A

Abba — Aramaic — The name a small child uses for a father they trust, closer to “Papa” than to “Father.” It was so personal that it offended some of the people who heard Jesus pray it. It is the name He cried out in the garden the night before the cross, and the name the Spirit puts in our mouths. (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6)

Allos — Greek — “Another of the same kind.” When Jesus promised “another Helper,” He did not mean something different from Himself. He meant Someone like Him. (John 14:16)

Altar — English, from the Latin altare, a high place — In Scripture, the place a sacrifice is laid down. The book also uses it for the false altars we climb every day, carrying offerings to things that take everything and give nothing back. (Jeremiah 2:13; Matthew 5:23–24)

Ambassador — English, from the Latin ambactus, servant, envoy — A representative who carries a King’s message without inventing it or guaranteeing how it lands. Paul’s word for every believer. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Amen — Hebrew — “So be it”; “let it be so.” A word of agreement and trust that closes a prayer, meaning we truly mean what we have just said. (Deuteronomy 27:15; 2 Corinthians 1:20)

Anthrakia — Greek — A charcoal fire. The word appears exactly twice in the New Testament: in the courtyard where Peter warmed himself while denying Jesus, and on the beach where the risen Jesus cooked him breakfast and gave him back his calling. (John 18:18; John 21:9)

Apologetics / Apologia — Greek — Apologia is “a defense” or “a reasoned answer,” the case a speaker would make on his own behalf before a court. Apologetics is the practice built on it: knowing what we believe and why, so we are ready when the questions come — with gentleness and respect, not to win debates. (1 Peter 3:15)

Apostle — English, from the Greek apostolos, one who is sent — The men Jesus commissioned and sent out to carry and establish His message; their teaching is what we now hold as the New Testament. (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:20)

Arrabōn — Greek — A deposit, a down payment, a guarantee that the rest is coming. The Holy Spirit is God’s arrabōn in the believer — the first installment of an inheritance that will be paid in full. (Ephesians 1:13–14)

Atonement — Old English, at-one-ment — Making two estranged parties one again. At the cross, the distance between God and humanity was closed for good. (Romans 5:11; 1 John 2:2)

B

Baptism / Baptizō — Greek — Baptizō means to immerse, to submerge, to dip fully under — which is why the Church has historically baptized by immersion. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward decision: we go under as the old self, buried with Christ, and come up as the new self, raised with Him. It does not save; it declares what salvation has already done. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4)

Begotten / Monogenēs — Greek — “One of a kind.” When Scripture calls Jesus God’s “only begotten” Son, it does not mean He was created or had a beginning. It means He is completely unique, sharing the very nature of the Father, and always has. (John 1:14; John 3:16)

Body of Christ — Biblical picture of the Church — A living thing with many parts, each with a distinct purpose, all joined to Christ as the head. Two things are true of us at once: we belong within the Body, and there is a job in it only we can do. (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)

Bride of Christ / Bridegroom — Biblical picture of the Church — The first thing Scripture wants us to know about the Church is not what we do for God, but how deeply He loves us. God describes His relationship with His people the way a faithful husband speaks of his bride, and Jesus called Himself the Bridegroom. (Hosea 2:19; Ephesians 5:25)

C

Charis — Greek — Grace: God’s undeserved movement toward humanity. In the ancient world it was the favor a powerful person showed someone beneath them — received with no ability to repay, and never billed later. Same root as the word for gift. (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8–9)

Chárisma — Greek — Gift; favor; a thing freely given. Paul could have written “the reward of righteousness is eternal life.” He chose this word instead. Wages are earned; gifts are given. (Romans 6:23)

Communion — English, from the Latin communio, sharing in common — The bread and the cup Jesus gave us at the Last Supper. The bread points to His body broken, the cup to His blood poured out. It looks back to the cross and forward to His return. It does not save us; it declares and proclaims what the cross has already done. (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:26)

Covenant — English, from the Latin convenire, to come together, to agree — A binding, relational promise God initiates and keeps. Jesus called the cup “the new covenant in my blood.” Belonging to a local church, this book says, is about covenant, not consumerism. (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Luke 22:20)

D

Davar — Hebrew — “Word” that also means “action.” In Hebrew, a word from God and the world it creates are bound together, because His Word is what calls creation into being. (Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:6)

Denarii — Latin (singular denarius) — A day’s wage for a common laborer. In Jesus’ parable, the servant who had been forgiven billions grabbed a man who owed him a hundred denarii — a few months’ wages. Real money, and a rounding error next to what had just been erased. (Matthew 18:28)

E

Ekklesia — Greek — “The called-out ones.” In every Greek city, the ekklesia was the assembly of citizens summoned out of their homes by a herald and gathered in the public square to shape the life of the city together. It was never a building. It is the word Jesus chose for the people He is gathering out of the dark and around Himself. (Matthew 16:18; 1 Peter 2:9)

El Roi — Hebrew — “The God who Sees.” Given to God by Hagar — a pregnant, runaway slave alone in the desert, whom nobody was looking for. She is the first person in all of Scripture to give God a name. (Genesis 16:13)

El Shaddai — Hebrew — “God Almighty,” the all-sufficient One who is more than enough when we are not. (Genesis 17:1)

Emmanuel — Hebrew — “God with us.” Spoken first by Isaiah as a promise, and fulfilled in Jesus. In Him, God did not stay far off; He came near, taking on flesh to live among us as one of us. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23)

Euangelion — Greek — “Good news.” In the ancient world, the announcement a runner carried from the battlefield, still covered in dust, shouting before anyone could see his face: the war is over, the King has won, it is finished, we are safe. Not a sale to close — a victory to declare. (Mark 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

Evangelism — English, from the Greek euangelion — Sharing the good news of Jesus with others: telling people He has defeated sin and death, and anyone can come to Him and be saved. One of the two purposes our church exists for. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

F

Firstfruits — English, translating the Hebrew bikkurim — In an agricultural world, the very first of the harvest, gathered and given before the farmer could know whether the rest of the crop would come in. Giving firstfruits means giving God the first, not the leftovers. (Proverbs 3:9–10; Deuteronomy 26:2)

First Principle — Phrase used in this book — A decision settled in advance, a fixed point every other decision is measured against. Joshua made one out loud for his household; Daniel resolved before the test came. When giving becomes a first principle, it is the first thing we add and the last thing we take away. (Joshua 24:15; Daniel 1:8)

Fruit of the Spirit — Biblical phrase — Not an achievement we produce by gritting our teeth, but fruit the Spirit grows in us as we stay joined to The Vine: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23; John 15:5)

G

Gentile — English, from the Latin gentilis, of a nation — Anyone who is not Jewish; the nations beyond Israel whom the gospel was always meant to reach. At the communion table, that dividing line is gone. (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:11–13)

Gospel — Old English gōdspel, good news — The news that the Father sent His Son, who lived a life of perfect obedience, paid the debt we owed, died the death we deserved, and on the third day walked out of the grave. Not advice about how to get better — an announcement of what has happened. (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4)

H

Hades — Greek — The realm of the dead. Used by Jesus when He promised that “the gates of Hades will not overcome” His Church. (Matthew 16:18)

Hamartia — Greek — Sin. An archer’s word meaning “to miss the mark.” Not an arrow that drifts a few inches off course, but one that misses the target altogether — our inherited nature to fall short of a holy God’s standard. (Romans 3:23)

High Priest (Great High Priest) — Biblical title for Jesus — In Israel, the priest who entered God’s presence on behalf of the people. Jesus is our Great High Priest — the One who has been tempted in every way we are, understands our weakness, intercedes for us before the Father right now, and invites us to approach the throne with confidence. (Hebrews 4:14–16; Hebrews 7:24–25)

Huiothesia — Greek — Adoption; literally “placement as a son.” In Roman law it was more binding than natural birth: old debts dissolved, the full inheritance given, and it could not be undone. (Romans 8:15)

I

Imago Dei — Latin — “The image of God.” The likeness God stamped on every person He ever made. In the ancient world a king set up statues of himself across his kingdom to show the land was his; Genesis fills the earth instead with living, breathing image-bearers entrusted to reflect Him. (Genesis 1:26–27)

Inerrancy — English, from the Latin inerrans, not wandering — Because God is truthful, His Word tells the truth in everything He intends to teach. The claim is not that every reader interprets every passage correctly — it is that God speaks truthfully through Scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16; Titus 1:2)

Infallibility — English, from the Latin infallibilis, incapable of failing — Because God’s purposes never fail, His Word never fails to accomplish what He sends it to do. (Isaiah 55:10–11)

Intercession — English, from the Latin intercedere, to go between — Carrying someone else’s burden to God on their behalf. Jesus is interceding for us right now; the Spirit intercedes for us when we have no words; and we are invited to do the same for others. (Romans 8:26–27; 1 Timothy 2:1)

J

Jehovah Jireh — Hebrew — “The Lord who provides,” who saw the need and met it before we knew to ask. (Genesis 22:14; Matthew 6:31–32)

K

Kaleō / Kaleo — Greek — “To call.” Half of both parakletos (called alongside) and ekklesia (called out). (John 14:16; Matthew 16:18)

Koinonia — Greek — Fellowship; a shared life. Partners building the same thing, soldiers in the same fight, family at the same table. Lives so joined in Christ that what belongs to one begins to matter to all. (Acts 2:42; Acts 4:32)

L

Last Supper — English — The final meal Jesus shared with His disciples the night before He was crucified. It was a Passover meal, and during it He took the bread and the cup and gave us communion. (Luke 22:19–20; John 13:3–5)

Levite / Levites — Hebrew, from Levi — One of the twelve tribes of Israel, set apart to serve God in the tabernacle and later the temple. Unlike the other tribes they were given no land, and were supported entirely by the tithes and offerings of the people — an early picture of why we still give to support the ministry of the local church. (A Levite is also one of the two religious men who walked past the beaten man in Jesus’ parable.) (Numbers 18:21; Luke 10:32)

Logos — Greek — “The Word.” More than a spoken word: God’s wisdom, His reason, His self-expression, and the way He makes Himself known. Also the root of our word logic. To the Greek mind it was the order running underneath the universe — and John says that Word walked among us. (John 1:1; John 1:14)

Lord’s Prayer — English — The prayer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked Him how to pray. Notice the order: God’s name, Kingdom, and will come first; only then our daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance. (Matthew 6:9–13)

M

Manna — Hebrew, from man hu, literally “What is it?” — The bread God rained from heaven every morning of Israel’s forty years in the wilderness — enough for each day, never more. Hoarded manna spoiled overnight. God was teaching a people just out of slavery that tomorrow belongs to Him. (Exodus 16:15; Exodus 16:19–20)

Messiah — Hebrew, mashiach, “the Anointed One” — The promised King and Rescuer of God’s people. The Greek equivalent is Christos, from which we get Christ. (Isaiah 9:6; John 4:29)

N

Nard — from the Sanskrit nalada, via Greek nardos — A costly perfume imported from the Himalayas. The woman at Bethany broke a jar of it worth more than a year’s wages and poured all of it on Jesus. She did not tip out a portion; a broken jar cannot be resealed. (Mark 14:3–6)

O

Oikonomos — Greek — The household manager in the ancient world. He ran the entire estate for his master, handled the accounts, paid the workers, and directed the resources — holding all the authority and responsibility, yet owning none of it. This is the role God has given us. (Matthew 25:14–15; 1 Peter 4:10)

Ou Mē Apollymi — Greek — “Shall never perish.” One of the strongest constructions in the language, and one of the strongest promises Jesus ever makes — followed immediately by “no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28)

P

Parable — English, from the Greek parabolē, “a placing side by side” — A simple story Jesus told to teach a deeper truth about God and His Kingdom. A farmer planting seed, a lost sheep, a son coming home. A parable is a truth wrapped in a story. (Mark 4:33–34; Luke 15:11–24)

Parakletos — Greek — Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counselor — literally “one called alongside another.” In the ancient world it described someone who crossed the room to stand beside you in court and told the whole room he was with you. There is no single English equivalent, which is why translators use four words and still miss it. (John 14:16–17; John 14:26)

Parrēsia — Greek — The freedom to speak openly, with nothing hidden and nothing performed. The boldness with which we are invited to approach God’s throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16; Ephesians 3:12)

Passover — English, translating the Hebrew Pesach — The night God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. Each family put the blood of a lamb on their doorframes, and the angel of death passed over every home the blood covered. Israel remembered it with a meal every year — and it was the meal Jesus was sharing when He gave us communion, showing He is the true Lamb. (Exodus 12:12–13; Luke 22:19–20)

Pentecost — Greek, pentēkostē, “fiftieth” — A Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover, and the day God poured out His Holy Spirit on the first followers of Jesus. The Spirit came like wind and fire, three thousand believed, and the Church was born. (Acts 2:1–4; Acts 2:41)

Perichoresis — Greek — “Mutual indwelling.” The early Church’s word for the way each Person of the Trinity fully shares in the life of the others — distinct without division, perfectly united in one divine life forever. (John 14:10–11)

Pharisee — from the Aramaic perishaya, “separated one” — A member of a strict, highly respected religious group in Jesus’ day. In the Gospels they often stand for a religion of performance — like the one whose prayer was really his résumé read aloud. (Luke 18:9–14)

Q

Qol Demamah Daqqah — Hebrew — “A gentle whisper,” more literally “a sound of thin silence.” How God came to Elijah — not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a quiet that had to be listened for. (1 Kings 19:11–12)

R

Romans Road — Name for a sequence of five verses — Five truths from Paul’s letter to the Romans that lay out salvation plainly: we have all sinned; the wages of sin is death; God acted on our behalf; salvation comes by faith in Jesus; everyone who calls on His name will be saved. (Romans 3:23; Romans 10:13)

Ruach — Hebrew — Wind, breath, and life, all at once. The word for the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at the very beginning of creation. The same God who breathed life into the first human breathes His Spirit into us. (Genesis 1:2; Ezekiel 37:14)

S

Sabbath — English, from the Hebrew shabbat, “to cease” — The rhythm of stopping work for a full day to enter trust-filled rest, rooted in the seventh day of creation, when God rested not from exhaustion but to delight in His finished work. To stop one day in seven is to confess that God runs the world and we do not. Rest is the mark of a freed people. (Genesis 2:2–3; Exodus 20:8–10)

Samaritan — The people of Samaria — Despised by many Jews of Jesus’ day, which is exactly why Jesus made one the hero of His parable and why He went out of His way to meet a Samaritan woman at a well. (Luke 10:30–37; John 4:7–9)

Seraphim — Hebrew, literally “burning ones” — The angelic beings Isaiah saw around God’s throne, one of whom took a live coal from the altar and touched it to Isaiah’s lips: your guilt is taken away, your sin atoned for. (Isaiah 6:1–7)

Shachah — Hebrew — To bow down; to lower yourself before someone greater. One of the Hebrew words for worship, reminding us that worship is meant to be expressed with the body, not only the heart. (Psalm 95:6)

Skēnoō — Greek — To pitch a tent, to tabernacle. The word behind how the Word “made his dwelling” among us — the same word the Old Testament used for the tent where God’s presence camped in the middle of Israel. (John 1:14; Exodus 25:8)

Splanchnizomai — Greek — A gut word. To be moved deep in your insides — the visceral compassion you feel in your stomach before you decide anything. What the Samaritan felt when the priest and the Levite only calculated. (Luke 10:33; Matthew 9:36)

Sword of the Spirit — Biblical image — Scripture. The one piece of the armor of God that is not meant for defense. When lies come at us, the truth is how we cut them down. (Ephesians 6:17; Matthew 4:4)

T

Tabernacle — English, from the Latin tabernaculum, “tent” — The portable tent where God’s presence dwelled in the middle of Israel’s camp in the wilderness, before the temple was built. John says that in Jesus, God pitched His tent among us again. (Exodus 25:8; John 1:14)

Talent — English, from the Greek talanton — A unit of weight and money in the ancient world, roughly twenty years of wages. When Jesus described a servant forgiven ten thousand talents, He chose an absurd number on purpose — billions in today’s terms, a debt no lifetime could touch. (Matthew 18:24; Matthew 25:14–15)

Theopneustos — Greek — “God-breathed.” All Scripture is theopneustos — carried to us on the same breath that spoke creation into being and filled the lungs of the first man. (2 Timothy 3:16; Genesis 2:7)

Tithe — Old English teogotha, literally “a tenth” — The biblical practice of returning the first ten percent of what we receive to God. Not a payment or a tax, but an act of obedience, trust, gratitude, and worship. (Malachi 3:10; Proverbs 3:9–10)

Torah — Hebrew — Instruction, teaching, or guidance — usually translated “law.” Not cold rules, but the warm direction a loving Father gives His children so they will flourish. It is why the psalmist can say he loves it and meditates on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97; Psalm 1:1–3)

Trinity / Trinitas — Latin, trinitas, “three-in-oneness” — The word the early Church coined to summarize what Scripture consistently teaches: there is one God, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each fully God. One God. Three Persons. The word never appears in the Bible; the truth it describes appears throughout it. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Y

Yoke — English, from the Old English geoc — A wooden beam joining two animals together so they could carry a load side by side. When Jesus says “take my yoke upon you,” He is not sending us off alone; He is inviting us to walk with Him, sharing His pace, His strength, and His direction. (Matthew 11:28–30)