Tag Archives: Theology

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Theology is for Women Too

March 19, 2018BlogsBiblical Womanhood, Theology, Womentheology-gals

I hear quite often from women who are struggling to find other women who are interested in theology. In some cases women are intimidated by it and in many cases they just aren’t interested. A lot of Christian women don’t understand why theology should be important to them.

If you visit a Christian bookstore, you’ll quickly see the result of women neglecting theology. Most popular resources for women are not grounded in Biblical truth, and many women don’t have the discernment to recognize it. In so much of American Christianity, the emphasis is on “experiencing God” over knowing Him through what He’s revealed about Himself in His Word. This tends to be the primary emphasis of many Christian women and the books they love. Some even think doctrine is a distraction from their experience. That’s exactly what one woman told me upon leaving the Theology Gals Facebook group recently. An emphasis on experience at the expense of truth is just one example of the problems you’ll find in the most popular of these books.

Theology is important for every believer:

“Theology simply means ‘the study of God,’ and doctrine means ‘teaching.’ Since the main message of Scripture is the unfolding mystery of Christ, who reveals his Father and reconciles us to him, theology is a central concern of every believer. It would be odd if we told our spouse or other loved ones that we wanted to spend time with them and experience their fellowship regularly but did not want to know anything about them—their characteristics, accomplishments, personal histories, likes and dislikes, and plans for the future.” – Michael Horton

Here are just a few of the reasons why women should be studying theology:

To know God As children of God, we should know the One who has saved us, and how He has saved us, the story of redemption. We should know our Lord, who we are to love and worship. How can we love and worship a God we don’t know? In Pilgrim Theology Michael Horton explains, “Many Christians assume that we can just experience God in a personal relationship apart from doctrine, but that’s impossible. You cannot experience God without knowing who he is, what he has done, and who you are in relation to him. Even our most basic Christian experiences and commitments are theological. ‘I just love Jesus,’ some say. But who is Jesus? And why do you love him?”

For discernment We need to discern those things which are consistent with Scripture and those which are not. We learn discernment through the knowledge of God’s Word. Philippians 1:9-10 says, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;…”

For life Whether it’s parenting, suffering, or a variety of other life issues, God’s Word gives us everything we need for Christian faith and practice. Understanding who God is – His sovereignty, love, grace and other attributes – brings us comfort during suffering. It’s through His Word that we find wisdom for our lives. There are a lot of practical books available for women, but many of those are absent of doctrine and based on unbiblical principles.

To understand who we are in Christ Many of the resources available for women downplay sin, and therefore don’t emphasize our need for and magnificence of the gospel. Knowing theology is essential in helping us understand the weight of our sin, along with the the amazing grace lavished on us through the gospel. As believers we don’t hear the gospel once and then we’re done. As Rod Rosenbladt says, “The gospel is for Christians too.” I’ve spoken with women who lack understanding of the true gospel, including justification and sanctification. It’s through theology that we know what Christ has done for us. It also points us to the how and why of obedience, along with our standing before God through Christ, even as we continue to struggle with sin.

One reason Theology Gals exists is to encourage women in the study of God’s Word. We want women to understand why theology is important, and also offer resources which may be less intimidating for women who are new to the study and understanding of theology. On our podcast we will be discussing various topics and encouraging further study. Please write to us with any ideas you have on things you would like us to discuss.

Some of our favorite sites for women:

Reformed Acronyms and Abbreviations

March 14, 2018Blogs, ResourcesAcronyms and Abbreviations, Resources, Theologytheology-gals

With all of the acronyms and abbreviations used in Reformed Christian circles, we’ve put together a reference list as we often get questions about what these things mean. Not everything on here is specifically Reformed, but are things which may be used in various theological discussions and writing.

2C 2nd commandment

2CV 2nd commandment violation (3CV and so on depending on the commandment violated)

2K two kingdoms

3FU Three Forms of Unity

3PC/4PC three point Calvinist/four point Calvinist

AACC American Association of Christian Counselors

AALC The American Association of Lutheran Churches

ACA Anglican Church in America

ACBC Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

ACE Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

ACNA Anglican Church in North America

Amil Amillennialism

AoG/AG Assemblies of God

APA Anglican Province of America

APC Associated Presbyterian Churches

APM A Puritan´s Mind

ARBCA Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America

ARP/ARPC Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

AV Authorized Version, Bible (same as KJV)

BCF Belgic Confession of Faith

BCO Book of Church Order

BCP Book of Common Prayer

BCT Baptist Covenant Theology (1689 Federalism)

BoT Banner of Truth

BPC Bible Presbyterian Church

BPS Book of Psalms for Singing

BT Biblical Theology

CanRC The Canadian and American Reformed Churches

CARPC Covenanting Association of Reformed and Presbyterian Churches

CB Credo Baptism

CCCC/4C’s Conservative Christian Congregational Conference

CELC Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference

CmL Ceremonial Law

CofC Church of Christ

CoG Covenant of Grace

CoR Covenant of Redemption

CoW Covenant of Works

CREC Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (formerly the confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches)

Credo credoBaptism (believers baptism)

CRC/CRCNA Christian Reformed Church in North America

CRPC Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church

CT Covenant Theology or Critical Text

CTS Covenant Theological Seminary

CvL civil law

Dispy dispensationalist

DPW Directory for Public Worship

DoG Doctrines of Grace

EFCA Evangelical Free Church of America

ELCA Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

ELS Evangelical Lutheran Synod

EP Exclusive Psalmody

EPC Evangelical Presbyterian Church

EPCA Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia

ERLC The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention

ERPC Evangelical Reformed Presbyterian Church

ESS: Eternal Subordination of the Son

ESV English Standard Version, Bible

ERQ Eglise Reformee du Quebec (Reformed Church of Quebec)

FACA The Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas

FCC Free Church of Scotland, Continuing

FCS Free Church of Scotland

FoG Form of Government

FotF/FOTF Focus on the Family

FPCNA Free Presbyterian Church of North America

FRCNA The Free Reformed Churches of North America

FV Federal Vision

GA general assembly (the highest court of presbyterian polity)

GPTS Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

GSB Geneva Study Bible

HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible

HNRC/HRC Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation/Heritage Reformed Congregation

HRC The Heritage Reformed Congregations

ICRC International Conference of Reformed Churches

IFB Independent Fundamental Baptist

HC head covering

IHOP International House of Prayer

IRBS Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies

KAPC The Free Reformed Churches of North America

KPCA The Korean Presbyterian Church in America

kirk Scot word for the church

KJV/KJB King James Version, Bible

KJO King James Only

KTS Knox Theological Seminary

LBCF/1689 LBC Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)

LCMS Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

LD Lord’s Day

LS Lordship Salvation

MDiv Master of Divinity Degree

MERF Middle East Reformed Fellowship

ML moral law

MLJ Martyn Lloyd Jones

MOS Mortification of Spin (podcast)

MT Majority Text

NAPARC North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council

NASB New American Standard Bible

NCT New Covenant Theology

NGSB New Geneva Study Bible

NIV New International Version, Bible

NKJV New King James Version, Bible

NLT New Living Translation, Bible

NPP New Perspective on Paul

NPW normative principle of worship

NRC Netherlands Reformed Congregations

NRSV New Revised Standard Version, Bible

OCRC Orthodox Christian Reformed Church

OPC Orthodox Presbyterian Church

OPCGA Orthodox Presbyterian Church General Assembly

Paedo paedobaptism (infant baptism)

PB Puritan Board or paedobaptism

PC presbycurious

PCA Presbyterian Church in America

PCAGA Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly

PCUSA Presbyterian Church USA

PSA Penal Substitutionary Atonement

PRCT Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology

PDM Psalms of David in Metre

PreMil Premillennialism

Presby Presbyterian

PresRC The Presbyterian Reformed Church

Presup presuppositional apologetics

PostMil Postmillennialism

PRC/PRCA Protestant Reformed Church in America

PRTS Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

PTL Praise the Lord

R2K Reformed two kingdoms or radical two kingdoms

RB Reformed Baptist

RCA Reformed Church in America

RCC Roman Catholic Church

RCJ Reformed Church in Japan

RCM Reformation Christian Ministries

RCUS Reformed Church in the United States

RE Ruling Elder

REC Reformed Episcopal Church

RES Reformed Episcopal Seminary

RPCA Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia

RPCGA Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly

RPCHP Reformed Presbyterian Church (Hanover Presbytery)

RPCNA Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America

RPCS Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland

RPCUS Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States

RPTS Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

RPW regulative principle of worship

RSC R. Scott Clark (for TG listeners)

RSV Revised Standard Version

RT Received Text

RTS Reformed Theological Seminary

RUF Reformed University Fellowship

SBC Southern Baptist Convention

SBFA Salvation by faith alone

SD Sabbath Day or Savoy Declaration

SDG Solo Deo Gloria

ST Systematic Theology

SWRB Still Water Revival Books

TE Teaching Elder

TEDS Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

TG Theology Gals

TGC The Gospel Coalition

TR Textus Receptus or Truly Reformed

TT TableTalk

TFoU Three Forms of Unity: Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dort

TULIP Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints. (The 5 Points of Calvinism)

URC/URCNA United Reformed Churches in North America

VT Van Til

WELS Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

WCF Westminster Confession of Faith

WHI White Horse Inn (radio show/podcast)

WLC Westminster Larger Catechism

WPCUS Westminster Presbyterian Church in the United States

WRF World Reformed Fellowship

WRS Western Reformed Seminary

WSC Westminster Shorter Catechism or Westminster Seminary, California

WTS Westminster Theological Seminary(PA) or Whitefield Theological Seminary or Western Theological Seminary

YRR Young, Restless and Reformed

*If I’ve missed something or need to make any corrections, you can either comment on this post or email me. Some things may be more specific to Theology Gals listeners than the Reformed community as a whole.