Search the encyclopedia
1000 articles found for “Church calendar”
Theodora
[People]Theodora (c. 500–548) was a sixth-century empress of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. The wife and closest adviser of Justinian I, she protected the churches that opposed the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon. The Orthodox Church venerates her as a saint.
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.
Romans 1:16–17
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel and states that in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." The passage expresses the theme of the entire Epistle to the Romans and is known for its decisive influence on Martin Luther's Reformation thought.
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.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
[Bible Verses]A summary of the gospel stating that Christ died for our sins "according to the scriptures," was buried, and rose again the third day. The passage is regarded as preserving one of the earliest forms of Christian confession in the New Testament and is a central basis of faith in the resurrection.
Philippians 4:13
[Bible Verses]Philippians 4:13 is Paul's confession, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It is one of the most beloved verses in Korean churches, and it is also frequently criticized for being taken out of context and used as a promise of success.
Philippians 2:5-8
[Bible Verses]A passage stating that Christ, though equal with God, "made himself of no reputation" (literally, "emptied himself"), took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death on the cross. It is the New Testament's most concentrated presentation of Christ's humiliation and became the starting point of the kenosis debate.
Colossians 2:16–17
[Bible Verses]Paul's instruction that no one should judge believers in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival, a new moon, or the Sabbath. Because Paul declares that these things are a shadow pointing to Christ, the passage serves as a key text in debates over the Sabbath, the Lord's Day, and dietary laws.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
[Bible Verses]This passage states that when the Lord descends from heaven, the dead will rise first, and those who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. It is the central text for the doctrine of the "rapture," and eschatological views differ over its timing and nature.
Romans 7:24–25
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul, struggling against sin, laments that he is a "wretched man" and gives thanks for deliverance through Jesus Christ. Interpreters have long disagreed over whether this "I" refers to a Christian or to a person under the law.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul declares that at Christ's return believers who have died will be raised with incorruptible bodies, and believers who are still living will be changed in an instant. It is frequently cited in affirmations of the resurrection hope and in discussions of the rapture.
Philippians 1:21–23
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul, writing as a prisoner, describes his inner conflict between life and death. The words "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" express a representative Christian view of life and death, and the passage is frequently cited in discussions of the believer's state immediately after death.
1 Corinthians 15:20–22
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul, addressing Corinthian Christians who denied the resurrection, declares that Christ has risen as "the firstfruits of them that slept" and contrasts Adam with Christ. It is frequently cited in discussions of resurrection faith, the doctrine of original sin, and the question of whom "all" refers to.
2 Corinthians 4:16
[Bible Verses]In this verse Paul, amid the sufferings he endures as an apostle, declares that "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." The verse is frequently cited when speaking of hope in the midst of aging, illness, and suffering, and discussion centers chiefly on what the "outward man" and the "inward man" denote.
Romans 11:33–36
[Bible Verses]A doxology in which the apostle Paul, concluding his discussion in Romans 9–11 of the salvation of Israel and the Gentiles, praises the unsearchable wisdom and sovereignty of God. It is frequently cited in discussions of God-centered faith and in debates over predestination.
Philippians 3:7–10
[Bible Verses]A passage in which the apostle Paul declares that he counts the Jewish credentials he once prized as "loss" and "dung" compared with the knowledge of Christ. Because it contrasts the righteousness of the law with the righteousness of faith, it is frequently cited as a basis for the doctrine of justification.
John Climacus
[People]John Climacus was a sixth- and seventh-century monk of Mount Sinai and abbot of its monastery. He wrote the spiritual classic The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which describes the path of faith as a ladder of thirty steps.
Aldersgate Experience
[History]The Aldersgate experience was a religious experience of John Wesley on May 24, 1738, when, at a society meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, he felt his "heart strangely warmed." It is commonly called Wesley's conversion and is regarded as the event that launched the Methodist movement.
Christian Education
[Doctrine & Theology]Christian education is the activity by which a faith community teaches Scripture and its faith tradition in order to nurture people in the faith. The term also refers to the academic discipline that studies this activity.