:40, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Doctrine

doctrine

Doctrine is a set of beliefs.

Christian doctrine would be those beliefs that are consistent with the teaching of Jesus and his disciples.

Incorrect doctrine (which could be a matter of interpretation) is called heresy; it is a false teaching.

Key verse about Doctrine: Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:16, NIV).

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Disobedience

disobedience

Disobedience is the opposite of obedience.

In a spiritual sense, disobedience is not doing what God commands. Disobedience doesn’t cause us to lose our salvation but does cause God sorrow.

We can find out what God wants us to do by studying the Bible and through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, there are many instances where the nations of Israel and Judah were disobedient to God. Eventually they were punished for this, but it was only for a time, after which there was a restoration.

Key verse about Disobedience: And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete (2 Corinthians 10:6, NIV)

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.