RELIGION

This term is found only a few times in the English Bible. In four cases it renders the Greek threskeia, which basically means holy service, the exercise of devotion to a transcendent Being or beings -- whether true or false. In Acts 26:5 it is used of Judaism, yet in Colossians 2:18 it refers to the pagan worship of angels. Threskeia is twice used in James 1:26-27 with reference to the active benevolence expressed by those who espouse the teaching of Christ. In his presentation on Mars Hill, Paul referred to Greek heathenism as "religion" (deisidaimonia), literally a "reverence for demons," which is an allusion to false gods. In the modern world, "religion" has a much more elastic meaning. "Religion" can denote almost any philosophical viewpoint, e.g., Marxism, atheism, New Age pantheism, etc. Merely being "religious" is not enough to please God.

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Adapted from the book "Bible Words and Theological Terms Made Easy" by Wayne Jackson