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Sea of Galilee
[Bible]The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake in the region of Galilee in northern Israel. Jesus Christ spent much of His public ministry there, and it appears frequently in the Gospels as the setting where He called disciples and performed many miracles.
Son of David
[Bible]A term meaning a descendant of King David. In the New Testament it is applied to Jesus as a messianic title for the king who, in keeping with the Old Testament promise, was to come from the house of David.
Decapolis
[Bible]The Decapolis (Greek for "ten cities") was a region of Hellenistic cities located mainly east of the Jordan River. It appears three times in the Gospels as a place of Jesus' ministry.
Abraham's Bosom
[Bible]Abraham's bosom is the expression used for the place to which the beggar Lazarus was carried after his death in Jesus' account of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:22-23). It is commonly understood to denote the rest and comfort the righteous enjoy after death.
Great Tribulation
[Doctrine & Theology]The Great Tribulation is an eschatological term for a period of intense suffering said to occur immediately before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Interpretations of its duration and nature, and of whether the church will pass through it, vary among theological positions.
Sychar
[Bible]Sychar is a town in the region of Samaria mentioned in John 4, where Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman beside Jacob's well. Scholars disagree about its exact location.
Messianic Secret
[Doctrine & Theology]The Messianic Secret is a term in New Testament studies for the scenes in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus repeatedly commands others not to reveal that he is the Messiah. The German theologian William Wrede named the motif in the early twentieth century, and it has since become a major theme in Gospel research.
Sermon on the Plain
[Bible]The Sermon on the Plain is the teaching recorded in Luke 6:17–49, which Jesus delivered to his disciples and the crowds after he chose the twelve disciples, came down from the mountain, and stood on a level place. Much of its content overlaps with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.
Chorazin
[Bible]Chorazin was a town north of the Sea of Galilee. Together with Bethsaida, it received Jesus' pronouncement of "Woe" because its people did not repent even though he had done many mighty works there.
Apostolic Succession
[Doctrine & Theology]Apostolic succession is the teaching that the authority and offices of the Church have been handed down without interruption from the apostles of Jesus Christ. Denominations differ on whether this succession is primarily a succession of office or a succession of teaching.
New Testament Apocrypha
[Bible]The New Testament Apocrypha is a collective term for early Christian writings that tell stories about Jesus and the apostles or bear an apostle's name but were not included among the twenty-seven books of the New Testament canon.
Caesar
[Bible]Caesar is a title of the Roman emperor in the New Testament. It appears in Jesus' exchange about paying tribute, in the trial of Jesus, and in Paul's appeal to the emperor.
Replacement Theology
[Doctrine & Theology]Replacement theology is the theological view that God's covenant relationship with Israel was transferred to the church after Jesus Christ. It is also called supersessionism.
Exorcism
[Christian Life]Exorcism is the casting out, in the name of Jesus Christ and through prayer, of demons believed to enter people and do them harm. The Gospels record Jesus casting out demons, and the practice has continued in various forms in Catholic rites and in Pentecostal and charismatic deliverance ministry.
Perpetual Virginity of Mary
[Doctrine & Theology]The perpetual virginity of Mary is the teaching that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin throughout her life, not only before but also after giving birth to Jesus. The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church profess it as doctrine, while Protestants generally do not accept it.
City of David
[Bible]The City of David is a phrase used in Luke 2 for Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, identifying it as the hometown where David was born and raised. In the Old Testament, the same original-language expression refers instead to the stronghold of Zion in Jerusalem.
Joachim Jeremias
[People]Joachim Jeremias (1900–1979) was a German Lutheran New Testament scholar. He studied the parables of Jesus, the words of institution of the Lord's Supper, and Jesus' use of the address "Abba," and he exerted a lasting influence on the interpretation of the parables.
Paraclete
[Doctrine & Theology]The Paraclete is a title used in the Gospel of John for the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised to send to his disciples after his departure. The term renders the Greek word parakletos.
Wedding Garment
[Bible]The wedding garment is the attire that the king requires of a guest at the feast in Jesus' parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1–14). Interpretations of what the garment signifies vary among denominations and traditions.
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.