Bible Terminology

Why is Bible terminology important?

The language that we use to communicate with each other is very important.  We need to know what the other person means when he uses a Bible term.  He may be thinking of one thing, but you may be thinking of another.  You may both hold to the same doctrine (or truth about God) but use Bible terms differently.  This can cause a lot of confusion.  

The Bible tells us not to argue about the meaning of words.  What is important is the way that a word is used by the Bible.  We must not extrapolate doctrine from the meaning of  a word.

 

What is the difference between doctrine and terminology?

        Doctrines are statements about what we believe.

        Terminology is the words that we use to describe something.

 

What is more important, terminology or doctrine?

The truth is what sets us free.  We need to make sure that what we believe is true.  If we don't use the terminology correctly, we will still be saved.

The truth is that God loves you, that we are sinners, corrupt from birth, that God is Holy and righteous and cannot have sin in his presence, that the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God, that we cannot save ourselves, that God by his grace sent his only begotten son Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then raised him from the dead, that who so ever believes in Jesus shall have eternal live and become a son of God by receiving his Spirit.

 

If we do not use the terminology properly, will we still be saved?

        Yes, as long as we love God and believe the truth about him.

 

Which of the following questions refer to doctrine or terminology? 

 

EXAMPLE	ANSWERS
Is Regeneration the same as Baptism in the Spirit?	terminology
Is Baptism in the Spirit the same as Speaking in tongues?	doctrine
Once somebody is Saved, can they turn away and go to hell?	doctrine
Will we be raptured before or after the Great Tribulation?	doctrine
Is Born Again the same as being Saved?	terminology
Do we have a choice about being a Christian?	doctrine

 

Are all differences between Christians due to differences in the way we define Bible terms?

No.  Sometimes there really is a difference in what we believe.  In these situations, we should all seek the truth and pray that God will reveal it to us.

 

Do we need to agree on Biblical terminology in order to fellowship with one another?

No, but it sure does help.  Many Christians deliberately avoid topics that are 'controversial' for the sake of unity.  This can paralyze the fellowship and stop you achieving your maximum potential in God.  

 

What is more important:  experiencing God's touch or understanding Bible terms?

It is far more important to have a saving relationship with God than to be able to use Bible terms correctly.  However, I believe that we could present God more clearly to the world and have a better understanding of God ourselves if we used Bible terms correctly.  If we were in agreement with one another, God would bless us more abundantly than you could ever imagine.

 

Does the terminology we use match our experience? 

Have you ever been offended or discouraged by the speaking of others?  It is probably because what you thought they were saying did not match your own understanding or experience and consequently it did not ring true.  Sometimes it will turn out that we did not understand what they were saying because of the terminology they used.  Sometimes it will be because one of us has an incorrect understanding of God.

 

Does the terminology we use match the Bible?

Do you use Bible terms the same way as the Bible uses it.  The Bible is the Gold Standard - God's standard.

We should all seek the truth that is in God's word.  Once we understand this correctly, we will be one.  There is no point agreeing with one another if we are wrong.  Agreeing for the sake of agreeing is dead.

 

Must we all use the same terminology or is it sufficient just to know what the other person means?

What counts is that we understand and cooperate with each other even if we don't speak the same language.  This is what happened at Pentecost.   

Wouldn't it be nice if we all used the same terminology and all held to the same truths (doctrines).  We could fellowship with one another, build each other up and achieve awesome things for the Kingdom of God.  Many people would return to the Church and many stumbling blocks would be removed.