INTERCESSION Act of intervening or mediating between differing parties, particularly the act of praying to God on behalf of another person. In the OT the Hebrew verb pagaʿ is used of such pleading or interceding (Gen. 23:8; Isa. 53:12; 59:16; Jer. 7:16; 15:11; 27:18; 36:25). More general terms such as palal, “pray,” or chalah, “appease,” are also sometimes translated “intercede” (1 Sam. 7:5; 1 Kings 13:6). In the NT the Greek term is entungkano and its derivatives (Rom. 8:26–27, 34; 1 Tim. 2:1; Heb. 7:25).

IMPRECATION, IMPRECATORY PSALMS Act of invoking a curse. In the Imprecatory Psalms the author calls for God to bring misfortune and disaster upon the enemies (Pss. 5; 11; 17; 35; 55; 59; 69; 109; 137; 140). These psalms are an embarrassment to many Christians who see them in tension with Jesus’ teaching on love of enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). It is important to recall the theological principles that underlie such psalms. These include: (1) the principle that vengeance belongs to God (Deut. 32:35; Ps. 94:1) that excludes personal retaliation and necessitates appeal to God to punish the wicked (cp. Rom. 12:19); (2) the principle that God’s righteousness demands judgment on the wicked (Pss. 5:6; 11:5–6); (3) the principle that God’s covenant love for the people of God necessitates intervention on their part (Pss. 5:7; 59:10, 16–17); and (4) the principle of prayer that believers trust God with all their thoughts and desires. See Blessing and Cursing.

WORSHIP Term used to refer to the act or action associated with attributing honor, reverence, or worth to that which is considered to be divine by religious adherents. Christian worship is often defined as the ascription of worth or honor to the triune God. Worship is more fully understood as an interrelation between divine action and human response: worship is the human response to the self-revelation of the triune God. This includes: (1) divine initiation in which God reveals Himself, His purposes, and His will; (2) a spiritual and personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ on the part of the worshiper; and (3) a response by the worshiper of adoration, humility, submission, and obedience to God.

CONSECRATION Persons or things being separated to or belonging to God. They are holy or sacred. They are set apart for the service of God. The Hebrew qadesh and Greek hagiazo are translated by several different English words: holy, consecrate, hallow, sanctify, dedicate.

Old Testament God is said to be qadesh or “holy.” When persons or things were “consecrated,” they were separated to or belonged to God. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2 NASB). “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod. 19:6 NASB). When persons were “consecrated,” they were set apart to live according to God’s demands and in His service.

In the OT the ordination of persons to the service of God is indicated by the phrase “to fill the hand.” This phrase is usually translated “consecrate” or “ordain.”

Numbers 6:1–21 sets forth the vow of the Nazirite. Nazir from which Nazirite is derived, means “to separate” and is translated “consecrate” in Num. 6:7, 9, 12.

New Testament This ethical understanding of God’s holiness is found throughout the NT. In Matt. 23:16–24 Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees on the basis of their neglect of justice, mercy, and faith. He said it is “the altar that sanctifies the gift” (Matt. 23:19 HCSB). The cause to which persons give themselves determines the nature of the sacrifice. When the cause is God’s, the gift is consecrated. Jesus’ mission was to sanctify persons. Paul said that Christians are called to be “saints,” and their sanctification comes through Christ.

FAITH, FAITHFULNESS Contemporary English word “faith” derived from the Latin fides. Today faith denotes trust. Faith does not function as a verb in contemporary English; the verb “to believe” has replaced the verb “to faith.” The English noun “faithfulness” denotes trustworthiness or dependability.

The Biblical Concept The concept of faith has been radically redefined in some philosophical and theological circles during the past century. Those definitions rarely address the complexities of the biblical concept, a concept in which the whole person, the physical world, God’s Word, and God Himself play crucial roles. Those alternative definitions often do not grasp the objective and subjective characteristics of biblical faith.

Throughout the Scriptures faith is the trustful human response to God’s self-revelation via His words and His actions. God initiates the relationship between Himself and human beings. He expects people to trust Him; failure to trust Him was in essence the first sin (Gen. 3:1–7). Since the fall of humanity God nurtures and inspires trust in Him through what He says and does for the benefit of people who need Him. He provides evidence of His trustworthiness by acting and speaking in the external world to make Himself knowable to people who need Him. Thus, biblical faith is a kind of limited personal knowledge of God.