Words, Words, Words.

I have read a lot of them over the semester.  I figured I marked over 400 first year college papers for the professor I am working for.  Some make you wonder if they learned anything about writing/grammar in high school while others were done with excellent precision.

I picked up Calvin again this freezing Sunday morning.  It is something like -45 C or lower with the windchill.  I have started into his work on the Trinity.  He writes on how the faith has created words to talk about truth that is revealed in Scripture, such as the Trinity.  I appreciated the ‘rule’ he gives on thinking and speaking about Scripture in these matters.  He writes, “we ought to seek from Scripture a sure rule for both thinking and speaking to which both the thoughts of our minds and the words of our mouths should be conformed” (1.8.3)

Calvin displays the necessity of words such as homoousious by writing, “that mere word marked the distinction between Christians of pure faith and sacrilegious Arians” (1.8.4)  Words become important to guarding the faith against false teaching and doctrine.

So, what some may say is an issue of “mere semantics” in actuality can be a serious issue of orthodox doctrine. Words are important especially those shaped by the history of the church through careful reading of the Scripture.