Ontology

Derived from the Greek words ontos for "being" and logos, "discourse," the noun refers to what a thing is, i.e., its essential nature, its being. The word may be used in two senses. First, e.g., in a sentence like 2 Tim 3:16, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," the first four-words, "all Scripture is God-breathed," defines Scripture's ontology, while the rest of the sentence defines Scripture's function. The word also has a more clearly circumscribed meaning in which it refers to that branch of philosopy dealing with being, i.e., the nature and essence of existence.