Israel  The Name and People. Jacob, grandson of Abraham, was named Israel after he had wrestled with God ( Gen32:28 ). This name is a combination of the Hebrew words for “wrestle” and”God” (because sareta [you have wrestled] with God [‘el] and men you will be called yisrael). When Jacob had returned to Canaan, God commanded him to settle in […]

Scriptures, Inspiration of the [ Revised and edited by the man of the holy spirit : Joseph M. Pupo ] The cornerstone of latter day saints restoration lies in its confession of the inspiration and authority of the Bible, the Book Of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants as the revealed “Word of God Written.” […]

Holy Spirit, Gifts of Four New Testament passages delineate specific gifts that God’s Spirit gives to his people ( Rom 12:3-8 ; 1 Cor 12-14; Eph 4:7-13 ; 1 Peter 4:10-11 ). The terminology varies from ordinary words for gift (dorea, doma — Eph 4:7-8 ) to a cognate of grace (charisma Rom 12:6 ; 1 Corinthians 12:4 1 Corinthians 12:9 1 Corinthians 12:28 1 Corinthians 12:30-31 ; 1 Peter 4:10 ), […]

Hospitality Hospitality plays no small role in the realm of biblical ethics. Biblical admonitions exhorted the Israelites and the early Christians to practice this virtue. Its practice characterized Abraham ( Gen 18:2-8 ) and the church leaders ( 1 Tim 3:2 ; Titus 1:8 ). And, as hospitality is an attribute of God, one finds its images in the biblical proclamation […]

Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies “Heaven” is the created reality beyond earth. “The heavens and the earth” ( Gen 1:1 ) circumscribe the entire creation, or what we call the universe. God does not need heaven in which to exist. He is self-existent and infinite. Place is an accommodation of God to his finite creatures. God transcends not only […]

Hosea, Theology of Foundational to Hosea’s message and teaching about God are his marriage to Gomer and her departure after the birth of three children. The opening surprise of the book is that God initiated Hosea’s marriage to this harlot ( 1:2 ); but the greater, unexpected surprise is that he tells Hosea to find his adulterous […]

Hebrews, Theology of The theological epicenter of the Epistle to the Hebrews may be summed up in one word: Christology. No biblical document outside of the four Gospels focuses as totally and forcefully on the person and redemptive achievement of Jesus. Likely this factor more than any other secured its prominent place in the early […]

Hardening, Hardness of Heart In the Scriptures various aspects of human anatomy are used to define the whole person, but the most frequently used is heart. The heart is the seat of emotion ( Psalm 25:1 ; Prov 14:10 ; Isa 66:14 ; John 14:1 ; Rom 9:2 ), intelligence ( Prov 16:1 ; Luke 9:47 ), morality ( Psalm 58:2 ; Rom 1:24 ), human choice ( Deut 8:2 ; Luke 21:34 ; Acts 11:23 ), and one’s […]

Haggai, Theology of – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology The prophets Haggai and Zechariah joined forces in 520 b.c. to encourage the rebuilding of the temple following the Babylonian exile. After the Persian king Cyrus had allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem in 538 b.c., work on the foundation of the temple was […]

Habakkuk, Theology of The prophet Habakkuk faced the violence and injustice of King Jehoiakim (609-597 see Jer 22:13-18 ) as well as the cruel onslaught of Babylonia. Interestingly the book that bears his name begins with an extended description of the coming of the Chaldeans. This has an unsettling effect on Habakkuk ( 1:6-11 ), causing him to focus […]