The Christian Contingent

Defintions for Christians

  • Amen: Is used as a “let it be so” to whatever has been or is being said. It is a term of agreement.
  • Anthropology: The study of humans and human nature.
  • Baptism: It is immersion in water that signifies a persons declaration that they are a deciple of Jesus. Though commanded by Jesus baptism is not necessary for salvation.
    • Believers Baptism: The requirement of a person to actually understand and profess for themselves that Jesus is Lord.
    • Pedobaptism: Baptism of children unable to understand and profess for themselves that Jesus is Lord.
  • Born again: When we accept the payment that Jesus made for us our spirits are brought back to life (born again) and are seated with Him in the heavenlies (John 3:5).
  • Cessationism: The belief that the sign gifts (prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues) do not continue to exist in any time since Jesus’s Apostles.
    • Continuationism: The belief that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit are still given to Christians.
  • Christian: The belief that Jesus Christ is a man and is the Son of God who came to this earth to die in our place, then was raised from the dead as proof that He conquered death before being taken up into heaven to sit at God’s right hand.
  • Contextualization: The adaptation of the Christian message to be understood best by the local culture and norms.
  • Covenant Theology: The study of and belief in the different covenants given by God in Scripture. These include the covenant with the Israelites and with the church.
  • Dispensationalism: The belief that there is a dispensation (plan of God) for different times in history. Each of these times are different from and seperated from each other. The major error of dispensationalism is that it provides for more than one way to be saved, through the Old Testament law and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
  • Ecclesiology: The study of the church. The study of the reality, purpose, organization, and the importance of Baptism in the church. It helps us to understand the role of the church and our role in the church.
  • Ecumenism: The unity of all christian people on the earth. It emphasizes the unity of all christian churches and denomiations on the earth. The pitfall is that not all churches interpret the Bible the same way or hold to Biblical teachings about Jesus Christ, such as the Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses.
  • Eschatology: Study of the end times.
  • Eternal death: All who deny Jesus as the Son of God who will live in the Lake of Fire forever (Hell).
  • Eternal life: Those who will live with God forever because they believed in Jesus Christ and His Father who sent HIm.
  • Gentile: Anyone who does not have an Israelite mother.
  • Glorification: That time when we are no longer affected by evil in any way. We will be in our Glorified bodies with Christ.
  • Grace: Grace is not being punished with the punishment we deserve.
  • Holy: To be set apart. People or objects that are set apart by God for special purposes. God is Holy, set apart from creation.
  • Imago Dei: “Image of God” is refering to the fact that we were created in the image of God. This does not only refer to the visual body but refers to the unseen and any other other way in which we are in His image.
  • Jew / Jewish: Used for a person of Isreali descent. From the shortening of Jerusalem. Or possibly from the one tribe that stayed with the Davidic line which was the tribe of Judah.
  • Justification: The fact that we no longer have to pay for our sins because we have accepted the payment Jesus Christ made on our behalf. Through Him we are made righteous in the sight of God.
  • Mercy: When we receive mercy we are receiving something that we do not deserve.
  • Millenium: A period after the return of Jesus where He personally rules here on earth for a thousand years.
    • Amillenialism: The belief that the millenium is symbolic and is happening now.
    • Premillenialism: The belief that Jesus Christ will return to earth and that will usher in the milleium, or the thousand year in person reign of Jesus.
    • Postmillenialism: The belief that there will be a time (millenium) where christian values and righteousness will prevail on the earth after which Christ will return to end this age. Jesus will not reign on earth for a thousand years except through the faith and righteousness of His followers.
  • Modalism: Refers to the idea that God is one being/person and only acts in different modes as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  • Propitiation: The concept that Jesus paid all of the debt that we owe because of our sin. He paid this debt by dying on the cross instead of us dying forever in Hell.
  • Rapture: The disappearance or death of all saved Christians (not just professingon earth at the same time. The Christians are caught up in the air to be with Jesus the Christ.
    • Pretribulation: The belief that the rapture happens before the revealing of the antichrist which ushers in the tribulation period.
    • Midtribulation: The belief that the rapture happens in the middle of the tribulation.
    • Posttribulation: The belief that the rapture happens after the time of tribulation.
  • Salvation: When the payment Jesus Christ made for sin is accepted by us so that we will not have to pay for our sin ourselves (1 John 1:9).
  • Samaritan: Someone from the area of Samaria after most of the Israelites were deported and other nationalities were brought in.
  • Sanctification: The lifelong process of becoming more and more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).
  • Sin: Any thought, will, or action that is contrary to the will of God is called sin (1 John 3:4). Sin must be punished and paid for(Romans 6:23). If we do not accept the payment that Jesus Christ made for us, we will have to pay for our own sins by seperation from God forever, which is death in the lake of fire. Romans 3:23
  • Soteriology: The study of salvation. Specifically the theology of salvation.
  • Syncretism: Losing the Christian message by transforming it into the local religion by replacing basic elements of the Gospel with religious elements from other religions.
  • Tribulation: The time of 7 years that starts when a peace treaty is completed between Israel and the Arab countries after a major war. The state of Israel is supernaturally defended in this war. The beginning of this time is marked by the revealing of the antichrist who gets the treaty confirmed. In the middle the antichrist will claim himself to be god. It is ended by the return of the true Christ.