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: Spiritual Maturity

spiritual maturity

Just as babies drink milk and mature people eat solid food, new followers of Jesus require spiritual milk and need to be fed; whereas established followers should be able to feed themselves, that is, grow spiritually.

When believers can spiritually feed themselves, they are spiritually mature.

This concept is discussed in 1 Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:12.

Key verse about spiritual maturity: “You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, AMP).

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: Spiritual Gifts

spiritual gifts

Spiritual gifts are abilities and powers that Jesus gives to each of his followers, as he sees fit for the effective functioning of his church. Three key passages about spiritual gifts are 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:4-8, and Ephesians 4:7-13.

A list of the gifts are:

  • administration / ruling
  • apostleship / pioneering
  • craftsmanship
  • creative communication
  • discernment
  • encouraging / exhorting
  • evangelism
  • faith
  • giving
  • healing
  • hospitality
  • intercession
  • interpretation
  • knowledge
  • leadership
  • miracles
  • pastor / shepherding
  • prophecy / perceiving
  • serving / ministry
  • showing mercy
  • teaching
  • tongues
  • wisdom

Key verse about Spiritual Gifts: Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1-3, 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: Spiritual Discipline

spiritual discipline

Spiritual disciplines are practices we willingly pursue in response to a God who created us, saved us, and guides us. Spiritual disciplines draw us closer to God, deepen our understanding of who he is, and help make us into the men and women he desires us to become.

Spiritual disciplines are not something we do out of guilt or obligation; they are not a way to gain God’s attention or earn our salvation.

The list of spiritual disciplines is varied and inexact. Prayer, Bible study, fasting, and meditation are commonly cited examples of spiritual disciplines. Many people end the list with these four, whereas others add additional activities.

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: Sovereignty

sovereignty

Sovereignty is the right or authority to exercise total control over a person, peoples, situation, or place.

God is sovereign, exercising his sovereignty over us. This concept doesn’t sit well with most people in today’s culture. This fact, however, doesn’t make it any less true, just harder to accept.

The concept of sovereignty is demonstrated brilliantly by the metaphor of a potter working with clay (Romans 9:21 et al), where the potter enjoys total control over what the clay becomes.

(Note that this is just a one-word picture of understanding God and his relationship to his followers; it must be held in balance with other equally insightful and more encouraging—metaphors that help us understand more fully who God is.)

Key verse about Sovereignty: “Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. (Daniel 5:17-19, 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: Southern Kingdom

southern kingdom

The Southern Kingdom, also known as the Southern Tribes of Judah, was one of two nations that resulted when Israel split due to the unwise leadership of King Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10). The other nation was the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Like the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom, was later conquered and deported. They, however, eventually returned, as covered in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah.

It was through the Southern Kingdom (Judah) that the royal line of King David was perpetuated.

Key verse about Southern Kingdom: “And because he had no son, Jehoram [his younger brother] became king [of Israel, the northern kingdom] in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah [the southern kingdom] (2 Kings 1:17, AMP).

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: Son of Man

son of man

The Son of Man was a title Jesus applied to himself. As such, most New Testament mentions of this phrase are found in the four gospels.

Jesus used this phrase euphemistically. His close followers likely understood it to mean the Son of God, yet his adversaries (the Jewish leaders) were in the dark.

It’s likely that had he publicly called himself the Son of God, he would have been quickly executed for blasphemy. In fact, he was killed only hours after he admitted to being the Son of God (Luke 22:70).

The phrase son of man is also found in the Old Testament, mostly in the book of Ezekiel, seemingly as a pet nickname that God called Ezekiel.

However, Daniel records that “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13).

Jesus likely took his title, the Son of Man, from this verse.

Key verse about Son of Man: Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:3-5, 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: Son of God

son of God

The Son of God is a descriptive name for Jesus since he is the Son of the Heavenly Father (God).

However, instead of referring to himself as the Son of God, Jesus generally called himself the Son of Man.

Key verse about Son of God: We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:19-21, 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: Son

son

The Son, or Son of God, is the second part of the Godhead, or Trinity, which is comprised of the Father, the Son (Jesus, the Christ), and the Holy Spirit.

God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, to earth to redeem or reconcile us to him.

While he was on earth, Jesus generally referred to himself as the Son of Man.

Key verse about Son: I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. (Genesis 6:17-19, 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: Sin

sin

Sin is simply “to miss the mark.”

Sin is anything we do that is displeasing to God. We all miss the mark (that is, we all sin) at one time or another (Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:10). Sins are implicitly unfaithfulness and hostility towards God (Leviticus 26:40).

Our sin, which makes us unclean, separates us from God, who is holy and perfect. Jesus can reconcile or make us right with God, allowing us to approach God, despite our flawed living.

This was the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth: to die in place of all of us for the wrong things we have done. In essence, he paid our fine and did our time, so we won’t have to.

It’s easy to accept this gift (it’s free) and start on a journey with Jesus. Jesus simply said, “Come, follow me,” (Mark 1:17).

Key verse about Sin: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-8, 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: Septuagint

septuagint

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew). It was completed sometime before the time of Jesus (circa 300 to 100 BC).

Since the New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek, the writers often used the Septuagint when they cited passages from the Old Testament.

The word Septuagint is not found in the Bible but may appear in the footnotes or reference pages of some translations.

In addition to the writings found in the Protestant Old Testament, the Septuagint also includes:

See why “Christians Should Consider the Entire Bible.”

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.