Adoption: When someone becomes a Christian, they are adopted into God’s family Galatians 4:4-5, Ephesians 1:5. Meaning, when someone becomes a Christian, they go from not belonging to belonging in God’s family. They become a child of God and God is their Father 1 John 3:1.
Apostle: In the New Testament, the term “apostle” is used to describe eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and they were given the task of spreading the good news of salvation.
Altar: A platform where people would offer sacrifice and worship to God.
Amen: Used to affirm or confirm something that is said.
Angel: A spiritual being created by God who serves as a messenger from God. In the bible, God used angels to help and protect people as well as delivering messages from God.
Aramaic: The common language of the Jews during the time of Jesus.
Atheist: Someone who does not believe there is a God.
Atonement: Atonement is the act of making amends for wrongdoing, making up for doing something wrong. In the Old Testament, the people would atone for their sins by sacrificing an animal, Leviticus 16. When Jesus came to earth, he came to atone for our sins by dying on the cross – the ultimate sacrifice.
Baptism: Baptism involves being immersed in water to publicly proclaim your faith in Jesus Christ.
Bible: The Bible is the word of God, written by people who were given the words to write by the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 3:16. It consists of 66 books, that are split into 2 parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Communion: Also known as the Lord’s supper (Matthew 26: 26-30 & 1 Corinthians 11:23-32) refers to eating bread and drinking wine in church to remember Jesus’s death on the cross. The bread represents Jesus’s body, and the wine represents Jesus’s blood.
Covenant: A promise. In the Bible, God makes many covenants with his people. E.g God promised to Noah that he would never flood the earth again. He put a rainbow in the sky to remind Noah of this covenant. When we see a rainbow we can be reminded of this covenant.
Disciple: A follower of Jesus.
Doctrine: Doctrine is another word for belief or a set of beliefs.
Gospel: Gospel translates to ‘good news’.
Hallelujah: Hallelujah is an exclamation, an expression of praise to God.
Holy: Holy means to be set apart. God is holy – completely set apart from us. We are to be holy – set apart from the world and sin.
Hosanna: Hosanna is used when expressing adoration and praise.
Justification: When we are justified, God looks at us, a sinner, and declares us to be righteous instead. Romans 3:21-26.
New Testament: The second section of the Bible consisting of 27 books including the eye-witness accounts of Jesus’s life, letters to churches and individuals after Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.
Old Testament: The first section of the Bible consisting of 39 books. The Old Testament consists of historical accounts, poetry and songs.
Omniscient: Omniscient means all-knowing. God is all-knowing (omniscient), he knows who we are, what we think, what we have done and will done. He knows everything that has happened in the world, and he knows everything that will happen in the world.
Omnipotent: Omnipotent means all-powerful. God is the most powerful being in the universe. He has created everything (Genesis 1&2) and he keeps everything together.
Omnipresent: Omnipresent means all-present. God is present everywhere – he always has been and always will be.
Prayer: Speaking to God. We pray to have a relationship with God. When we pray we thank him for things, ask for things and praise him for who he is.
Propitiation: On the cross, when Jesus died, he took on God’s wrath for all of our sin and fully paid the price on our behalf.
Redemption: To be redeemed means to be set free. We were once slaves to sin and Jesus has set us free. Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13-14.
Repentance: Realising you’ve disobeyed God (sin) and apologising and turning away from the wrong things. Saying no to doing the wrong things and saying yes to obeying God.
Sanctification: This is the process in which a Christian becomes more like Jesus – becomes holy.
Selah: This is often used in the book of psalms. It means “stop and think about what you’ve just read.”
Sin: Being disobedient to God.
Trinity: God exists as one essence and three distinct individuals: Father, Son and Spirit.
