Biblical, Charismata, Parousia, Dispensationalism

Word Meaning and Definitions

What is the meaning of : biblical, charismata, deliverance, parousia,
dispensationalism, an index for those long churchy words.

What is meant by 'Biblical' ?

biblical (also 'Bible-based') : 'according to the Scriptures'. The phrase has had its meaning watered down so much that it describes anything from snake-handlers to end-time cultists to the seminary teachers that boost the 'new morality'. For most Christians, it means that the substance and the shape of Christian faith and life is drawn from the main course of what the Bible says.

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What are Charismata ?

charismata (pl.), charisma (sg.): [Greek, = 'things given']. Or put another way, 'stuff from grace'. A charisma is given, not earned or bought. It is given by the Spirit, not by a leader or a church body. (It can sometimes come from the Spirit through a church body or a leader; it can also come against the wishes of church bodies, leaders, or even the body of believers as a whole.) There are many kinds of gifts the Spirit gives -- ultimately, life itself is a free gift from God. But when Christians speak of 'charismata', they are talking of a specific kind of gift : a gift that is given specifically to build up the community of believers, those within it, and those it serves. These gifts are given not to save, but to empower the saved.

What Is the Parousia ?

parousia : Greek, a "coming" or "arrival". For Christians, the term means the return ("second coming") of Christ during the end times. When? Who knows... Christians have debated the second coming since the start. The mainstream of Christian thought see the parousia as the End itself, with His arrival marking the start of the New Earth and the completion of the Kingdom of God. Others, called 'chiliasts' (from a Greek word for 'thousand'), believe Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years before a final confrontation brings in the Kingdom. Many modern fundamentalists, many evangelicals, and a surprisingly large portion of those in the more established churches, are chiliasts, and they've been there almost from the start. The ancient creeds don't mention timing. They simply assert that "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end" (Nicene Creed). Between then and now, Christ is with us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

What Is Dispensationalism ?

dispensationalism : a way of viewing the history of divine action and interaction with humans recorded in the Bible. The best-known version of it is that made popular by the Scofield Reference Bible (orig. 1909) and developed by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882). It divides history into eras or 'dispensations' : the eras of innocence, conscience, civil government, promise, law, grace, and the Kingdom. In each, God puts human obedience to the test in a different way, revealed by God. In each, of course, we fail the test. Eventually, the last 'dispensation' will end, and the Lord will dispense judgement in His thousand-year earthly reign. A dispensationalist approach creates 'eras' out of nowhere, then overplays the importance of each era and exaggerates main 'themes' for each era. It only faintly touches on how much alike each 'era' really is. It has all the difficulties of other millenialist/chiliastic teachings (based on thousand-year time frames), plus those of having a rigid and fixed view of history. It is found almost entirely among North American fundamentalist churches.