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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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The coming of the Lord for believers, dead and alive, to take them to heaven. This event is described is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-52. Contrary to what some understand, this event is not Christ's second coming. It is Christ's coming for His bride, the Church. At the rapture Christ descends from heaven, but not all the way to the earth. 1 Thes. 4:17 says that those raptured will rise to meet Christ in the air, and then be carried with Him to heaven. The timing of the rapture is subject to much debate. There are four views on the timing, all centering on the Tribulation described in the book of Revelation. Pretribulationism - this is the most widely accepted view. The timing of the Pretribulation rapture, as the name indicates, is before the seven years of Tribulation. The scriptural evidence for a pretribulation rapture is greater than for any other view. 1) The nature of the Tribulation. As described in Revelation, the Tribulation is the time when God pours out His wrath on the whole earth for it's wickedness and sinfulness. 2) Daniel's Seventieth Week. The Tribulation marks the end of the Church age and the beginning of the Seventieth Week of Daniel described in Daniel 9:24. Since the rejection of the Messiah the world has been in the Church age. The removal of the believing church from the earth signals the resumption of Daniel's Seventy Weeks. The Church is no longer the focus of attention. This is brought out in Revelation. After the description of the 7 churches of Asia in chapters 1-3, the church is not mentioned again. Israel again is the focus in chapters 4-22. 3) Believers are not destined for wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says that God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation together with Him. This is one of the strongest reasons believers will not be present during the Tribulation, since the Tribulation will be the time of the greatest suffering the world has ever seen. 4) We are the bride of Christ. As the bride of Christ, we are the object of Christ's love. It does not make sense that God would permit His Son's bride to live through the horror of His wrath, then be brought to His Son for marriage, battered and bloody. Scripture supports this in Romans 5:9, 1 Thes. 5:9, Revelation 3:10. Mid-Tribulationism - this is the belief that the rapture will occur at some point during the Tribulation. The Mid-Tribulationist views the Tribulation in two parts. The first three and one-half years are the Tribulation, when the Beast makes his covenant of peace with Israel (Dan. 9:27). But in the middle of the seven years of peace the Beast breaks his covenant with Israel and enters the Temple of God and sets himself up as the supreme ruler. This event, the Abomination of Desolation (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; Matt. 24:15) marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation. It is at this point, prior to the Great Tribulation that Mid-Tribulationists point to as the time of the rapture. The problem with this view is the those on the earth have already had to endure three and one-half years of God's wrath. The number of people killed during this time is immense, and the persecution by Satan and the Beast is great. Post-Tribulationism - this view on the timing of the rapture says that the church will be raptured at the end of the Tribulation. There is little scriptural evidence to support this view. In fact, this view says that the church will have to endure the seven years of wrath and judgment poured out on the earth by God, the persecution and hatred of Satan and his Beast. It this view is indeed true, there will be very few believers still alive to be raptured since we know from Revelation 6:9 that the Beast will kill millions because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained. We learn from Revelation that those who are believers will return with Christ and will rule with him on the earth during the Millennial reign. Since this is true, there would be no time for the rapture to occur at the end of the Tribulation since Christ and his armies come down from heaven to bind Satan for 1000 years while casting the Beast and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire. The return of Christ to take control of the earth marks the end of the Tribulation. Pre-Wrath - this obscure view says that the rapture will occur at some time before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth. But since the entire seven years of Tribulation are, by definition, God's wrath and judgment, this view is difficult to define. also see Tribulation The view of Rene Descarte (1596-1650) best summarized by the Latin phrase "Cogito Ergo Sum" (I think, therefore I am). Descarte doubted everything that he could not prove in his own mind. He felt it necessary to rely upon human reasoning and intellect to decide what is true and false. Rationalism sees man's wisdom as more authoritative to understanding God than searching the Scriptures. (Sarles, Anthropology, p.6-2) Realism is a reply to the theory of skepticism. There are several levels of realism, beginning with Common Sense Realism that goes to the extreme of saying that perception is reality. It is objective, saying that we can distinguish between ourselves and what exists around us. Critical realism says that perception is similar, but is not always reality. Hyper-critical realism says that perception is not similar to reality at all. The hyper-critical realist is similar to modern science, seeing science involved in everything. The final view is Phenominalism, which goes to the far extreme of saying that reality is perception. This is a totally subjective view. Reality is whatever the individual says it is. (Sarles, World Views) From the Greek word katalasso, meaning "to effect a change, to reconcile." Reconciliation is the process of bringing sinful man back into fellowship with God. It is God who initiates this change or reconciliation and each sinful man is the object of reconciliation. Just as there can be no faith without God sending His Spirit to dwell within us, there can be no reconciliation with God unless He initiates it. It is the restoration of man into fellowship with God. (Enns, p.324) Rectoral Justice - see Justice To set free by the payment of a price. In the New Testament the context of the term relates the Roman slave markets where a slave was put up for sale and the purchaser paid the necessary price to set the slave free. Paul employs the term to describe the believer's release from bondage and enslavement to sin. (Ibid., p.110) also see Death of Christ The theological transformation begun by men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin that turned away from all that man brings to salvation and recognized that it is only and completely from God that we receive salvation. The doctrine of the reformation recognizes the complete inability of man to bring about his own salvation and his need of God's grace. (Warfield, p.38) This theology is centered around the reformation work of John Calvin (1509-1564) and his Institutes of the Christian Religion. Calvin's work gained a foothold in England through the Puritans and the Presbyterians. The Westminster Confession of Faith became the doctrine of Reformed Theology. (Enns, p.463) see Calvinism To regenerate means to give life. This is what occurs when the Holy Spirit indwells a person. Just as human reproduction gives human life, spiritual regeneration through the Holy Spirit results in spiritual life. Prior to spiritual regeneration a person is spiritually dead, unable to understand or believe the things of God. (Ibid., p.252) The heresy of many pagan religions that declares that when a person dies he is reborn into another human body or "given life in the flesh again." Nowhere in Scripture is this even hinted at. see Incarnation and Resurrection The Remonstrants were followers of Jacobus Arminius during the early 17th century in Holland. They strongly believed in the theology espoused in Arminianism. (Harrison, p.443) Remunerative Justice - see Justice An inward, genuine pleading with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of sin and the fear of judgment and hell. Repentance is not merely behavior reform. True repentance involves a change of heart and purpose, it inevitably results in a change of behavior. Three elements of repentance are: 1) the intellectual element, which is a change of view, a recognition of sin as involving personal guilt, defilement, and helplessness; 2) the emotional element, which is a change of feeling, manifesting itself in sorrow for sin committed against a holy God; and 3) the volitional element, which is a change of purpose, an inward turning away from sin, and a disposition to seek pardon and cleansing. (MacArthur, Faith Works, p.75) The passing by of the non-elect. Were it not for God's grace in electing some to salvation, reprobation would be the fate of all men. Grace is given to one and withheld from another as He sees best. All God does is let the unregenerate man alone and allow him to go his own way without interference. It is his nature to be evil, and God simply has foreordained to leave that nature unchanged. The picture often painted by opponents of the doctrine of reprobation is of a cruel God refusing to save those who long to be saved is a gross caricature. It is to be noticed also that the withholding of His grace from the non-elect is but the negative cause of their perishing, just as the absence of a physician from the sick man is the occasion, not the efficient cause, of his death. Since man has brought himself into this state of sin, his condemnation is just, and every demand of justice would be met in his punishment. (Boettner, p. 114-116) From the Greek word anastasis, meaning "to make to stand," or "rise up." Resurrection is the reunion of the bodies and souls of men that have been separated by death. This is rightly held to be an important article of Christian belief. (New Unger's Bible Dictionary) Within Scripture there are three types of resurrection demonstrated. First, there are the miraculous healings, such as those who have been brought back to life (resuscitated) in this present world. Such raisings were performed by Elijah on the Zarephath widow's son (1 Kin. 17:20-24), by Elisha on the Shunammite woman's son (2 Kin. 4:32-37) and Lazarus (John 11:43-44). In these raisings there is no suggestion that the person will not again experience death. Second, there is Our Lord's resurrection. This resurrection is clearly linked with the overcoming of the powers of evil and death. Third, there is the general resurrection. This describes the resurrection of all men, saved and unsaved for the various judgments and rewards that occur during the end times. (Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Retributive Justice - see Justice The term revelation means "an unveiling." There are two types of revelation, natural and special revelation. Natural revelation, also known as general revelation, is that knowledge God chooses to reveal of Himself in His creation. Romans 1:20 clearly teaches that God reveals Himself to all men through His creation, so that all men are without excuse concerning their disobedience on the day of judgment. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. - Rom 1:20 Special revelation is that special knowledge and insight that God chooses to give to whomever He chooses. In the Old Testament God revealed Himself or His will in many ways, such as Theophanies, visions, dreams, through inanimate objects (such as the burning bush), and through animals (such as Balaam's donkey). In the New Testament God chose to reveal Himself directly in the person of Jesus Christ. Following the death of Christ, God chose to reveal Himself to the church via Scripture. Since the close of the canon God now reveals Himself through Scripture and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in regenerate believers. Special revelation is special because even though natural men can read God's word, they cannot comprehend its meaning unless God gives them the ability. (Harrison, p.456) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. - 1 Cor 2:14 An attribute of God whereby He does what is right and in accordance with His will, nature and Law. (Erickson, p.144) Essentially, righteousness is "right-ness," or a "right standing." But righteousness is only "right" if it right in the sight of God. Abraham believed in the Lord: and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. - Genesis 15:6 Since righteousness is an Attribute of God, only God is truly righteous. But as believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God imputes His righteousness to us. God declares the believer righteous in His sight because of our faith. Because righteousness is only from God, righteousness is always God-centered. Righteousness apart from God is self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is man's doomed attempt to make himself righteous apart from God. Because there is only One who is holy and righteous, there is no true righteousness apart from God. |