Articles
Religious Terminology
Even in our growingly secular society it is common to hear people use religious terminology. But such terminology does not mean that it is being used correctly or even honestly. Actually, it is common for people to use the same words they have been using long after the original significance has been lost. When I was younger a refrigerator was still called the “icebox” by some though a block of ice hadn’t been put in a wooden cooler in a long time. The same is true with terms like “the press,” “xerox,” “horsepower,” et.al.
When the Samaritan woman baited Jesus with the observation that “our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (Jn 4:20), the term “worship” obviously meant something far different to her than what was defined in the Old Testament. The fact that she “worshiped” didn’t make her acceptable.
Or, in a different vein, when Jesus’ peers were trying to get a handle on His true identity some said, “But when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from” (Jn 7:27). This was untrue, for the place of the Messiah’s birth had previously been determined by Herod the Great’s scribes (Mt 2:4-6). “Messiah” easily fell from their lips, but their concept of Him was erroneous on this issue and a host of others as well.
Here are some words used today with different meanings than what is found in Scripture:
Miracle. This word is used as hyperbole and covers the gamut from a spectacular sports play to a dramatic rescue to any other event of unlikely outcome. Such use distorts its original significance in Scripture. Many religious people today insist that they have witnessed or at least believe in miracles, but they have never seen a true suspension of natural law. In Scripture miracles were clear, unambiguous works of divine power that even enemies could not deny (Ac 4:16).
Holy Spirit. Some commonly speak about being open to the leading of the Spirit or getting communication directly from the Spirit. But the role of the Spirit has never been to reveal personal messages to each individual believer. Rather, Scripture shows that the Spirit communicates by revealing divine thoughts to the masses via the instrumentality of chosen men. The fixed record of Holy Spirit revelation is Scripture, not a subjective feeling or desire that is arbitrarily attributed to a divine source.
Church. Perhaps this is the most misused and misunderstood word of all, for by it men mean everything from the building to a manmade denomination to an adjective (church wedding). “Church” applies to just about any religious body no matter how little it resembles the doctrines and practices of the apostles. A truly Biblical church wears only the name of Christ and models itself according to the authority of the New Testament.
Words mean things. Look behind the jargon and listen to what people are really saying. Are they speaking “as the oracles of God” (1 Pet 4:11)?
