Category: Bible Terms

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

Bible Term: Yoke

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

From a simple perspective, a yoke is a means to harness a draft animal in order to pull a load.

However, a deeper understanding of this comes from considering it in an historical perspective. Back in Jesus’ day, the learned Rabbi‘s would study the Scriptures.

They did not see them as a definitive, fixed set of rules, but rather as a document to be explored and interpreted. A Rabbi’s interpretation of what the scriptures said, of what should be allowed and what should be prohibited, was called his yoke.

When Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden light, he was letting it be known that he allowed many more things then he prohibited.

He didn’t want his followers weighed down with a long list of don’ts, of heavy, burdensome requirements, but instead, he wanted them to be free to focus on him—and not a bunch of rules.

Also see bind and loose.

Key verse about Yoke: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30, 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: Yeast

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Yeast is used symbolically in the Bible to represent influence, often negatively. Just as a little bit of yeast, permeates dough and produces a noticeable result, so does influence, be it good or bad.

In the Books of Moses, there are thirty-two references to not using yeast (and more for its counterpart, leaven) in various religious practices, which symbolically shows the removal of sin.

The theme continues in Judges 6:19, I Samuel 28:24, and Ezekiel 45:21. (Leviticus 7:13 and 23:17 are two exceptions, when yeast should be used.)

Paul compares false teaching to yeast (Galatians 5:9).

Another negative connotation is when Jesus says to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), as well as the yeast of Sadducees (Matthew 16:6-12) and the yeast of Herod (Mark 8:14-15).

Another reference to yeast is in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, where Paul uses yeast as a metaphor for boasting. Paul says to get rid of bread with old yeast (malice and wickedness) and use new bread without yeast (sincerity and truth).

In likely the only positive usage of yeast in the Bible, Jesus says that the Kingdom of God (Heaven) is like yeast (Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:18-21).

Key verse about Yeast: He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”(Matthew 13 :33, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Worship

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Worship is an act of displaying devotion, paying homage, or offering reverence to God.

True worship is not a meaningless ritual or a mindless, mechanical act but instead, heartfelt love and adoration to God, which is manifested in actions, be it by prayer, song, meditation, acts of service, and even through a lifestyle that honors him.

This may be best captured in John 4:23-24 which says we are to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Key verse about Worship: Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” (Matthew 4:10, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Wisdom Literature

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

The wisdom literature (sometimes called poetry literature) of the Bible are all found in the Old Testament; they include the books of:

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Unleavened

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Unleavened bread is made without yeast, or leaven so that it will not rise. It is more like a cracker than bread.

The Jews celebrated Passover using unleavened bread. It symbolically represents the haste in which they left Egypt after the first Passover celebration (that is, they did not have time for the bread to rise).

Today, some followers of Jesus carry this practice over to communion, by using unleavened bread or crackers.

Key verse about Unleavened: Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Universal Church

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

The phrase universal church is not found in the Bible, although the concept is. The universal church (or simply Church, as a proper noun) refers to all who follow Jesus (Matthew 16:18). As such, there is only one Church.

In some circles, the universal church is also called the catholic church, which is not to imply the Roman Catholic Church. However, it should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church is, by definition, part of the universal church.

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Unfaithful

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

To be unfaithful is to lack dedication or devotion to a cause, ideal, or person.

The Bible warns us against being unfaithful to God.

See faithful.

Key verse about unfaithful: “When anyone is unfaithful to the Lord by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, they are to bring to the Lord as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. (Leviticus 5:15, NIV).

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Truth

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

The word truth takes on various meanings in the Bible:

Truth is the opposite of lies or what is false (Ephesians 4:14).
Truth is fidelity to God‘s standard (Jeremiah 7:28).
The teaching of Jesus is called the truth (Galatians 2:5).
Jesus called himself the truth (John 14:6).

Key verse about truth: They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ( Matthew 22:16, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Trust

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Trust, as it is used in the Bible, means to have confidence in, place reliance upon, reasonably expect, believe, and entrust.

We are to trust in God and his love to provide what we need—both in this reality and the next. The Bible warns us not to place trust in our money, job, possessions, ourselves, or others.

Key verse about Trust: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

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Bible Terms

Bible Term: Trinity

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date February 4, 2014

Trinity can be thought of as “three in one.” It is used to reflect the nature of God. There is one God, with three distinct parts: the Father (creator), the Son, Jesus (savior), and the Holy Spirit (counselor and guide).

The word trinity is not found in the Bible but is a readily accepted concept among most Christians.

This three-fold nature of God can be better understood by comparing it to water, which also exists in three forms or states: solid (ice), liquid (also called water), and gas (steam or vapor). Each is still water, but each is manifested in a different form. The same holds true for God.

An alternate analogy is to consider an egg: there is the shell, the white, and the yolk. Each part is different, yet each is still an aspect of an egg. So it is with the three parts of God.

Key verse about Trinity: “In a loud voice they cried out, saying, “Salvation [belongs] to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb [our salvation is the Trinity’s to give, and to God the Trinity we owe our deliverance]” (Revelation 7:10, AMP).

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