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Dispensationalism
[Doctrine & Theology]Dispensationalism is a theological system that reads biblical history as a series of "dispensations" (economies) through which God deals with humanity, and that distinguishes between Israel and the church. It originated in nineteenth-century Britain and has also significantly shaped the understanding of the end times in Korean churches.
Blastus
[People]Blastus is a figure mentioned only once, in Acts 12:20, as the chamberlain of King Herod (Agrippa I). When the people of Tyre and Sidon sought to make peace with the king, they conveyed their request through him.
Calming the Storm
[Bible]Calming the Storm is the miracle in which Jesus, in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, rebuked the wind and the waves and made them still. It is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Rabbah
[Bible]Rabbah was the capital of the Ammonites, east of the Jordan River. During David's reign, Uriah was killed while Joab was besieging the city. It is generally identified with the site of Amman, the present-day capital of Jordan.
Mark 12
[Bible]Mark 12 is the chapter in which Jesus, teaching in the temple at Jerusalem, tells the parable of the wicked husbandmen; answers questions about tribute, the resurrection, and the greatest commandment; and commends the poor widow's offering.
1 Corinthians 12:13
[Bible Verses]In this verse Paul tells the church at Corinth that all believers, whatever their ethnic origin or social status, have been baptized by one Spirit into one body. It is frequently cited in interdenominational discussions about the timing and meaning of Spirit baptism.
Genesis 9
[Bible]Genesis 9 is the chapter in which, after the Flood, God blesses Noah and his sons and establishes a covenant with the rainbow as its sign. It also recounts Noah's drunkenness, the curse on Canaan, and Noah's death.
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.
Glory of God
[Doctrine & Theology]The glory of God refers to the majesty and beauty of God's being and character and to their manifestation in the world. The term can also denote the act of human beings exalting and praising God.
Devoted Thing
[Bible]A "devoted thing" (Hebrew herem) is an object or person wholly dedicated to God, which therefore can no longer be put to private use or redeemed. The term is best known from the account of Achan in Joshua 7.
Ephesians 2:8–9
[Bible Verses]Ephesians 2:8–9 is a passage of Paul's letter declaring, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." It is widely regarded as the passage that best summarizes the Reformation principles of "grace alone" and "faith alone," and what the word "that" refers to remains a matter of discussion.
Ram's Horn Trumpet
[Bible]The ram's horn trumpet, known in Hebrew as the shofar, is a trumpet made from the horn of a ram. It is best known from the account of the fall of Jericho in Joshua 6, in which priests blew it before the Ark of the Covenant.
Oil (Bible)
[Bible]In the Bible, "oil" refers chiefly to olive oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree. It was used for food, for lamps, and as medicine, and in sacrifices and anointing rites it signified consecration to God and blessing.
Acts 16:31
[Bible Verses]Acts 16:31 records the answer of Paul and Silas to the jailer of the prison at Philippi: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." The verse is widely cherished as a text of hope for the salvation of one's family. It raises two questions: whether "thy house" is a promise to the whole family, and whether household baptisms support infant baptism.
Ezekiel 29
[Bible]Ezekiel 29 opens the book's prophecies against Egypt. It pronounces judgment on Pharaoh, who boasts that the Nile is his own, by likening him to a great crocodile, and it foretells that the land of Egypt will be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar.
Taxes
[Bible]Taxes are money or goods collected from the people by a state or by the temple. Scripture mentions taxes under Egypt, the Israelite monarchy, Persia, and Rome, as well as the temple tax. The subject is best known through the saying "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's."
Branch (Messianic Title)
[Bible]"Branch" translates the Hebrew word tsemach, which the Old Testament prophets used as a title for a righteous ruler who would arise from the line of David. Christianity has read it as a messianic prophecy of Jesus Christ.
Song of Songs 5
[Bible]Song of Songs 5 opens with the bridegroom's song upon entering his garden. It then tells how the bride, failing to receive her beloved when he comes to her at night, loses him, searches for him, and sings of his beauty to the daughters of Jerusalem.
Benediction
[Worship & Rites]The benediction is the part of a worship service in which, at its close, the minister asks for or pronounces God's blessing upon the congregation. In Catholic and Anglican usage, it is commonly referred to as the blessing.
Psalm 103:5
[Bible Verses]Psalm 103:5 is the final item in the psalmist's list of God's benefits in Psalm 103. It declares that God satisfies with good things and renews youth like the eagle's. The verse is often cited in connection with restoration and renewed strength. Discussion centers on how to translate a Hebrew word variously rendered "desire" or "lifetime," and on how to interpret the eagle imagery.