Appendix C
Key Greek and Hebrew Terms
The Original-Language Vocabulary That Volume II Has Depended On — with Definitions and Locations
Every significant theological argument in this volume has depended on words in their original languages. Hebrew and Greek carry freight that English translations must compress. This glossary collects the terms that have done the most work across the nine Parts, gives their core meanings, and notes where in the volume they appear most significantly. Readers who want to engage more deeply with any of these terms are encouraged to use a standard lexicon such as BDAG (Greek) or BDB (Hebrew).
| TERM | TRANSLITERATION | CORE MEANING | WHERE IT APPEARS IN VOLUME II |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEBREW TERMS | |||
| אָמֵן | Amen | Firm, reliable, established, faithful. From the root אָמַן (aman) — to be firm or trustworthy. | Parts One and Nine (central theme); Appendix A throughout |
| אֱמוּנָה | emunah | Faithfulness, steadfast reliability. The covenant loyalty of God. | Part Nine Ch 32 (basis for the title ‘the Amen’) |
| אֱמֶת | emet | Truth, stability, reliability. One of the three pillars of covenant (justice, mercy, truth). | Part Nine Ch 32; Part Six Ch 23 (plain speech) |
| יָדַע | yada | To know intimately, experientially; to be known fully. The deepest relational knowing. | Part Four throughout (parallel to ginōskō) |
| פָּרוּשׁ | parush | Separated, set apart. The root of ‘Pharisee.’ | Part Five Ch 20 (who the Pharisees were) |
| GREEK TERMS | |||
| αἰωνιος | aiōnios | Eternal, age-lasting, of the age to come. Not simply ‘lasting a long time’ but belonging to the divine realm. | Part Four (eternal life as present-tense reality) |
| ἀρχή | archē | Beginning, origin, ruling principle, first cause. | Part Nine Ch 32 (ruler of God’s creation, Rev 3:14) |
| γινώσκω | ginōskō | To know by experience and relationship; progressive, deepening knowledge. | Part Four (John 17:3 as central text) |
| εἰς τέλος | eis telos | ‘To the end / to the uttermost.’ Both completeness and duration simultaneously. | Part Two Ch 5 (John 13:1, Jesus loved them to the end) |
| εἰρήνη | eirēnē | Peace; specifically the shalom-like wholeness Jesus gives that the world cannot give or take. | Part Two Ch 7 (John 14:27) |
| εὐαγγέλιον | euangelion | Good news, gospel. The announcement of the King’s victory and the Kingdom’s arrival. | Part Eight (foundation of the forty days’ teaching) |
| ζωή | zōē | Life; eternal life as a quality of existence, not merely its duration. | Part Four (John 17:3); Part Two Ch 10 |
| μακάριος | makarios | ‘Blessed, fortunate, to be congratulated.’ Carries more weight than simple happiness. | Part Three Ch 12 (the Beatitudes) |
| μένω | menō | To remain, abide, stay, dwell. The central command of John 15. | Part Two Ch 8 (John 15, appears 10× in 17 verses) |
| μεριμνάω | merimnaō | To be anxious, to divide the mind, to be pulled in two directions. | Part Three Ch 15 (Matt 6:25–34, the anxiety command) |
| Παράκλητος | Paraklētos | ‘One called alongside to help.’ The Advocate / Counselor / Comforter. | Part Two Ch 7 (the five Paraclete promises of John 14) |
| παρρησία | parrēsia | Boldness, freedom of speech, confident access. The posture of prayer at the throne. | Part Seven Ch 26 (Hebrews 4:16) |
| πορνεία | porneia | Sexual immorality; covers a range wider than adultery alone. | Part Six Ch 24 (divorce and the exception clause) |
| συμφωνέω | sumphōneō | To be in harmony, to sound together (root of ‘symphony’). Genuine agreement of hearts, not merely verbal. | Part Seven Ch 28 (Matt 18:19, corporate prayer) |
| τέλειος | teleios | Complete, mature, having reached the intended end. Not ‘flawless’ but ‘whole.’ | Part Three Ch 14 (Matt 5:48, ‘Be perfect’) |
| ὑποκριτής | hypokritēs | An actor playing a role; one who performs for an audience. | Part Three Ch 15; Part Five throughout (Matthew 23) |
| φίλος | philos | Friend; one admitted to another’s confidence and inner purposes. | Part Two Ch 8 (John 15:15, ‘I call you friends’) |
Transliterations follow standard academic conventions. Hebrew right-to-left script is presented in Unicode. Where Greek or Hebrew fonts do not render in your word processor, the transliteration column provides the pronunciation guide.