Tonight 8/29 at 7:30 we will hold the thirteenth lecture of series three on “A Theological Grounding for a Standard Sacred Text –God’s Singular Care and Providence and the Sacred Apographa
Eighty-eight years earlier, in book 2, chapter 16, of the Institutes, Calvin discussed the pivotal role played by the providence of God. He concludes that everything is “governed by God’s secret plan in such a way that nothing happens except what is knowingly and willingly decreed by Him.”[1] Providence is “secret” because it is the personal exercise of God. Trying to categorize or systematize the intricacies of God’s providential work is beyond the rational scope of men. Only after the “secret” has been divulged in the course of history can the work of providence be seen for what it is. Even then, the limitations of men often only allow them to see the aggregate parts of providence, never living to see the beauty of the whole and blessed to live it its fulfillment. The early collators of inspired Scripture could only dream of the day that the sixty-six-book library that is the canon was between two covers as a single volume. Their obscure and unsung part of the aggregate was essential to making the whole a reality. In this regard it is also important to note that the early collators of the aggregate parts did not know how many books comprised the completed canon. What they knew, through the testimony of the word itself and the Spirit, is that their portion was canonical. It is God’s “singular care and providence” that unites the whole in that it is His word and Spirit that makes the collection of words and books throughout the ages a work of providence.
[1] Calvin, Institutes, 2.16.3.
Don’t miss this important study of the Immediate inspiration for Christian theology, ecclesiology, and personal edification, Tuesday 8/29 at 7:30pm.
Standard Sacred Text.com 