Paganism: a term traditionally used to refer generally to all religions other than Christianity.
Panentheism: belief that ‘god’ is in all things.
Pantheism: belief that all is ‘god’.
Parable: a story about ordinary things/people told to communicate spiritual or moral truth.
Pardon: Cancellation of a debt that was legally due.
Passover: Exodus 12. The meal eaten on the night the Hebrews escaped from Egypt. Yearly remembrance of the first Passover [Leviticus 23:4-4-5]. A prophetic symbol of the death of Christ [Matthew 26:17-29]. Christ, the ultimate reality depicted in the Passover [1 Corinthians 5:7].
Pastor: [ = shepherd]. A person charged with the responsibility of spiritually shepherding God’s people.
Pastoral epistles: Letters Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus, who were pastors of local churches.
Peace with God: Standing in the presence of God without guilt or fear of rejection. This peace is the result of the death of Jesus Christ through which the sins of those who believe in him are forgiven and acquitted.
Penance: A deed performed to atone for post-baptismal sin. [Roman Catholic doctrine.]
Penitence: Awareness of and sorrow for sin in the presence of the holy God.
Pentateuch: the first five books of the Bible.
Pentecost: A feast of Israel, also called the Feast of Weeks, lasting seven weeks [50 days] from the bringing of the Firstfruits [Leviticus 23:15-22]. Prophetic of the coming of the Holy Spirit; fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2].
Pentecostalism: Controversial teaching emphasising the baptism of the Spirit [sometimes called being filled with the Spirit] as an experience additional to salvation, and the ‘sign’ gifts of the Spirit [particularly speaking in tongues], as evidence of salvation and reception of the Spirit.
Perfectionism: the teaching that Christians both ought and can be perfect in this life. In the extreme, the teaching that perfection must be obtained in order to enter heaven. Inevitably produces a legalistic mindset, along with either pride or despair. The concept of ‘sin’ is reduced to deliberate acts of sin.
Perseverance: Continuance in the Christian faith.
Perverse: Opposed to God and his standards; ungodly.
Pharisee: Refers to Jews in the New Testament era who were dedicated to strict letter-of-the-law righteousness.
Pneumatology: the study of the Holy Spirit
Polytheism: the belief in many gods.
Positive confession: A verbal ‘prayer’ or affirmation made in order to obtain for oneself the reality affirmed; its power is in the positiveness and the audible declaration. Part of Word Faith teaching. Similar to creative visualization practiced in eastern religion and New Age. Not found in scripture.
Prayer walking: The practice of walking through a neighbourhood praying for that neighbourhood and its people and activities. Sometimes, walking through a neighbourhood praying against any satanic or demonic activities or interference prior to a local outreach or evangelistic mission. Not in scripture.
Predestination: God’s eternal decision to bring an individual to salvation in Christ [Ephesians 1:4,5]
Priest: in the religion of Israel, a human intermediary between man and God, described at length in Exodus. Prophetic of Jesus Christ.
Prophet, prophesy: a person who proclaims the word of God to his/her generation. Prophecy can include, but is not limited to, messages regarding the future.
Prophets: The term ‘the prophets’ is sometimes used to refer to the whole Old Testament, as the whole OT is predictive of Christ. Sometimes it refers to every OT book except ‘the Law’. ‘The prophets’ – the Old Testament writings, are one of the two foundations of the Christian faith.
Propitiation: An action or means by which the wrath of God is turned away from the sinner.
Prosperity doctrine: Error alert: the teaching that all Christians should be healthy and wealthy, and, sometimes, that they should demand health and wealth as theirs by right because of their faith in Christ..
Protestantism: the body of Christians/Christian churches who do not affirm the teachings of Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy.
Purgatory : The Roman Catholic Church teaches that between death and heaven people whose original sin has been removed in the rite of baptism, are punished in purgatory for post-baptismal sins not atoned for in life.