A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
A
B
- Baptism
- Baptism shall be given to all those who have learned repentance and amendment of life, and who believe truly that their sins are taken away by Christ, and to all those who walk in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and wish to be buried with him in death, so that they may be resurrected with him and to all those who with significance request it of us and demand it for themselves. This excludes all infant baptism, the highest and chief abomination of the pope. (The Schleitheim Confession, a statement of belief by the Anabaptist Swiss Brethren, 1527
- Bible Study
- And why this strange contradiction? It is because of the difficulties which studying the Bible presents. We must agree that on beginning it, there are many difficulties and obscurities; and, as much labour is required to clear them up, and the mind of man is naturally idle and lazy, we lose courage little by little and limit ourselves to reading the same scriptures over and over again. This unvaried sort of study hardly penetrates beneath the surface, nor does it learn new things; but always going over the same things repeatedly, inspires in us a kind of weariness, as if the Word of God was not interesting-as if it was not as inexhaustible as God Himself! Beware of thinking, however, that these difficulties are insuperable. No, my friends; but we must be prepared to take trouble; and there, as in prayer and in all parts of the Christian life, God wants man to be co-worker with Him. Knowledge of the Bible, taste for the Bible is the fruit and reward of this humble, sincere and persevering labour...If anyone, using by faith the resources which God puts at his disposal, and relying on God to guide him, follows out these thoughts of mine, which I can at this moment do little more than sketch, he will discover in the Word of God treasures which he never even suspected were there. Then it will become for him as firm a support as it was for Jesus, when He was tempted in the wilderness. And it will become for him what it was for the saints, in both the New Testament and in the Old Testament; what it was for David, and for Daniel, for Paul and all the saints of God.
(Monod, Adolphe. A Dying Man’s Regrets 2. The Study of the Word of God. 20 January 1856, 67.)
C
- Church
- "It's no accident that evangelical Christianity is as popular as it is. I even came to enjoy listening to sermons from Jerry Falwell, whose politics I was [initially] allergic to. The emotional, intoxicating experience of being at church and hearing that music, and the whole structure of a Sunday service, was moving to me. And I don't believe in God." (Gina Welch, author of In the Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary Journey Into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. Welch, an atheist, joined a megachurch for two years without revealing her nonbeliever status to understand more about evangelical Christians.)
D
E
- Endurance
- Let us set before our eyes the illustrious apostles, Peter, through unrighteous envy, endured not one or two, but numerous labours, and when he had finally suffered martyrdom, departed to the place of glory due to him. Owing to envy, Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity, compelled to flee, and stoned. After preaching both in the east and west, he gained the illustrious reputation due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and come to the extreme limit of the west, and suffered martyrdom under the prefects. Thus was he removed from the world, and went into the holy place, having proved himself a striking example of patience. (1 Clement, C. AD 96)
F
G
- Gospel
- We will test everything by the touchstone of the Gospel and the fire of Paul. Where we find anything that is in conformity with the Gospel, we will preserve it; where we find something that does not conform to it, we will put it out...Because one must obey God rather than man. (Ulrich Zwingli, Archeteles, 1522)
H
- Hail Mary (Ave Maria)
- Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, Blessed are you among women, And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (Common 11th and 12th Century Prayer) Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now, and at the hour of our death. Amen. (Modified by the end of the 16th century, to include a request to Mary, instead of just a greeting)
I
J
K
L
- Latin
- Whereas Saint Paul would have such language spoken to the people in the church, as they might understand, and have profit by hearing the same; the service in this Church of England (these many years) hath been read in Latin to the people, which they understood not: so that they have heard with their ears only; and their hearts, spriti, and mind, have not been edified thereby. (Book of Common Prayer, 1552, preface)
M
N
- Nero
- To kill the rumours, Nero, charged and tortured some people hated for their evil practices - the group popularly known as 'Christians'...Their deadly superstition had been suppressed temporarily, but was beginning to spring up again - not now just in Judea but even in Rome itself where all kinds of sordid and shameful activities are attracted and catch on. First those who confessed to being Christians were arrested. Then, on information obtained from them, hundreds were convicted, more for their anti-social beliefs than for fire-raising. In their deaths they were made a mockery. They were covered in skins of wild animals, torn to death by dogs, crucified or set on fire - so that when darkness fell they burned like torches in the night...As a result, although they were guilty of being Christians and deserved death, people began to feel sorry for them. (Tacitus, Annals 15.44, early second century)
O
P
Q
R
S
T
- Temple
- Now the Temple was built of stones that were white and strong, and each one was twenty-five cubits long, eight cubits high, and about twelve wide; and the whole structure...could be seen by those who lived in the country side for many miles...[The lintels] were adorned with embroidered veils, with purple flowers, and interwoven pillars. Over these, but under the crown-work, was spread out a golden vine, with its branches hanging down from a great height, whose size and fine workmanship amazed the spectators, to see what vast materials there were, and with what great skill the workmanship was done. [Herod] also encircled the entire Temple with very large cloisters, of appropriate size; and he spent more money on them than had been done before, until it seemed that no one else had so greatly adorned the Temple as he had done. There was a large wall around both the cloisters, which was itself the most prodigious work that was ever heard of by man. (Josephus, Antiquities, C. AD 94)
U
V
W
- War
- The regenerated do not go to war, nor engage in strife. They are the children of peace who have beaten their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and know of no war...Since we are to be conformed to the image of Christ, how can we then fight our enemies with the sword? ... Spears and swords of iron we leave to those who, alas, consider human blood and swine's blood of well-nigh equal value. (Menno Simons, Foundation of Christian Doctrine, 1539)
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