Glossary of Christian Terms

AGNOSTICISM

Technically, there are several kinds of agnosticism:

1. A person who says "I don't personally know whether or not any god exists. It might be possible to know such a thing, but I personally don't know."

2. Someone who believes it is not possible to know whether there are any gods.

3. A religious agnostic is a person who believes that there is a god or gods but it is not possible to know anything about such god(s).

ATHEISM

The belief that there is no god.

DEISM, DEISTIC

Deism describes the relationship between a god and that which it creates.  Deism is the belief that a god distances itself from that which it creates, that it does not get involved in the activities of the things it created.  A deistic god is essentially an "absentee father" god -- it creates a universe and then sits back and says "I made you, but I don't want to get involved.  You're on your own!"

DEITY

A divine being, a god.

DIVINE

Having the nature of a god or gods.

DIVINE CHARACTERISTICS OR NATURE

Christianity claims that the God of all things is unique in that He alone has the following divine characteristics:

1. SUPREMACY  The God of Judaism and Christianity is the Supreme Being.  He is not merely a different type of being or a superior being but the Supreme Being.

2. UNIQUENESS  God is unique.  The Bible describes Him in Greek as monogenesis, i.e., "one of a kind", "having a unique nature."

3. ETERNALNESS He always has existed and always will exist.  He had no beginning and will never cease to exist.

4. OMNISCIENCE He knows all things.

5. OMNIPOTENCE He is all powerful.

6. OMNIPRESENCE He is everywhere at the same time.

7. ALIVE The one God is a living being.

8. THEISTIC

9. HOLINESS  Holy means pure, undefiled.

10. TRIUNE NATURE The one God consists of three distinct persons:
    1. JEHOVAH -  often referred to as the Father
    2. JESUS - often referred to as the Son
    3. THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

Christianity claims that, in addition, this unique God shares the following characteristics with certain other things:
 

11. PERSONAL God is a living person with thoughts, reactions, etc., not an impersonal thing.

12. SPIRIT

13. INTELLIGENCE

14. SENTIENCE

15. IMMORTAL

16. SEPARATE  God is separate from that which He created.  The universe itself is not God.

GOD

The one Supreme Being who created and sustains all things.

GOD vs god

When the Bible talks about other "gods" it means false gods or anything a person puts ahead of God in priority, such as money.  Christians often talk about "Have you made money your god?", i.e., is making money or keeping money more important to you than serving God?  In English translations "God" (capitalized) always refers to the God of the Bible, whereas "god" (lowercase) always refers to false gods or things man puts ahead of God.

IMMORTAL

A living being that will live forever.  Note the technical difference between eternalness and immortality: God is eternal because had He had no beginning.  He also is immortal because He will live forever.  Humans, angels, demons, etc., are immortal because we will never cease to exist, but not eternal because we did not always exist.

It is important to realize that in practice eternal and immortal are often used interchangeably and the technical difference is not always maintained.

MONOTHEISM

The belief that there is only one Supreme Being.

Christianity is unique in that it teaches there is only one God but He has a triune nature, i.e., He consists of three distinct persons, not one.  God has not chosen to reveal to us exactly how this works.

It is important to distinguish monotheism from

PANTHEISM

Pantheism is the belief that the universe and god are one and the same, i.e., that the universe itself is god.

POLYTHEISM

The belief that there is more than one god.

SENTIENT

A sentient being has intelligence, is aware of its own existence, and aware that there is a 'big picture'.  For instance, cats, dogs, and horses have intelligence but probably are not sentient.
 

SPIRIT

A spirit is a living being that is incorporeal, i.e., it does not possess a physical body. Note that Jesus took on a physical human body.  It is not an inherent part of His nature. By comparison, our bodies are part of our human nature but we put on clothes.

THEISM

The belief that there is a god or gods.

THEISTIC

Theistic is an adjective that describes the relationship between a god and that which it creates.  A theistic god does not distance itself from that which it creates, that it gets actively involved in the activities of the things it created.  In fact, the God of the Bible 'micromanages' things.

TRIUNE

One God consisting of three distinct persons.  This is not the same as three gods.