Search the encyclopedia
1000 articles found for “Church calendar”
Friday Prayer Meeting
[Worship & Rites]The Friday prayer meeting is a regular prayer gathering in Korean Protestantism, held from Friday evening into the night and consisting of worship songs, preaching, and prayer. Because participants once prayed through the night, it is also called the Friday all-night prayer meeting.
Annual Conference
[Organization & Polity]In Methodism, an annual conference is both the yearly meeting at which the clergy and lay representatives of a given region decide on the ordination of ministers, clergy membership and appointments, and the administration of local churches, and the regional unit over which that meeting has jurisdiction.
Charismatic Movement
[Doctrine & Theology]The charismatic movement is a stream of Christian faith that holds that gifts of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, prophecy, and divine healing are still given today, and that seeks to experience and practice them. The term refers chiefly to the renewal movement that arose within established denominations in the mid-twentieth century.
Taxation of Clergy
[Controversies]Taxation of clergy is the question of levying income tax on the honoraria received by pastors and other religious workers. In South Korea, taxation of clergy income took effect in January 2018 after a long controversy.
Gospel of John
[Bible]The Gospel of John is the fourth book of the New Testament and the last of the four Gospels. It presents Jesus as the Son of God and the Word made flesh, and it consists of twenty-one chapters.
Sending
[Worship & Rites]Sending is the part of worship in which the congregation is sent out into the world at the close of the service. The term also refers to sending missionaries or pastors to their fields of ministry.
Hospital Chaplain
[Church Offices]A hospital chaplain is a minister attached to a hospital who carries out pastoral ministry, such as worship services, counseling, and visitation, for patients, their families, and hospital staff.
1 Corinthians 15:29
[Bible Verses]A verse that mentions "them which are baptized for the dead" and asks what such people shall do if there is no resurrection. It is regarded as one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament to interpret, and it is the text that groups practicing proxy baptism cite as the basis for the practice.
1 John 1:9
[Bible Verses]"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This verse is a leading text on the repentance and forgiveness of believers. It figures in discussions of the sacrament of penance, the Protestant practice of direct confession to God, and the question of whether saved believers must repent repeatedly.
Romans 11:2
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul declares that, despite the unbelief of most of Israel, God has not cast away "his people which he foreknew," and then appeals to the example of Elijah. It is frequently cited in discussions of the meaning of God's foreknowledge and of the future of Israel.
Romans 10:14–15
[Bible Verses]Romans 10:14–15 is a passage in which the apostle Paul uses a chain of questions (calling, believing, hearing, preaching, and sending) to show that people are needed to proclaim the gospel. It is frequently cited as a basis for sending missionaries and for preaching, and interpreters differ over to whom the "sending" applies.
1 Corinthians 10:11–12
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul presents the failures of Israel in the wilderness as examples and warns the Corinthian believers, who were confident that they stood firm in the faith, to take heed lest they fall. It is frequently cited as a warning against spiritual pride and is often discussed in debates over whether believers can fall away from salvation.
1 Corinthians 10:23–24
[Bible Verses]A passage in which the apostle Paul states that "all things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient," teaching that Christian liberty is limited by the good of one's neighbor and the building up of the community. It is frequently cited in discussions of Christian conduct, such as alcohol, tobacco, and cultural activities.
1 Corinthians 15:28
[Bible Verses]A verse in 1 Corinthians 15, the chapter on the resurrection and the last things, stating that after all things have been subjected to the Son, the Son himself will also be subject to the Father, "that God may be all in all." It has been cited frequently in Trinitarian and Christological debates.
1 Corinthians 15:30–32
[Bible Verses]A passage in which Paul argues that if there is no resurrection, his life of facing death every day is in vain. "I die daily" is widely quoted as an expression of self-denial, while the meaning of his statement that he "fought with beasts at Ephesus" is disputed.
1 Corinthians 7:12-16
[Bible Verses]Paul's instructions to believers living with an unbelieving spouse: if the spouse is willing to stay, the believer should not separate, and if the spouse departs, the believer should not prevent it. The passage is frequently cited in discussions of divorce and remarriage and in the debate over infant baptism.
2 Corinthians 8:9
[Bible Verses]A verse in which Paul, urging a collection for the saints in Jerusalem, says that Christ, though rich, became poor for the sake of believers. It is frequently cited as a text on the incarnation and as a basis for generous giving, and interpreters differ over the meaning of "rich."
2 Corinthians 12:7–10
[Bible Verses]In this passage Paul confesses that he was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from pride. He prayed three times for its removal but received the answer "My grace is sufficient for thee." The passage is frequently cited as a key text on suffering and weakness, and interpreters disagree about the identity of the thorn and its bearing on the question of healing.
2 Corinthians 4:7
[Bible Verses]In this verse Paul says that the "treasure" of the gospel has been placed in "earthen vessels," that is, frail human beings, and declares that the power belongs to God rather than to people. It is frequently cited as a key text contrasting the weakness of ministers with the power of God.
2 Corinthians 10:3–5
[Bible Verses]A passage in which the apostle Paul, answering those who disparaged him, declares that his warfare is waged not by worldly means but by the power of God, pulling down "strong holds" and casting down "imaginations." It is frequently cited in discussions of spiritual warfare and the discipline of the mind.