Religious Definitions
A through C

absolution:

the pronouncement of God's forgiveness. The absolution is spoken by the pastor after the confession of sins in our worship services. Every Christian, however, has the privilege and duty to announce God's forgiveness to penitent sinners.

agnostic:

a person who claims that we cannot know whether there is a God or not. An agnostic ignores the natural knowledge of God that we have in nature (Romans 1:19-20) and our conscience (Romans 1:32; 2:14-15).

Amen:

A Hebrew word which means firm, established, reliable; as an adverb it means surely, certainly, assuredly, or truly; at the end of a prayer it is a statement of faith and confidence -- yes, it shall be so.

angel:

a spirit being created by God some time during the week of creation (Exodus 20:11). Angels praise God (Isaiah 6:2-3), deliver his messages (Luke 1:28-38, 2:8-14), and serve him by helping and protecting his people (Daniel 6:22, Acts 5:18-20, Psalm 91:11-12). They are numerous (2 Kings 6:16-17, Matthew 26:53) and powerful (Psalm 103:20, Genesis 19:10-11).

Antinomianism:

the false view that the law has no place or role in the life of the Christian. This view has appeared from time to time in the history of the Christian Church. The Antinomian controversy in the Lutheran Church was settled by the fifth and sixth articles of the Formula of Concord.

Apocrypha:

the books written before Christ was born which were excluded from the Hebrew canon. The Roman Catholic Church has accepted them as books of the Bible, but Lutherans and Protestants have not. The term is also sometimes used for certain books excluded from the New Testament canon.

apologetics:

the use of logical arguments and evidence in defense of Christian truth against the attacks of unbelievers. However, human argumentation can never bring anyone to faith. The gospel alone is God's power for salvation (Romans 1:16; 10:17).

Apology to Augsburg Confession:

the defense of the Augsburg Confession written by Philip Melanchthon and published in 1531. The Apology serves as the Lutheran response to the Catholic claim that the Augsburg Confession had been refuted by the Catholic theologians. It also serves as an explanation of the biblical truths proclaimed in the Augsburg Confession.

apostle:

one who has been sent out with a message or commission to speak with authority. At times the Bible uses the term in a broad sense to include prominent Christian teachers (Romans 16:7). In common use the term refers to the 12 who were commissioned by Christ after his resurrection as his special witnesses.

Apostles' Creed:

a statement of the basic beliefs of Christianity. Trinitarian in nature, this creed developed in the early church as a baptismal creed and reached its present form about the seventh century. There is no historical evidence to support the tradition that it was composed by the 12 apostles with each contributing an article. We commonly recite the Apostles' Creed in non-communion services.

Arianism:

an ancient heresy named after Arius, the fourth-century priest who promoted it. Arianism denies the full divinity and eternity of God the Son, claiming that the Son had a beginning and is subordinate to the Father. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach a similar error today. The Nicene Creed was formulated in response to this heresy.

Ash Wednesday:

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent occurring forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It received its name from the ancient custom of penitent Christians putting ashes (from the previous year's Palm Sunday palms) on their foreheads as a sign of penitence.

Athanasian Creed:

a statement of Christian teaching concerning the Trinity and the person of Christ. This creed was probably written in the early sixth century in Gaul by an unknown author. An early tradition falsely ascribes it to Athanasius, the fourth-century defender of the deity of Christ. It is often recited on Trinity Sunday.

atheist:

a person who believes that there is no God. The Bible calls such a person a fool (Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1).

Augsburg Confession:

the statement of Lutheran beliefs written by Philip Melanchthon and delivered by the Lutheran princes to emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg on June 25, 1530. The reading of this confession marked the birth of the Lutheran Church. Its teachings remain authoritative for Lutherans today because the confession is a correct exposition of scriptural truth.

backslide:

to have a moral lapse, to turn away from previously held religious beliefs and practice, to turn from the truth, or to fall from faith

baptism: institution

By the institution of baptism we mean the establishment of this act of applying water in the name of the Triune God by Christ for the church to do according to his command and promise. Our Savior instituted baptism when he commanded his followers to baptize (Matthew 28:19).

Baptism: sacrament

The sacrament of Baptism is the act of applying water to a person in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit according to Christ's command (Matthew 28:19). The Bible promises that through Baptism, we receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation (John 3:5, Acts 2:38, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 5:25-26, Colossians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:21).

baptize:

to wash or apply water. Jesus commanded us to baptize in the name of the Triune God (Matthew 28:19). Because God's Word is joined to the water in Christian baptism the Holy Spirit works through this sacrament to create faith (Titus 3:5-7). In baptism we have forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38,39), life (John 3:3-6), and salvation (1 Peter 3:21).

Beelzebub (Baalzebub):

Lord of the flies, one of the Philistine gods worshiped at Ekron. In the New Testament the name is applied by the Pharisees to Satan, the prince of the devils (Matthew 12:24-28; Mark 3:22-26; Luke 11:15-20).

begotten:

The English word begotten (past participle of beget) means to be fathered by. When the term is used of Jesus, it is describing the eternal relationship in the Trinity between the person of God the Father and the person of God the Son, the relationship sometimes referred to as the eternal generation of the Son.

benediction:

the pronouncement of a blessing. We close our worship services with a benediction. We generally use the Aaronic blessing-"The Lord bless you and keep you. . . ." (Numbers 6:24-26) or the apostolic blessing-"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . ." (2 Corinthians 13:14).

born again:

converted, regenerated, quickened; a person is born again when the Holy Spirit creates faith (often called new life) in his heart through the means of grace, the gospel in Word and Sacraments.

chancel:

the area around the altar in a church building from which the presiding minister leads the worship service. The chancel is also called the sanctuary or apse.

charismatic movement:

a movement arising in the mid 20th century that emphasizes the experience of the so-called Baptism in the Holy Spirit and consequent charismatic gifts like speaking in tongues, faith-healing, and prophesying. This movement is separate from Pentecostalism in that it has arisen in the form of small groups within non-pentecostal churches. (see Pentecostalism)

chastisement:

the imposition of pain or penalty for the purpose of improving or correcting. The pain and problems that Christians suffer in this life serve as chastisement from God. They remind us of our sins and frailties, and our dependence on God for everything.

clarity of Scripture:

the truth that the teachings of Scripture are accessible to every reader or hearer of average intelligence. Although there are some things in the Bible that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:16), the basic message of Scripture is clear enough to make the simple wise (Psalm 19:7) and to enlighten our sinful minds (2 Peter 1:19).

collect:

a formal prayer used in a worship service. The collect follows this pattern: (1) the addressing of God, (2) an attribute of God or the basis for approaching God, (3) the petition or request, (4) the reason for the petition, (5) the doxology or expression of praise to God.

confession:

the act of acknowledging one's sins. Formal confession in the Lutheran church embraces two parts: (1) acknowledging one's sins and (2) receiving absolution or forgiveness. A confession can also be a statement of what one believes, e.g. the Augsburg Confession.

conversion:

the bestowal of faith; the act of God by which he turns people from sin and unbelief to faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit works through the gospel in God's Word and the sacraments to convert sinners and preserve them in faith.

covenant:

agreement, contract, testament. Scripture speaks of God's covenant with Noah (Genesis 6:18-21), Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21), Israel at Sinai (Exodus 24:7-8), and David (2 Samuel 7). Through the work of the Messiah, God established a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, 1 Corinthians 11:25) in which he promises the forgiveness of sins.

creed:

a written statement or confession of what one believes. The three creeds commonly used in worship-the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds-are brief summaries of the basic teachings of Scripture.