ARCHEOLOGY. Archeology, as a branch of historical research, has taken shape over the last cent., and its definition must take account of the widening incidence of its raw material and the sources of its evidence. In the mid-19th cent., when archeology was staging its first triumphs, both the explorer and his public thought of the […]
Apostle APOSTLE ə pŏs’ əl (ἀπόστολος, G693, one sent out). Title of the Twelve and others in the NT. A. Background and usage. 1. Secular Greek. Derived from the verb ἀποστέλλω, G690, to send, it often means a “ship,” “fleet,” “naval expedition” or “naval commander,” but rarely “a person sent.” 2. Old Testament and Judaism. The word apóstolos occurs only in the LXX in 1 Kings […]
APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT: The collective title given to a number of documents, ranging in date from the early Christian centuries to the Middle Ages and even into modern times, all similar in form to the NT books (gospels, epistles, Acts, apocalypses) but never finally received into the canon of Scripture (for following titles see separate articles). […]
Apocrypha APOCRYPHA (̓Απόκρυφος, hidden). Applied technically to the relationship of certain books to the Heb. Canon. In general it constitutes the excess of the LXX over the Heb. Scriptures, with the material concerned being written during the last two centuries b.c. and the 1st cent. a.d. 1. The concept of the Apocrypha. The word “apocrypha” was used originally as a […]
Apocalyptic Literature APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. A type of Jewish and early Christian lit., the bulk of which stems from the years 200 b.c.-a.d. 100, containing visions or revelations (hence the term “apocalyptic,” from the Gr. apokalypsis, meaning “a revelation” or “a disclosure”) from God concerning the imminent coming of the end of the present evil age and the final […]
Angel ANGEL (מַלְאָכְ, H4855; LXX and NT, ἄγγελος, G34, messenger). Outline I. Definition and description. In Scripture records, angels constitute a distinct order among the higher echelons of universal beings. A. Apellative terms. The word angel comes from the Gr. word anggelos, meaning “messenger.” The corresponding Heb. word malakh likewise means “messenger.” Though these terms are sometimes used to designate human messengers, as […]
Amos AMOS ā’ məs (עָמֹ֔וס amos, LXX ̓Αμώς, G322, burden-bearer). An 8th-cent. b.c. literary prophet of Judah who uttered denunciations against Israel and other nations as contained in the canonical book attributed to him. 1. Background 2. Authorship and unity 3. Date 4. Place of origin and destination 5. Occasion and purpose 6. Canonicity and text 7. Content 8. Theology 1. Background. The […]
Alexander ALEXANDER (̓Αλέξανδρος, G235, defender of men). A name common from Hel. times. 1. Alexander (“the Great”),born 356 b.c., son of Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus, king of Macedon from his father’s death in 336 to his own in 323 b.c. a. Background. For 200 years prior to Alexander the Gr. republics had fallen within the sphere of […]
Agriculture AGRICULTURE. The cultivation of plants and care of livestock for crops and products. I. Agricultural patterns in the Fertile Crescent. Scholars agree that agriculture is fundamental to civilization, for it enables the farmer to produce surplus food which frees others for specialized occupations and specialization in professions. Most Biblical peoples were characterized by agriculture […]
Adoption Act of leaving one’s natural family and entering into the privileges and responsibilities of another. In the Bible, adoption is one of several family-related terms used to describe the process of salvation and its subsequent benefits. God is a father who graciously adopts believers in Christ into his spiritual family and grants them all […]