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| a 1st century CE Jew who embraced belief in Jesus Christ after a visionary experience on the way to Damascus; he became a missionary for the Christian way, establishing churches throughout Asia Minor; several of his letters are preserved in the New Testament. |
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| from Acts of the Apostles, people who were attracted to Judaism but who were uncertain whether to become fully Jewish (perhaps b/c of other Jewish requirements, such as circumcision and the kosher dietary restrictions); biblical scholars believe that some of the early Jesus followers came from among these ppl. |
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| a meeting of Christian leaders held in Jerusalem in 48 or 49 CE; according to the Acts of the Apostles, it was attended by Paul & Barnabas & the leaders of the Jerusalem church, & its purpose was to determine whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to follow all of the requirements of Judaism. |
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| the practice of writing a document w/ a false name attached to it; pseudonymous writings were quite popular in the ancient world, in part as a way of honoring famous ppl in a particular culture or religious tradition and in part as a way of increasing the authority of the document. |
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| (1) generally, making straight that which is crooked or ragged; (2) in theology being set in right relationship w/ God; justification is closely related to the notion of sin as a severing of humanity's relationship w/ God. |
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| the belief that right relationship w/ God can be achieved by avoiding sin & atoning for any transgressions w/ good deeds; in Paul's writings, the phrase is shorthand for "justification through observance of works of the Law". |
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| the belief that humans cannot achieve right relationship w/ God through their own actions but that humanity if justified by God as a free gift to those who trust in Jesus Christ. |
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| free, unmerited assistance given to human beings by God for their salvation; it is participation in the life of God. |
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| making up for one's sins w/ a sacrificial offering; specifically in Christianity, the idea that our sins are forgiven through the death of Jesus Christ. |
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| a Greek term meaning "speaking in tongues," one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. |
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| the head or leading seats of early Christianity, originally 5 in number; the word comes via the Latin word for "chair," b/c the Bishop's chair symbolized his authority to teach. |
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