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Word of Wisdom
[Bible]The word of wisdom is the first of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Paul lists in 1 Corinthians 12:8. It refers to the gift of communicating in speech the wisdom the Holy Spirit gives. Its precise content is understood differently across traditions and denominations.
Seven Seals
[Bible]The seven seals are the seals that close the scroll held in the hand of God in Revelation 5–8. As the slain Lamb opens them one by one, war, famine, death, martyrdom, and cosmic upheaval follow in succession.
Fool
[Bible]The fool is a biblical figure who does not fear God and refuses to heed teaching and instruction. The term appears frequently in the wisdom literature, especially Proverbs, and carries over into the New Testament.
Four Horsemen
[Bible]The Four Horsemen are four figures riding horses of different colors who appear in turn in Revelation 6 as the Lamb opens the first four of the seven seals. They are commonly called the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
Seven Trumpets
[Bible]The seven trumpets are the trumpets blown in succession by seven angels in Revelation 8–11, together with the plagues and events that follow each one. They form the second set of seven judgments, placed between the seven seals and the seven bowls.
1 Chronicles 29:11–12
[Bible Verses]The opening of the prayer of praise that David offered after gifts were presented for building the temple, in which he confesses that greatness and power, riches and honor, and the kingdom all belong to God. The passage is frequently cited in discussions of God's sovereignty and Christian stewardship, and during the offering in worship.
Mary
[People]Mary is the woman presented in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus Christ. Protestants and Catholics both confess the virgin birth, but they differ in their understanding of Mary's status and of the veneration due to her.
John
[People]John was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. He has traditionally been regarded as the author of the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation.
Romans 13:1
[Bible Verses]Romans 13:1 exhorts every person to "be subject unto the higher powers" and declares that all authority comes from God. It is a key text on the relationship between church and state, and how it should be applied under unjust regimes has long been debated.
1 Corinthians 1:18
[Bible Verses]"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." This verse declares that the cross stands at the center of the gospel and is frequently cited as a text that sets the direction for preaching and theology.
1 Corinthians 11:27–29
[Bible Verses]This passage teaches that whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord "unworthily" is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, and it calls believers to examine themselves and to discern "the Lord's body." It is the scriptural basis for self-examination before Communion, and eucharistic theologies diverge over what "the body" refers to.
Philippians 4:6–7
[Bible Verses]An exhortation not to be anxious about anything but to pray with thanksgiving, with the promise that the peace of God will guard the heart and mind. The passage is widely cherished as a source of comfort and is frequently cited in discussions of how faith relates to anxiety and mental health.
James 5:14–15
[Bible Verses]This passage instructs the sick to call for the elders of the church, who are to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The Catholic sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the divine healing ministry of Pentecostal churches, and Protestant pastoral visitation of the sick all appeal to this passage, though each understands its meaning differently.
Luke 23:34
[Bible Verses]Luke 23:34 records the prayer Jesus offered on the cross for those who were crucifying him: "Father, forgive them." It is traditionally counted as the first of the Seven Last Words from the Cross. The verse also raises a textual question, because the prayer is absent from some early manuscripts.
John 1:1
[Bible Verses]John 1:1, the opening verse of the Gospel of John, declares that the Word, who existed in the beginning, was with God and was God. As a principal text for the deity of Jesus, it has long been disputed between proponents of the doctrine of the Trinity and groups that reject that doctrine and translate the verse differently.
John 1:14
[Bible Verses]John 1:14 declares that the Word, who existed from the beginning, was made flesh and dwelt among humanity. It is the most concise statement of the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation and provides a basis for confessing both the divinity and the humanity of Jesus.
John 3:16
[Bible Verses]John 3:16 declares that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should have everlasting life. Widely regarded as a summary of the gospel, it is the best-known verse in the Bible. Calvinism and Arminianism interpret the scope of "the world" and "whosoever believeth" differently.
Acts 1:8
[Bible Verses]Acts 1:8 records Jesus' words to the disciples just before his ascension: when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they will receive power and be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The verse previews the narrative of the entire Book of Acts and serves as a leading watchword for missions. The nature of the experience of the Spirit implied by "receiving power" is debated.
Psalm 127:1
[Bible Verses]A declaration that unless the LORD builds the house, the labor of those who build it is in vain. It is one of the verses most often cited at the beginning of a church building project, a new household, or a business venture, and it is read as raising the question of how human effort relates to the sovereignty of God.
Proverbs 1:7
[Bible Verses]Proverbs 1:7 declares that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, stating the theme of the entire Book of Proverbs. Christian schools and educational institutions widely use it as a motto, and it is often cited in discussions of the relationship between faith and learning.