Browse the glossary using this index
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
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AdonaiBiblical name of God meaning Lord, Master, Ruler | |
AtheismBelief that there is no God | |
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BasilElected bishop of Caesarea in A.D. 370. In Letter 189, written to Eustathius, he defended the Scriptures as our final authority in doctrine. | |
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CatholicTerm which originally meant "universal," and was used in the Apostles' Creed to describe the Church as including all believers from all places and throughout all of history. The term later came to be used in reference to the Roman Church as an organization, but this was not the original meaning as it was used in the creed. | |
CyprianBishop of Carthage in the third century. In Epistle 73, he wrote that traditional teachings of the Church should not have more authority than the Scriptures, because the Church can make theological mistakes. In this letter he wrote, "...custom without truth is the antiquity of error." | |
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El ElyonBiblical name of God meaning God Most High | |
El ShaddaiBiblical name of God meaning Almighty God | |
Ex nihiloLatin phrase meaning "out of nothing," used to explain that God created everything out of nothing | |
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GnosticismEarly heresy from the first centuries after Christ. Among other things, they believed that material things were evil, including the human body, which was a prison of the human soul. They consequently believed that God would never take on the form of human flesh, and therefore denied that Jesus was both God and man. | |
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HenotheismBelief in the existence of many gods, but offering special dedication on one primary god | |
HippolytusTheologian from Rome (c 170 – c 236 A.D.). Wrote Against the Heresy of One Noetus, in which he defended the Scriptures as our final authority in doctrine. | |
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Islam Religion that teaches that Jesus was a true prophet of God, but that He was not crucified or resurrected | |
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MonotheismBelief in one true God | |
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Nicene CreedCreed written by a council held in the city of the same name, in 325 A.D. This creed was basically an expansion of the Apostles' Creed. | |
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OrigenEarly Christian theologian (185-254 A.D.) who taught in Alexandria, Egypt. Wrote commentaries on the Bible and On First Principles, in which he defended the Scriptures as our final authority for Christian doctrine. He produced the Hexapla, a comparative study of various translations of the Old Testament. | |
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PolytheismBelief in multiple gods | |
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Roman Creed A creed used in Rome in the early centuries after Christ, almost identical to the Apostles' Creed | |
Rufinus Monk and historian (340/345 – 410 A.D.), who proposed (in 390 A.D.) the idea that the Apostles' Creed was written by the twelve apostles, each one contributing a phrase | |
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SimplicityWhen used in theology in reference to God, it means that God's essence consists of only one substance. | |
SingularityWhen used in theology in reference to God, it means that He is the only true God. | |
Sola ScripturaLatin phrase meaning "Scripture alone," one of the basic principles of the Reformation | |
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TertullianEarly Christian writer (160-220 A.D.) from Carthage. (His name is written in several different ways, sometimes ending in "-us.") He referred to the "Roman Creed" by this name around 200 A.D. | |
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Undifferentiated monadBelief that god is absolutely one, with no distinction between persons | |
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YahwehBiblical name of God meaning Lord. Derives from "I AM" in Hebrew. It is the most intimate name of God, a proper name, used as early as the time of Seth. | |