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Medes
[Bible]The Medes were an ancient people, and their kingdom, on the plateau of what is today northwestern Iran. The Old Testament prophesies that they would overthrow Babylon, and the books of Daniel and Esther name them together with the Persians as "the Medes and Persians."
Sign
[Bible]A sign is a token that God displays to reveal His will and power, or the authority of one He has sent. The Gospel of John calls the miracles of Jesus "signs" and records them as evidence intended to lead people to faith.
Only Begotten Son
[Bible]"Only begotten Son" is a title used in the Gospel of John and the First Epistle of John to designate Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God.
Strange Fire
[Bible]Strange fire is an expression from the incident in Leviticus 10 in which Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, died after offering incense in a manner God had not commanded. The underlying Hebrew phrase means "strange" or "foreign" fire.
Purity Laws
[Bible]The purity laws are regulations of the Old Testament law that distinguish between the "clean" and the "unclean" in persons and objects and prescribe the procedures by which those who have become unclean may be made clean again. They appear chiefly in Leviticus 11–15 and Numbers 19.
The Widow's Jar of Oil
[Bible]The widow's jar of oil is a miracle recorded in 2 Kings 4:1-7, in which the prophet Elisha helped a widow who was about to lose her two sons to slavery because of a debt. The single jar of oil left in her house filled every empty vessel she had borrowed.
Maccabees
[Bible]The Books of Maccabees record the Jewish revolt against persecution under the Seleucid dynasty in the second century BC. The Catholic and Orthodox churches include them in the Old Testament canon, while Protestants classify them as Apocrypha.
Synagogue of Satan
[Bible]The "synagogue of Satan" is an expression found in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. It refers to the gathering of those who "say they are Jews" and who slandered and harassed the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia.
Third Wave
[History]The Third Wave was a Holy Spirit renewal movement that arose in the United States in the 1980s, led chiefly by C. Peter Wagner and John Wimber. The term refers to evangelicals who embraced gifts of the Holy Spirit such as healing, tongues, and prophecy but did not wish to be called Pentecostals or charismatics.
Jehovah's Witnesses
[Heresies & Cults]Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious organization that grew out of a Bible study group begun in the United States in the late nineteenth century by Charles Taze Russell. The group rejects the Trinity, and several Korean Protestant denominations have formally declared it heretical.
Ninety-five Theses
[History]The Ninety-five Theses are ninety-five Latin propositions issued by Martin Luther on October 31, 1517, criticizing the sale of indulgences. They are regarded as the starting point of the Reformation.
Ephesians 4:11–12
[Bible Verses]This passage states that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. It is a basis for the doctrine of church offices and for lay ministry, and whether the offices of apostle and prophet continue today remains debated.
Ephesians 6:12
[Bible Verses]Ephesians 6:12 declares, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (KJV). It is a key verse on spiritual warfare, and denominations differ considerably over how it should be put into practice.
Hebrews 13:8
[Bible Verses]Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever," is a confession of faith and a representative verse on the unchanging nature of Christ. Because it is also used to support the claim that miracles and divine healing continue today, it is frequently cited in debates over spiritual gifts.
Mark 16:15-18
[Bible Verses]In this passage the risen Jesus commands his disciples to preach the gospel to all the world and describes the signs that will follow those who believe. Although frequently cited as a missionary mandate, it belongs to the "Longer Ending of Mark," which is absent from the oldest manuscripts, so textual questions are discussed alongside its interpretation.
Luke 6:38
[Bible Verses]A saying of Jesus that begins, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." The verse is widely used to encourage offerings and generosity, but its original context concerns judging and forgiving others, and whether it should be read as a promise of reward is debated.
John 4:24
[Bible Verses]John 4:24 records the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The verse teaches that true worship depends on something other than place, and it is frequently cited in discussions of the forms of worship.
John 6:53–54
[Bible Verses]In this passage Jesus says, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." The Catholic Church and various Protestant traditions disagree on whether these words refer to the Lord's Supper and on how Christ is present in its bread and wine.
John 11:25–26
[Bible Verses]John 11:25–26 is the passage in which Jesus, after the death of Lazarus, tells Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life." It is one of the "I am" declarations in the Gospel of John and is the passage most frequently read at Christian funeral services.
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.