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Limited Atonement
[Doctrine & Theology]Limited atonement is the Reformed doctrine that Christ's substitutionary death was intended for the salvation of those whom God has chosen and is certainly effective for them. Also called particular redemption or definite atonement, it stands in contrast to universal atonement.
Words of Institution
[Worship & Rites]The Words of Institution are the words Jesus spoke over the bread and the cup at the Last Supper. As the scriptural basis for the sacrament, they are read aloud or recited within a prayer whenever the church celebrates Communion.
Matthew 10:28
[Bible Verses]A saying of Jesus, spoken as he sent out the twelve disciples, in which he tells them to fear not persecutors, who can kill only the body, but the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. It is frequently cited to encourage boldness in the face of persecution and also figures in discussions of the nature of punishment in hell and of the existence of the soul after death.
Colossians 1:15–17
[Bible Verses]A passage that celebrates Christ as the image of the invisible God and as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Because of the phrase "the firstborn," it is frequently cited in debates over the deity of Christ.
Love of Enemies
[Bible]Love of enemies is the teaching of Jesus that his followers should love even those who hate and persecute them and should pray for them. It is recorded in Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-36.
Third Council of Constantinople
[History]The Third Council of Constantinople was a council held from 680 to 681 in Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It declared that Christ possesses both a divine will and a human will, condemned Monothelitism, and is counted as the sixth ecumenical council.
Cainan
[People]Cainan is a name that appears twice in the genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3. One Cainan is an antediluvian figure corresponding to Kenan in Genesis; the other is a son of Arphaxad who does not appear in the Hebrew text of Genesis.
Easter Controversy
[History]The Easter controversy is a dispute within the church, dating back to the second century, over when Easter should be observed. The term encompasses the Quartodeciman controversy in Asia Minor, the decision of the Council of Nicaea, and the calendar differences between the Western and Eastern churches.
Acts 1:4–5
[Bible Verses]In this passage the risen Jesus, before his ascension, tells the apostles not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, saying that they will soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is frequently cited as the starting point for the differing ways denominations understand "baptism in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 5:12
[Bible Verses]Romans 5:12 states that sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin, so that death passed upon all people. It is the principal scriptural basis for the Western church's doctrine of original sin, and the Eastern, Western, and various Protestant traditions differ on how Adam's sin is passed on to his descendants.
Living Stone
[Bible]"Living stone" is a metaphor in 1 Peter 2:4–5 that refers both to Jesus Christ and to those who believe in him. It describes believers as stones built upon Christ into a "spiritual house."
Paschal Candle
[Worship & Rites]The Paschal candle is a large candle lit at Easter whose light represents Christ risen in victory over death. It is used chiefly in churches of liturgical traditions, such as the Catholic and Anglican churches, and some Protestant churches also use it.
Apostles' Creed
[Worship & Rites]The Apostles' Creed is a confession of faith of the Western church that briefly summarizes belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Korea, many Protestant churches recite it together in Sunday worship.
Trinity
[Doctrine & Theology]The Trinity is the central Christian doctrine that God is one in essence and exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is confessed in common by Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Justification
[Doctrine & Theology]Justification is the act by which a sinner is accounted righteous before God. Protestants hold that it comes not through works but through faith in Christ, a teaching known as justification by faith.
Via Dolorosa
[History]The Via Dolorosa (Latin for "Way of Sorrow") is a route in the Old City of Jerusalem that, according to tradition, Jesus walked while carrying the cross from the place of his sentencing to Golgotha. Pilgrims traditionally walk it while meditating on his sufferings.
Theotokos
[Doctrine & Theology]Theotokos is a Greek term meaning "the one who gave birth to God." It is a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was formally affirmed by the Council of Ephesus in 431.
Special Revelation
[Doctrine & Theology]Special revelation is a theological term for God's disclosure of Himself and His saving will through particular means such as prophecy, historical events, Jesus Christ, and Scripture, as distinguished from general revelation through nature and conscience.
Matthew 1
[Bible]The first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. It records a genealogy from Abraham to Jesus arranged in three periods of fourteen generations each and, focusing on Joseph, recounts how Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit and how Jesus came to be born.
Nestorianism
[Heresies & Cults]Nestorianism is a Christology regarded as originating with Nestorius, the fifth-century Patriarch of Constantinople. It was criticized for separating the divinity and humanity of Christ too sharply and was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431.