(the Holy) Bible
the book that contains the writings (66 books) that Christians recognize as the written word of God
holy
sacred; pure; separated from the secular or the profane; refers to God's total uniqueness from his creatures
Scripture(s)
sacred writings or books; passages from sacred writings; the Bible
verse
a numbered group of words in a chapter of the Bible
testament
covenant; an agreement, especially between God and mankind
(the) Old Testament
the first part (39 books) of the Christian Bible, corresponding to the Jewish Bible
Hebrew
the language in which the Old Testament was written; the language of ancient Israel; also a person from there
(the) New Testament
the second part (27 books) of the Bible; it tells you about the life and teachings of Jesus and about his followers
Greek
the language in which the New Testament was originally written
the heavens
the sky; the universe
heaven
God's home
angels
God's messengers that live with Him in heaven
sin
any act or thought that is against the way God wants us to be and separates us from Him
atonement
a way to make up for a wrong act; a covering of sin
Satan
the most powerful enemy of God and all people; also called devil, serpent, evil one, prince of this world, tempter, accuser, prince of demons (evil spirits), deceiver, and father of lies; he will be defeated and destroyed at the end of time
tempt
try to get someone to do something wrong
curse
God's judgment on something evil
bless
to ask divine care or protection for; to make successful or happy
(the) ark
the kind of boat Noah built to prepare for the Flood (this photo shows one in Hong Kong; for more information, see http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123966767906515339.html)
patriarch
the male head of a family or tribe; any of the early Biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race
Abraham
the father of faith in God
Issac
Abraham's son that God promised to give him with his wife, Sarah; he became the father of Jacob
Jacob
son of Issac; father of the 12 tribes of Israel
Israel
when Jacob wrestled with God, his name was changed to this name; the ancient kingdom (and modern state) of the Hebrew tribes at the southeastern end of the Mediterranean Sea
Jerusalem
capital and largest city of the nation of Israel
circumcision
sign of the special covenant God made with the Israelites; a removal of the foreskin of male children, usually 8 days after birth
Exodus
a departure, usually of a great number of people; a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment; the second book of the Bible, named for the exit of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt
Jehovah
The English translation for one of the Hebrew names meaning "God" (Yahweh); "I am who I am"; appears as LORD (capitalized) in most English Bible versions
Pharoah
title of the ruler of Egypt
bondage
slavery
slave
a servant who is owned by his or her master
plague
anything that causes many people to suffer
Passover
a feast in memory of God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt
unleavened
refers to bread (flatbread) made without yeast so it doesn't rise
Moses
the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelite slaves from Egypt across the Red Sea on a journey through the wilderness
wilderness
a large area of land where few (if any) people live
the Ten Commandments
the set of rules that God gave Moses to tell how his people should live; the most famous of the 613 laws in the Torah (the Jewish book of laws), found in Exodus 20
(the) Ark of the Covenant
a special wooden chest containing the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna, and Aaron's rod; this showed the Israelites that the LORD was always with them
(the) Tabernacle
A portable tent where the Israelites worshiped the LORD
idol
a statue or image of a god that is made by people and then worshiped as if it had the powers of God in a person's life; anything or anyone we worship instead of the one true God
(the) Sabbath
A weekly day of rest and worship set apart by God
adultery
sexual union outside of marriage; unfaithfulness
covet
to want very much something that isn't yours
manna
special food given to the Israelites from heaven during their 40 years in the wilderness
prophets
people who tell others what God wants them to say, often things about the future
prophecy
words that God speaks through people; often these are predictions about the future
altar
a raised structure on which gifts or sacrifices to a god are made
sacrifice
noun: something given up for the sake of another; an offering to a god; verb: to give up something for another; to offer something of value to a god
priest
one who offers sacrifices to God on behalf of (to represent) other people
tithe
an offering to God of a tenth part of some personal income
prayer
conversation with God
amen
so be it; I agree
worship
the response of a person that acknowledges the greatness of God and renders signs of submission, reverence, and love to him
Hallelujah
Praise the LORD
glory
the power, beauty, greatness, and importance of the LORD; a bright light that comes from God
fasting
eating very little or abstaining from certain foods, especially as a religious discipline
anoint
to put oil put on someone's head; this shows that God has chosen the person for a special task
(the) Psalms
book of poems, prayers, prophecies, and praises
David
a very important king of Israel; a forefather of Jesus; author of many of the Psalms
(the) Temple
built by David's son, Solomon; a copy of what is in heaven; consisted of the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies (which represented God's presence on earth)
(the) Messiah
God's chosen (anointed) one" - the awaited king of the Jews; this term is derived from the Hebrew language
(the) Christ
God's chosen (anointed) one" - the awaited king of the Jews; this term is derived from the Greek language
(the) savior
deliverer; a person who rescues you from harm or danger; Jesus' name comes from this word in Hebrew
(the) Son of Man
Jesus' favorite title for himself, used 84 times in the gospel accounts (the first four books in the New Testament)
preach
to tell people about Jesus and how to live for Jesus
(the) Gospel
The "good news" about Jesus
John the Baptist
a preacher and hermit and forerunner of Jesus (whom he baptized)
baptism
the Christian rite of initiation, involving immersion in water or sprinkling with water
disciple
a follower of Jesus
parables
short stories with moral lessons; Jesus used them to teach about the Kingdom of God
Pharisees
the religious leaders in Israel at the time of Christ; most of them opposed Jesus and arranged his execution
hypocrites
people who pretend to be what they are not or better than they really are; "two-faced" people; Jesus called the Pharisees this
humility
the opposite of pride; the attitude of someone who is not proud; a necessary attribute for a Christian
Jew
a descendant of the ancient Hebrews
Samaritan
a half-Jew, hated by full-blooded Jews
Gentiles
people who are not Jews; people that do not know God
Christians
people who believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings
genealogy
a record of descent from one's ancestors
miracles
signs, wonders, or events which transcend the laws of nature and can therefore only be attributed to divine power; when Jesus did these, they served as proof that He is the Christ
faith
a gift from God that helps us to believe and trust in him
confess
to say that you have done wrong things
repent
to feel sorry for what one has done or has failed to do; to turn away from sin
grace
kindness, especially God's kindness
mercy
compassion shown to those over whom one has the power or the opportunity to help them or forgive them
salvation
the state of being free from sin and restored to friendship with God
righteous
virtuous, moral, guiltless, justified
hell
the place of everlasting suffering and separation from God
crucify
to kill by nailing to a wooden cross
(the) Lamb of God
the One that died for us as a pure sacrifice for our sins
(the) resurrection
the bodily rising of Jesus from the dead, as he had foretold, on the third day after his death on the cross and burial in the tomb; because of this, Christians have the hope of also rising from the dead when Jesus returns
apostle
one of the followers of Jesus who preached and spread his teachings
epistles
letters in the New Testament which were written by apostles
Paul
the apostle that wrote many of the New Testament epistles
(the) church
the people of God; the "body of Christ;" the "bride of Christ;" the gathering of God's people (and in common usage, the place where they gather)
Holy Communion (the Eucharist)
when Christians eat bread and drink wine to remember Jesus and what He did for us (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-34)
(the) flesh
the soft tissue of the body: mainly muscle tissue and fat; meat; the part of us that prefers the pleasures of sin rather than obeying God; our sinful nature
soul
the mind, will, and emotions of a human being
(the) Holy Spirit
another name for God; God's Spirit that Jesus sent to help people; also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Helper; He is a person, but not a human; he is God, equal with God the Father and with God the Son
(the) Judgment
the time when God will look at what everyone has done and how they responded to His offer of salvation and give them rewards or punishment
(the) Kingdom of God
God's reign over everything and everyone
eternal
lasting forever