A Handbook for New Christian Believers
Including: The Glossary of Christianese
by
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I want to personally welcome you into the Christian God’s family of Believers! Jehovah God is so proud you made the decision to receive His Son Jesus as your Savior, if God carried a wallet your photo would now be in it! Take comfort in knowing that for you, everlasting life has begun!
I am rejoicing that you are reading this little book! As a New Believer in Jesus Christ, it will help you learn “Christianese” which is first defined here as the unique use of certain words (the Jargon) that English speaking Christians all pick up as we associate with other Christians. Not unlike Surfers or Auto Mechanics or those who are computer savvy, we all have our “Lingo.”
Get ready for the fact that enthusiastic Christians quote verses from our reference book, The Bible, a lot. In The Bible, the book of First Corinthians chapter 14 verse 33 assures us, “… He is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order.” So, for a New Believer, as a means of avoiding confusion or frustration, this book gives you the opportunity to get a little “ahead of the curve” by defining some of the "Christianese" words and phrases you will hear, and by introducing you to Christianity. My desire and my prayer is that this little book will be helpful to you as a guide.
For the student who is searching for truth, The Bible is a treasure chest. Even in a short passage of Scripture (“Scripture” is Christianese for the Biblical text) there is something valuable, even fresh, every time it is studied. So, though it is written to New Believers, this little book contains enough scriptural reference so that someone who has been “saved” (saved from the consequence of their sins) for a long time, could discover something new!
Now that you get to call yourself “A Christian” (a follower/believer in Jesus Christ) there are definitely some things you must learn so that you will begin to feel more comfortable, you know, like one of the family!
--The Bible, which can be literally translated as “Library,” has 66 books within it. The 66 books are divided into two sections, The Old Testament which contains 39 books, and the New Testament that contains 27 books. Each book is named and has an abbreviation for the name. You need to familiarize yourself with the names of the books, their order, and their respective abbreviation. If you will turn to the back pages of this book, some help is offered in a reference Appendix called “Books of The Bible” to get you started. At first, this might seem like homework, but soon you will fall in love with your Creator, and want to read more.
--In English, it is possible to "phrase" the same idea using different combinations of words. For this reason, there are many good "versions" of the Bible. So if you are puzzled by a particular verse, one way to get help is to read the same verse in different versions of The Bible. You can go online to www.blueletterbible.com, for instance, and instantly have 10 versions from which to gain clarity! Helpful additions like Italics and the separation of the text into numbered chapters and verses were first introduced in the Geneva Bible that was produced for the common man and woman in the 1500’s. It is one of many good Bibles. It is the Bible that the Pilgrims brought to Plymouth Bay in 1620.
--Don’t be dismayed when references to God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit are capitalized, right in the middle of a sentence. This is written “Christianese,” and it is done out of reverence and respect for our God. If mention is made of a false god then the “g” will not be capitalized.
--Misunderstandings among people result when things they have said are taken out of context. The context of any given passage of the Bible should be considered when a verse is to be quoted. The informal but appropriate “twenty-twenty” rule states that one should read 20 verses before and 20 verses after the verse to be quoted so that the context of the verse is understood.
--When a word in The Bible is written in Italics, it is not for emphasis but rather it is an admission by the publisher that the italicized word was not in the original text, which was written in either, Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic. The italicized word has been added so that the English translation can be better understood.
Here's an example:John 18:6
As soon then as He had said unto them "I am He," they went backward, and fell to the ground.
In the noted sentence, just after “I am,” the word “He” was not in the original text. Jesus, by just responding “I am” was not only saying, “I’m the one you’re looking for,” but He was also saying, “I am God.” In Exodus 3:14 God says His name is “I AM.” In John 18:5 Jesus is asked to identify Himself. He replies, “I AM.” On their own, those two small words, the name of our God, spoken by Jesus, have so much power that the company of soldiers was just blown over. But if you don’t already know all that, it reads easier with the “He” added.
--Each book of The Bible has one or more chapters and numerous verses within each chapter. So Christians have developed their own “co-ordinate system,” something like GPS, where if you see “2Tim 3:16 - 17” you will learn that you are being instructed to turn, in your Bible, to the second book of Timothy, Chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, which read,
“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [or woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
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About the Book
Every group is a medley of unique individuals that share a common interest. As the group forms, meets, practices, and develops their identity and skills, certain words (like nicknames) are made up, that allow for the common identification of certain things that are important to the group. As a result, a group-specific jargon is developed.
In, for example, a surfing group, learning “Surferese” becomes part of the initiation process. Mastering the group-specific jargon provides the newer member a feeling of accomplishment and pride. When outsiders overhear you, they may now be able to identify you as “one of those Surfers.” Being identified provides you with confirmation that your efforts have not been in vain.
But Christianity is not a hobby or a club. Your eternal destiny is changed for the better by joining and continuing. For this reason, at this critical juncture, no new believer in Christ should be driven away or alienated by some human-made jargon. So, in A Handbook for New Christian Believers: Including the Glossary of Christianese,, the new believer is supplied with a listing of most of the jargon words and their detailed definitions.
This may be the first time such a listing with definitions has been provided, so please take advantage and familiarize yourself with this handbook and the glossary. You will acquire the knowledge you need to quickly enable and ease the process of (1) getting to know your God and Savior, Jesus Christ, and (2) fitting in with the members of your church.
About the Author
James Alwyn Austin, a Christian since 1997, perceived the need for a better handbook to assist new believers. He has been a Church Elder and an associate editor for a genealogy society. By day, he is an engineer for a government contractor. He and his wife Ramona live in Lompoc, California.