The editors of The American Heritage dictionaries have compiled a list of 100 words they think every high school graduate should know. They have published the list in 100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know.
While I was familiar with most of the words, a few of them tripped me up, including — abstemious, enervate, and moiety.
Is it just me, or are these some pretty obscure words?
The concept behind the book — to provide a benchmark against which parents and students can measure their command of the language — led me to reflect on the Church’s vocabulary. I began compiling a list of words that every Christian should know. I’m not talking about an exhaustive list, but a list that could serve as a benchmark for Christians.
Here is my current list. Check it out and then tell me the words you would eliminate from the list and the words you would add to the list.
- Atonement
- Baptism
- Bishop
- Christ
- Christian
- Church
- Communion
- Compassion
- Confession
- Conversion
- Courage
- Covenant
- Creation
- Cross
- Crucifixion
- Deacon/Deaconess
- Discernment
- Disciple
- Doctrine
- Elder
- Eschatology
- Eternal
- Eucharist
- Exodus
- Family
- Father
- Faith
- Fear
- Fellowship
- Forgiveness
- God
- Gospel
- Grace
- Heaven
- Hell
- Holy
- Holy Spirit
- Hope
- Hospitality
- Humility
- Husband
- Immorality
- Immortality
- Incarnation
- Israel
- Jesus
- Joy
- Justice
- Justification
- Kingdom
- Lord
- Lord’s Supper
- Love
- Lust
- Male/Female
- Marriage
- Meditation
- Mercy
- Messiah
- Ministry
- Miracle
- Mother
- Offering
- Parable
- Passover
- Peace
- Pentecost
- Prayer
- Preaching
- Pride
- Priest
- Prophecy
- Prophet
- Reconciliation
- Repentance
- Resurrection
- Revelation
- Righteousness
- Saint
- Sacrifice
- Salvation
- Sanctification
- Satan
- Savior
- Scripture
- Sermon
- Shepherd
- Sin
- Soul
- Stewardship
- Tabernacle
- Table
- Temple
- Theology
- Tithe
- Trinity
- Wisdom
- Worship
- Wrath
- Yahweh
Good start, Bob!
By: Will Norrid on July 22, 2010
at 7:11 am
Any suggestions for additions to the list?
By: Bob Clark on July 22, 2010
at 7:24 am
I might combine Tabernacle/Temple and add “Moses.”
By: Will Norrid on July 22, 2010
at 7:28 am
Can you fit “patience” in there somewhere? (and I would add Abraham before I would add Moses) I’d probably remove fear. After all, once you know love, fear is cast out anyway! 🙂
By: Alan Smith on July 22, 2010
at 7:54 am
What I am hearing is, “I am of Moses!” and “I am of Abraham!” 🙂
I like the additions suggested.
By: Bob Clark on July 22, 2010
at 8:18 am
I would remove deaconess, even though it’s paired with deacon. I know of no scriptural reference that has been translated “deaconess.” From a biblical standpoint is that even a valid word considering deacons should be men?
Then there’s Phoebe from Romans 16 who is mentioned as “a servant of the church in Cenchrea.” Is my reaction absurd thinking from a traditional (and perhaps unbiblical) doctrine?
By: Kevin A. Pieckiel on July 22, 2010
at 12:04 pm
A deacon should indeed be a man. But a deaconess should be a women. 😉
Phoebe is called a servant. as you have probably seen, the footnote offers “deaconess” as an alternative.
I don’t think your reaction is absurd. It probably is influenced by tradition. But the tradition influencing you is recent tradition. In earlier tradition in churches of Christ, deaconess were recognized by some influential leaders.
Where would we be without our female servants? Most churches I know would be paralyzed without them.
By: Bob Clark on July 22, 2010
at 12:51 pm
redeemed, spirit, spiritual,
By: cheryl on July 22, 2010
at 5:59 pm
Thanks, Cheryl! I feel a bit silly that Redemption is not on my list! I know it was on the first draft but somehow got lost along the way. Thanks for the suggestion!
By: Bob Clark on July 22, 2010
at 7:18 pm
One more — perseverance!
By: Alan Smith on July 22, 2010
at 8:39 pm
Hi Bob! I would add Blessed!! What about adding Sabbath and Honor?
By: Dawn on July 28, 2010
at 8:51 pm
two more- Assurance and Indwelling!
By: Dawn on July 28, 2010
at 8:57 pm
Thanks, Dawn, the list is growing!
By: Bob Clark on July 28, 2010
at 9:23 pm