{
  "id": "dict_002440",
  "term": "Heir",
  "slug": "heir",
  "letter": "H",
  "entry_type": "theological_term",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "In Scripture, an heir is one who receives an inheritance. Theologically, believers are called heirs because in Christ they receive the blessings and promises of salvation from God.",
  "simple_one_line": "",
  "tooltip_text": "",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [],
  "see_also": [],
  "lede_intro": "",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [],
  "description_academic_short": "In the Bible, an heir is a person entitled to receive an inheritance, whether in an ordinary family sense or in a spiritual sense. The New Testament teaches that believers are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, meaning they share in the saving promises God gives through union with Christ. This includes present spiritual blessings and the future fullness of eternal life in God’s kingdom.",
  "description_academic_full": "An heir in biblical usage is one who receives what is promised or bestowed as an inheritance. While the word can describe ordinary family inheritance, it also carries major theological weight in Scripture. God’s promises to Abraham point forward to a people who inherit by faith, and the New Testament says that those who belong to Christ are adopted as God’s children and therefore become heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. This inheritance is not earned by human merit but given by God’s grace, and it includes the blessings of salvation now as well as the future consummation of eternal life, resurrection hope, and participation in God’s kingdom. In this sense, “heir” is a biblical way of describing the believer’s covenant privilege, identity, and hope in Christ.",
  "background_biblical_context": "",
  "background_historical_context": "",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "",
  "key_texts_primary": [],
  "key_texts_secondary": [],
  "original_language_note": "",
  "theological_significance": "",
  "philosophical_explanation": "",
  "interpretive_cautions": "",
  "major_views_note": "",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "",
  "practical_significance": "",
  "meta_description": "In Scripture, an heir is one who receives an inheritance. Theologically, believers are called heirs because in Christ they receive the blessings and promises of salvation from God.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/heir/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/heir.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}