Selected Reading

I read (or watched) these recently and recommend them to you.

Theology

Could Jesus Have Sinned?
Watch Prof. Blair Smith tackle this tricky question. 

Church History

God’s Timeline
This is an introduction to church history written for children 6-12 years old, but I enjoyed it, too. The timelines are a great resource for anyone.

An Overview of the Nineteenth Century
A bit of history from Dr. Nicholas Needham, whose 2000 Years of Christ’s Power church history books I recommended last week.

Scripture

What the Bible Says About Itself - Book by Book
Or what “God’s word says about God’s words.” (I love lists like this.)

English

What Is a Schwa?
An essay wherein a scene from my favorite movie illustrates my favorite vowel sound.  

Theological Term of the Week: Accommodation

 

accommodation 
“God’s appropriation of humanly intelligible means to communicate real knowledge of himself.”1 God speaking to us in a form that is suited to our human capacity.

• From Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, 1.17.13:

Because our weakness cannot reach his height, any description which we receive of him must be lowered to our capacity in order to be intelligible. And the mode of lowering is to represent him not as he really is, but as we conceive of him.

• From None Greater by Matthew Barrett:

After forming humankind in his image, God then spoke. That’s right, the infinite, transcendent incomprehensible God used words, and these words revealed not only who he is but what duty God requires of humans. His word established a covenantal relationship between God and his people. 

Theologians have a word for this: “accomodation.” The parent talking to his two-year-old, speaking “inarticulately because of the child” since it is impossible for the parent to be understood by the child apart from “condescending to their mode of speech.” John Calvin compared God to a nurse caring for an infant. The nurse bends low to speak a language that the infant can understand.

Learn more:

1. Tom Ascol: The Biblical Doctrine of Divine Accommodation (audio)
2. Hans Madueme: Inerrance and Divine Accommodation
3. Vern S. Poythress: Rethinking Accomodation in Revelation

Related terms:

• anthropomorphism
• anthropopathism
• covenant
• general revelation
• special revelation

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work

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Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button will take you to an alphabetical list of all the previous theological terms.

Sunday's Hymn: He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
By his own hand he leadeth me:
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
Still ‘tis his hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ‘tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When, by thy grace, the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

—Joseph H. Gilmore

 Other hymns, worship songs, or quotes for this Sunday:

• My Jesus, I Love Thee at The Outspoken Tulip
• Hallelujah! Christ Is Risen at The Happy Wonderer
• The Lord shall be a light at Tried With Fire
• Lord’s Day 18, 2019 at The Thirsty Theologian