A Crash Course in Christian Lingo

First up is the word hallelujah. This word means praise the Lord. It is found in the Bible and is used as a word of celebration. Thomas Cooper Gotch from CBC explains, “The word hallelujah first appeared in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament, a combination of two Hebrew words, "hallel" meaning praise and "jah" meaning God. But it's in Christianity that hallelujah or the Latinized "alleluia" became best known as a word of great emotional energy. The word is seen in Psalm 104:35, Psalm 106:1, and Revelation 19.

Click here to read more about what Hallelujah means.

Amen

Amen is the closing word that people use while praying, or a word that they speak in agreement with something said or sung.

Dictionary.com says, “Amen is derived from the Hebrew āmēn, which means “certainty,” “truth,” and “verily.” It is found in the Hebrew Bible, and in both the Old and New Testament… it can be expressed in endless ways, from a soft whisper to a joyous shout.”

Bible Study Tools shares more about the meaning of amen.

An example in the Bible is 1 Chronicles 16:36, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the LORD.’”

Hosanna

Hosanna is a word often used near Easter time on what is called Palm Sunday. Hosanna means “please save us.” When Jesus rode on a donkey and a colt into Jerusalem before he died on the cross, he was celebrated by the people in the streets waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna, in the highest heavens.” This was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.

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This word simply means gathering together with others. This is community, friendship, or closeness. The Holman Bible Dictionary shares that fellowship comes from the word koinonia. We have fellowship with Jesus and with one another.

1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Quiet Time

This term is used for spending alone time with God. Typically, this is done by reading the Bible, praying, or singing to Him in solitude. A quiet time does not have to actually be quiet, it just refers to the concept of spending intentional time getting to know the Lord and enjoying the relationship you have with Him.

Small Group/Life Group/ Discipleship Group

There are various terms used for smaller groups of people who meet together and study the Bible. What they are called depends on the church. Many are still called Sunday School.

Blood of the Lamb

Hearing a phrase in a song or from a pastor about blood in a church service can just seem morbid, however the term blood of the Lamb comes from the fact that Jesus delivered us from sin by dying on a cross and bleeding on our behalf. The life is in the blood. In the Old Testament, the people of God had to sacrifice temporary animal sacrifices for their sins, and they would often use a lamb. Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God. He was the final sacrifice for all sins, and his blood covers every sin for those who believe in Him.

Revelations 12:11 says, “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

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Crosswalk says that to be anointed is to be set apart, empowered, or protected. Someone might say this if he or she thinks that someone is gifted.

Tithe

A tithe is word commonly used to describe a portion of finances set apart to give to God as an offering to the church. Many Christians believe that one-tenth of their finances should be given back to God as an offering, as seen in Scripture. Tithing is mentioned throughout the Bible.

The first tithe is mentioned in Genesis 14:19-20 which says, “And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”

Communion

Communion is also known as Eucharist and was a part of the “Last Supper” in which Jesus gave bread and wine to His disciples (followers). He told them that the wine represented His blood that He would pour out for us, and the bread represented his body which would be broken for our sins. Christians eat a little bread and drink a little grape juice (sometimes wine) in services to remember Jesus’ price for their sins.

1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

Baptism

Baptism is an act of obedience that was done by Jesus Himself. It is the act of being immersed or sprinkled in water as a representation of going from death to life in Christ. It is a call for everyone who believers in Jesus to do one time. It does not save you, but it is a visual proclamation to your community that you accepted Jesus.

Matthew 3:16-17 says, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'”

Click here to read more about baptism.

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Many Christians use this phrase, but it has nothing to do with drugs. This means that a Christian went to a camp, conference, event, retreat, or had some kind of amazing experience or encounter with the Lord. They are very happy and feel close to God in that moment.

Popcorn Prayer

This is a term that means someone will start and end a time of prayer in a group. In the middle everyone has an opportunity to “pop" in and pray. It is not mandatory, but whoever would like to and feels comfortable can speak up and say a prayer before someone closes the time of prayer. There is not a particular order of who prays, so it is popcorn style.

Sunday School Answer

People will say a typical “Sunday school answer” is when someone just says Jesus in hopes to get the answer correctly.

The Word

The word simply means the Bible. The Scriptures are called God’s Word because all of it was inspired by God. It is His message to us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Pot Luck

A pot luck is when each person or family brings one food dish and everyone shares. This helps lower the cost and time of one person cooking everything.

Worship

In church, worship is often referred to as the time of singing and music for the Lord. Although worship is not just singing, the church calls singing worship.

VBS

VBS stands for Vacation Bible School. This is typically a week when kids go to a short day camp at the church or in a neighborhood and learn about God through teaching, music, crafts, games, and more.

PTL

This is a short acronym that simply means, praise the Lord.

I know these are a lot of terms to tackle, but I pray that this is helpful to anyone who is new to church or Christian community. Everyone is welcome.

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