Calvin:

The doctrine of accommodation:

Doctrine of accommodation:

• Accommodate - make room for / provide a place for (may require adaption)

• The bible is expressed in a way that accommodates the limited understanding of humanity.

Calvin’s doctrine of accommodation:

• Aware of the limitations of human language

• God is above and beyond human expression

• God lowers himself

• Like a nurse making baby talk to a small child

• Can speak in a more sophisticated way but chooses not to, to accommodate the small child’s needs/understanding

• God accommodates us in the expression of the bible.

Calvin’s understanding of accommodation:

• Genesis 1:16 - God made two great lights x the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night

• Scripture is inerrant

• Yet there are greater lights than the moon / other lights in the sky

• Correct from the point of view of someone on earth

• Accommodating language to the ordinary person.

Contemporary understanding of accommodation:

• Bible writers made scientific/cultural/historical assumptions

• By today’s standards these are incorrect

• These errors do not detract from the theological message of the bible

• It is not about these assumptions

• God’s message accommodates human language and error.