The Biblical and Christian Worldview
for the 21st Century

Glossary of Biblical Definitions for Worldview

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Recent additions to this Glossary

This glossary of Biblical definitions focuses on words that are important to the concept of a Biblical and Christian worldview and to personal salvation.  1) The latter focus is not comprehensive, but we have chosen those words that Christians commonly misuse and thereby limit their experience to honor God, His blessing in their lives, and affect the world for change.  We strongly believe that neither fullness in worldview nor fullness in the Christian life can be achieved without focused attention on definitions.  After all, salvation and obedience are foundational to a sound Biblical and Christian worldview!  Of special importance are these words: emotions, ethic, ethics, evangelical, heart, law, justice, philosophy (and all its synonyms), regeneration, righteousness, salvation, and truth.  2) The glossary is a mini-overview of a Biblical and Christian worldview.  To know these definitions and many of their nuances is to have a basic understanding of worldview! 3) This glossary is concerned with establishing definitions that are consistent throughout this website.  3)  My research has shown that The Creation (Cultural) Mandate, The Kingdom of God, Biblical Worldview, Biblical Ethics, The Gospel, and The Great Commission are one and the same.

Multiple definitions.  Readers should keep in mind that almost every word has more than one definition. We usually only list the one here that is most relevant to worldview and salvation. See more about biblical definitions.

Sources of definitions.  Many of the definitions are my own, with priority given to Biblical uses.  Some are direct quotes of references cited.  Some are compilations of several sources.  All are designed to give the reader the best definition within all the considerations of a Biblical worldview.

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A

Absolutes: statements that are true anywhere at any time, for example, the Law of Non-Contradiction.

Addiction: a term used by professionals (physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.) and laymen to refer to problems of a repetitive nature that dominate a person's life, usually in a severely destructive way.  The term is used so loosely as to be of little value.  Its modern denotation began with addiction to heroin, and as such, included a physical dependence on a drug, as well as its severely habitual nature.  However, it is now commonly used for such things as "sexual addiction" and "gambling addiction" that clearly have no drug dependence inherent to the problem.  Apart from the drug dependence, addictions are better labeled as "besetting sins."  Also, see Additional Comments.

Agapeo (verb), Agapé (noun): to love and love, respectively.  See sub-section of Love.

Angel of Light: This description of Satan is given in II Corinthians 11:14.  The danger of Satan and his fallen angels is not in their evil, grotesque appearance, but when they come masquerading with kind and good ideas.  Satan's first words in the Bible are "has not God said," distorting God's Word to Eve and seducing her.  This disguise has great implication for those trying to understand a Biblical worldview: principles may come quite close to being God's Word, but be the actual word of Satan.  So, we must be diligent in our study of God's Word systematically that our theology, ethics, and worldview are clearly and soundly Biblical.

Anthropology: the study of the origins, nature, and destiny of man. Any study of man must begin with the study of God (the Bible) or it will be incomplete, erroneous, or falsely understood.  This science must be controlled, directed, and filtered through Scripture.  Psychology is a major division of anthropology.  In fact, by our definition here, psychology is anthropology, separated (mostly) from the history (origins) and future (destiny) of man.  Thus, theology (the study of God) and psychology (the study of the mind of man) are central to anthropology.  This identity is the reason that Psychology comprises a large section of our Worldview Areas.  Men and women's relationships to each other is Sociology.  The Christian will, then, connect God, man, and his social life with The Two Great Commandments, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind," and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37, 39).  (Note the "psychological" terms of heart, soul, mind, and Luke adds, "strength.") As these Two Commandments are a summary of the Ten Commandments, and indeed, all the commandments of Scripture, Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology are central themes of God's Word to man.  See our Areas of Psychology and Sociology.

Anthropomorphism: human characteristics that are ascribed to God.  "God is spirit" (John 4:24).  Thus, any description of God having body parts (eyes, hands, head, etc.) is an anthropomorphism.  It is correct to identify characteristics of the human mind, where man corresponds to the image of God. A common error is to ascribe emotions to God. Very simply, God is immutable or unchangeable, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Emotions are a precondition to change (past, present, or future) and, often, particular thoughts, speech, or behavior occur because of the effect of these emotions. For a short discussion, see Feelings in Body and Soul. For a more complete discussion, see A Definition of Emotions.

Apocrypha: etymologically, "hidden or obscure." Protestants use this word to refer to the books that the Roman Catholic Church believes is Spirit-inspired, but we do not.  Roman Catholics, then, would not refer to these books as Apocrypha, since to them they are indeed the Word of God.  Thus, the proper designation of the Canon is "the 66 books of the Protestant Bible."

Apologetics: the development of any worldview area that gives evidence (defense) of Biblical truth: archeology, creation science, philosophical consistency (coherence, correspondence, epistemology, etc.), agreement of over 40 Biblical authors, positive changes in history  (individuals, groups, and nations) because of the life of Christ and His effect on people, etc.  Apologetics are exceedingly beneficial to Christians themselves, to complete their faith and to see a complete Biblical worldview.  Apologetics conferences are wrongly named because they inevitably involve instruction to Christians and are, thus, not a defense of the faith to unbelievers.

Art and The Arts: See Art and The Arts.

Autographs:  see Inerrancy, Infallibility, and Evangelical.

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B

Belief: synonym of faith.  See Faith below.

Believe: verb form of faith.  See Faith below.

Bible-believer, or Bible-believing Christian: synonym of Evangelical (below).

Biblical counseling: See Nouthetic counseling.  The two terms are equivalent.

Biblical ethics: See Ethic and Ethics.

Biblical psychology: see Psychology below.

Biblical theology: Study that is principally concerned with the overall theological message of the whole Bible. It seeks to understand the parts in relation to the whole and, to achieve this, it must work with the mutual interaction of the literary, historical, and theological dimensions of the various corpora, and with the inter-relationships of these within the whole canon of Scripture. Biblical Theology

Biblicism:  simply, the belief that the Bible is man's only source of truth and that the Bible governs and defines all areas of knowledge.  Biblicism is often used, derogatorily and falsely, to those who believe and work from this premise, that they are narrow-minded and do not value other sources of knowledge (especially, natural revelation) and that they do not use other sources of theology.  True Biblicism uses all sources of knowledge, but always allows Scripture to be the controlling authority.  For a more complete discussion of this word, see Biblicism Applied to the Study of History.

Born-again, Born from above: See Regeneration.

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C

Calvinism: beliefs that are essentially consistent with those of John Calvin.  Reformed and Presbyterian are very close, but not necessarily identical with Calvinism.  Calvinists would differ primarily in the areas of mode of baptism, infant or adult baptism, and form of church government.  While TULIP (Total Depravity or Total Inability, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints) is often used as a summary for Calvinism, it is focused on personal salvation.  Calvinism more broadly includes God's Sovereignty, Providence, and Predestination of "everything that comes to pass," whether great or small.  Thus, STULIPPP (adding Sovereignty, Providence, and Predestination) would be a better mnemonic for Calvinism.

Canon: “canon” is derived from the Hebrew word "qaneh" which means a reed used as a measuring stick  It was the term used by the early church fathers to denote which books were true Scripture, inspired by God.  Believers in the early centuries had to decide which manuscripts were Spirit-inspired and those that were not.  Protestants and Roman Catholics differ on what is the true Canon.

Career: a modern word meaning the Work or Vocation in which one is engaged to produce income and to which one has committed many years or an entire lifetime.  Career is not a proper concept for Christians because it divorces this area of work from Vocation, the "calling" of God.  See Job, Work, and Vocation.

(The) Catholic Church: the universal church, as in The Apostle's Creed, "I believe in the holy catholic church."  This term is not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Church.  See The Church.

Charity: voluntary giving to a specific need, wisely, within Biblical parameters (for example, "if a person will not work, neither shall he eat," II Thessalonians 3:10), to anyone that has true needs.  For more see principles of charity and do a Search of "charity" on this website.  Charity, as a Biblical concept. never includes any for of government welfare.

Christian: one who believes in the Scriptures as Truth and the very Word of God, trusts in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation, and is obedient to the commandments of both the Old and New Testaments.  For more on "Christian".

(The) Church: consists of both the visible and the invisible church.  The visible church are those true Christians who are alive on earth at any one time and profess the basic truths of the Gospel.  The invisible church are those who are true believers and those who have died and are already in heaven.  In The Apostle's Creed, "holy catholic church" refers to this concept of The Church, not the Roman Catholic Church.  The invisible, not the visible, Church will be the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-33), as the visible Church includes tares among the wheat.

(The Local) Church:  a local body of The Church, founded upon some form of agreement among its members.

Civil Government:  see (The State).

Civilization: "the sum total of a society's spiritual, intellectual, ethical, and institutional values, which in varying degrees will permit those living in it to develop as completely and harmoniously as possible."  See What Is Civilization?  A concept which must be re-thought within a Biblical worldview.  Great architecture, substantive writing, structured government, and other entities, the commonly accepted criteria of "civilization," along with the presence of human sacrifice and child abandonment (as was present in "the grandeur that was Greece and the glory that was Rome") does not qualify as being "civilized."  A civilization must have some consistent application of Biblical justice.  Also,

Coherence Theory of Truth: the test of truth that all statements (judgments, propositions) must be consistent or harmonize with other statements that are known to be true.  (Also known as the test of consistency of truth.) The great problem is what each individual or group is willing to accept as "true." The Bible provides the only such system for mankind.  "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One!"  "In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  For more on this idea, go to Truth and do a word search for "cohere."

Common Grace:  God's benefits to mankind for both the regenerate and the unregenerate.  These benefits are far greater than might be recognized at first glance.  Not only does He send the rain, sunshine, and harvest, He has structured the universe with fixed properties that are discoverable by man's mind and investigation and that are always predictable for man to construct his life and design his inventions for his own benefit.

Conciliarism: the concept that doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church resided more in official church councils, than in the interpretation of the Pope. This difference in doctrine was a major conflict in the Roman Catholic Church during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Conscience: that faculty of the mind that makes judgments about whether a thought, spoken work, or action is right or wrong.  Because of man's being finite and sinful, as well as having imperfect Biblical understanding, the conscience may be in error on specific judgments.  As Christians mature and become more knowledgeable in the Word, they have "their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14), that is, their consciences are more consistently aligned with the Scriptures.  The violation of the conscience is always wrong, even when the judgment of the conscience is wrong (Romans 14:5, 23; James 4:17)!

Councils, Church:  see the name of the council, for example, Trent, Council of.

Counseling: See Biblical counseling.

Covenant:  a contract made between a higher authority with a lesser one that sanctions benefits for obedience and penalties for disobedience.  Generally, in theology there is the Covenant of Works that God had with Adam and the Covenant of Grace that God has with His people because of the merits of Jesus Christ.  The Covenant of Grace began with the promise to Adam and Eve that her seed would "bruise the head" of Satan, as Christ presented Himself as the perfect atonement.  Thus, all believers of the Old Testament were under the Covenant of Grace, not a Covenant of Works.   See WCF, Chapter 7.

Creation:  "it pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the glory of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days; and all very good."  (Westminster Confession of Faith, IV:1).  See WCF.

(The) Creation Mandate: the sum of God's decrees given to mankind before his Fall.  These are (1) "the procreation of offspring, (2) the replenishing of the earth, (3) subduing the same, (4) dominion of the creatures, (5) labor, (6) the weekly Sabbath, and (7) marriage"  (John Murray, Principles of Conduct, page 27).  The Creation Mandates should be linked to The Great Commission which includes "make disciples of all the nations" and "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you... "under all authority in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:19-20).  They can also be linked to The Lord's Prayer in "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).  See Cultural Mandate.  In essence, The Creation Mandate, The Great Commission, The Kingdom of God, and The Two Great Commandments are one and the same.  See discussions on this website for the equivalence of these concepts.

Creed: for the Christian, a creed is any statement that represents Biblical knowledge other than the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  That is, any statement other than the original text is a representation of it.  Translations, in particular, involve detailed choices of words and nuances to represent what was said.  While "creed" is usually associated with creedal statements, such as, The Apostles' Creed, any translation of the Bible is also a creed.  The Christian who claims "No creed but Christ" or "No creed but the Bible" has not understood how language communicates from one person to another, one generation to another, and one culture to another.  See No Creed But Christ.

(The) Cultural Mandate: another designation of The Creation Mandate.  This phrase has more emphasis on all the cultures of the earth being brought under the dominion of Christ.  That is, the culture is "transformed by the renewing of minds" through application of a Biblical worldview.  This Mandate is repeated in The Great Commission to "go and disciple all nations."

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D

Death: the Biblical definition of death is separation from a former state of existence.  There are four types of death.  1) Separation from self, other people, and God because of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:17, 3:7, 9-11, 23) and one's own sins.  2) Separation from this sinful way of life (the "flesh" or "old man") upon regeneration, profession of faith, and repentance. 3) Physical death, when our soul/spirit is separated from the physical body.  4) The Second Death, the most terrible punishment of being separated from God and the fellowship of any other living person forever (Revelation 20:14, 21:8).  Man's greatest fear is the fear of death (I Corinthians 15:26; Hebrews 2:15).  "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death" (I Corinthians 15:26).  Thus, in heaven there will be no separation from our true selves, others, and God Himself.

Deduction: the process of Logic (see definition below).

Deism: "... the belief or system of religious opinions of those who acknowledge the existence of one God, but deny revelation: or deism is the belief in natural religion only, or those truths, in doctrine and practice, which man is to discover by the light of reason, independent and exclusive of any revelation from God. Hence deism implies infidelity or a disbelief in the divine origin of the scriptures." (From Webster's 1828 Dictionary, below)  Deism is sometimes described as God created the universe, but then let it continue to exist on its own without His intervention, as a clock is started by a clock-maker.  Miracles are not allowed in this system because they require supernatural intervention into those "self-continuing" motions. 

Determinism: "the view that human choice is entirely controlled by previous conditions.  The realm of nature, including man, is an unbroken chain of cause and effect."  Titus, Living Issues..., page 429.  See Predestination.

Dialectic: "process of thinking by means of dialogue, discussion, debate, or argument. In ancient Greece, the term was used literally... Dialectic is questioning and conversation for Socrates... but Plato regarded it as a systematic method for studying ... suprasensible reality... German philosophers of the modern era applied the term "dialectic" only to more narrowly-defined patterns of thinking ... for  Hegel, (dialectic is) the fundamental process of development—in both thought and reality—from thesis to antithesis to synthesis."  See "dialectic" in Philosophical Dictionary... below.

Dialectical Materialism: "Philosophical doctrine expounded by Engels and Marx. By emphasizing the independent reality of matter and the primary value of the natural world, they rejected the idealism of Hegel. But they fully accepted his notion of dialectic as an inexorable process of development in thought, nature, and history."  See "dialectical materialism" in Philosophical Dictionary... below. "(Dialectical materialism) "holds science in high esteem and claims that the sense perceptions of science provide our only real knowledge, (but) is an approach from the point of view of politics and history, rather than from that of the natural sciences... and (on) a view of historical development in which matter in the form of the economic organization of society is regarded as basic.  (Synonyms are) "historical materialism and economic determinism."   Titus, Living Issues..., page 257.

Dichotomy:  the belief that a person consists of two parts, the material and immaterial.  The material component is the physical body.  The immaterial is variously called the spirit, soul, heart, and mind, depending upon the context in which it is used in Scripture and the particular function which is being discussed.  See Heart and Mind.

Divine Right of Kings: the same as Rex Lex.

Dualism: the philosophy, religion, or cosmology that forces of both good and evil exist in the universe.  In some ideologies, one is more powerful than the other.  In some, they are equal.  In at least one, they collaborate.  The victory or one or the other may be certain or uncertain, being in doubt until the end of time. 

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E

Emotion(s): "the momentary (acute) and ongoing (chronic, continuous) disturbance within the mind (soul, spirit) caused by the discrepancy between perceived reality and one's desires."  (From A Definition of Emotions.)

Empiricism: "reliance on experience as the (only) source of ideas and knowledge. More specifically, empiricism is the epistemological theory that genuine information about the world must be acquired by a posteriori means, so that nothing can be thought without first being sensed."  (From online dictionary of terms below.)  Contrast with Rationalism.

Empirical method: the process of drawing conclusions from various observations.  It differs from the scientific methods in that it is a more casual and not well-defined process.  See Scientific Method.

Epistemology: simply, how does one know what one knows?  Profoundly, how can one know with sufficiency to answer the most serious questions of life.  How can one know truth?  It is the great dilemma of all the great philosophers of history.  It is also the essence of faith and belief: on what basis can I be certain of what I am to do in this life and what I can hope for after death?  Christians who think about the basic questions of epistemology will strengthen their faith immeasurably.  See Philosophy below. 

Equity: 1) a synonym of justice (see below). 2) Fairness. 3) Most importantly, a body of legal doctrines and rules, developed to enlarge, supplement, or override a narrow, rigid system of law, as in the history of English common law which had a settled and formal body of legal and procedural rules and doctrine to protect rights and enforce duties that had been fixed by substantive law. Equity provided remedies in situations in which precedent or statutory law might not apply or be fair. In this sense, all laws and commandments of the Bible are to be applied to governments at all levels (self-government and all duly bodies (guilds, cities, counties, states, nations, and world). See Law, Love, and Justice...

Ethic: 1) When used to describe one's foundational views, that is, "My ethic is..", this word is equivalent to "worldview."  2) It may also refer to one ethical principle, for example, "Abortion is the killing of an innocent child before birth."  As such, ethic is equivalent to a worldview principle.  See Ethics, Godliness, Law, Justice, Righteousness.  All these terms are intimately related to the other. "Morality is not a mere aggregate of separate virtues. Only in the context of the whole do single virtues (ethics) acquire meaning."  (Henry Stob,  Ethical Reflections, page 184.)

Ethics: the application and study of right and wrong to all activities of life.  It may also be used consistent with  "ethic," 1) above, as in "Biblical ethics" or the "Biblical worldview."  Both of these would then be the same as the Biblical concept of "righteousness" or "godliness." Ethic may be thought of as a synonym of a general concept of worldview, while ethics are more particular in their application.  See Ethic above.

Evangelical: one who believes that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant, and fully authoritative Word of God in every area of personal life and worldview.   Evangelical is a synonym of "Christian" or "Bible-believer," when these words are used correctly.  The doctrinal statement of the Evangelical Theological Society is, "The Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the Word of God written and is therefore inerrant in the autographs."* God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory"  (Evangelical Theological Society).  Christians commonly wrongly interchange "evangelical" with "evangelistic."  See "evangelistic" below. 

*The autographs are the original texts as they were written by the Apostles.  None are extant today, but examinations of thousands of manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, affirms that Christians today actually have "the very Word of God written," as the Holy Spirit has preserved the inspired text for His people from the time of its first being written.

Evangelistic: traditionally, the preaching or sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Today, it may be used for attempts to spread the teachings of any belief. 

Evolution:  the theory that "the process that all natural reality (organic and inorganic) develops irreversibly in a direction of increasing complexity and order by inherent physico-chemical processes" (John R. Reed, Plain Talk about Genesis, Word Ministries, Inc. and Deo Volente Publishing, 2000).

Existentialism: "the only truth is ... the dictates of one's own being as expressed without the influence of God, man, society, morals and mores, or anything external to the biological impulses of the man" (Rushdoony, Systematic Theology, page 15).  This approach is the only one, even if the process itself is meaningless. 

Expert: a person with advanced training and education in some area.  The great problem with experts is that their "advanced training and education" is "foolish," if not governed by the laws of Scripture.  This foolishness can have seriously negative consequences.  For example, God says that children are to be punished corporally, in contrast to the American Academy of Pediatrics which stands opposed to the that directive.  "You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell" (Proverbs 23:14).

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F

Fact or Facts: 1) a synonym for truth, "what is" or reality itself.  For a fact to be true, it must be placed within the Biblical framework that defines its existence.  A "fact" does not exist apart from a philosophical or religious system.   See Sir Fred Hoyle's quote under scientific method.  2)  Knowledge of a situation, object, or person that is sufficiently and commonly known among enough people to be acted upon with considerable reliance and a relatively predictable outcome, but it is not necessarily true.  For example, the sun will rise tomorrow is a fact.  It is not true because sometime in the future, the sun will not rise.  By virtually all philosophies and worldviews, time and the universe will not continue, as we know it, forever—whether one's belief system is Bible-based or naturalism.

Faith: action taken, based upon one's knowledge (by reflex, experience, study, advice from others, etc.), with a specific outcome expected (hope).  Reality (God's laws of design and His Sovereignty) determine whether that expectation occurs.  See The Relevance of Faith and my book Without Faith It Is Impossible to Please God.

Generic Faith: faith applied to matters not directly applied to matters of salvation.  In the most strict sense, nothing is outside "salvation," but the term, "generic faith," helps to show that faith is commonly and unavoidably necessary to all activities of life.  The mechanism of application to "salvation" is no different than in everyday life.

Saving Faith: faith applied in matters of salvation for Christians whether in conversion and justification or sanctification.  See The Relevance of Faith above.

Faith and Truth:  Faith does not determine truth, but an individual's faith determines what he is willing to accept as true.

First principles: like axioms in geometry, these are the unproven presuppositions that form the basis for anyone's worldview.  Synonyms are religion, philosophy, worldview, ethic, reality, ultimate reality, value, fact, ontology, metaphysics, cosmology, epistemology, faith, knowledge, being, critical philosophy, essence, existence, monism, speculative philosophy, substance, and ground of meaning (not all of which are listed in this Glossary).

(The) Flood: a worldwide covering of the earth with water, as God's judgment on the earth.  Not only was there a deluge of rain, the "deeps" and the "heavens" were opened, as part of this event.  There were definitive changes in the earth's geology and likely other changes in the processes of nature, as well.  See Uniformitarianism.

Fool, Foolish:  these English words carry from Scripture the idea of atheism and humanism.  "The fool has said in his heart that there is no God."  So, when the Scripture uses "fool" or any of its forms, God is speaking of a conviction that a man or mankind is God, and not God Himself.  This position is that of the unregenerate.

Free Will or Freedom of the Will: 1) philosophical sense: the mistaken notion, thought to be necessary to moral responsibility, prevalent among philosophers and many Christians, that man is "free" to make any choice that he desires.  The error in this thinking is that some form of predestination is unavoidable. No man make decisions without being pre-conditioned by his physical capacities and his accumulated knowledge over which he had no control in his early years.  See Predestination.  2) The Biblical concept is that man is not forced to make any particular choice.  His "freedom" is to choose consistent with what he is and what he desires without external compulsion.  See Responsibility.  Also, see Chapter IX of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Freedom: the fullest implementation of God's laws that allows an object or person to function at their highest level.  The total absence of law in the natural world is nothingness, as even atoms, the most basic unit of matter are subject to strict laws that allow them to function, as they were designed.  The universe functions, as it does, in all its glory, according to its laws of design.  The absence of law in a society is total chaos with nothing or no one safe from destruction.  Thus, the choice of no law is never an option for anything or anyone to function at any level.  The application of God's law to all physical and spiritual (individual, family, social organizations, and the State) spheres allows the highest level of function of all His created objects.  Thereby, freedom of these objects is achieved.  For a complete discussion, see G. C. Berkouwer, Human Freedom.

Functional Knowledge or Functional Value: a synonym of 2nd definition of Fact.

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G

Gifts: see Talents and Spiritual Gifts.

Godliness: see ethic, ethics, law, love, righteousness. 

Good Work(s): any action by a regenerate person that is prescribed by God's Word.  While the same "work" by an unregenerate may have a "good" effect on himself and on society, God cannot accept it as good because it comes from a sinful heart with selfish motives.  See Chapter 16 of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

(The) Gospel:  the full Gospel includes individual salvation (past, present, and future), discipline (preaching, teaching, sacraments, and investigation of overt sin—process of Matthew 18:15-19), and a Biblically complete worldview and ethics.  Most churches leave out the fullness of what salvation is, the process of dealing with overt sin, and worldview and ethics.  The Gospel is the same as The Great Commission (see below).

Government: the exercise of authority and rule over a person or group.  Government starts with self-government.  If fact, if self-government in all people was perfect, then there would be no need of the other governments: family, church, voluntary associations, and the levels of state government (city, county, state, and nation).  Jesus Christ governs all these areas and has given specific laws for their governance in Scripture.  Unfortunately, "government" today is equated with civil government, distorting and wrongly directing actions that are needed to correct societal wrongs and injustice.

Grace: an act of benevolence from one being to another that is freely given and which is without any merit or claim by the recipient.  The greatest example of grace is his gift of salvation and all the great blessings (faith, hope, spiritual fruit and gifts, adoption, etc.) that come with it.  There are many similarities of grace to Love.  See Common Grace.

Special Grace: those excellent gifts to the Regenerate which include special revelation (The Bible), saving faith, fruits of the Spirit, spiritual gifts, the church (local and universal), and much more.

(The) Great Commission:  "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20).  The Great Commission is the same as The Gospel, The Creation Mandate, The Kingdom of God, Biblical Ethics, and Biblical Worldview.

Guilt and Guilt Feelings: See Guilt and Guilt Feelings.

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H

Health: (1) Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (the first Paradise) before the Fall.  (2) The regenerate in heaven (the last Paradise).  (3) The fullest implementation of God's instructions (commandments) to an individual's or group's lives.  All three of these definitions include both physical and spiritual health, as they cannot be divorced from one another.  An unregenerate person cannot be "healthy" in the Biblical sense, although he may achieve some level of health of mind and body by some humanistic standard. See Physician and Pastor as Co-laborers, Part I and Part II.

Heart: one of the spiritual (non-material or non-physical) aspects of a person (others are soul, spirit, mind, will, and conscience); the life that we live within ourselves, unknown to anyone except God; the thought-life of a person; the source of all motives and desires.  Thinking and understanding, rather than emotions, is the predominant activity of the heart. See The Biblical Heart, Soul, Mind, and Spirit.

Hermeneutics: the rules by which Scripture is interpreted.  See Hermeneutics.

Historical method: that which comprises the techniques and guidelines that historians use as primary sources and other evidence to research and then to write history.  (Slightly altered from Wikipedia, referenced below.)

History: the highly selective study of people of the past and the events in which they were involved, according to some philosophy of life or worldview.  For the Christian, God's hand or His Providence must be seen as the controlling force, working all things according to His own purposes ("according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself," Ephesians 1:9).  In particular, the interpretation of events is highly dependent on one's motives in studying the past at all.  Much, if not most of history written during and after the 20th Century, is extremely biased against its portrayal of Biblical Christianity as having any significant role anywhere at any time.

Historiography: the critical evaluation of how history is written, including method, bias of philosophy, accuracy with other sources, and  theory of human behavior used (to name only a few).

Humanism:  a word with a complex history and application which rejects any positive contribution from a supernatural source (most frequently the Bible) as solutions to the problems of mankind.  Today, humanism usually means Secular humanism.  In essence, there are only two religions (philosophies or cosmologies): Biblical Christianity and humanism.  It has been so since Satan asked the question to Eve, "Has God not said..."  Since then, the greatest issue for any human decision has been either "what God has said" or "what man has said."  For more on the history and complexity of this word, see "humanism" at the Wikipedia reference below.

Religious humanism:  "the branch of humanism that considers itself religious (based on a functional definition of religion), or embraces some form of theism, deism, or supernaturalism, without necessarily being allied with organized religion, frequently associated with artists, liberal Christians, and scholars in the liberal arts.  (They may be) subscribers to a religion who do not hold supernatural assertions as a necessary source for their moral values may be religious humanists" (from "Religious humanism" at Wikipedia--reference below).

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Image of God, Imago Dei: the mind of man created to "think God's thoughts after Him."  The ability to storage knowledge and process it through the intellect and the will.  See The Image of God.

Induction: a method of reasoning in which "the truth of the premises merely makes it probable that the conclusion is true." (See
Dictionary of Philosophical Terms... referenced below.)  Induction proceeds from observations to conclusions about "probable" consistency and coherence in those observations.  Deduction within the laws of logic render true conclusions is the premises are true.  Induction does not render true conclusions, only "probable" ones.

Inerrancy:  the belief that the Bible contains no errors except possibly those of type-setting or copying.  Inerrancy is sometimes limited to the autographs, that is, the original texts that the Biblical authors wrote on the "paper" of their day.  However, examinations of thousands of manuscripts, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, affirms that Christians today actually have "the very Word of God written," as the Holy Spirit has preserved the inspired text for His people from the autographs themselves.  See Autographs and  Infallibility.

Inescapable concept: a conclusion that is logically necessary.  An inescapable concept simplifies and narrows debate within and among worldviews and opinions.  For example. Predestination is an inescapable concept.  Synonyms would include unavoidable or inevitable concept.

Infallibility: a synonym of inerrancy.  The author realizes that some distinguish infallibility and inerrancy, for example in limiting Biblical truth to areas of "faith and practice."  Over the centuries the Bible has been challenged by archeology, anthropology, numerology, evolutionary science, historiography, and other areas of study.  With proper research and understanding, the Bible has always been proven to be God's truth in everything to which it speaks.  "Proper understanding" means that the words and concepts of modern knowledge, for example, natural science, and the words of Scripture are not equivalent, even though they may be spelled the same or seem similar.  See Autographs and Inerrancy.

Integration: the attempt to merge the "truth" of nature with the truth of Scripture, that is, natural revelation and special revelation.  This approach should raise considerable alarm to those who adhere to Biblical Christianity.  However, this process is impossible procedurally, because some authority other than Scripture must be chosen to decide how this integration is to take place.  That authority is usually the person who attempts the integration and who does not have either the training or the education for this process.  Almost always "integration" is used in association with "All truth is God's truth," another phase that should raise warning flags when a Christian uses it.

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Job: the task at which one works for income.  Job should be distinguished from vocation and career.

"Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1):  One of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible.  Its explanation follows in the context, "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (verse 2).  Verse 1 does not say that we are not to judge, for judgment is unavoidable in human interactions.  We are to judge others, as we are to judge ourselves, according to the "canon, the measuring stick of Scripture."  Therefore, we are to judge with grace and truth, justice and mercy, and the spirit and the letter of the law to ourselves, families, social groups and culture, and in politics and government.  The Apostle Paul explains judging further in I Corinthians 6:1-11.

Jurisprudence: the study or science of legal theory and philosophy.  "The study of jurisprudence, next to that of theology, is the most important and useful to men." (Quote is from Webster's 1828 Dictionary.)  The modern concept and practice of law is amorphous, virtually whatever judges and jurists want it to be.  See Summary Principles of Government, Law, etc.

Justice: the application of Biblical law in the appropriate situation or each person getting his just due, both reward and punishment, by the same criteria. Why designate the appropriate situation?  God's justice has the range of application from the individual's conscience in society (social justice), to the laws of church government that require correction (discipline) of its members, and to the taking of a life in capital punishment after due process of state law.  Properly applied, justice is always merciful, even to its ultimate application on earth in capital punishment.  Final and perfect justice will be executed  in the Last Judgment.

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Keynesian economics, Keynesianism, and Keynesian Theory: an economic theory based upon the ideas of twentieth-century British economist John Maynard Keynes. It promotes a mixed economy in which where both the state and the private sector have important roles. It is virtually the opposite of Misian economics. (Adapted from Wikipedia.)

The) Kingdom of God: "a community of persons animated by … the Spirit of God… set down in an environment completely serviceable to righteousness, peace, truth (justice and mercy), and every other value" that began with the giving of the Holy Spirit and that will be fully established in the future.  A work separate from the Church, although She is the living, burning center of the Kingdom, a witness to its presence and power, and a harbinger of its final coming."  Augustine's City of God.  The Kingdom of God is The Great Commission, Biblical ethics, and biblical worldview.  See The Kingdom of God.  Quotes from Henry Stob, Ethical Reflections, pages 67-69.

(The) Kingdom of Heaven: equivalent to The Kingdom of God (above) and The Great Commission (above).

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Laissez-faire economics: economics theory which advocates that markets and the private sector operate best without state intervention.  This approach is consistent with Misian economics and a Biblical approach to economics.  It is the opposite of Keynesian economics.

Law: a decree by some authority that when obeyed will bring some benefit or when disobeyed will bring some penalty. God is first truth, and then law.  These attributes lay the foundation of His justice for the application of His love, mercy, and grace.  He has established laws* for nature (animate and inanimate) and for mankind.  Relative to the latter, God's law is representative of His righteousness and holiness.  Rightly understood, there is no conflict in His laws of self-government, the family, the church, social organizations, and state governments (local, state, and national).  The greatest Freedom that any object or being can experience is to function within the laws of God  whether in nature or organizations of men. When God's laws are broken, destruction, disease, injury, and death inevitably result. See Love below.  "Law" is used at least 12 different ways in Scripture, see What Is Biblical Law?  Synonyms for law in the Bible include commandment, statute, precept, instruction, judgments, righteous judgments, word, testimonies, His (God's) ways, a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.  (See Psalm 119.)

*Natural law:

Law of Absolutes:  The Law of Non-Contradiction necessitates of the statement, "There are no absolutes," that there exists at least one absolute.  By this simple methodology, God has necessitated Absolutes in His Universe, Himself being the First Principle of Absolutes.

Law of Contradiction or Law of Non-Contradiction:  the belief and axiom of logic that a proposition and its opposite statement cannot both be true.  Associated with this law is the Law of Absolutes.

Legalism: (1) the attempt by man to obtain merit or favor (that is, be justified, especially for one's sins) with God through confession or obedience in themselves, whether he is obeying Biblical law or principles derived from Biblical law or any other set of rules or religious practices.  The unregenerate can do nothing to please God (Romans 8:8) and the regenerate have already been completely forgiven in Christ to which he can add nothing (Romans 8:1).  Justification (complete, total, and final) is one of the most important concepts for a Christian to understand in the concept of salvation.  The Christian who understands justification is never concerned with legalism.

Legalism for the regenerate can be subtle.  We can begin to think that we must live perfectly in order to please God.  God does not require perfection in our living, especially when we have repetitive ("besetting") sins.  He does require confession of all of our sins.  And, on this basis, we need to keep short accounts with God.  But, we never have to "earn" His favor.  In fact, we cannot earn His favor.  Christ has given us (imputed) His perfection.

The full and complete application of the law in a Christian's life is not legalism.  It is simply obedience to God's instructions (commandments).  The law, then, gives the Christian instruction for loving God and loving others, the Two Great Commandments.  As a newborn baby needs instruction on the laws of human conduct, the regenerate Christian needs instruction on how to live before God and others (I Peter 2:2).  Biblical law is that instruction.  Law and love are intimately woven together.  See Love.

Placing obligations on God:  There is also a sense in which legalism places obligation or debt upon God.  If we can earn his favor, He "owes" us.  If we can perform steps A, B, and C and expect a particular action from God for us or in us, we have obligated His service to us.  God is conditional to our requests or actions.  This He cannot do.  His purposes forever and always are His own (Ephesians 1:5, 9).

(2) a set of rules, frequently that are extra-biblical (as the Pharisees had) or selectively Biblical that is used to determine whether another person or group is sufficiently "spiritual" to be acceptable to the person or group holding those rules.  Modern issues involving legalism include young-earth vs. old-earth creationists, theonomy, charismatic gifts, observance of the Sabbath, eschatology, and a variety of dietary and health practices.  These rules violate the oneness of Ephesians 4:1-5 for all the regenerate.

Leisure: a humanistic notion that is often substituted for the Biblical concept of rest.  The Bible knows nothing of leisure: only Work and Rest, both of which are instructed in the 4th Commandment and the New Testament concept of Good Works, especially Matthew 11:28-30.  Leisure has the idea of being free from work and doing what one wants to do.  Biblically, one is never free from God's commandments.  Getting sufficient Rest is one of God's commandments, cited in this definition.  One may counter, "Leisure may be used for Bible study or mercy ministry."  I would answer, "These are Good Works, not leisure!"

Lex Rex: literally, "the law is king."  Also the title of Samuel Rutherford's book, published in 1644, early in the deliberations of the Westminster Assembly that produced the Westminster Confession of Faith.  Apart from the influence of the Bible, virtually all cultures had the standard, rex lex, "the king is law."  Whatever the king said was law--no man had any rights above what the king said.  Under Biblical law, a man has the right to appeal to the law as written in his country.

Licensure: standards that are set by the state which have to be met for individuals in a particular profession to practice their trade.  De facto, the state has thus create a monopoly that limits creativity and new developments in that profession.  See Licensure of Medical Practice.

Logic: "the study of the methods by which the conclusion is proved beyond all doubt," or to the contrary, by which the conclusion is proved to be erroneous. The process of Logic, however, says nothing about the truth of the premises.  The truth or falsity of the premises in not part of the logical process.  See The Role of Logic (in truth) and Unraveling the Concept of Logic.

Logos: "word" in New Testament Greek.  However, when used in reference to Jesus Christ, as "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God..." (John 1:1), it has a greater depth and breadth of meaning than may not be realized.  John Calvin translates it as "Speech."  Some other possible translations are: computation, accounts, measure, esteem, consideration, value, ratio, proportion, pretext, purpose, theory, argument, proposition, principle, law, rule, thesis, hypothesis, reason, formula, debate, narrative, fable, speech—to name a few.  For more on logos, click here.

Love: sacrificial acts (speech and behavior) within Biblical or Godly parameters (law, precepts, principles, etc.) for the greatest good of the one loved (God, spouse, child, neighbor, and even enemies).  Biblical parameters (law) limit "anything goes," as acts of love.  For example, a man cannot divorce his wife because the "loves" another woman.  Sacrifice on the part of the one who loves illustrates its supreme value.  Obviously, love is one of the richest of Biblical concepts.  It is commonly misunderstood by many Christians, even concerning the greatest act of love in history, God's sacrifice of His Own Son for the greatest good of those whom He loved.  See Law, Justice, Love, Law, etc.

Love - Agapeo and Phileo: From the conversation between Peter and Jesus, these words are often contrasted.  Biblically, however, they have the same meaning!  (1) Jesus and Peter would have spoken Aramaic in which there are no corresponding words for agapeo and phileo, that is, to designate "brotherly" love from the "agapé" of the New Testament. (2) John often introduces "slight variations in all sorts of places without real difference of meaning," e.g., John 3:5.  (3) Peter answers, "Yes, Lord."  "Why would he say 'Yes,' if he means 'No?' ... He is accepting Jesus' word, not declining it."  (4) Elsewhere in the New Testament, phileo is used where it cannot possibly be "brotherly" love, mandating at the very least it sometimes means the same as agapeo.  Examples are found in John 5:20 ("as the Father loves the son"), John 16:27 (of the Father's love for His own), I Corinthians 16:22 (love for Jesus Christ), and Revelation 3:19 (the Father only rebukes those whom He loves).  I would contend, along with Gordon Clark, that agapeo and phileo throughout the New Testament are synonyms. (The quotes and other notes herein are from Leon Morris' International Commentary on the New Testament: John [1977 Edition], pages 870-873.)

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Materialism: 1) the belief that only matter is real, in contrast to Rationalism or Idealism that considers only thought or mind as real.  Under materialism, "mind" is an "epiphenomenon." 2) The Biblical, moral concept whereby "things" are over-emphasized in one's life, even to the extent that "things" are worshipped.  "You cannot serve God and mammon"  (Matthew 6:24).  Synonym of Naturalism and Positivism.

Mathematics: "The science of quantity; the science which treats of magnitude and number, or of whatever can be measured or numbered. This science is divided into pure or speculative, which considers quantity abstractly, without relation to matter; and mixed, which treats of magnitude as subsisting in material bodies, and is consequently interwoven with physical considerations." (From Webster's 1828 Dictionary, reference below.)

Mechanism, Mechanistic Materialism: the philosophy of naturalism that nature can be described in terms of mechanical laws.  For example, "mind and its activities are forms of behavior.  Psychology, then, becomes a study of behavior, and mind or consciousness are interpreted as muscular, neural, or glandular behavior.  These processes may then be explained by physics and chemistry.  Values and ideals become merely subjective labels for physical situations and relations."  Titus et al, Living Issues..., page 251.  See Dialectical Materialism.

Mental Illness: a term that is so generally used and misused, as to be of virtually no use.  The term is an attempt to equate physical illness with aberrant emotions and behaviors. Based upon a philosophy of materialism, this attempt is understandable.  However, man is both Body and Soul (Spirit, Heart, Mind).  The problem is that there is no "normal," as a standard.  Because of the Fall of mankind in Adam, this lack of a standard can be understood.  As the New Adam, Jesus Christ is our normative standard within the limits of our being human and He being God.  See Behavior or Disease? and The Nature ... of Mental Illness.

Metaphysics: one of the four branches of philosophy (along with ethics, logic, and epistemology).  It "is concerned with the nature and structures of being or ultimate reality... (with) such issues as the nature of existence, properties, and events; the relation between particulars and universals, individuals and classes; the nature of change and causation; and the nature of mind, matter, space, and time."  (John Jefferson Davis, Theology Primer: Resources for the Theological Student, Baker Book House, 1981, page 30).

Mind (of man):  see Image of God.

Mind of Christ: see article Mind of Christ this website.

Misian Economics: the economic approach of Ludwig von Mises which is essentially the same as Laissez-faire economics.

Modern medicine: all medical theory and practices are based upon evolution and naturalism, even Mechanistic Materialism.

Modernism, modernist, modernity: the attitude (arrogance) that modern knowledge is virtually all that could be valid or true.  It exists in both Christians and non-Christians.  Many modern Christians see no need to study the writings and teachings of past Christians.  Yet, he who does not or will not learn from history is condemned to repeat the same mistakes of the past.  Modernism is also simply a continuation of the Enlightenment's attempt to find meaning apart from God and within man himself.

Moral responsibility: synonym of Free Will.

Morals, morality: See Ethic and Ethics which are synonyms.  Sometimes, morals or mores are defined by what a society or group of people does without regard to Biblical standards. 

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Naturalism or Scientific Naturalism: "the belief that all objects, events, and values can be wholly explained in terms of factual and/or causal claims about the world, without reference to supernatural powers or authority" (from Dictionary of Philosophical Terms... below).  For Christians this "supernatural powers or authority is the Bible.  Synonym of Materialism and Positivism (1). 

Naturalistic Fallacy: an attempt to derive ethics (principles of right and wrong) from "what is" or "what has been," especially any concept of evolution in the past or nature as it has been found today.  An example would be the eugenics movement which proclaims that it is "right" to assist natural selection by population planning, either in total numbers or human traits that are "preferred" for on reason or another.  Adolph Hitler implemented this reasoning in monstrous and heinous programs.

an attempt to prove a claim about ethics by appealing to a definition of the term "good" in terms of one or more natural properties (such as "pleasant", "more evolved", "desired", etc.)

Need, Needs: any thing without which a person cannot live or function to his maximal ability in the tasks to which God has called him or her.  Any person's greatest need is regeneration and obedience to the Word of God.  While in this physical life, such things as air, water, food, and shelter are necessary to sustain physical life.  Spiritual needs include Bible study, worship, an active church life, personal ministry, etc.  Christians must take great caution that needs are not confused with desires, nor that true needs become lust (inordinate desires).  For example, Bible study is a great need in every Christian's life, but when it begins to prevent obligations to one's family, job, or other daily responsibilities, then it has become a lust.

Neighbor: Anyone with whom a person may come in contact, as close as one’s spouse or more distant as one’s enemies in warfare to missions around the world that provide physical help, as illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) or that evangelize the unreached. Obviously, one’s responsibilities increase, as the proximity of the neighbor increases. The closest neighbor is your spouse or other member of your family, if not married.

Nouthetic Counseling: equivalent to Biblical counseling.  "Nouthetic" was coined by Jay Adams from the N.T. Greek Word, nouthesis. It "is motivated by love and deep concern, in which (Christians) are counseled (according to the Bible) and corrected by verbal means for their good, ultimately of course, that God may be glorified," for example, see Romans 15:14.  (Competent to Counsel, p. 50)

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Ontology: thought that is concerned with the nature of ultimate reality.  Synonym for Truth, Ethic, Metaphysics, and Worldview.  While there may be shades of differences between these words, each is concerned with what is the most basic foundation for reliable thought.

Orthodox: orthos, right true, straight; doxa, opinion, praise.  Orthodox doctrine is true doctrine according to some standard, usually creeds or confessions that are true to Scripture.  Being Greek Orthodox is only one application of this term to a specific branch of Christianity. 

Dead orthodoxy: This term, as commonly used, is seriously flawed.  Orthodox doctrine, as defined here, assumes the presence of regeneration.  Only a person who is truly born-again can actually believe true doctrine.  Where regeneration is present, the Holy Spirit of God resides in that person.  He can only manifest that life of God.  A better expression of what is meant by dead orthodoxy would be "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20).  "Deadness" exists where there is false faith (i.e., temporary and historical faith).  Only spiritual life can exist where true faith (belief in true doctrine) exists. 

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Pagan: an unregenerate, one who has not been "born-again," by the process of Regeneration.  All people are separated into two groups, Regenerate and Unregenerate.  No Worldview that does not take this division into deliberate account cannot be considered to be a Biblical Worldview.  Remember, a Pagan is a person who both worships other gods, shakes his fist in the face of God as His enemy, and "does whatever he wants," regardless of what God says is right and wrong.

Peace: primarily used in the Bible as designating the relationship between a believer and God.  Unless one realizes the degree of enmity and hatred that God has for sin and unbelieving sinners, one cannot appreciate the breadth and depth of Biblical "peace."  For what it is not,  see "How Emotions Re-define Theology."

Phileo (verb): to love.  See Love.

Philosophy: (from philo- "loving" + sophia "knowledge, wisdom," literally "one who loves knowledge of wisdom".)  1) at a personal level, one's worldview or ethic, whether examined or unexamined, coherent or inconsistent, informal or formal (as an established system agreed to by many persons, as in humanism or Roman Catholicism), and including or excluding a supernatural (metaphysical) dimension, founded upon some set of first principles (axioms, presuppositions, assumptions, postulates, propositions, etc.) accepted by faith as true.   2) Formally, "a persistent attempt to acquire an understanding and appreciation of the cosmos as a whole; a passionate endeavor to see the world of men and things as they truly are; the untiring effort to disclose the structure and pattern of the world, to discern and apprehend the interrelation of things, to see how part is linked to part, and how all things join to constitute a single and intelligible whole" (Henry Stob, Theological Reflections, Eerdmans: 1981).  Sum: a diligent attempt to know truth (see Truth below).  Ultimately, there are only two philosophies (religions or cosmologies): that which is consistently and coherently Biblical, and all others.  Philosophy and Religion are synonyms.  See Religion and the Synonyms listed under First Principles.

Pietism: the dominant measurement of one's Christian experience since the mid-19th century.  Essentially, it is believing and living the Christian life, based primarily upon one's emotions.  To some extent, all Christians measure their lives in this way.  To some extent, sanctification is an emotional experience.  But, pietism has come to dominate Christians' understanding and experience.  Some examples include basing decisions on finding "peace," "the Lord told me to ____" (do a certain thing), I "feel" that this verse means _______, and "I felt good about the worship service today."  For more on this subject, see "How Emotions Re-define Theology."

Politics: from the Greek, polis or state. “The science of government; that part of ethics which consists in the regulation and government of a nation or state, for the preservation of its safety, peace and prosperity; comprehending the defense of its existence and rights against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of its strength and resources, and the protection of its citizens in their rights, with the preservation and improvement of their morals. Politics, as a science or an art, is a subject of vast extent and importance.” (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

Positivism: "the belief that natural science, based on observation, comprises the whole of human knowledge... reject(ing) as meaningless, the claims of theology and metaphysics. The most influential twentieth-century version is logical positivism" (from A Dictionary of Philosophical Terms... below).  Synonym of Materialism and Naturalism.

Pragmatic Knowledge or Pragmatic Value: a synonym of 2nd definition of Fact.

Predestination: 1) philosophical or cosmological sense: any theory of the causes and effects that determine what an individual is and does.  Some theory of predestination is unavoidable (inescapable) because no person chooses his genetic and spiritual condition, nor the early teachings of his parents and others. All decisions after the age of "accountability" are absolutely determined by these prior factors.  Also, on this basis no one is "free" from predestination to be able to make "free" choices.  2) God's ordering of all events from eternity past to the present to eternity future "who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11).  See Free Will.

Prehistory: the history of the Bible goes all the way back to Creation!  Thus, prehistory is a misnomer.  It is also a misnomer apart from the Bible, as all peoples have left a history, whether in buildings, implements, paintings, and even writings.  Prehistory is a word from an evolutionary worldview that there was a time when man did not have more than a guttural language.  However, Biblical history and archeology show that man has always had a highly intelligent language.  Prehistory is not found in Webster's 1828 Dictionary.

Presbyterian: essentially a synonym of Calvinism, except that Presbyterian also identifies its form of church government with a board of ruling elders in the local church which groups with other churches in a presbytery or synod.  Most Presbyterians believe the Westminster Confession of Faith along with its Larger and Shorter Catechisms.  Presbyterians also believe in infant baptism as a sign of God's Covenant with His people.

Proof: the evidence which is acceptable to a person concerning some statement about reality.  Absolute proof of God, materialism, or any other philosophical or religious system does not exist.  When the atheist asks for "proof," he has already decided what he will or will not accept to support or deny his position.  Proof is always relative to the philosophy, religion, and beliefs of any person.

Psychiatry: the practice of psychology by practitioners who are licensed to practice medicine.  The only difference between psychologists and psychiatrists is that the latter are able to prescribe medications and procedures that are considered "medical" by the state licensing authority.  All evaluations and references to "psychology" on this website apply equally to psychiatrists and psychiatry.  Most Christians who are psychiatrists practice secular psychology.  (See Psychology, below.)

Psychology (true or Biblical): is the study of an individual person’s thoughts, speech, and behavior relative to himself, his neighbor, and God, as governed and defined by specific Biblical criteria. Secular psychologists and Christian psychologists who try to “integrate“ psychology with Biblical principles would deny this Biblical criterion. See Anthropology in Glossary above and Worldview Area of Psychology, etc.

Psychology, Secular: All psychology that does not have the Bible as its governing truth in all areas of theory and practice.  Even the psychology that is taught and practiced by most Christians is secular psychology.

Psychotherapy: the sophisticated name given by psychologists to simply talking with people who need advice about some problem in life with themselves or others. While it may involve listening, asking questions, and giving advice or directions, it is still just conversation. The preferred term is Counseling which can be done by anyone with some training and/or experience, especially those who know and can apply the Word of God.  Studies have shown that the effectiveness of a person giving "psychotherapy" has no correlation with their level of education.

Puritans: the word was first applied to Christians in England at the time of the Reformation who believed that all Roman Catholic worship should be "purified" according to Biblical standards of worship.  As with most labels, there were a variety of beliefs within the ranks of the Puritans, both in England, America, and elsewhere.  In general, the Puritans were known for their strong Calvinism and their vigorous practice of a Biblical mindset.  They are a model to be emulated in their Biblical humility and rock-solid stance for righteousness, even to challenge kings and other government authorities.  See Essay on Milton.  For a more complete historical review of the Puritans, see The Pilgrims and Puritans. 

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Quakers: a sect founded by George Fox about 1660 whose beliefs include each individual being directly responsible to God (they have no priests or pastors and no religious ceremonies and do not call themselves a church), and being guided by an "inner light" that comes directly from "God within."  Since they accept this "inner light" as equivalent or superior to God's Revelation in the Bible, they could not be labeled "Christian," in the Evangelical sense (above).  They are also called the Religious Society of Friends (RSOF). 

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Rational thinking: the informal process of moving through an argument in a "reasonable" or "consistent" manner.  This process has little relevance to formal logic which (applied correctly) is quite precise and by which one can draw conclusions that are just as true as the premises.  See Unraveling the Concept of Logic.

Rationalism: "the belief that human reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe... the mind has the power to know some truths that are logically prior to experience, and yet not analytic (that is can be broken down into smaller parts).  Titus, Living Issues..., pages 17, 435.

Realism:  "the belief that the objects of our senses exist independently of their being known or related to mind."  Titus, Living Issues ..., page 435.

Reality: the presence of the Sovereign God through His laws for the physical universe, living organisms, man, and the spiritual world.  Negatively, no living thing is free from these laws without severe consequences.  Positively, everything in the universe functions at its best according to these laws -- see Freedom. For example, the laws of the universe keep planets in their orbits.  The laws of biochemistry sustain the cells of living creatures.  Spiritual laws must govern one's behavior towards God and others or quarrels, fights, and wars result.  This Reality prevents any creature from being independent of either God or everything else in the universe.

Reconstruction: a synonym of Theonomy.

Reformation: a movement of the Holy Spirit that causes an increasing rate of the number of persons who are regenerated, and they  apply Biblical truth to the mores of a culture and the legislation of its laws.  Jesus Christ has caused the greatest reforms in history generally and vastly underrated by Christians and non-Christians alike.  See What If Jesus Had Never Been Born.  Contrast with Revolution.  True reformation has a broad and lasting influence on individuals, The Church and churches, and cultures, contrasted with Revival which usually has only a temporary effect, primarily restricted to individuals and local churches.

(The) Reformation:  the great historical events that began with Martin Luther's nailing his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg and an entire reconsideration of The Church and all its teachings strictly according to Biblical interpretation.

Reformed:  See Calvinism.

Reformed Baptist:  generally, a Calvinist who believes in immersion for baptism on profession of faith (not infant baptism) and churches that are independent of any higher governing authority.

Regenerate: the person who has been acted upon by God's Spirit to be "born-again" or "born from above."  See Pagan and Regeneration.  The whole of the human race is divided into these two categories called sheep and goats, believers and unbelievers, wheat and tares, etc.

Regeneration: The change wrought by the Holy Spirit in the soul or spirit of a person that changes trust (belief or faith) in oneself, as the source of truth about life and how to live it, to trust in the Bible, as God offers forgiveness in Jesus Christ and tells us who we are and what our responsibilities are. Regeneration is initiation of sanctification. Other terms in the Bible for regeneration are “born-again” and “born from above.”

The new birth is by the grace of God; that change by which the will and natural enmity of man to God and his law are subdued, and a principle of supreme love to God and his law, or holy affections, are implanted in the heart. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Regenerate man, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit , has a more valid understanding of the Bible than unregenerate man. 

See Regeneration for a more detailed discussion of the term that is a key to understanding salvation.

Religion: on a practical and functional level, a synonym of Philosophy and Worldview, that is, the most basic rules (usually unexamined) by which a person governs his life.  However, commonly and traditionally, it is erroneously limited to established  religions, usually ones with supernatural beliefs.   (For more on this common use of  "religion," see its reference at Wikipedia.com-- below.) At the most basic level, there are only two religions: Biblical Christianity and all others.  See the Synonyms listed under First Principles.

Responsibility: man is responsible for his thoughts and actions because God says that he is, not because he is morally "free."  Man is free to choose consistent with all his predetermined conditions.  See Free will and Predestination. 

Rest:  those activities that allow a person to become strengthened to Work and do Good Works, and not become "weary in well-doing."  These activities include the instructions in the 4th Commandment for the Sabbath and sleep, primarily.  Some activities of a quiet nature, such as light reading, walking, and quiet conversation may be included here.

Retirement: a modern concept that at the end of one's primary means of producing income, a person does whatever he wants, usually what he has always wanted to do, but never had the time.  It is an unbiblical notion because one never "retires" from God's Work or Good Works.  However, such "retirement" can be a great opportunity for one to be more fully engaged in Good Works to advance the cause of The Kingdom of God.

Revival: changes in individuals and local churches in response to special times and manners of preaching which is usually temporary in effect.  Contrast with Reformation.

Revolution: "the radical change of social patterns in their essential constitution, through violence and compulsion."  (Henry, C.F.H.  Aspects of Christian Social Ethics, page 17)  Contrast with Reformation.

Rex lex: literally, "the king is law."  Also known as the Divine Right of Kings.  See Lex rex.

Right, Rights: rights are ethical or legal claims of duties or freedoms that are given to those people under a higher authority.  The only legitimate rights are those given by God in His Word.  The Declaration of Independence declares that all peoples have "inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  Since God is the highest authority, there is not court of appeal higher than Himself.

Righteousness: all that God requires of men and women, as defined by the Bible.  There are the Two Great Commandments of loving God and neighbor, the Ten Commandments, the "new commandment" of Christ, and all the other commandments, precepts, and principles of the Holy Scriptures.  Within Biblical definitions, righteousness is a synonym of Biblical ethics and Biblical worldview.

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Salvation:  simply, "to be rescued from something."  Thus, to under