Glossary Terms 121-149: Called by the Gospel, An Intro to the New Testament

Question 1

Septuagint

Answer 1

the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible done in Egypt c. 200 B.C. supposedly by seventy scholars; it was the Bible of early Gentile Christianity.

Question 2

Sermon on the Mount

Answer 2

a Matthean collection of the teachings of Jesus.

Question 3

Shema

Answer 3

“Listen!”; first Hebrew word in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, 0 Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one”; eventually became a title for that foundational statement of the Old Testament faith.

Question 4

Sign

Answer 4

seven mighty deeds of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel, written that “you might believe.”

Question 5

Sinless perfectionism

Answer 5

the teaching that believers, by indwelling and power of the Holy Spirit, are able to achieve moral perfection or holiness here this life.

Question 6

Son of God

Answer 6

the central identification of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel; however, no human character so recognizes Jesus until he has been crucified; other writers also employ this phrase to speak of the divine nature of Jesus.

Question 7

Son of Man

Answer 7

euphemism for a human being in the Old Testament, especially the book of Ezekiel; in Daniel, one “like a son of man” is a divinely appointed future ruler of Israel; in the Pseudepigrapha, the title is used for one who serves as the agent of God at the time of judgment; Jesus uses the title as a self-designation.

Question 8

Soteriological

Answer 8

related to salvation; the study or teachings about salvation.

Question 9

Suffering Servant

Answer 9

“servant” is used as a technical term in parts Isaiah called “the Servant Songs”; at times “Servant” refers to the whole nation of Israel but the Suffering Servant more narrowly describes an individual who suffers to atone for the sins of the nations.

Question 10

Synagogue

Answer 10

an assembly of at least ten men; dedicated buildings for such assemblies came into prominence after the destruction of the temple.

Question 11

Synoptic

Answer 11

literally “with one perspective”; used to describe the common story line and oft-times verbal agreement in the first three gospels.

Question 12

Talmud

Answer 12

a record of rabbinic teaching comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

Question 13

Ten Commandments

Answer 13

the “Ten Words” given on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20:1-17; Decalogue; various traditions number the ten in different ways.

Question 14

Textual criticism

Answer 14

the study that deals with discrepancies between copies of New Testament texts.

Question 15

Theodicy

Answer 15

resolving the problem of evil by showing that God is all-powerful and just, despite evil’s existence.

Question 16

Theophany

Answer 16

an appearance of God to a person in a form clearly recognized as divine.

Question 17

Tongues

Answer 17

the Greek term glossa can refer to the body part; but also came to describe languages (glossolalia); normally in another human language, but 1 Corinthians 14 uses the term to describe a spirit or prayer language.

Question 18

Torah

Answer 18

Hebrew word for the five books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy at the beginning of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible; from the Hebrew word for “instruction” or “revelation” and often mistranslated as “Law.”

Question 19

Tradition of the elders

Answer 19

an oral tradition meant to help people apply the teachings of the Torah to their daily lives.

Question 20

Transfiguration

Answer 20

the story of a temporary change in Jesus’ appearance to convey his heavenly glory, witnessed by Peter, James, and John; Moses and Elijah appear talking with Jesus; a heavenly voice affirmed Jesus as “my Son.”

Question 21

Transmission

Answer 21

the process by which the texts of the New Testament were copied and handed down from generation to generation.

Question 22

Two covenant theory

Answer 22

a position that there are two different covenants or paths established by God for access into a relationship with him as his people; asserts that Israel is God’s chosen people by virtue of physical descent from Abraham; Jesus opens up a separate way for Gentiles to be included.

Question 23

Type

Answer 23

an Old Testament person, office, practice, or event which foreshadows a fulfillment in Jesus; fulfillment is called an Anti-type.

Question 24

Variant reading

Answer 24

a reading which differs from another copy of the same text.

Question 25

Verbal inspiration

Answer 25

the actual “words” (verba in Latin) are from the Holy Spirit, not merely the thoughts or ideas.

Question 26

Via Egnatia

Answer 26

major Roman highway running from the Adriatic to the Bosporus across the Roman provinces of Illyria, Macedonia, and Thrace.

Question 27

Wisdom

Answer 27

Hebrew term for practical insights into living a godly, day-to-day life; became more of an abstract, philosophical concept about the deeper meaning of life in the Greek world.

Question 28

Yahweh

Answer 28

the personal name by which the God of the Old Testament identifies himself; explicitly revealed to Moses at the burning bush,

Question 29

Zealots

Answer 29

political revolutionaries opposed to Hellenization and Roman occupation; led the revolt against Rome.