Bible Words & Terms

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Faith

Mark Twain defined faith as believin' somethin' that ain't so.

Twain's remark isn't all that far off the mark because the fact of the matter is:
Christianity contains a large number of elements that cannot be proven true by
means of empirical evidence.

● Heb 11:1 . . Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we
do not see.

I'm sometimes asked how I can believe in a religion that cannot be proven true. I
can only say it's an intuitive conviction that I am unable to shake off.

Why does anybody believe what they believe? Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Bahá'í,
Hare Krishna, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Catholic, Baptist, Judaism, Voodoo,
Wiccan, Jain, Druze, Native American, etc, etc, etc. The answer? Because it grips
their heart-- the core of their being --which is very different than persuading
someone with logic and reasoning.

When folks are persuaded to buy into a religion by means of logic and reasoning,
they can be just as easily persuaded to give it up by logic and reasoning. But
someone whose heart is gripped by their religion is not easily removed regardless
of how strong, how sensible, how convincing, nor how logical the opposition's
argument. In point of fact, one of the prerequisites to Christian salvation is
believing with one's heart rather than one's head. (Rom 10:8-9)

● Heb 11:3 . . By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Intelligent design is impossible to prove true. But we accept it because the first
chapter of Genesis wasn't written for the pragmatic mind, rather, it was written for
the mind of faith; which is able to cope with creation as a reality instead of a myth.

NOTE: Galileo believed that science and religion are allies rather than enemies--
two different languages telling the same story. He believed that science and religion
complement each other, to wit: science answers questions that religion doesn't
bother to answer, and religion answers questions that science cannot answer.

For example: theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking understood pretty well how the
cosmos works; but could never scientifically explain why it should exist at all. Well;
in my estimation, the only possible answer to the "why" is found in intelligent
design; which is a religious explanation rather than scientific. Religion's why is
satisfactory for people of faith. No doubt deep thinkers like Michio Kaku, Neil
deGrasse Tyson, Michelle Thaller, and the late Carl Sagan would prefer something a
bit more down to earth, so to speak.
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Grace

● Eph 2:8 . . For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Grace isn't a substance, rather, it's a characteristic; and tells us a great deal about
the supreme being's personality.

The Greek word basically refers to graciousness, which Webster's defines as kind,
courteous, inclined to good will, generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic,
compassionate, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm,
sensitive, considerate, and tactful.

Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness

Affable implies easy to approach, and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals

Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality

Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others

Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous, kindly,
and liberal in giving

Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz: benevolent,
tolerant, and lenient.

Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; viz: a
desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels good to do so.

Compassionate pertains to a sympathetic awareness of others' distress combined
with a desire to alleviate it.

Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain good
relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary conflict.

Compassion was, and still is, a key element in the overall sphere of salvation. For
example:

● John 3:16-17 . . For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not
send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to spare the world through
him.
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Love

There are at least two Greek words for love in the new testament; possibly a third
that I haven't found yet.

One of the words is agape (ag-ah'-pay); spelling varies depending whether it's in
the form of a noun, verb, or an adjective.

Anyway, agape is a sort of general purpose word for love very common throughout
the new testament and may, or may not, include the elements of tenderness,
fondness, and affection. For example:

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into
the world to judge the world, but that the world should be spared through him."
(John 3:16-17)

That passage reveals God's concern for the world but doesn't really say how He
feels about the world.

The other word is phileo (fil-eh'-o); again, spelling varies. Now this word is very
particular in that it always includes the elements of tenderness, fondness, and
affection because this is a brotherly love rather than a generic love. For example:

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I
came from God." (John 16:27)

That is an astounding declaration! I mean, speaking for myself: it is nigh unto
impossible to believe that the disgusting sinner I've been could ever stir the
supreme being's affections in any way at all. Well; normally that would never
happen had not Christ made it possible.
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Parable

Jesus is famous for teaching with parables, and for the longest time I was under the
impression it was his peculiar academic technique, but the fact of the matter is:
Jesus' method was punitive.

There were a number of people throughout the land of Israel in his day who had
neither interest in him nor in his message; which wasn't really his message, rather,
it was God's.

● John 3:34 . . For he is sent by God; he speaks God's words, for God's spirit is
upon him without measure or limit.

● John 8:26 . .He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which
I have heard of Him.

● John 8:28 . . I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the
Father taught me.

● John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

● John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent
me.

So those folks who had neither interest in him, nor in his message, them he
instructed with riddles. It came about they heard the word of God from Jesus but of
course hadn't a clue what he was talking about. But no matter because plain
speech would've bounced off some of them like a .22 bullet off a Russian tank.

● Matt 13:10-15 . . The disciples came to him and asked: Why do you speak to the
people in parables?

. . He replied: The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been
given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an
abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This
is why I speak to them in parables: though seeing, they do not see; though
hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

. .You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but
never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear
with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would
heal them.
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Conscience

In the beginning, mankind's moral perception was created in the image and
likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27) and given a grade of excellence. (Gen 1:31)

But then came the forbidden fruit incident whereby mankind's moral perception
became humanistic.

● Gen 3:22 . . And the Lord God said: The man has now become like one of us,
knowing good and evil.

In other words: man's intuition supplanted the conscience that was given him in the
image and likeness of God; and he took to rationalizing.

● Rom 2:14-16 . . Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature
things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not
have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their
hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing,
now even defending them.
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Prayer

I cannot imagine anyone in the entire cosmos more intelligent, more mature, more
sensible, more reasonable, more dignified, or more superior than the one who
imagined it all, designed it all, and constructed it all to begin with. That being the
case, to wit: the supreme being is a genius without par; then we should be talking
to Him with no less respect for the head on His shoulders than we give our spouses,
our BFF and/or our associates.

In other words: I think it safe to assume the supreme being is a well-adjusted man
for all seasons, so to speak, rather than a quirky, kooky, imbalanced psychopath.

So then, one's prayers should incline towards rapport; defined by Webster's as a
friendly, harmonious relationship especially a relationship characterized by
agreement, mutual understanding, or empathy that makes communication possible
or easy. For example:

● Heb 4:16 . . Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.

The Greek word translated "boldly" basically pertains to all out-spokenness, i.e.
frankness and/or bluntness. In other words: transparency, candor, and straight
talk, heart to heart, as people seeking meaningful diplomatic relations ought.

NOTE: If perchance it hasn't become obvious enough already; then I should point
out that the kind of social interaction I'm talking about here cannot be achieved by
means of artificial connectivity like rosaries, missals, and/or siddurs.
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Sin

Webster's defines sin as 1) an offense against religious or moral law, 2) an action
that is, or is felt, to be highly reprehensible, 3) an often serious shortcoming, i.e. a
fault, and 4) transgression of the law of God.

Sin, then, isn't restricted to the sphere of religion. Violations of any ethical code-
whether natural, man-made, or divine-- in religion, education, finance, criminal
justice, politics, science, medicine, the military branches, labor unions, social
networking, etc, etc, even a sports foul --counts as sin.

Is it any wonder then that the Bible says, in so many words, that all have fallen and
come short of sinless perfection? (Rom 3:23)
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Prophetic Time

Prophetic months and years are sort of like baker's dozens and troy ounces. Though
a baker's dozen isn't a dozen of twelve, and though a troy ounce is heavier than a
standard ounce; baker's dozens and troy ounces are both true values in their own
way.

The same goes for mean solar time vs. sidereal time, and/or geographic north vs.
magnetic north. As long as Bible readers are aware of the existence of such a thing
as prophetic time, they won't be tripped up when they run across it in prophecy; for
example the one below:

● Rev 13:5c . . and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Be advised those are not calendar months, rather, they're prophetic months of 30
days apiece which add up to a 360-day year instead of the usual +/- 365 days. So
then; forty and two months of prophetic time totals exactly 1,260 days.

For another example:

"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." (Rev
12:6)

"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent." (Rev 12:14)

Those two passages tell of a 3½ year period of exactly 1,260 days. Well, 3½
common years add up to +/- 1,278 days; which is eighteen days too many. But if
we reckon those 3½ years as prophetic years of 360 days each, then it comes out
perfectly to 1,260 days.

Scripture also reckons time by means of heptads; which are units of time consisting
of seven prophetic years each, e.g. Daniel 9:25-27.

* An especially important use of prophetic time is relative to Dan 9:25 --the date of
Messiah's official introduction to Jerusalem; the so-called Triumphal Entry, a.k.a.
Palm Sunday (Zech 9:9 & Matt 21:1-12 )
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Firstborn

Primogeniture is a rank-- emphasized quite a bit throughout the Bible --and is
always in reference to males, never females.

The position isn't an irrevocable birthright, rather, it can be taken from the eldest
son and bestowed upon a junior sibling, for example: Ishmael to Isaac (Gen 20:11-
-12) Esau to Jacob (Gen 25:23) Reuben to Joseph (Gen 49:3-4 & 1Chr 5:1) and
Manasseh to Ephraim. (Gen 48:13-14)

The firstborn is a father's heir apparent, and the position is preeminent, viz: the
firstborn, in a manner of speaking, is a supreme being among his siblings, for
example Gen 27:29 & Gen 27:37.

The position isn't limited to descendants. For example the corporate people of Israel
are God's firstborn among the nations of the world (Ex 4:22) and David is his
firstborn among the world's heads of State. (Ps 89:20-27)

The highest of all firstborn is Christ. (Ps 2:7-8, Col 1:15, Heb 1:2)
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Joint Principals

The title's words aren't in the Bible verbatim, but nevertheless they're implied. For
example:

● Rom 6:3 . . Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?

In other words; folks unified with Christ are accounted crucified with him so that
they no longer need fear retribution because they already faced their fair measure
of justice on the cross.

● Rom 6:6-7 . . For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--
because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

● Gal 2:20 . . I am crucified with Christ

● Col 3:3-4 . . For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

In addition; seeing as how Christ's inner circle is accounted participants with him
when he was crucified, then they are also accounted participants with him when his
crucified dead body was restored to life.

● Rom 6:4-5 . . For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection

● Eph 2:6 . . God raised us up with Christ

● Col 2:12 . . Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him

● Col 3:1-3 . . You have been raised with Christ,

Now, the thing is: Jesus' crucified dead body was restored to life with immortality.
(Rom 6:9, Rev 1:18, Rev 2:8) So then, folks unified with Christ in his death and
resurrection have perpetual youth in the bag, i.e. it's a done deal and it's
irrevocable.
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Sodom & Gomorrah

Those two communities are for sure the Bible's stand-out examples of true sin
cities, very much worse than Las Vegas which nowadays is practically a theme
park.

● Jude 1:7 . . Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar
manner to these, gave themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh.

The Greek word translated "fornication" basically means to be utterly unchaste.

A lack of chastity is exemplified by a broad spectrum of unholy carnality including,
but not limited to adultery, incest, living together, casual sex, swinger sex, wife
swapping, sex between consenting adults, sex between consenting minors, sex
between teachers and underage students, sex with a sex toy, sex with a mannequin
and/or sex with an inflatable doll, etc. To be "utterly" unchaste implies not just a
preference for those kinds of sexual behaviors, but an addiction to them.

The word for "strange" basically means other or different, i.e. out of the ordinary,
viz: men sleeping with women isn't strange. But men sleeping with men, and/or
women sleeping with women, is rather odd, i.e. deviant.

● 2Pet 2:6 . . He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes-- condemned
them to destruction --making them an example to those who afterward would live
impiously.

● Rev 21:8 . .The vile and the sexually immoral-- their place will be in the fiery lake
of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

The Greek word translated "vile" basically pertains to that which is repulsive and
disgusting. (Pride is definitely the wrong name for an LGBT event.)

● Gen 13:13 . .The people of Sodom were wicked; and sinners before The Lord
exceedingly.

The Hebrew word for "wicked" basically means bad, and "exceedingly" basically
means vehement, i.e. intense; all of which suggests outright insolence, impudence,
and defiance; viz: standing up to God and asserting the right to live life on one's
own terms.
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Baptism

This is a difficult word to define because it means different things in different
situations.

For example Noah's experience in the ark and the Flood are an illustration of how
baptism saves folks unified with Christ (1Pet 3:21). The thing is, Noah didn't get
wet. In point of fact, the folks who perished in the Flood are the ones who got wet.

In another event, the people of Israel were baptized unto Moses in the Red Sea
(1Cor 10:1-2). However, the people passed through the sea on dry land.

And then there's the baptism of the Holy Spirit-- a very unique baptism because it's
a supernatural procedure that requires drinking instead of bathing. (John 4:10-14,
John 7:37-39, and 1Cor 12:13)

Along with those baptisms is the common Christian ritual which suffices as a sort of
rite of passage, i.e. initiation into the world-wide brotherhood of folks unified with
God's son.
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Ararat

● Gen 8:3b-4 . . At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters diminished, so
that in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to
rest on the mountains of Ararat.

The Hebrew word for "Ararat" appears three more times in the Bible: one at 2Kgs
19:36-37, one at Isa 37:36-38, and one at Jer 51:27. Ararat in the Bible always
refers to a political area-- specifically the country of Armenia --never to a
prominent geological feature by the same name.

There is a significant difference between the mountains of Ararat and a Mount
Ararat. When the word is plural, like it is above in Gen 8:3b-4, the word can
indicate a range of hills and/or highlands; for example:

In California, where I lived as a kid, the local elevation 35 miles east of San Diego
was about 2,000 feet above sea level. There were plenty of meadows with pasture
and good soil. In fact much of it was very good ranchland and quite a few people in
that area raised horses and cows. We ourselves kept about five hundred chickens,
and a few goats and calves. We lived in the mountains of San Diego; but we didn't
live up on top of one of its peaks like Viejas, Lyon's, or Cuyamaca.

It makes better sense to beach the ark on the soil of an elevated plain rather than
up on the tippy top of a mountain seeing as how Noah took up agriculture after the
Flood. Plus, had he been forced to abandoned the ark atop a mountain, Noah
would've lost ready access to an abundant supply of hewn wood that he could
appropriate for other purposes. Noah's sons reproduced so we can be fairly certain
that Noah's posterity-- which eventually numbered quite a few people --would want
lumber from the ark for useful purposes too.

According to the dimensions given at Gen 6:15, the ark was shaped like what the
beautiful minds call a right rectangular prism; which is nothing in the world but the
shape of a common shoe box. So most of the lumber and logs used in its
construction would've been nice and straight; which is perfect for putting together
houses, fences, barns, corrals, stables, gates, hog troughs, mangers, and
outhouses.

Also, nobody cooked or heated their homes or their bath and laundry water using
refined fossil fuels and/or electricity and steam in those days, so everybody needed
to keep on hand a wood pile for their daily needs.

There was probably plenty of driftwood left behind by the Flood, but most of that
would be soaked at first. But according to Gen 6:14 the ark's lumber was treated.
So underneath the pitch it would've still been in pretty good condition.
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Bethlehem's Star

● Matt 2:1-10 . . Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying:
Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him.

. .When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto
him: In Bethlehem of Judaea [Micah 5:2]. After they had heard the king, they went
on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them.

* Bethlehem of Judea is approx +/- six miles south of Jerusalem.

As the Earth spins on its axis, stars appear to move across the sky from the east
towards the west. The wise men's star moved south, and it also came to a stop;
which should alert planetarium managers that it wasn't an astronomical object.

● Matt 2:9 . . It stopped over the place where the child was.

Normal celestial objects are so far out in space that it's nigh unto impossible to tell
the exact spot on earth where one of them is directly overhead at any given
moment without special instruments; so I think we can be reasonably confident
that this star was low enough that there was no mistaking the exact location where
young Jesus was lodged. In other words; this star wasn't a star, rather, it was an
apparition.
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Predestination

Webster's defines predestination as the doctrine that God, in consequence of his
foreknowledge of all events, infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation.

A very key element in the proper understanding of biblical predestination is God's
ability to see the future. In other words: biblical predestination isn't an arbitrary
selection process, rather, it's based upon knowing ahead of time how people are
going to react in a given situation; for example:

● Rom 8:29 . . For those whom God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed
to the likeness of His son.

"those whom God foreknew" pertains to all the folks that God was fully aware would
pay attention to the gospel and buy into it.

● Eph 1:13 . . In Christ, you also, after listening to the message of truth-- the
gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed in him with the
Holy Spirit of promise.

That particular sealing takes place in real time. However, by His knowing ahead of
time who would believe and undergo the sealing, God was able to put them on a
track that He planned for all such in the distant past.

● Eph 1:4-5 . . For He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy
and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
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Regeneration

● Titus 3:5 . . According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost

Regeneration is a mandatory requirement; no exceptions.

● John 3:3 . . Jesus declared: I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of
God unless he is born again.

● John 3:5 . . Jesus answered: I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of
God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Whether innocent or guilty makes no difference. The reason that underage children
are not exempt from the regeneration that Jesus spoke of is because all people--
regardless of age, race, or gender --are unacceptable in their natural condition.

● John 3:6-8 . . Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You
should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a proficient rabbi. He should've been able to easily
appreciate why people in their natural condition are not allowed to either see or
enter the kingdom of God.

● John 3:10 . . Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?

The thing is: underage children don't stay underage. They eventually mature into
adolescents, teen-agers, and adults. Well; if allowed to remain in their natural
condition, those underage children will eventually begin to exhibit the so-called
fallen nature which we know from Rom 8:5-8 makes people not want to cooperate
with God.
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