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1000 articles found for “The Apostle John”
Rule of Faith
[Doctrine & Theology]The rule of faith (regula fidei) is a summary of the content of the faith that the early church regarded as received from the apostles; it served as a standard for judging whether teaching was sound.
Omnipotence of God
[Doctrine & Theology]The omnipotence of God is the doctrine that God has the power to accomplish everything He wills. It is widely known through the Apostles' Creed's confession of "God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."
Cessationism and Continuationism
[Controversies]Cessationism and continuationism are opposing positions in the debate over whether gifts of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, prophecy, and divine healing have continued beyond the apostolic age. Some conservative Presbyterians hold that these gifts have ceased, while Pentecostal churches, such as the Assemblies of God (Full Gospel), hold that they continue today.
Gospel of Luke
[Bible]The Gospel of Luke is the third book of the New Testament and one of the four Gospels, recording the life of Jesus Christ from his birth to his ascension. It is regarded as the first volume of a two-part work, continued in the Acts of the Apostles by the same author.
Judas of Galilee
[People]Judas of Galilee was a Jew who led an uprising against a Roman census in the early first century AD. In Acts 5:37, Gamaliel cites him as an example of a failed movement.
Judas of Galilee
[People]Judas of Galilee is a figure mentioned by Gamaliel in Acts 5:37. According to the account, he rose up in the days of the taxing (the census) and drew people after him, but he perished, and those who followed him were scattered.
Theophilus
[People]Theophilus is the person to whom the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles addresses each book at its opening. Both books are dedicated to him, and in the Gospel of Luke he is called "most excellent Theophilus."
Creation
[Doctrine & Theology]Creation is the Christian teaching that God made the world and everything in it out of nothing. It is a foundation of the faith confessed at the opening of the Apostles' Creed.
Pontius Pilate
[People]Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea who tried Jesus Christ and sentenced him to crucifixion. He appears in all four Gospels, and his name is included in the Apostles' Creed.
Acts 2:42–47
[Bible Verses]Acts 2:42–47 summarizes the life of the first community of believers in Jerusalem after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It describes their devotion to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer, and their sharing of possessions. The passage is frequently cited as a model for the church, though interpreters differ on the sharing of property and the meaning of "the breaking of bread."
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."
Acts 5:1–4
[Bible Verses]In this passage Peter rebukes Ananias, a member of the early church, for secretly keeping back part of the price of his land while presenting the rest as a gift. Because Peter equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God, the passage is often cited as evidence for the deity of the Holy Spirit. It is also frequently quoted in sermons on giving and honesty.
Signs and Wonders
[Bible]"Signs and wonders" is a biblical word pair referring to the marvelous works God performs to reveal his will and power. The Old Testament applies the phrase mainly to the Exodus, and the New Testament to the ministry of Jesus and the apostles.
Phrygia
[Bible]Phrygia is the name of an inland region of west-central Asia Minor (modern Türkiye). It is mentioned three times in the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul passed through it on two occasions.
Stephen
[People]Stephen was a leader in the early church in Jerusalem whose story is told in the Book of Acts. Chosen as one of the seven men entrusted with the daily distribution to those in need, he was stoned to death after addressing the council and is commonly called the first Christian martyr.
Nicolas
[People]Nicolas was one of the seven men chosen by the church in Jerusalem in Acts 6 to oversee the distribution of relief. He was a native of Antioch who had been a proselyte to Judaism.
Acts 13
[Bible]Acts 13 is the chapter in which the church at Antioch sends out Barnabas and Saul as missionaries, beginning Paul's first missionary journey. It recounts the mission on Cyprus, Paul's sermon in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, and the declaration that the apostles would turn to the Gentiles.
Eternal Life
[Doctrine & Theology]Eternal life means "everlasting life." In Christianity it refers to the new life enjoyed in relationship with God. It is understood as the substance of salvation, begun through faith in the present and brought to completion after the resurrection.
Kerygma
[Bible]Kerygma is a Greek word meaning "proclamation" or "that which is proclaimed." In the New Testament it refers to the apostles' proclamation of the gospel, centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:38
[Bible Verses]Acts 2:38 records Peter's reply when the crowd that heard his Pentecost sermon asked, "What shall we do?" He told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Denominations differ on how baptism relates to the forgiveness of sins and on what baptism "in the name of Jesus" means.