Pinnock: Abba

Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Meditation:
    For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
    —Romans 8:15-16 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Jesus used the term abba (which means father or “daddy” in his Aramaic mother tongue), as an address in his prayers to God. There are no other examples of this usage in contemporary Judaism, but Jesus always addressed God in this way. The others perhaps regarded it as child’s talk, a form of expression too disrespectful to be so used. But for Jesus, abba expressed the filial intimacy he felt toward his Father. As the divine Son of the Father, Jesus enjoyed a unique relationship with him, and his mission in the world consisted in opening up the blessings of sonship to those who believe.
    ... Clark H. Pinnock (1937-2010), Reason Enough, Exeter: Paternoster, 1980, p. 82 (see the book)
    See also Rom. 8:15-16; Matt. 5:48; 6:8-9; Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have made me Your son. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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