The great words of the Bible

Father (intimate, tender)

The tender, family word for father that Jesus used to address God.

self-giving love

The New Testament's word for the highest love — the love God is, and the love he commands.

love

The Old Testament's word for love — for God, for neighbour, and between hearts.

truth; reality unveiled

Not just accuracy, but reality itself — the truth that sets us free.

truly; so be it; it is firm

The word we end prayers with means far more than the end — it means it is sure.

resurrection; a rising up

The rising from the dead — the ground and hope of Christian faith.

to bless; to kneel

To bless, and to kneel — the two-way word behind blessing.

covenant; binding agreement

The binding covenant that shapes the whole Bible — old and new.

joy; gladness

The deep gladness that does not depend on circumstances — a fruit of the Spirit.

grace; unmerited favour

The New Testament's word for God's free, undeserved gift.

Anointed One; Messiah; Christ

The Greek for Messiah — the Anointed One promised through the ages.

righteousness; justice

Right standing with God — not earned, but given in Christ.

glory; radiance; honour

The weight and radiance of God's presence — and the glory he shares with his own.

power; might; miraculous ability

God's power at work — the source of our words dynamic and dynamite.

stone of help

The memorial stone Samuel raised — hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

peace

The New Testament's peace — the Greek echo of shalom, and the gift of Christ.

church; assembly; the called-out ones

The New Testament word for church — a people called out and gathered by God.

God (the Mighty One)

The Bible's first name for God — the powerful Creator of Genesis 1.

hope; confident expectation

Not wishful thinking, but the sure and steadfast expectation anchored in God.

truth; faithfulness; reliability

Truth that is not just accurate but trustworthy — solid ground to stand on.

good news; gospel

The word behind gospel and evangelism — a herald's joyful announcement.

holy; set apart; a saint

Set apart for God — the word behind holiness and the New Testament 'saints'.

Praise the LORD

A command, not just an exclamation — praise ye Yah, the LORD.

steadfast covenant love; lovingkindness

God's loyal, unbreakable love — the mercy that endures for ever.

Save now! (a cry of praise)

The Palm Sunday shout that began as a plea for salvation.

God with us

The name that captures the whole wonder of Christmas.

the year of release and liberty

Every fiftieth year, Israel proclaimed liberty and returned every debt.

the right or appointed time

Not clock-time, but the decisive, God-appointed moment.

glory; weight; honour

The weighty, radiant glory of God that filled the temple.

fellowship; sharing in common

The deep, shared life of the church — more than friendship.

Lord; master; owner

The New Testament's title for Jesus as sovereign Lord — the earliest Christian creed.

Word; reason; the divine self-expression

John's title for Christ — the eternal Word through whom all things were made.

blessed; deeply happy; flourishing

The 'blessed' of the Beatitudes — a happiness rooted in God, not circumstances.

Our Lord, come!

An early Christian prayer for the return of Christ, kept in its original tongue.

the Anointed One

The promised, anointed King — Christ is its Greek translation.

repentance; a change of mind

Not just regret, but a turning of the whole mind and life.

soul; life; living being

The whole living self — the breath-of-life that makes us living souls.

Comforter; Advocate; one called alongside

Jesus' name for the Holy Spirit — the helper called to our side.

faith; trust; faithfulness

The New Testament word for faith — trust in a trustworthy God.

spirit; breath; wind

The Greek for spirit, breath, and wind — the New Testament word for the Holy Spirit.

holy; set apart

The holiness of God — set apart, other, and utterly pure.

spirit; wind; breath

One Hebrew word for spirit, wind, and breath — the life of God moving.

rest; ceasing

The God-given rhythm of rest, woven into creation itself.

flesh; fallen human nature

More than the body — the self-centred nature at war with the Spirit.

pause and reflect (a musical or liturgical term)

The Psalms' mysterious word — likely a call to stop, lift up, and consider.

peace, wholeness, well-being

Far more than the absence of conflict — the flourishing wholeness God intends for his people.

Hear (and obey)

The first word of Israel's daily creed — hear, O Israel.

to turn back; to return; to repent

The Old Testament word for repentance — simply turning back to God.

Saviour; rescuer; deliverer

The New Testament's title for Jesus — the one who saves his people.

salvation; deliverance

The whole rescue God accomplishes in Christ — deliverance, safety, and wholeness.

to save, rescue, heal, make whole

The verb behind salvation — to rescue, deliver, and make whole.

praise; a song of praise

Praise that bubbles up in song — the word that names the Psalms themselves.

it is finished; paid in full; accomplished

Christ's last word from the cross — the debt paid, the work complete.

instruction; teaching; law

More than rules — God's loving instruction for the good life.

good; pleasing; beautiful

The 'it was good' of creation — goodness that is beautiful and life-giving.

I AM; the LORD

The personal covenant name of God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush.

to fear; to revere; to stand in awe

The fear of the LORD — not terror, but reverent awe, the beginning of wisdom.

salvation; 'the LORD saves' — the name behind Jesus

The Hebrew name behind 'Jesus' — meaning the LORD saves.

life — especially the eternal life of God

Not mere existence, but the abundant, eternal life God gives in Christ.