[sim’-uhl yoos’-tuhs et peck’-aw-tore]
(Latin simul, “simultaneous” + Latin justus, “righteous” + Latin et, “and” + Latin peccator, “sinner”)
At the same time righteous and a sinner. The phrase was coined by 16th century German Reformer, Martin Luther. In his Lectures on Romans, Luther put it this way, “The saints in being righteous are at the same […]

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[teks’-tus ree-sep’-tus]
(Latin, “received text”)
The name given to the edition of the Greek New Testament first published by Erasmus in the early sixteenth-century. The Textus Receptus, at the time of Erasmus, represented a small collection of Byzantine texts and, despite its name, is considered by most scholars today, conservative and liberal, to be representative of an […]

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[hoe-moe-oo’-see-oss]
(Greek homo-, ”same” + Greek ousia, “substance” = “of the same substance” “consubstantial”)
This is the Trinitarian term that expresses a belief that Christ is of the same substance or nature as the Father. This word was central to the fourth-century debate between Athanasius and the Arians. Arius believed that Christ was of “similar substance” to the Father […]

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[kray-aw’-tsee-o eks nee’-uh-lo]
(Latin, “creation out of nothing”)
Describes the shared theistic worldview which believes all of creation was created by God out of non-existent matter. This belief is extremely important and foundational to the Christian belief in a transcendent God. God’s nature transcends time, space, and matter. Therefore, all that exists outside of God is dependent […]

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[sen’-sus plen’-ee-or](Latin, “fuller sense” or “fuller meaning”)The principle of interpretation which seeks the fuller meaning of the text that was not necessarily understood by the biblical author. There is much debate among exegetes as to whether a text can have a fuller meaning and if this fuller meaning can be distinct in nature from the […]

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(Latin, “the Calvinistic extra”)
The belief among Calvinists that Christ’s humanity is not infinite or omnipresent and therefore can only be at one place at one time, even after the ascension. This, according to adherents, is the historic view as espoused by the Chalcedonian definition since, according to the definition, Christ’s human nature cannot share attributes […]

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(Latin, “outside ourselves”)
Refers to the Protestant understanding that justification comes from a source that is external to the recipient. This “alien righteousness” comes by way of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to one who has faith. It is “outside ourselves” in that the believer does not contribute anything to his or her justification.

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(Latin, “necessity of nature”)
The belief that the thoughts and/or actions of a person are born out of the necessity of his or her nature. People act according to who they are, they cannot act according to who they are not. People will choose according to their greatest desire and this desire is in accordance with […]

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(Latin, “necessary by force”)
An action that is produced not by the agency of a “free will” decision, but by forces that exist outside a person which cause them to make a decision. A necessitas coactionis destroys the ability of a person to make a choice which is not coerced. When it is believed that all […]

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(Latin, “year of our Lord”)
The Latin phrase Anno Domini designates the usage of a calendar system which counts years from the traditional date of the birth of Christ (i.e. “year of our Lord”). This calendar system is the most common and accepted method of dating in the world today, even being used by the United […]

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