Vocabulary for Christianity Anabaptists – Protestants of the sixteenth century who refused to baptize infants and instead practiced believers baptism. Antichrist – a pseudo-religious leader who will lead the world to persecute Christians and Jews. The Antichrist will be defeated by the Lord at the Second Coming of Christ at the Battle of Armageddon. Apocalypse – Uncovering or revealing. John’s book of Revelation is also called “Apocalypse of John.” Other spurious books called “Apocalypse” were also sometimes read by Christians such as The Apocalypse of Paul, and the Apocalypse of Peter. Apocrypha – Books in the Roman Catholic Bible and Septuagint (Greek translation of Hebrew Scriptures) that many Christians and Jews consider not to be authoritative and therefore, are not in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) nor in modern versions of most English Bibles. apostle – men chosen by Jesus to be his assistants and special envoys.

Arianism – Heretical movement in fourth century that taught that Jesus was a created being similar to an angel. atonement – Jesus died to take away our sins. He died in our place taking our judgment and satisfying God’s righteous demands that a sinner be punished for their sins. baptism – a Christian ritual commanded by Jesus that those who believe in him should be immersed in water as a public testimony of their faith in Jesus. canon – books of the Bible officially recognized by most Christians as being the Word of God and authoritative for faith and practice. crucifixion – execution by being nailed or otherwise hung on a wooden post. Some posts had cross bars that form the shape of a cross. Didache – outside of the Bible the Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Disciples is one of the oldest Christian writings dated near the beginning of the second century or earlier.

disciple – someone who follows a teacher by listening, learning, memorizing, and practicing the teacher’s beliefs and lifestyle. Easter – most important Christian holiday and time of celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. eschatology – study of last things and events of the end-times. Evangelical – those who believe the Bible is the word of God which is a record of true events and who believe that personal conversion is necessary in order to be a child of God. Gnosticism – a religious movement that often incorporated Christian beliefs into its own belief system and was a great threat to Orthodox Christianity during the second and third centuries. Gospel – the good news that we can be forgiven of our sins by believing in Jesus and his work of redemption on the cross. Hell – a place of eternal punishment for those who do not believe in Jesus.

incarnation – God took on flesh when he became the man Jesus Christ. This happened as Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus. Last Supper – Jesus’ last meal with his apostles on the night he was betrayed and arrested. This meal was the annual celebration of the Passover, but Jesus used the unleavened bread to speak about his body being broken and he said that the cup of redemption was the cup of the New Covenant in his blood. Sin – disobedience to God.