The Bible Flashcards
Abraham and Isaac
The first two patriarchs of
the Old Testament. According to the Book of Genesis,
God made a covenant with Abraham, telling him
to leave his own country and promising to give his
family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan. This was
the Promised Land. God also promised to maintain
the covenant with Abraham’s son Isaac. After a time,
God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice Isaac as
a burnt offering. Abraham obediently placed Isaac on
an altar and took a knife to kill him. Then an angel of
the Lord appeared and told Abraham to spare his son,
because Abraham had proved his faith.
✥ Both Jews and Arabs (see Arab-Israeli conflict)
claim descent from Abraham: Jews through
Isaac, Arabs through Abraham’s other son, Ishmael.
Abraham’s devotion to God makes him a model of
faith to Jews and Christians alike. ✥ “The bosom of
Abraham” is a term used in the Gospel of Luke, and in
poetry often refers to the peace of heaven.
Adam and Eve
In the Bible, the first man and the
first woman. The Book of Genesis tells that God created
Adam by breathing life into “the dust of the
ground.” Later, God created Eve from Adam’s rib. God
placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, telling
them that they could eat the fruit of all the trees in the
garden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil. They lived happily until the serpent
(Satan) tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. She
ate, and gave the fruit to Adam, who also ate; they immediately
became aware and ashamed of their nakedness.
Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God
drove them from the garden into the world outside,
where Eve would suffer in childbirth and Adam would
have to earn his livelihood by the sweat of his brow.
The direst consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience
was death: “Dust thou art,” said God, “and
unto dust shalt thou return.” After their expulsion,
Eve gave birth to sons, first Cain and Abel and
then Seth, and thus Adam and Eve became the parents
of humankind. Adam and Eve’s sin and their consequent
loss of God’s grace and the enjoyment of paradise
are referred to as the Fall of Man or simply “the
Fall.”
alpha and omega (al-fuh; oh-may-guh, oh-meg-uh,
oh-mee-guh)
The beginning and the end. In the
Greek alphabet, in which the New Testament was
written, alpha is the first letter and omega is the last. In
the Book of Revelation, God says, “I am Alpha and
Omega, the first and the last,” meaning that God remains
from the beginning to the end of time.
angels
Spirits who live in heaven with God; also the
devils of hell, who are angels fallen from goodness.
In the Bible, angels are often sent to Earth, sometimes
with a human appearance, to bring the messages
of God to people, to guide and protect them, or to execute
God’s punishments. (See Abraham and Isaac,
Annunciation, cherubim, Daniel in the lions’
den, Gabriel, Jacob’s ladder, Lot’s wife, Lucifer,
Annunciation
An announcement made by the angel
Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus, that she
was going to bear a son, even though she was a virgin.
Her son was to be called Jesus.
Antichrist
A person mentioned in the New Testament
as an enemy of Jesus, who will appear before the
Second Coming and win over many of Jesus’ followers.
The Antichrist is often identified with a beast described
in the Book of Revelation, whom God destroys
just before the final defeat of Satan.
✥ Since the New Testament was written, people
have frequently tried to prove that an individual human
being was the Antichrist. Some of the candidates
have been the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula
and the modern dictators Adolf Hitler and Joseph
Stalin.
Apocalypse (uh-pok-uh-lips)
Another name for the
New Testament Book of Revelation; from the
Greek word for “revelation.”
✥ An “apocalypse” is a final catastrophe. ✥ The
Apocalypse is supposed to come at the end of the
world or of time.
Apocrypha (uh-pok-ruh-fuh)
Religious writings that
have been accepted as books of the Bible by some
groups but not by others. The Roman Catholic
Church, for example, includes seven books, such as
Judith, I and II Maccabees, and Ecclesiasticus, in the
Old Testament that Jews and Protestants do not
consider part of the Bible. Some churches may read the
Apocrypha for inspiration but not to establish religious
doctrine.
✥ By extension, an “apocryphal” story is one that is
probably false but nevertheless has some value.
Apostles, the Twelve
The twelve men chosen by Jesus
to follow him and to spread the gospel after his
death. They included Peter, James, John, Thomas,
Matthew, and Judas Iscariot (who was later replaced).
Paul, even though he was not one of the
Twelve, is generally considered an apostle because of
his crucial role in the spread of Christianity.
✥ In general usage, an apostle is someone who
preaches or promotes a cause, particularly a religious
one. The term also connotes a disciple.
Ararat (ar-uh-rat)
The mountain upon which Noah’s
ark came to rest as the waters of the great flood receded.
(See Noah and the Flood.)
Armageddon (ahr-muh-ged-n)
In the Book of Revelation,
the site of the final and conclusive battle between
good and evil, involving “the kings of the Earth
and the whole world,” on the “great day of God Almighty.”
✥ Figuratively, “Armageddon” is any great battle or
destructive confrontation.
Ask, and it shall be given you
A teaching of Jesus
in the Sermon on the Mount. He continues, “Seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you.”
✥ This passage suggests that God will give whatever
is needed to those who have the faith to ask for it.
