Issue 844 – Defined – September 4, 2022
Dictionaries and encyclopedias have been invaluable tools throughout my life. When reading material on an unfamiliar or technical subject, I keep them close to help ensure I understand what I am reading.
I have several English dictionaries that I consult and some basic dictionaries of several other languages that I might encounter, including German, French and Latin.
Dictionaries have been around for a long time. While Webster’s, or perhaps the Oxford, is the most familiar, they were not the first. According to one source, “The first book generally regarded as the first English dictionary was written as Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster and former Church of England clergyman, in 1604 Cawdrey made use of wordlists published earlier in educational texts, such as Richard Mulcaster’s Elementary (1582) and Edmund Coote’s English Schoole-maister (1596).”
Of course, with the availability of such tools online, or even in some cases built into apps, I don’t often have to use paper copies anymore.
I have found that a stumbling block to communication is that two parties use the same word but define it differently. That often happens in faith/religion discussions and politics. It is essential to make sure that when we are talking about something, we can define our terms.
A simple example is the word” God.” Many people will say they believe in “God,” but that doesn’t mean they believe in the God of the Bible. It is essential to understand where each party is coming from.
Another term that is frequently used differently is Christian. To one person, that means being born again. To another, it means going to church or living in a so-called Christian country. As an aside, there is no such thing; Christianity requires a personal relationship with Christ by faith. A nation cannot have personal relationships or faith.
Some would claim the title of Christian because an ancestor claimed a faith heritage, e.g. “I must be a Christian because my father was.”
The Bible tells us that the world will know we are followers of Christ by the way we live. That helps us define Christianity somewhat, but in all honesty, I have met many non-believers whose moral lives put plenty of Christians to shame.
A Christian is a follower of Christ, someone who has accepted the grace offered by Christ through faith.
In reading the letters of Peter yesterday, I came across one of several biblical definitions of being a Christian. I have been meditating on it since it is rich in theological content.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1-2
It’s not a complete definition, but it makes for an excellent working document. We could spend a great deal of time understanding the concepts of election, foreknowledge, sanctification, obedience and the blood. That would hone the definition more.
Interestingly, Peter shows salvation as an act of the entirety of the Triune godhead. He speaks of God the Father, the Spirit and Jesus Christ. Often, we neglect the Father and the Spirit when we think of salvation.
Now that you have seen Peter’s definition, how do you define being a Christian?
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
Kevin.
Gleanings From The Word.
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (for the glory of God alone.)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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