--- title: "Vocabulary and interpretive terms in the Pauline letters" canonical: "https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary" published: "2026-10-24" updated: "2026-10-24" license: "https://paulineletters.com/explore/license" source: "Pauline Letters" --- # Vocabulary and interpretive terms in the Pauline letters > Ninety-nine terms from Acts and the Pauline letters, with reference-based observations, attributed lexical definitions, interpretive readings and their limits. **How are key terms used in Acts and the Pauline letters, and where do interpretations differ?** ## How to use this index Definitions distinguish observations about passages from attributed lexical and interpretive claims. Historical lexicons and inspected scholarship supply only the meanings and arguments supported at their cited locators. Different questions and compatible arguments are not presented as opposed schools; attributed readings do not establish a present consensus or transfer automatically between passages. Greek forms preserve the spelling printed by their cited source. Scripture is cited by reference only, without translation text. [Download complete data (JSON)](https://paulineletters.com/data/agent/commons/v1/glossary.json) ## God God is presented as the creator and ruler of the world and the God of both Jews and Gentiles. First Corinthians speaks of God the Father alongside Jesus Christ as Lord. These passages connect God with creation and believers' life, without giving a complete account of divine nature. - Reference examples: Acts 17:24; Romans 3:29; 1 Corinthians 8:6 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-god) ## Christ / Messiah Christ is a designation for Jesus in the preaching and letters cited here. Acts portrays Saul arguing that Jesus is the Christ; Romans connects Jesus Christ with divine sonship and resurrection, and Philippians with lordship. These passages use the designation in different contexts rather than giving a single definition. - Reference examples: Acts 9:22; Romans 1:4; Philippians 2:11 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-christ) ## Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is presented as an active divine presence in the mission and the life of believers. Acts associates the Spirit with commissioning Barnabas and Saul; Romans connects the Spirit with belonging to Christ; First Corinthians relates the Spirit to recognizing Jesus as Lord. This usage is broader than extraordinary experiences and should not be reduced to a particular gift or practice. - Reference examples: Acts 13:2; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-holy-spirit) ## Lord Jesus Lord Jesus is a way these texts express allegiance to Jesus and the significance of trusting him. Acts uses the designation in the Philippian prison episode, while First Corinthians connects its confession with the Spirit and Philippians presents Jesus' lordship within an account of his humiliation and exaltation. Not every use of lord elsewhere in the corpus necessarily refers to Jesus. - Reference examples: Acts 16:31; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-lord-jesus) ## Son of God Son of God identifies Jesus in relation to God. Acts includes the designation in Saul's proclamation, Romans connects it with resurrection and power, and Galatians relates it to Christ's love and Paul's life of faith. The passages emphasize different aspects of this relationship without offering a complete doctrinal definition. - Reference examples: Acts 9:20; Romans 1:4; Galatians 2:20 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-son-of-god) ## Apostle Apostle is used for people called or sent to serve. Paul applies it to himself, Acts includes Barnabas, and Philippians uses it for Epaphroditus in his service for the recipients and Paul. The word alone does not establish membership in the Twelve or identical authority and duties for everyone who bears it. - Reference examples: Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Acts 14:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-apostle) ## Disciple Disciple is a name for a believer and follower within Acts' account of the mission. Ananias at Damascus is one example; the mission forms new groups, and Paul later gathers disciples separately from opposition in Ephesus. The designation does not by itself identify a governing office or provide a person's training history. - Reference examples: Acts 9:10; Acts 14:21; Acts 19:9 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-disciple) ## Elder Elder is a leadership designation used for communities in Acts and in the letter to Titus. Acts describes appointments during the mission and identifies the Ephesian leaders summoned to Miletus as elders. Titus assigns appointments town by town. These texts establish the designation and responsibilities in their presentations; they do not alone settle how early every church adopted the arrangement or whether elders and overseers were always interchangeable. - Reference examples: Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17; Acts 20:28 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-elder) ## Prophet and prophecy Prophets speak to strengthen, encourage and comfort the community in First Corinthians. Acts places prophets alongside teachers at Antioch. First Corinthians also directs listeners to evaluate prophetic speech and holds prophets responsible for their own speech. These passages describe the activity without giving a single appointment procedure or deciding whether particular gifts continue today. - Reference examples: Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Corinthians 14:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-prophet) ## Teacher Teacher designates a person engaged in communicating and explaining the community's teaching. Acts places teachers alongside prophets at Antioch, First Corinthians includes teachers in its account of communal roles, and Second Timothy presents its speaker as appointed to teach. The usage connects instruction with community life but does not by itself establish a uniform office, appointment procedure or modern educational qualification. - Reference examples: Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:11 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-teacher) ## High priest In Acts, the high priest Ananias exercises religious authority during Paul's hearings: he orders Paul to be struck during a council encounter and later joins those bringing accusations before the governor. The narrative does not explain how he obtained the office or give a full account of its powers. - Reference examples: Acts 23:2; Acts 23:4; Acts 23:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-high-priest) ## Priest In the WEB account of Lystra, a priest of Jupiter helps prepare a sacrifice to the missionaries after the crowd misidentifies them. The setting concerns non-Jewish ritual worship. It does not define Jewish priesthood or Christian ministry. - Reference examples: Acts 14:12; Acts 14:13; Acts 14:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-priest) ## Proconsul A proconsul is a public official associated with administration and legal proceedings in Acts. The title is given to Sergius Paulus in Cyprus and Gallio in Achaia, and the Ephesian town clerk invokes proconsuls when directing complainants toward legal proceedings. The passages do not give the officeholders' full powers or terms of service. - Reference examples: Acts 13:7; Acts 18:12; Acts 19:38 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-proconsul) ## Governor Governor is an English designation used for officials in different political settings. Acts applies it to Felix during Paul's transfer and accusation, while Second Corinthians describes an official under King Aretas in the Damascus escape account. The shared English word does not establish that these men held the same administrative office. Their jurisdictions, appointments and powers cannot be equated from the shared English word. - Reference examples: Acts 23:24; Acts 24:1; 2 Corinthians 11:32 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-governor) ## Military tribune / commanding officer Acts' Jerusalem commander directs centurions and soldiers during unrest and receives information about Paul through a centurion. These actions describe his command role in the narrative. The cited passages do not give a force size or a full account of his legal powers. - Reference examples: Acts 21:31; Acts 21:32; Acts 23:17 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-tribune) ## Centurion Centurion is an officer designation in Acts. Cornelius is introduced with this title, Paul addresses a centurion before a threatened flogging, and Julius receives responsibility for prisoners on the voyage. The narratives show military command and custodial responsibilities in particular situations. They do not establish that every centurion commanded an identical number of soldiers or had the same assignment. - Reference examples: Acts 10:1; Acts 22:25; Acts 27:1 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-centurion) ## Magistrate Magistrates are the Philippian authorities who receive accusations against Paul and Silas, order punishment, communicate a release and react to the disclosure of Roman citizenship. Acts places them within the city's public handling of the dispute. The passages do not specify their full powers or establish that the punishment followed lawful procedure. - Reference examples: Acts 16:20; Acts 16:22; Acts 16:35 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-magistrate) ## Overseer Overseer describes responsibility for the care and leadership of a community. Acts applies it to the Ephesian leaders already called elders; Philippians addresses overseers among its recipients; First Timothy and Titus discuss qualifications. Together these uses connect oversight with communal service and accountability. They do not alone demonstrate a single leader above all others in each city or resolve later disagreements about church government. - Reference examples: Acts 20:17; Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-overseer) ## Deacon / servant Deacon names a church role within the wider vocabulary of service. The lexicons by Green and Thayer include Phoebe among its church-role uses. Philippians addresses servants alongside overseers, and First Timothy gives qualifications. The passages do not describe Phoebe's appointment or list her duties. - Reference examples: Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8; Romans 16:1 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-deacon) ## Member of the Areopagus Acts identifies Dionysius as an Areopagite, associates him with the Areopagus, and lists him among those who joined Paul and believed. It gives no account of his appointment, duties or previous career. His inclusion does not establish that he presided over a formal trial or explain the institutional setting of Paul's speech. - Reference examples: Acts 17:19; Acts 17:22; Acts 17:34 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-areopagus-member) ## Synagogue ruler Synagogue ruler is a leadership designation in Acts' accounts of scriptural reading and local encounters with the mission. At Pisidian Antioch, rulers invite an address after readings; at Corinth, Crispus and Sosthenes receive the designation in separate episodes. The narratives show recognized responsibility in particular communities, but they do not supply a universal constitution for synagogues or establish an unreported succession between the named men. - Reference examples: Acts 13:15; Acts 18:8; Acts 18:17 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-synagogue-ruler) ## King King is a title applied to different rulers in Acts. Herod appears in a persecution account, while Agrippa is addressed during Paul's defense at Caesarea. The designation marks recognized royal standing within those scenes; it does not tell the reader that the rulers possessed equal territories, powers or relations with Rome. - Reference examples: Acts 12:1; Acts 25:13; Acts 26:2 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-king) ## Emperor / Caesar Caesar designates imperial authority in these passages. Acts includes an accusation about Caesar's decrees and Paul's appeal to Caesar; Philippians sends greetings from people associated with Caesar's household. These uses concern imperial authority, legal appeal and household affiliation. They do not identify one emperor for every passage or reveal each household member's employment or rank. - Reference examples: Acts 17:7; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:21 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-emperor) ## Soldier Soldier is used for military personnel acting within the custody and protection episodes of Acts. The same designation also supplies a comparison for enduring hardship in Second Timothy. Keeping the uses distinct prevents a metaphor about Christian service from being mistaken for a report of enlistment. The selected passages likewise do not settle all later Christian arguments about military participation. - Reference examples: Acts 21:32; Acts 27:31; 2 Timothy 2:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-soldier) ## Silversmith Acts identifies Demetrius as a silversmith making silver shrines connected with Artemis worship and providing business for other craftsmen. The verse links religious objects with a trade and its income. It gives no details about the organization of his workshop, guild membership or the position of every Ephesian metalworker. - Reference examples: Acts 19:24 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-silversmith) ## Tentmaker Acts calls Paul, Aquila and Priscilla tentmakers and explains that their shared trade led to shared lodging and work. The account links their relationship with earning a living but does not identify materials, techniques or particular products. - Reference examples: Acts 18:2; Acts 18:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-tentmaker) ## Magician / magic Acts describes Simon's sorcery in Samaria, a sorcerer at Paphos and the destruction of magical books at Ephesus. These are different practices and settings, not evidence of one uniform institution. The account reports and evaluates them without independently establishing the powers claimed for every practitioner. - Reference examples: Acts 8:9; Acts 13:6; Acts 19:19 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-magician) ## Eurakylon / Euroclydon Euroclydon is the name given to the storm wind in Acts 27. The wind prevents Paul's ship from holding its course and drives it along. The passage does not measure the wind's direction or speed or explain the name. - Reference examples: Acts 27:14; Acts 27:15 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-eurakylon) ## Temple-warden The Ephesian town clerk describes Ephesus as a temple keeper in connection with Artemis and a revered image. The description applies to the city, not an individual caretaker. The verse does not explain how the designation was acquired or whether it carried particular legal privileges. - Reference examples: Acts 19:35 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-temple-warden) ## Asiarch Some Asiarchs are described as Paul's friends during the Ephesian disturbance. They send a warning urging him to stay out of the theater. The verse reports their relationship and intervention but does not say where they were, identify them individually or describe their duties. - Reference examples: Acts 19:31 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-asiarch) ## Politarch Acts describes Thessalonian city rulers receiving accusations involving Jason and the missionaries and being troubled by the complaint. The passages show their role in handling the dispute but do not describe their appointment, full duties or terms of office. - Reference examples: Acts 17:6; Acts 17:8 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-politarch) ## Lictor In the WEB's Philippian account, officials called sergeants convey the magistrates' release instruction and report back about Paul and Silas's citizenship. The passages do not identify those messengers as the people who carried out the beating or describe all their duties. - Reference examples: Acts 16:35; Acts 16:38 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-lictor) ## Synagogue Synagogue names a setting for communal gathering, scriptural reading and discussion in the mission narrative. Acts describes visits on the Sabbath, a reading followed by an invitation to speak, and Paul's reasoning with Jewish and Greek hearers. These episodes illustrate particular assemblies and encounters. They do not establish a single building plan, governing arrangement or pattern of attendance for every ancient synagogue. - Reference examples: Acts 13:14; Acts 13:15; Acts 17:1 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-synagogue) ## Temple Temple can refer to a sacred place or describe a community's relationship with God. In Acts, an accusation about the Jerusalem temple helps provoke the attack on Paul. First Corinthians calls the community God's temple, and Ephesians develops a building image for believers joined together. The physical sanctuary and the communal images have different referents, even though both involve holiness and God's presence. - Reference examples: Acts 21:28; Acts 21:29; 1 Corinthians 3:16 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-temple) ## Pharisee Pharisee identifies the Jewish group with which Paul associates himself in the council scene and in his account of his earlier standing. Acts places Pharisees on one side of a dispute over resurrection, while Philippians includes the designation among advantages Paul reassesses because of Christ. These uses preserve a specific Jewish identity rather than making Pharisee a general label for hypocrisy or hostility. - Reference examples: Acts 23:6; Acts 23:8; Philippians 3:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-pharisee) ## Sadducee Sadducees are one of the Jewish groups represented in the council encounter in Acts. The narrative portrays them as denying resurrection and beliefs about angels or spirits, in contrast with the Pharisees. Paul's appeal to his resurrection hope then divides the gathering. These passages identify the group through its part in this dispute; they do not describe all Jewish leaders as sharing its position. - Reference examples: Acts 23:6; Acts 23:7; Acts 23:8 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-sadducee) ## Gentile Gentile identifies people distinguished from Jews in these passages. Acts discusses people turning to God without requiring them to become Jews, while Galatians addresses pressure on Gentile believers to adopt Jewish ways. Romans insists that God's concern extends to both groups. The distinction matters to the arguments about inclusion and shared life; it should not be converted into a claim that either people has less human worth. - Reference examples: Acts 15:19; Acts 15:20; Galatians 2:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-gentile) ## Proselyte Green's 1896 lexicon defines a proselyte as a convert to Judaism. Acts includes devout proselytes alongside Jews among the people who follow Paul and Barnabas after the synagogue gathering at Pisidian Antioch. The missionaries encourage the followers to continue in God's grace. The passage does not describe their conversion procedures, and its wording does not establish that everyone elsewhere described as fearing God was a proselyte. - Reference examples: Acts 13:43; Acts 13:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-proselyte) ## God-fearer God-fearer describes a person who reveres God in these Acts passages. Cornelius is portrayed through prayer and generosity, hearers who fear God are addressed beside Israelites, and Lydia is described as a worshiper of God. These uses show devotion and participation without specifying a common formal status or identical conversion requirements for everyone described in this way. - Reference examples: Acts 10:2; Acts 13:16; Acts 16:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-god-fearer) ## Israel Israel names the people whose inheritance and future Paul considers in Romans. He recalls their privileges, distinguishes ancestry from the fulfillment of God's promise, and discusses Israel alongside the incoming Gentiles. His argument combines warning, hope and God's continuing commitment. The referent must be followed through each stage of the discussion rather than equated automatically with either a modern state or the whole church. - Reference examples: Romans 9:4; Romans 9:6; Romans 11:25 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-israel) ## Gospel Gospel names the message about Christ proclaimed and received by the communities addressed in these letters. Romans connects it with God's saving action for Jewish and Greek believers; First Corinthians recalls Christ's death, burial and resurrection within the message Paul passed on. Galatians treats a distorted version of that proclamation as a serious danger to its readers. - Reference examples: Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Corinthians 15:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-gospel) ## Grace Grace describes God's generous saving action and its effect on the lives of those who receive it. Romans connects grace with justification through Christ, Ephesians with salvation received through faith, and Titus with a life being taught to reject wrongdoing. These passages keep divine generosity and changed conduct together: grace is neither a wage earned by achievement nor permission to disregard how people live. - Reference examples: Romans 3:24; Romans 4:4; Ephesians 2:8 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-grace) ## Faith In these passages, faith involves reliance on God and a life shaped by that trust. Romans uses Abraham's example to distinguish trust from a claim to payment. Galatians connects faith with love, and First Thessalonians remembers conduct arising from faith. Together these uses connect believing with both receiving from God and responding in the life of a community. - Reference examples: Romans 4:4; Romans 4:5; Galatians 5:6 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-faith) ## Justification In Green's 1896 lexicon, justification includes acceptance as righteous or acquittal. Romans connects it with grace, redemption and peace; Galatians places it in a dispute about faith and works of the law. Its theological scope is disputed: Calvin distinguishes justification from renewal, while Trent includes renewal within it. Both treat justification as a gift of grace. Bird, addressing a related question, argues that God's verdict and belonging to God's covenant people belong together. - Source forms: Δικαιόω (grc) - Source forms: Δικαίωσις (grc) - Reference examples: Romans 3:24; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-justification) ## Righteousness Green's 1896 lexicon uses righteousness for just conduct and, in different contexts, for acceptance as right before God. Romans speaks both of God's righteousness being revealed and of righteousness credited to Abraham through faith. It also says that the law and prophets bear witness to this revelation. Thayer's 1889 lexicon interprets God's righteousness in Romans 1:17 and 3:21 in terms of God's acceptance of people as righteous. - Reference examples: Romans 1:17; Romans 3:21; Romans 4:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-righteousness) ## Law Law can refer to the instruction given to Israel, but its sense must be followed in each passage. Romans describes the law as good and as exposing sin. Galatians examines its role in relation to promise and Christ, while First Corinthians distinguishes several relationships to law. These arguments question what law can accomplish without making God's instruction itself evil or portraying Jewish people as uniformly opposed to grace. - Reference examples: Romans 9:4; Romans 7:7; Romans 7:12 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-law) ## Works of the law Works of the law concerns obedience to the Mosaic law in Paul's arguments about justification. Bird understands it as the law's requirements, including circumcision, food rules and Sabbath observance; he rejects reducing the phrase to identity markers alone. The Jewish and Gentile dispute remains part of the context. Scholarly disagreement concerns both which practices the expression emphasizes and why Paul excludes them from justification. - Source forms: ἔργα νόμου (grc) - Reference examples: Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:2 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-works-of-law) ## Circumcision Circumcision is a practice involving removal of the foreskin whose significance becomes disputed when Gentiles enter the believing community. Acts reports a demand that Gentile believers receive it for salvation; Galatians warns recipients against accepting that demand as a route to justification. Romans instead emphasizes that Abraham's faith preceded his circumcision. These different contexts distinguish the practice itself from claims about the conditions of belonging and salvation. - Reference examples: Acts 15:1; Galatians 5:2; Galatians 5:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-circumcision) ## Covenant Covenant language connects God's commitments with the life and identity of a people. Romans includes covenants among Israel's privileges. First Corinthians relates the cup at the community meal to a new covenant through Jesus' death, and Second Corinthians connects new-covenant ministry with the Spirit. Romans uses the plural, while the two Corinthian letters use new-covenant language in different settings. - Reference examples: Romans 9:4; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 1 Corinthians 11:26 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-covenant) ## Promise Promise describes what God commits to give, especially in the arguments about Abraham and his descendants. Galatians connects the promised offspring with Christ and insists that the later law does not cancel the promise. Romans links Abraham's inheritance with faith and distinguishes the children of promise from ancestry alone. Both arguments consider how God's commitment relates to the law and identifies its heirs. - Reference examples: Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:17; Romans 4:13 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-promise) ## Election Election concerns God's choosing and calling in arguments about grace, Israel and life in Christ. Romans discusses God's purpose before the births of Jacob and Esau and later speaks of a remnant associated with grace. Ephesians relates God's choice in Christ to holiness and love. The passages emphasize divine initiative, while questions about individual and corporate scope and the relation to human response require interpretation. - Reference examples: Romans 9:10; Romans 9:11; Romans 9:12 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-election) ## Adoption Adoption expresses belonging to God's family through Christ and the Spirit. Romans connects it with confidence in approaching God rather than returning to fear, and also with a future hope involving the body. Galatians links adoption with the sending of the Son, while Ephesians places it within God's purpose. In Romans, family belonging and inheritance accompany suffering as well as hope for bodily renewal. - Reference examples: Romans 8:15; Romans 8:23; Galatians 4:4 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-adoption) ## Inheritance Inheritance names a promised share in God's provision rather than only property transferred within a human family. Galatians connects it with God's promise to Abraham, Ephesians with God's purpose and the Spirit, and Colossians with participation among God's people. The image links belonging with a gift received from God. Its particular content and relation to present and future life must be read in each argument. - Reference examples: Galatians 3:18; Ephesians 1:11; Ephesians 1:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-inheritance) ## Reconciliation Reconciliation describes a changed relationship where hostility or alienation had existed. Romans relates it to the death of God's Son, Second Corinthians presents God as its source and assigns a ministry of reconciliation, and Colossians describes peace through Christ on a cosmic scale. The passages connect divine action with restored relationship; their differing scopes matter when considering how that restoration is received and completed. - Reference examples: Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 5:19 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-reconciliation) ## Redemption Redemption describes deliverance brought about through Christ in these letters. Romans links it with justification and grace; Galatians speaks of release from the law's curse through Christ's death; Ephesians connects it with forgiveness. The passages emphasize rescue and its cost. They do not themselves identify every feature of the image with an ancient transaction or specify a person to whom a payment must have been made. - Reference examples: Romans 3:24; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-redemption) ## Atoning sacrifice Atoning sacrifice is the WEB's wording for Christ's role in Romans 3:25. Green's historical lexicon gives the expression a propitiatory sense and records a mercy-seat use in Hebrews 9:5. Bailey argues that Romans presents Christ as the mercy seat, the sanctuary's place of atonement and divine revelation. These explanations concern the image's meaning; they do not by themselves supply a complete account of how Christ's death saves. - Source forms: ἱλαστήριον (grc) - Reference examples: Romans 3:24; Romans 3:25; Romans 3:26 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-atoning-sacrifice) ## Forgiveness Forgiveness describes God's pardoning of human wrongdoing through Christ in these passages. Ephesians and Colossians connect it with redemption, and Ephesians emphasizes God's generous grace. Acts portrays Paul announcing forgiveness through Jesus. These uses distinguish the gift of forgiveness from the proclamation that makes it known to the hearers. - Reference examples: Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Acts 13:38 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-forgiveness) ## Salvation Salvation describes God's rescue and renewal through Christ. Romans associates it with the gospel and believing, Ephesians with grace received through faith, and Titus with divine mercy and renewal by the Spirit. Titus also connects this rescue with the hope of eternal life and a commitment to doing good. The passages present salvation as God's gift with consequences for life, rather than a reward purchased through moral achievement. - Reference examples: Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-salvation) ## Sin Sin refers both to human wrongdoing and to a ruling power in the argument of Romans. Paul places Jews and Greeks together under its reach, connects its entry with Adam and death, and urges believers not to obey its demands. The movement between actions and personified power helps explain why the discussion includes both responsibility and liberation, rather than only a list of prohibited acts. - Reference examples: Romans 3:9; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:14 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-sin) ## Cross Cross names the means of Jesus' death and becomes a central image for its significance. Philippians connects that death with his obedience and humiliation. First Corinthians describes the message of the cross as a challenge to ordinary judgments of wisdom and power, while Galatians makes it central to Paul's changed relation to the world. These letters use the crucifixion to explain the shape and significance of life in Christ. - Reference examples: Philippians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 1:23 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-cross) ## Resurrection Resurrection concerns being raised from death: both the proclamation about Christ and the future hope of those who belong to him. First Corinthians recalls Christ's burial and rising, argues that his resurrection grounds believers' hope, and describes transformed bodily life. First Thessalonians connects the rising of deceased believers with Christ's return. The argument connects Christ's resurrection with the future of those who belong to him. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Corinthians 15:20; 1 Corinthians 15:42 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-resurrection) ## Union with Christ Union with Christ describes sharing in Christ's life through the relationships portrayed in these letters. Romans connects believers with his death and resurrection, Galatians speaks of Christ living in Paul, and First Corinthians describes joining oneself to the Lord. Romans links this participation with baptism and a new manner of life; First Corinthians connects belonging to the Lord with responsibilities for bodily conduct. - Reference examples: Romans 6:4; Romans 6:5; Galatians 2:20 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-union-with-christ) ## New creation New creation describes the change associated with belonging to Christ. Second Corinthians places it within an account of Christ's death, a transformed way of regarding people and reconciliation with God. Galatians treats new creation as decisive where circumcision status is not. In these passages, the image is connected with living for Christ, changed relationships and a status not determined by circumcision. - Reference examples: 2 Corinthians 5:14; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 2 Corinthians 5:16 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-new-creation) ## Spiritual gifts Spiritual gifts are differing capacities and activities associated with God's grace and the Spirit in the community. Romans includes teaching, service, generosity and leadership, while First Corinthians connects varied gifts with a shared source and the benefit of others. The listed gifts involve different kinds of service directed toward the community's good. First Corinthians also places the desire for gifts alongside its call to pursue love. - Reference examples: Romans 12:6; Romans 12:7; Romans 12:8 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-spiritual-gifts) ## Tongues / languages Tongues refers here to Spirit-associated speech whose public use requires interpretation. Acts associates it with prophecy after the Spirit comes on a group at Ephesus. First Corinthians lists different kinds of languages, limits speakers and requires an interpreter in the gathering; without one, it allows speech directed privately to God. Green's 1896 lexicon describes a gifted language other than the speaker's own. Thayer's 1889 lexicon instead interprets the Corinthian speech and Acts 19:6 as ecstatic utterance, which he distinguishes from foreign-language speech. - Reference examples: Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 1 Corinthians 14:2 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-tongues) ## Fruit of the Spirit Fruit of the Spirit is Galatians' image for qualities associated with a life guided by the Spirit. The examples include love, patience and self-control, in contrast with the destructive patterns described earlier. The image concerns character and conduct rather than a display of unusual abilities. It belongs to an argument that connects the Spirit's activity with the way believers live among other people. - Reference examples: Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:19; Galatians 5:20 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-fruit-of-spirit) ## Church / assembly Church refers here to a community of believers rather than a dedicated religious building. Acts describes local assemblies receiving elders, First Corinthians addresses the assembly at Corinth, and Philemon includes an assembly meeting in a house. The passages connect communal identity with shared allegiance to Christ and practical organization. They provide several local settings without specifying one building type or a complete structure for every community. - Reference examples: Acts 14:23; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Philemon 1:2 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-church) ## Body of Christ Body of Christ pictures believers as distinct members who belong to one another through Christ. Romans emphasizes their shared membership, First Corinthians develops the need for every member and for mutual care, and Ephesians connects the body's growth with service. The image supports unity without making everyone perform the same task. Differences among members become reasons for mutual care rather than reasons to exclude them. - Reference examples: Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:21; 1 Corinthians 12:25 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-body-of-christ) ## Baptism Baptism is a practice connected with repentance, allegiance to Jesus and participation in Christ. Acts distinguishes John's baptism from the baptism received after Paul's explanation about Jesus. Romans places baptism within its account of sharing Christ's death and renewed life, while Galatians connects it with belonging to Christ. These passages give the practice theological significance without resolving every disagreement about its recipients, manner or relation to salvation. - Reference examples: Acts 19:3; Acts 19:4; Acts 19:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-baptism) ## Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is the shared meal of bread and cup discussed in First Corinthians in relation to Jesus' death. Paul recalls its received account, connects participation with Christ and with one another, and criticizes gatherings that humiliate people lacking food. The meal's remembrance and proclamation therefore belong beside its communal responsibilities. Interpretations of Christ's presence and of participation require more than identifying the meal's elements. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 1 Corinthians 11:20 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-lords-supper) ## Holiness / sanctification Holiness and sanctification concern belonging to God and living accordingly. First Corinthians addresses people already sanctified in Christ; Romans describes a changed pattern of embodied service leading toward sanctification; First Thessalonians connects it with sexual conduct and refusing to wrong others. The passages hold identity and practice together. They do not reduce holiness to a social status, a private feeling or withdrawal from responsibility toward other people. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 1:2; Romans 6:19; Romans 6:22 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-holiness) ## Conscience Conscience concerns people's awareness and evaluation of their conduct before God. Romans describes it alongside thoughts that accuse or defend; First Corinthians considers how prior associations with idols shape the way people experience eating particular food. Paul asks believers to consider another person's conscience as well as their own freedom. Conscience therefore matters morally without being treated as an infallible guide or as identical in every person. - Reference examples: Romans 2:15; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 8:9 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-conscience) ## Freedom Freedom describes release and the responsible use of liberty in several different arguments. Galatians connects Christ's liberation with resisting renewed bondage and serving others through love. First Corinthians describes Paul voluntarily limiting his independence for the mission. Romans extends the hope of freedom to creation's release from decay. These uses concern spiritual, relational and future realities rather than one identical legal status. - Reference examples: Galatians 5:1; Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 9:19 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-freedom) ## Love Love takes shape in patience, kindness, truthfulness and concern for another person's good in First Corinthians. Romans and Galatians connect love of one's neighbor with fulfilling the law. The passages describe more than an emotion: love directs conduct and resists actions that harm others. Their positive appeal to God's instruction also keeps love and obedience closely related. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 13:1-4; 1 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Corinthians 13:6 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-love) ## Hope Hope is an expectant reliance on what God has not yet brought fully into view. Romans connects it with patient waiting and the Spirit's activity, while First Thessalonians brings resurrection hope into a community's grief over deceased believers. This expectation accompanies sorrow rather than requiring people to deny it. Its basis is God's promised future in Christ, rather than certainty that every present circumstance will improve immediately. - Reference examples: Romans 8:24; Romans 8:25; Romans 15:13 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-hope) ## Suffering Suffering appears as present hardship that believers encounter while awaiting God's promised future. Romans compares it with coming glory, Philippians connects knowing Christ with sharing his sufferings, and Second Corinthians places affliction alongside comfort received and shared. The emphasis falls on endurance, solidarity and hope, with comfort received for others as well as oneself. The passages acknowledge pain while locating it within a wider expectation. - Reference examples: Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 1:4 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-suffering) ## Repentance Repentance describes turning toward God in a response that changes conduct. Acts places it beside faith in Jesus in Paul's message to Jewish and Greek hearers. Romans connects it with God's kindness, and Second Corinthians distinguishes productive sorrow from sorrow that brings destruction. The latter passage looks for a changed response to a concrete wrong, so repentance involves more than feeling regret or displaying distress. - Reference examples: Acts 20:21; Romans 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 7:9 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-repentance) ## Prayer Prayer is a way believers address God through requests, thanksgiving and continuing dependence. Philippians invites the community to bring its concerns to God, First Thessalonians urges persistence, and Romans describes the Spirit helping when people do not know how to pray. The passages make room for both spoken requests and weakness beyond words. They do not make effective prayer depend on perfect understanding or a particular verbal formula. - Reference examples: Philippians 4:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 8:26 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-prayer) ## Judgment Judgment concerns God's assessment of human conduct and the accountability that follows. Romans connects it with truth and impartiality; Second Corinthians places people before Christ to answer for their actions; Acts presents a future judgment in Paul's Athenian speech. These passages speak about divine authority, not merely a person's unfavorable opinion. Their warnings also challenge those who condemn others while practicing the same wrongs. - Reference examples: Romans 2:1; Romans 2:2; Romans 2:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-judgment) ## Wrath Wrath describes God's opposition to wrongdoing and its consequences in Romans and First Thessalonians. Romans speaks both of wrath being revealed and of rescue through Christ; First Thessalonians places deliverance from coming wrath within its expectation of Jesus' return. The passages combine warning with hope. Their present and future language needs attention rather than being reduced either to a passing human emotion or to one detailed timetable. - Reference examples: Romans 1:18; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-wrath) ## Christ's return Christ's return is the expected coming of the Lord associated with resurrection and believers' gathering to him. First Thessalonians addresses anxiety about those who have died, insisting that the living will not leave them behind. First Corinthians connects Christ's coming with the resurrection of those who belong to him. Its emphasis is the hope shared by deceased and living believers, with no date assigned to the event. - Reference examples: 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:17 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-christs-return) ## Day of the Lord Day of the Lord and related expressions concern an anticipated time of divine intervention, judgment and salvation. First Thessalonians emphasizes its unexpected arrival and calls for watchfulness. First Corinthians relates the day of the Lord Jesus to a difficult disciplinary case, while Second Thessalonians rejects a claim that the day has arrived. The expressions occur in distinct arguments, and their relationship requires more than assuming identical wording. - Reference examples: 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 5:5 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-day-of-lord) ## Kingdom of God Kingdom of God concerns God's rule as proclaimed, reflected in communal life and anticipated as an inheritance. Acts closes with Paul proclaiming it alongside teaching about Jesus. Romans connects it with righteousness, peace and joy rather than food disputes, while First Corinthians warns about conduct incompatible with inheriting it. The passages bring present allegiance and future expectation together without defining the kingdom as one earthly territory or political program. - Reference examples: Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17; Romans 14:19 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-kingdom-of-god) ## Slavery Slavery is the unfree status addressed when these letters speak to enslaved people and to those exercising power over them. First Corinthians discusses an opportunity for freedom, Colossians instructs masters to act justly, and Philemon appeals for Onesimus to be received as a beloved brother. The passages address unequal relationships rather than ordinary employment. Their wording does not establish every detail of Onesimus's circumstances or a completed grant of freedom. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 7:21; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Philemon 1:16 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-slavery) ## Roman citizenship Roman citizenship is the status Paul invokes in Acts when challenging his treatment by officials. At Philippi he objects to public punishment and imprisonment without trial; in Jerusalem the prospect of flogging prompts another appeal to his Roman status. The commander contrasts his own costly acquisition with Paul's claim to citizenship by birth. These scenes explain the status's narrative importance without supplying a full statement of Roman law. - Reference examples: Acts 16:37; Acts 22:25; Acts 22:28 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-roman-citizenship) ## Collection for believers Collection names the organized material assistance for believers in Jerusalem described across these letters. First Corinthians gives instructions for setting resources aside and sending approved representatives; Romans names contributions from Macedonia and Achaia. Second Corinthians treats participation as generous service and seeks a fair response to need. The collection connects communities through practical support rather than promising that donors will receive greater personal wealth. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 16:1; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 1 Corinthians 16:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-collection) ## Fellowship / partnership Fellowship and partnership concern shared participation rather than social enjoyment alone. First Corinthians connects fellowship with Christ; Philippians thanks its recipients for participation in the gospel; Second Corinthians uses fellowship language for helping other believers. The settings connect relationship, common purpose and material action. The activities vary, so fellowship with Christ should not be reduced to funding or to a shared social occasion. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 1:9; Philippians 1:5; 2 Corinthians 8:4 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-fellowship) ## Hospitality Hospitality involves welcoming and providing for others. Romans places it alongside sharing resources with believers in need, First Timothy includes it among an overseer's qualifications, and Philemon asks for lodging while expressing hope of a visit. These are different settings: a community exhortation, a leadership qualification and a personal request. The guest-room request describes an intended arrangement, without reporting that the visit happened. - Reference examples: Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Philemon 1:22 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-hospitality) ## Head / headship Head is a body image used for relationships involving Christ, the church, women and men. Its force in these passages is disputed. Grudem argues that metaphorical head language denotes authority. Cervin explains the metaphor through the physical head's prominence and treats authority as a contextual implication. First Corinthians also discusses interdependence, while Ephesians places the husband-and-wife comparison with submission, love and care. - Source forms: Κεφᾰλή (grc) - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 11:3-12; 1 Corinthians 11:11; Ephesians 5:21-25 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-headship) ## Faith in Christ / Christ's faithfulness The Greek expression pistis Christou connects faith with Christ, but interpreters differ over the relationship. Hunn reads Galatians 2:16 as human faith directed toward Christ; Duke reads Romans 3:22 in terms of Christ's faithfulness. Oakes emphasizes ongoing trust and loyalty in Galatians while allowing more than one direction of faithfulness. The expression belongs to arguments about righteousness and justification; a reading established for one passage cannot simply be transferred to all its occurrences. - Source forms: πίστις Χριστοῦ (grc) - Reference examples: Romans 3:22; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-faith-of-christ) ## Christ's self-emptying Christ's self-emptying describes Jesus' movement into service and human lowliness in Philippians 2. Green's historical lexicon associates the verb with abasement or surrender of prerogatives. Jowers explains the emptying through Christ's becoming human and entering a servant's condition. Williams emphasizes voluntary limitation of action without change in essential divine nature. These are compatible points, rather than evidence that Christ abandoned particular divine attributes. The passage also connects Christ's humility with the community's conduct and with his subsequent exaltation by God. - Source forms: Κενόω (grc) - Reference examples: Philippians 2:5; Philippians 2:6; Philippians 2:7 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-christs-self-emptying) ## Spiritual powers Spiritual powers is a collective label for authorities and forces discussed in the letters. Viljoen reads the titles in Colossians as emphasizing Christ's supremacy while acknowledging uncertainty about the powers' exact identities. Ephesians distinguishes its struggle from fighting human beings, and Romans places powers within its reassurance about God's love. These passages do not supply a fixed hierarchy or identify contemporary people as demonic. - Source forms: ἀρχαὶ (grc) - Source forms: ἐξουσίαι (grc) - Reference examples: Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:14; Colossians 2:15 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-spiritual-powers) ## Tradition / transmission Tradition concerns teaching or practice received and passed on within the communities addressed by the letters. First Corinthians recalls both traditions its recipients retain and the message Paul received about Christ's death and resurrection. Second Thessalonians includes instruction communicated orally and by letter. The emphasis is on transmission and fidelity, rather than the assumption that every later custom carries the same origin or authority. - Reference examples: 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Corinthians 15:4 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-tradition) ## Sound teaching Sound teaching names the instruction commended in First Timothy, Second Timothy and Titus. First Timothy contrasts it with conduct the letter condemns. Titus joins appropriate teaching with a teacher's integrity and example, while Second Timothy warns about audiences choosing messages that suit their desires. These passages connect the content of teaching, the conduct of teachers and the response of hearers, rather than offering a label detached from those settings. - Reference examples: 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 1:11; 2 Timothy 4:3 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-sound-teaching) ## Scripture Scripture refers to writings treated as authoritative witnesses to God's purposes in these letters. Romans connects them with earlier prophetic promises; First Corinthians relates them to its proclamation of Christ's death and resurrection. Second Timothy describes sacred writings known since childhood and values Scripture for instruction and the formation of good conduct. These passages establish uses and claims about Scripture without specifying the contents of a completed later biblical canon. - Reference examples: Romans 1:2; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Corinthians 15:4 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-scripture) ## Flesh Flesh has different contextual uses and should not simply be equated with the physical body. Romans and Galatians contrast life directed by the flesh with life guided by the Spirit. Philippians connects confidence in flesh with inherited standing and personal achievement. These examples concern orientation, allegiance and grounds for confidence; they do not make every mention of human embodiment or Jewish ancestry a statement of moral evil. - Reference examples: Romans 8:5; Romans 8:6; Galatians 5:17 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-flesh) ## Boasting Boasting concerns the grounds on which people claim confidence or honor. Romans excludes boasting in its argument about faith; First Corinthians redirects it toward the Lord rather than human standing. Second Corinthians deliberately speaks of glorying in weakness because of Christ's power. These uses can challenge self-exaltation or redirect confidence, so the language is not treated as uniformly positive or uniformly negative. - Reference examples: Romans 3:27; 1 Corinthians 1:26; 1 Corinthians 1:29 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-boasting) ## Calling Calling connects God's purpose with the circumstances and conduct of believers. Romans places the called within its account of God's purpose, First Corinthians considers the situations in which people were called, and Ephesians asks for a fitting way of life. The contexts concern belonging and response rather than only choosing an occupation. Their different emphases should not be compressed into one account of how every individual vocation is assigned. - Reference examples: Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 7:20; Ephesians 4:1 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-calling) ## Weakness Weakness describes limitation in several forms across these letters. Second Corinthians relates Paul's weakness to reliance on Christ's power, First Corinthians contrasts people judged weak with those considered strong, and Romans describes the Spirit helping believers who struggle to pray. The examples concern affliction, social estimation and limited capacity. They resist making impressive strength the measure of God's work without treating every limitation as the same experience. - Reference examples: 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 Corinthians 1:27; Romans 8:26 [Cite this page](https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary#term-weakness) ## Bibliography and sources --- Canonical: https://paulineletters.com/explore/glossary