A Definition of Theological Terms
The following represent some key theological terms that serious students of the Bible will want to be familiar with.
- Miracle
- An event brought about by the immediate power of God
- Neo-orthodoxy
- A belief that limits revelation to individual encounters with God
- Orthodoxy
- Correct belief as opposed to heresy or heterodoxy
- Pantheism
- The belief that identifies the universe with God
- Premillennialism
- The millennium will follow the return of Christ
- Postmillennialism
- The millennium will precede the return of Christ
- Propitiation
- The turning away of God's wrath by Christ's sacrifice
- Providence
- God ruling and governing His universe
- Revelation
- God disclosing truth
- Sanctification
- God setting the believer apart for a life of holiness
- Satan
- High angelic being and chief antagonist of God
- Sin
- Falling short of what God required
- Theology
- The study of God
- Trinity
- The biblical doctrine of one God in three persons
- Adoption
- God taking you into His family
- Amillennialism
- The millennium is realized, or occuring now
- Apologetics
- Defending the faith
- Atonement
- The fact and significance of Christ's death
- Baptismal Regeneration
- The belief that baptism saves you
- Christology
- Doctrine of the person and work of Christ
- Church
- The body of Christ, whether local or universal
- Deism
- The view that God created the world but no longer has dealings with it
- Election
- God selecting certain individuals to salvation
- Eschatology
- The doctrine of last things
- General Revelation
- The revealing of God in His works and created universe
- Grace
- The undeserved favor of God
- Historic Premillennialism
- A post-tribulation form of premillennialism taught since the early days of the church
- Inspiration
- God enabling the biblical authors to record His revelation without error in the original languages
- Justification
- God pronouncing the believer pardoned and righteous