Untitled Flashcards Set

Immanence

The nearness or involvement of God in the world.

Incarnation

'Becoming flesh;' the embodiment of God in Christ.

Isis

Egyptian goddess worshipped in Roman mystery cults.

Judas Maccabeus

Jewish patriot who led the family responsible for spearheading the Maccabean revolt.

Justification

The act by which God brings people into proper or right relationship with himself. In Paul, it is to be received by faith, not works.

Kerygma

'Proclamation'; the early Christian preaching about Jesus as the Christ intended to elicit the decision of faith.

Kingdom of God

God's lordship over humankind and the world; the central theme of Jesus' message in the Synoptic Gospels.

Koine

The everyday Greek speech used throughout the Hellenistic world during the early Christianity.

Law

In the New Testament, generally the revelation of God through Moses embodied in the commandments of the Old Testament.

Literary Criticism

Method that seeks to determine the literary character or development of the books of the Bible.

Lord's Supper

The church's continuing reenactment of the last supper of Jesus with His disciples.

Maccabees

The name given to the priestly family who successfully led a revolt against Hellenistic Syrian rule beginning in 167 B.C.

Manuscripts

Handwritten documents, especially the ancient New Testament documents used to establish the present text.

Marcion

Second-century Christian scholar labeled a heretic for his docetic Christology and belief in two Gods.

Markan Priority

The view that Mark was the first of the Synoptic Gospels and was used by Matthew and Luke.

Messiah

Hebrew term meaning 'anointed one,' used of the Davidic king expected in Jesus' day.

Midrash

The form, activity, or product of biblical interpretation in rabbinic Judaism.

Miracle

An extraordinary event contrary to normal expectations, a manifestation of the activity of God.

Mishnah

Authoritative Jewish legal traditions ascribed to Moses, codified in the early third century.

Mithras

A Persian deity worshipped in a mystery cult throughout the Roman world.

Mystery Cults

Greco-Roman religions focusing on devotees' individual needs in this life and the afterlife, with secret initiation rituals.

Myth

Efforts to communicate faith in transcendent reality through story and symbol.

Nag Hammadi

Village in upper Egypt where a collection of Gnostic writings, including the Gospel of Thomas, was discovered.

Oracle

A sacred place where the gods answered questions from worshippers.

Oral Tradition

Teaching transmitted by word of mouth rather than by writing.

Orthodoxy

From Greek, meaning 'right opinion'; a set of beliefs acknowledged to be true by the majority.

Paganism

Polytheistic religions of the Greco-Roman world; an umbrella term for religions other than Judaism and Christianity.

Parable

A brief story making its point through unusual development or imagery.

Paraclete

Term used in the Fourth Gospel for the Holy Spirit as the Christian community's helper after Jesus' death.

Paraenesis

A Greek term meaning moral exhortation.

Parousia

The early Christian belief in the second coming of Christ.

Passion

Suffering, particularly that of Jesus during the last week of his life in Jerusalem.

Passover

The annual Jewish celebration of deliverance from slavery in Egypt under Moses.

Pastoral Epistles

Letters to Timothy and Titus providing advice to church leaders about governance and discipline.

Pauline Corpus

All of the letters of the New Testament claimed to be written by Paul.

Pentecost

The Jewish Feast of Weeks, known as the occasion for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples.

Pericope

A 'cutting around' or section; individual units of tradition about Jesus in the early church.

Pharisees

A prominent Jewish religious group during Jesus' time, noted for strict observance of the law.

Preexistence

The belief that Jesus of Nazareth existed with God before his earthly advent.

Prescript

The formal beginning of an epistle, including names, greetings, and often a prayer.

Priest

A holy person authorized to perform ritual acts mediating between humans and God.

Procurator

Official of the Roman Empire exercising authority over a province or district.

Propitiation

A placating of the deity; a sacrifice inducing God to be favorable to the sacrificer.

Pseudepigrapha

Literally 'false writings,' late Jewish writings claiming Old Testament figures as authors.

Pseudonymity

The practice of writing under a fictitious name, common in ancient writings.

Q Source

The hypothetical source of sayings of Jesus used by Matthew and Luke.

Qumran

The site near the Dead Sea where a Jewish sect lived and the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.