Elder In both the Old and New Testaments, the term “elder” indicates one of advanced age (Heb. zaqen [eqz]; Gk. presbyteros [presbuvtero”]) who had a office of leadership within the people of God. The Old Testament. We are not informed about the origin of this office, which was also known outside Israel ( Gen 50:7 ; Num 22:7 ). It probably developed from […]
Endurance [N] Continuing Christian commitment in the face of difficulty. Born in a context of hostility, persecution, and the death of their Lord and his disciples, the endurance of Christians in the face of persecution and temptation underlies most the New Testament. Pictorial athletic imagery was used to summon Christians to faithfulness as they prepared themselves […]
Death of Christ The Place in the Gospels. In the records of Jesus that the Gospels give us, it is clear that a place of supreme significance is given to the death — and the resurrection of Christ. The story of the events of Jesus’ last few days, culminating in the crucifixion, is given a […]
Death, Mortality Death is the absence or withdrawal of breath and the life force that makes movement, metabolism, and interrelation with others possible. The Old Testament. The Nature of Death. Life and death are totally under Yahweh’s sovereignty. God is the source of all life ( Psalm 36:9 ). There are no organisms anywhere who have not […]
Day of the Lord, God, Christ, the Expression, often in the context of future events, which refers to the time when God will intervene decisively for judgment and/or salvation. Variously formulated as the “day of the Lord” ( Amos 5:18 ), the “day of our Lord Jesus Christ” ( 1 Col 1:8 ; cf. 2 Col 1:14 ), the “day of […]
DEITY OF CHRIST. The clearest and fullest expression of the deity of Christ is found in the Nicene Creed which was originally presented at the Council of Nicaea, a.d. 325. In the Eng. Book of Common Prayer the tr. appears as follows: “…one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very […]
Disciple, Discipleship During Jesus’ earthly ministry, and during the days of the early church, the term that was used most frequently to designate one of Jesus’ followers was “disciple” (mathetes [maqhthv”], 262 times). Hence, discipleship is a central theological theme of the Gospels and Acts. The situation is different in the Old Testament and in the […]
Dead Sea Scrolls Name given to over eight hundred ancient Jewish manuscripts recovered from eleven caves along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. The first cave, containing seven scrolls, was discovered accidentally in early 1947 by a young Bedouin shepherd. Between 1952 and 1956 ten more caves containing manuscripts and related material were found. […]
Daniel, Theology of Daniel is one of the most controversial books of the Bible, yet its message is clear and unmistakable. While Bible scholars debate issues like when it was written and whether it is historically accurate, the Book of Daniel consistently calls God’s people of every generation to faithfulness. Daniel is the only Old […]
CANON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE. The twenty-seven books comprising the NT section of the Bible and which are regarded by the Christian Church as inspired and authoritative for doctrine and life. Outline I. The importance of the subject. The Christian Church has preserved a collection of twenty-seven books which form the NT section of […]