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A Layman's Reference Guide to Selected |
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Theological "-ism"s, "-ology"s, "-tion"s
and Other Terms |
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by Randy Smith |
A B C D E F G H I-J K-L M N O P-Q R S T U-Z
Title Page Acknowledgments Bibliography Scripture Index
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Daniel's Seventieth Week - see Tribulation In 2 Samuel 7 God made an unconditional covenant with David. The Davidic Covenant includes four elements. 1) God declared the royal House of David would bring forth a promised Messiah. 2) God decreed a kingdom over whom the King will rule. 3) David was promised a throne of power and authority in which the King will rule. 4) God promised that this throne would stand forever, emphasizing that the posterity of David will never cease to rule over the house of Israel. (Enns, p.61) From the Greek word diakonos, meaning "servant," a deacon is a man who ministers to the functioning of the church. Typically a deacon is delegated responsibilities for attending to the administrative and financial needs of the church by the ruling board of Elders. The qualifications for Deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Death means "separation." In the physical sense death is the separation of the physical human body with the non-physical soul of the individual. In the spiritual sense death refers to the spiritual separation from God. Because of the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden all men will experience physical death. But those who reject Jesus Christ as Savior will also experience spiritual death. Ephesians 2:1 specifically says that all unbelievers are dead in their sins. All men are in a state of spiritual death until God opens their spiritual eyes and calls them to Himself. The death of Christ refers to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Under the New Covenant, God provided a way for fallen man to be with Him eternally. God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price and penalty for our sin. The death of Jesus Christ was substitutionary, or vicarious, because He paid the penalty for us. Vicarious means "one in place of another." Hebrews 9:22 confirms that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. For that reason, Christ had to die on the cross if His death was to satisfy God's Law. Isaiah 53 stresses the substitutionary nature of Christ's death. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied. - Isaiah 53:10,11 The death of Christ provides redemption. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says that believers have been bought with a price. The picture is of a slave bought in a slave market. By the payment of the purchase price, the slave is purchased and then set free. The death of Christ provides propitiation. The righteous demands of God have been satisfied by the payment of Christ by His death on the cross. The result of Christ's death is the forgiveness of sins for those who believe. The demands of God's law have been satisfied by the acceptable payment by Christ. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions. - Colossians 2:13 The additional result of Christ's death is our justification. By His death and by our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, we have a new legal status before God whereby He declares all believers righteous in His sight through the blood of Jesus His Son. (Ibid. 232) A word that is translated from the Greek meaning "ten words," the decalogue refers specifically to the Ten Commandments of God that were given to the people of Israel through Moses. The negative term used to describe the modern practice in evangelism of getting unbelievers to "make a decision for Christ." The practice of decisionalism has come under criticism as being simply an emotional reaction to a "motivational speech" type presentation of the gospel. Critics of decisionalism point to the doctrine of regeneration, that it is God who calls the unbeliever, not the unbeliever making "a decision for Christ." The decrees of God have been established in eternity past and have reference to God's sovereign control over every realm and over all events. The decrees are reflected in Ephesians 1:11 in that He "works all things after the counsel of His will." The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. God has absolute control. However, God is not the author of sin nor does His sovereignty eliminate man's responsibility. (Ibid., pp.203-204) also see Preceptive Will of God and Decretive Will of God Also known as the directive will of God. These are the events that God is the author of, which He actively brings about. He creates (Isa. 45:18); He controls the universe (Dan. 4:35); He establishes kings and governments (Dan. 2:21); He elects people to be saved (Eph. 1:4). (Ibid., p.205) Louis Berkhof defines God's decretive will as "that will of God by which He purposes or decrees whatever shall come to pass, whether He will to accomplish it effectively (causatively), or to permit it to occur through the unrestrained agency of His rational creatures." (Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p.77) Deism sees God as impersonal, uninterested and uninvolved with the world. (Enns, p.633) It involves a mechanical conception of the universe. The deist believes God has made a machine, and because it is a good machine, He can leave it to work out, not its, but His end. The deist believes God has created His universe, given His creation His law for guidance, then turned the universe loose to run by His design, much as a clock-maker winds a clock and starts it. The deist believes the natural law delivers us from chance. But it does so only to cast us into the cogged teeth of a machine. (Warfield, p.14) A demon is an evil angel. Though originally created perfect and without sin, one-third of the angels of heaven fell into sin when Satan fell. (Eze. 28:18; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:4). There is ample evidence of the existence of demons from Scripture. In the Old Testament Hebrew demons are known as shedhim (Deut. 32:17; Psalm 106:37), seirim (Lev. 17:7), elilim (Psalm 96:5), gad (Isa. 65:11), qeter (Psalm 91:6). In the New Testament Greek demons are derived from the word daimon (Mark 5:12; Luke 8:29; Rev. 16:14; 18:2) and daimonion, meaning an "inferior divinity." (Dickason, Angels Elect and Evil, p.163) Also known as Demon Possession. The term "demonization" comes from the Greek word daimonizomenos, meaning "the inhabiting of a human by one or more demons." Demons can exert various amounts of influence or control with physical, psychological and spiritual manifestations. The results and manifestations of being demonized can range from mild to extreme. When a person is demonized the personality of the demon may eclipse the personality of the person inhabited. (Ibid., p.198) The doctrine of demons, or fallen angels. This is a Greek word meaning "to scatter or disburse." The term is used in the New Testament to indicate the "scattering" of Christians throughout the world (Acts 11:19; 1Peter 1:1). The event known as "the Diaspora" came in A.D.70, with the destruction of Jerusalem. At that time the Jewish people were cast out of Israel. Without a nation, they were "scattered" into the whole world. The nation Israel ceased to exist for 1900 years, until it was reborn in 1948. see Dispersion The anthropological view that "man is composed of two distinct elements, body and soul. The body represents everything material in man, while the soul represents everything immaterial in man. (Sarles, Anthropology, p.2-3) For a comparison, see Trichotomy. From the Greek word oikonomia, meaning "stewardship." A dispensation is defined as "a period of time during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God." Throughout human history God has set forth a specific purposes for specific periods of time. For example, while Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, they lived in a specific dispensation or relationship to God. After the fall, that first dispensation ended and a second began as their relationship to God changed. Likewise, after the destruction of the world in The Flood, a new dispensation began as God instituted human government. There are numerous opinions on the various dispensations humanity has lived under. C.I. Scofield identifies seven distinct dispensations. They are: 1) Dispensation of Innocence (Adamic dispensation); 2) Dispensation of Conscience (antediluvian dispensation); 3) Dispensation of Human Government (Noahic Dispensation); 4) Dispensation of Promise (Abrahamic dispensation); 5) Dispensation of Law (Mosaic dispensation); 6) Dispensation of Grace (Church age); 7) Dispensation of the Kingdom (Millennial dispensation). (Harrison, p.168) Dispensationalism is defined as a system of biblical interpretation that seeks to establish a unity in the Scriptures through a consistent literal interpretation of Scripture. Dispensationalists dogmatically maintain that there continues to exist a distinction between Israel and the church. The dispensationalist sees specific periods of time that apply in specific ways. For example, the Old Testament dispensations pertain only to the nation of Israel, while the teachings of the New Testament (Dispensation of Grace or "Church age") are intended for whosoever believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Dispensationalism follows a consistently literal method of interpretation, which extends to eschatological studies. Non-dispensationalists interpret the Bible literally with the exception of prophecy. Literal interpretation recognizes both literal and figurative language. Dispensationalism builds on the fact that God has given unconditional promises to Israel, such promises as the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). In that covenant God promises a land and a physical posterity to Abraham, wherein He would bless the descendants of Abraham. Dispensationalists believe these promises will be fulfilled literally in the future with Israel. Dispensational theology sees the purpose of God's program as doxological, that is, to bring glory to Himself. (Zuck, p.239) For a contrast, see Covenant Theology and Dispensation. Dispensational Premillennialism A combination of dispensationalism and premillennialism. Therefore, dispensational premillennialism is a dispensational belief that the Church will be raptured prior to the Tribulation and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return to establish His millennial kingdom on earth where He will reign for 1000 years. (Enns, p.389) Also known as the Diaspora, the dispersion refers to the physical dispersion of the Jewish people from the land of Palestine after the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. It was not until 1948, when the nation of Israel was reborn, that the Jewish people once again returned to live in the land given to Abraham by God. Distributive Justice - see Justice The improper Trinitarian view that Jesus Christ, while appearing to be human and a man, was neither. Docetism maintains that Jesus only had a human appearance, but was not human. (Sarles, Christology, p.4-1) Something taught as the principles or creed of a religion, political party, etc.; tenet or tenets; belief; (Webster's New World Dictionary) see dogma Theologically, a doctrine or body of doctrines formally and authoritatively affirmed. (Ibid.) see doctrine Is normally understood to denote the study of a creedal system as developed by a denomination or a theological movement. (Enns, p.148) A postmillennial view that maintains that Christians should "take over" (have dominion or leadership) in every aspect of society, including government. This dominion will continue to build until the end of the millennium and the Second Coming of Christ. (Zuck, p.232) see Postmillennialism The doctrine of double predestination holds that all men, both elect and reprobate, will end up in their eternal state (saved or condemned) because of God's choice. This doctrine is favored by those who hold to Calvinism and is strongly disputed by those who hold to Arminianism because of their view concerning man's free will. Additionally, there is disagreement among those who hold to double predestination. The controversy centers around the timing of God's decree to elect. The infralapsarian view sees the decree to elect coming after God's decree to create and then permit the Fall. In doing so, the infralapsarian view sees God's decree to elect as a direct action of His will, while His condemnation of the reprobate is a consequence of God choosing to pass over the non-elect. On the other hand, the supralapsarian view sees God's decree to elect occurring prior to His decree to create and permit the Fall. In holding to this view, the supralapsarian sees God actively choosing some to eternal life and actively choosing some to condemnation and hell. From the Greek word doxa, meaning "glory," a doxology is a hymn of praise to the three Persons of the Trinity. The Gloria Patri is known as the "Lesser Doxology," and is rendered "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost: As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." The Gloria in Excelsis is known as the "Greater Doxology" and is found in Luke 2:14. Glory to God in the highest - Luke 2:14 An improper concept of theodicy (the origin of evil) that maintains the universe is made up of two mutually hostile substances, good and evil. Dualism says that evil exists independently of good and is equally as powerful a force. (Sarles, Angelology, p.4-4) Dynamic Monarchianism - see Monarchianism The orthodox (traditionally accepted) Christological doctrine that declares that Jesus Christ had two natures, one human and one divine. Throughout the gospels we see the divine nature of Christ exhibited. It is only in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39) that Jesus' human nature appears through His fearful prayer. (Sarles, Christology, p.7-3) |