Theological Term of the Week

semper reformanda
Latin for “always being reformed,” short for ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda (“the church reformed and always being reformed”), a slogan associated with the Protestant Reformation.

• From scripture:

… Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV)

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Linked Together: Reading the Bible

Not So Simple
Yes, the Bible is perspicuous, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy read.

When we stress the Bible’s “easiness,” we lead our people into two wrong directions. Some will throw up their hands and say, “I must be really stupid because this seems very dense.” Or, even worse, we train people to only look for the easy parts, to be satisfied with daily nuggets of wisdom and never wade deep into the Bible’s waters. Either way, you wind up with people who never feel the satisfaction of studying the Bible on their own.

Instead, I suggest we be upfront about the demanding nature of the Bible. Let your people know that it’s hard work. It’s a challenge.

Read all of Trevin Wax’s How to Get People to Read the Bible Without Making Them Feel Dumb. 

Where to Start
Four practical steps to take to begin becoming Biblically literate. 

1. Read your Bible and pray.
2. Read large sections of the Bible at a time.
3. Read Scripture in community with others in the local church.
4. Sit under good preaching of God’s Word.

(Matthew Barrett at Credo Magazine.) 

Heidelberg Catechism

Question 15. What sort of a mediator and deliverer, then, must we look for?

Answer: For one who is true man, and perfectly (a) righteous; (b) and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is also true God. (c)

(Click through to see scriptural proofs.)

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