Thankful Thursday

Tonight I am thanking my heavenly Father

• for listening when I pray. 
• for sustaining my love for him.
• for giving me a body so I can work and walk and enjoy the universe he made.
• for keeping me healthy and strong.
• for providing me with a full fridge, full cupboards, and more in the pantry.
• for a comfortable and secure home.
• for friends and family, here and in heaven.
• for opportunities to serve him by serving others.
• for the promise of eternity with him.

I thought I was too tired and grumpy to write a thanksgiving post, but I did it anyway, mostly because I hate to have a day with nothing at all posted. I’m so glad I did. Nothing lifts the spirit like writing a list of thanksgiving items. I guess you could say I’m thankful for this weekly Thanksgiving Thursday exercise. 

Round the Sphere Again: Church History

Eleven Reasons
Don Sweeting lists some of the blessings of studying church history:

1. It reaffirms a Biblical value of looking to the past.
2. It  tells us the rest of the story.
3. It frees us from faddishness.
4. It is an antidote to arrogance.
5. It exposes us to some of the issues faced by the church in every age.
6. It helps us see further than we naturally can on our own.
7. It gives us insight into our own culture.
8. It provides warnings about what to look out for and what not to do.
9. It can be used to spark a longing for awakening and revival.
10. It Implants hope in dark times.
11. It offers company and help in difficult seasons of ministry.

Read the whole post for more explanation of these points.

Two Lectures
Last week I listened to these talks by Michael Haykin (Sermon Audio) and recommend them to you. If you don’t know much about church history, Haykin’s lectures are a good place to start.:

• Introduction to Church History
• What the Bible Says About History

Next up on my audio list is a biographical sketch of Thomas Cramner.

Update: In the comments, Juanita pointed me to a few messages on revival in 18th century England that Michael Haykin gave recently at a conference at her church.

One Book
Peter Leithart recommends Robert Louis Wilken’s The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity. He calls it “a substantial historical study,” but also one that “assumes little prior knowledge.” I’m thinking of buying it for my church library.

Theological Term of the Week

historia salutis
The unfolding in history of God’s plan for the salvation of the world; the events in space and time by which God brings salvation.  

• From scripture:

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5 ESV)

…a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:10 ESV)

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13 ESV)

• From Pactum Salutis, Historia Salutis, Ordo Salutis and the Ministry:

Creation, the fall, the flood, the call of Abraham, the exodus, the captivity, the life and death of Christ, Pentecost, all of these are events of the historia salutis. On the one hand, they are true events of cosmic history.They actually happened in space and time.  But in another sense, they bear theological significance, because they come in order to fulfill—accomplish—the eternal decrees of God. We do not simply speak of abstract decrees of God, but of genuine historical events bearing a great theological significance. We believe that the Scriptures record the actual historical events of redemption, occurring over several millennia, from creation to consummation. The events recorded in Scripture, while real events in human history, bring into human history the decrees of God. They give substance and historical reality to these decrees. 

Learn more:

1. The Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies: Pactum Salutis, Historia Salutis, Ordo Salutis and the Ministry
2. From me: Historia Salutis
3. Dr. Lane Tipton: The Meaning of Historia Salutis and Ordo Salutis (video)
4. Bruce Waltke: Summaries of the Stages of Redemptive History (pdf) 

Related terms:

• already/not yet
• decree(s) of God
• order of God’s decrees
• ordo salutis
• pactum salutis
• typology

Filed under God’s Nature and His Work

Do you have a term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.