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Understanding religious terminology

'CHURCHSPEAK’

Over the millennia a specialised vocabulary has developed to explain certain spiritual concepts that cannot easily be explained in everyday language. Also, certain words have developed underlying spiritual meanings that are different to their normal use. This page endeavours to explain some of these in a simple way.

It is split into two sections:
a. Definitions of ‘Religious Terms’
b. Underlying Spiritual Meanings in the Bible

A. DEFINITION OF 'RELIGIOUS TERMS'

There are a number of concepts used within the Bible to explain aspects of Christianity that can be difficult to understand, often even to those within the church. Man has, in some instances, built complicated and often differing doctrines (teachings, principles of belief) around these. The following, I hope simple explanations, are designed to convey the basic principles behind each concept. These can be built upon as the believer receives, through God's grace, (see definition!) a deeper understanding of God's word.

Term Meaning

ATONEMENT - 'at-one-ment' ' at one with God

BAPTISM - A symbolic acknowledgement that a believer has been crucified and buried with Christ and is now living a new life in Him.

BELIEVER - One who believes Jesus died for them, and has therefore received eternal life through establishing a personal relationship with Jesus.

CHRISTIAN - Literally means 'Christ-like.'

ETERNAL JUDGEMENT - The bringing to account of all mankind at the end of this age.

ETERNAL LIFE - The promise, to the believer, of an everlasting existence with Jesus after death on earth.

FAITH - Trust in Christ. The positive assurance that all the promises revealed to us in God's Word (the Bible) are true.

GLORIFICATION - To be made like Christ.

GRACE - God giving us freely what we don't deserve.

JUSTIFICATION - 'Just-as-if-I'd' never sinned. Being made righteous (i.e. right with God) by Jesus, who took away our sin and gave us His sinless life. Being acquitted of our sin.

PRIEST - A mediator between man and God. A New Testament Christian is to be a priest. i.e. we must come directly to God ourselves.

RECONCILIATION - Being made friends with God through the death of Jesus on the Cross.

REDEMPTION - To be set free from our sins.

REPENTANCE -
1.Complete acknowledgement of our sin without excuse. Of admitting that Christ is always right and we are always wrong in every matter.
2.To hear, to believe and to obey God.
3.Admitting our wrong. Turning from our wrong and obeying God. A raising up from the dead. In Christianity 3 elements are involved.

RESURRECTION -
1. PAST: The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. PRESENT: The spiritual resurrection of the believer.
3. FUTURE: The future bodily resurrection of everyone. (not just Christians)

RIGHTEOUSNESS - Right with God, right with man.

SALVATION - The saving of man from the power of sin through the death of Jesus on the cross.

SANCTIFICATION - The process of being made like Christ. (to be made Holy)

SIN - Our refusal to obey God and to reject His gift of salvation in Jesus.

B. UNDERLYING BIBLICAL SPIRITUAL MEANINGS

Tips to Help You Better Understand the Spiritual Meaning of Your Bible

Many words in the Bible have implied spiritual meanings as well as literal ones. For instance, numbers in Hebrew have an underlying meaning as well as a numeric value. e.g. the number 7 speaks of completion or perfection. Other words have a spiritual significance as well as a literal meaning. e.g. when scripture talks of a 'lamb' it is usually a type of Jesus, the 'Lamb of God' (John 1:29)

I trust that this list will help you better understand some of the amazing spiritual truths hidden in the pages of God's Word, the Bible. Do be careful however, to apply these types and pictures sensibly. The relevance of their application must be considered in the context in which the words are used in the passage being studied and in the Bible as a whole.

Underlying Spiritual Meanings of Numbers

1-----God

2-----Witness

3-----The Godhead

4-----Earth/Man

5-----Atonement or Grace

6-----Fallen man

7-----Completion, Perfection, Maturity

8-----New Beginnings, Resurrection

9-----Eternal perfection

10----Trial and testing

12----Divine government

40----Trial and testing

50----Anointing

144---(12x12) New man in Christ, Ultimate government of God

200---Insufficiency

300---full deliverance

50x6=300-Anointed man

666---Man setting himself up as God

888---Jesus

Animals

D0VE-------------Holy Spirit

OTHER BIRDS-----Demons

LAMB------------Jesus

Plants

ALMOND ROD----Word of God

FIG-------------Tree Strength

FIRSTFRUITS---Overcoming or mature Christians

FRUIT/S--------Results or attributes to be developed in a Christian

HYSSOP--------Faith

MYRTLE--------Joy, Fragrance

OLIVE TREE----Anointing

PALM----------Victory, Righteousness

PINE-----------Oil

SEED-----------Life, Spiritual man

THORNS--------Non-Christians

THISTLES------Non-Christians

WEEDS---------Non-Christians

WILLOW--------Weeping

Of Nature

CLAY---------Man

DARKNESS----Sin, Satan

DEW----------Devotion

DROUGHT-----Judgement

DUST---------Natural man

FIRE----------Judgement, Testing, Purification (Sometimes Holy Spirit)

FLOOD--------Judgement

LIGHT---------God, Personal revelation we have received of God

LIGHTENING---Judgement

MOUNTAIN----Authority

MOON---------Jesus

RAIN----------Holy Spirit

RAINBOW------God's Covenant Promises

ROCK---------Jesus

SAND---------People

STARS--------Holy Spirit, Christians

STONES------Christians

SUN----------God the Father

THUNDER-----Voice of God

WATER-------Cleansing, Purification

WIND---------Holy Spirit

Colours

BLUE------Holy Spirit (Sky and Sea)

RED-------The Son (Blood), Holy Spirit (Fire)

YELLOW---The Father (Gold)

WHITE----Jesus (Purity)

Metals

BRASS-------Judgement, Strength against sin

GOLD--------Deity (God), Faith

SILVER------Redemption, Atonement

The Three Gifts

GOLD: Celestial good - love - kingship

FRANKINCENSE: Spiritual good - faith - divinity

MYRRH: Natural good - use of love and faith, trials and testings - sacrifice

Other

ARMOUR-----------Protection

BABYLON----------Religious confusion

DOOR, GATE-------Jesus i.e. the entrance to God
The place of authority where we bind or loose powers for good or evil.
(Thanks Irene)

EGYPT------------World

LINEN------------Righteousness

ROD--------------Authority

SWORD-----------The Word (Bible)

YEAST, LEAVEN---Sin, Human weakness, False doctrine, Corrupt practices (but not in Matthew 13:33)

Smiles From The Bible

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married?
A. Ruthless.

Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. What was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan. The banks were always overflowing.

Q. Who is the greatest baby sitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.