Contributed by Richard Coords of examiningcalvinism.com
Revelation 13:8 (see also Matthew 25:34)
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
Calvinist, John MacArthur, comments: “Seven times in the New Testament, believers are identified as those whose names are written in the book of life (cf. 3:5; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Phil 4:3). The book of life belonging to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, is the registry in which God inscribed the names of those chosen for salvation before the foundation of the world. (This phrase is used as a synonym for eternity past in 17:8; Matt. 13:35; 25:34; Luke 11:50; Eph. 1:4; Heb. 9:26; 1 Pet. 1:20; cf. 2 Thess. 2:13; and 2 Tim. 1:9.) … Believers are doubly secure, because the book of life belongs to the Lamb who has been slain. Not only the decree of election, but also the atoning work of Christ seals the redemption of the elect forever.” (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11, p.50, emphasis mine)
Thus, the Calvinistic paraphrase of Revelation 13:8, and some other passages, is to change the word “from” to the word “before,” but clearly those carry two very distinct meanings. MacArthur similarly comments on Matthew 25:34:
“The Lord designed His kingdom from before the foundation of the world and He designed who would be in it from before the foundation of the world.” (Understanding Election, emphasis mine)
Another verse that demonstrates this point is Matthews 19:8: “He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.’” Evidently, “from” the beginning does not mean before the beginning, but from Genesis.
NOTICE: All statements where “before the foundation of the world” is used, is given with reference to Christ. (John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20)
All statements where “from the foundation of the world” is used, is given with reference to man, moving us from a point of reference forward. (Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:50; Revelation 13:8)
Question: What does “from the foundation of the world” mean, and what is the impact of adding “before” the foundation of the world?
Answer: Before the foundation of the world indicates before Genesis, whereas from the foundation of the world indicates from Genesis to present. Therefore, it is incorrect to equate “written from the foundation of the world” with “written [before] the foundation of the world.” Luke 11:49-51 states: “‘For this reason also the wisdom of God said, “I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.”’” If you similarly inserted “before” [Greek: pro] then you would have to conclude that the prophets were martyred before they were born. Therefore, it’s reasonable to conclude that the names that were written into the Lamb’s Book of Life (which are said to be “written from the foundation of the world”) were written as people became Christians.
John MacArthur, along with many other Calvinists, have altered the biblical text of “from the foundation of the world,” and made it “before the foundation of the world.” The King James Version reads: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
Question: Why does the Calvinistic leaning English Standard Version [ESV] translate Revelation 13:8 as “before” the foundation of the world, instead of “from” the foundation of the world?
Answer: Unknown. We have to suspect that the Calvinistic led committee felt it better supported their soteriological worldview to translated the greek word “apo” as “before” instead of as “from.”
The Greek word apo = since or from.
The Greek word pro = before.
The Greek word apo is used in Matthew 13:35, 25:34; Luke 11:50; Hebrews 4:3, 9:26; and Revelation 13:8, 17:8.
The Calvinist translation [ESV] seems to be erroneous at Revelation 13:8, as it mistranslated apo as “before.” What’s telling is that in the parallel verses of Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8 (in which apo is used in the same exact way), the ESV properly translates apo at Revelation 17:8 as “from,” but improperly translates apo at Revelation 13:8 as “before.”
Indeed, the “Lamb” is “before the foundation of the world” [as per 1st Peter 1:20], but at Revelation 13:8, “from the foundation of the world” is not modifying the Lamb, but modifying the writing of the names.
When used of time, apo can only mean “from” in the sense of “since”, i.e., the point identified is the beginning point of the period in view. <link>
Richard’s article clearly spells out the differences between Traditionalists and Calvinists, but I also wanted to draw our attention to the problem within the ranks of Calvinism. If you have studied anything about the lapsarian controversy you will recognize right away that interpreting the passages about the Lamb’s Book of Life as being completed BEFORE the foundation of the world would necessitate a high supralapsarian position, which has typically been rejected by mainstream Calvinists (see this LINK).
I would be interested to explore how a Calvinist who is not a supralapsarian would maintain their perspective of the Lamb’s Book of Life being completed by God unconditionally before the foundation of the world.
Great post! I think Psalms 69:28, with its use of the imperfect tense, shows there are two books of life… one physical and one spiritual, and that names are being written with the righteous at salvation (spiritual) and blotted out of the book of the living at death (physical).
I think there needs to be good discussion about how “blotted out” fits into the Calvinist view.
In Israel the Book of Life was a census book, that as a child was born, their name was written in the Book of Life. Everyone who was written in the book had the benefits, privileges, rights, etc.. of living in the Theocracy. They where citizens of the commonwealth of Israel. If they committed sin to the extent that their name was blotted out of the book, they were excommunicated and no longer had the rights, benefits, etc. of the Theocracy.
Today, when we come to believe in Jesus for our salvation, (this is a birth) our names are written in the Book of Life. We have become part of Spiritual Israel. (Eph2:12) and (Eph2:19) We now have the rights, privileges, etc… of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Theocracy of Christ. If we begin to sin against the Lord, our names can be blotted out. We die Spiritually, to the sweet fellowship of Jesus. This is all timely, in this life. That’s why our names were written in the Book of Life “from” the foundation of the world. I don’t mean this in an arrogant way when I say this, but most folks don’t understand this so they have to make it eternal and say it means “before” the foundation of the world. Hope this make sense. You guys have some good subjects. I am a Primitive Baptist and most don’t believe what I just wrote or maybe they’ve just never heard it before.
May God richly bless you all
Thanks for hanging in there Jerry.
The reason “most dont believe it” is cuz you need to come to the Scripture with the same presuppositions that you do. And “most’ dont do that.
Of course we all come with some presuppositions (and claim we have none!).
But from my point of view a LOT of what goes wrong is in the definitions (presuppositions) of certain words: sovereign, chosen, elect. If a person comes to the table with —let’s just call them Calvinist definitions— then they “find” Calvinism.
Sovereign: we have no scriptural or human (historical) reason to interpret that word the way Calvinists do (God always gets what He wants and all that happens is what God wants)…. but they do it anyway.
Chosen: Countless examples of someone who is “chosen” (for something, or for a while) is later unchosen (think: King Saul, 1 Samuel 13:13, “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.).
A Calvinist has to ask himself why there are any “would have” statements in the Bible…. and some are stated from the Lord.
Elect: See above.
Predestined: Why do we encounter verses…even large sections…like this:
Jeremiah 18 (where the Potter of Romans 9 comes from).
7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
I will stop here for now. I find it curious that Calvinists say “we need to take all of Scripture (meaning their main 40 verses).” But when they encounter hundreds and hundreds of scenarios, verses, stories, narratives like this, they say “it does not really mean what it says.”
I couldn’t care less about calvinism, I just believe the Bible. Though, I have learned, this means most people call me a Calvinist. So I will gladly discuss this. I see 2 possible interpretations and 1 impossible one. First would be the idea that there are more than one book. The book of life, would be just a list of living people and the Lambs book of life would be a list of saved people. Blotting a name out of the first, simply means killing them. The second would be it’s simply metaphor or hyperbole. “Don’t blot my name out” is akin to, “lead me not into temptation.” It’s not actually possible. We see this kind of language all over the Bible. When you ask God to not do something he has promised not to do, you’re not indicating he could do it, it’s just a poetic way of speaking. I think a combination of these 2 explain all the controversy. What I think is impossible is the view that the book of life always refers to saved people and that the request to not be blotted out, or asking God to blot out your enemies, therefore is proof that one can lose their salvation. The Bible has already told us we can not lose it. No one can pluck us out of the fathers hand. Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come… can separate us from God.
So you simply can’t throw away these clear passages of eternal security, and the dozens of others, to interpret a vague reference of a mysterious book to mean people can lose their salvation.
Mike
I couldn’t care less about calvinism, I just believe the Bible.
br.d
And Dr. Gordon Fee – would look at you and ask the question:
“What INFLUENCES your reading of the Bible?”
If you have been INFLUENCED to read the Bible according to Calvinism – reading Calvinistic presuppositions INTO THE TEXT – then to claim you don’t care less about Calvinism – is to lie to yourself.
Does the Bible teach you to lie to yourself?
I agree that there are two Books of Life. There’s the Book of Life from a Creation standpoint and the Book of Life from a Redemptive standpoint.
Brilliant! From the foundation is nit the same as before the foundation. Never noticed this before in the passages in the Apocalypse. Eye opening. Always wondered how people can be blotted out potentially from the Book of Life, if their names were written BEFORE the foundation of the earth….but since it means from or since the foundation it is happening all the time since then…names are being written. Apostates names being removed.
Great thing to point out for Christology. The passages concerning Christ in the epistles of St. Peter say before creation, as He is not circumscribed within creation. Subtle but very important biblical distinctions.
Eph 1:4. He chose us in him “before” the foundation of the world. I agree that even the smallest word matters, but this verse makes it clear that it happened before, so it might be helpful to understand before and from as interchangeable terms or you could just combine them. We were chosen before the foundations of the world and written down from the foundations of the world. I think the main point of these passages is that it happened a long time ago, according to God’s foreknowledge, it did not happen recently enough to be a consequence of anything we’ve done.
Mike
Eph 1:4. He chose us in him “before” the foundation of the world.
br.d
Mike – you’re weakness is – you have no idea how your mind has been influenced to read the text the way you do. You can’t see it any other way.
I invite you to check out Kevin Thompson’s youtube channel called “Beyond the Fundamentals”
Calvinism is a **MINORITY VIEW**
So there is definitely a different way to interpret the text!!!
The scripture says: “Come let us reason together”
If you don’t allow you mind to be reasonable – then you are not in a Biblical place.
Mike
it did not happen recently enough to be a consequence of anything we’ve done.
br.d
Mike – in Calvinism per its doctrine of decrees *NOTHING* is a consequence of anything we’ve done.
Per the doctrine 100% of **EVERYTHING** is a consequence of an infallible decree
John Calvin explains
-quote
The creatures…are so governed by the secret counsel of god, that ***NOTHING HAPPENS*** but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed. (Institutes, book 1, XVI)
This means – if a sinful evil impulse comes to pass within your brain – NO ALTERNATIVE impulse is possible – because **NOTHING HAPPENS** that is not knowingly and willingly decreed.
In Calvinism
1) Adam is in the garden – and an impulse to eat the fruit comes to pass within his brain
2) That impulse was granted existence by an infallible decree before Adam was created
3) No other impulse was granted existence – because NO ALTERNATIVE of that which is infallibly decreed is possible
Therefore the impulse in Adam’s brain could not BE OTHERWISE than what was infallibly decreed
In Calvinism – per the doctrine of decrees:
For every human event, and every human impulse – there is ever ONLY ONE SINGLE PREDESTINED RENDERED-CERTAIN option.
– The creature is granted NO CHOICE in the matter of what that option will be
– The creature is granted NO CHOICE in what his role in that option will be
– The creature is granted NO ABILITY to REFRAIN
No Option(S) + No ability to refrain = NO CHOICE.
Thus in Calvinism – humans are not granted the function of CHOICE on any matter.
Consequently – it is not humanly possible for a Calvinist to live *AS-IF* his doctrine is TRUE
He must live *AS-IF* his doctrine is FALSE
Living *AS-IF* one’s belief system is FALSE is a form of DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS
blessings
br.d
Mike,
Why do you put a period after the word “world”?
Mide said:
“Eph 1:4. He chose us in him “before” the foundation of the world. I agree that even the smallest word matters, but this verse makes it clear that it happened before, so it might be helpful to understand before and from as interchangeable terms or you could just combine them. We were chosen before the foundations of the world and written down from the foundations of the world. I think the main point of these passages is that it happened a long time ago, according to God’s foreknowledge, it did not happen recently enough to be a consequence of anything we’ve done.”
My response:
I’m not going to get into the “names written” portion of your comment, but I do wish to tackle your conclusions on Ephesians 1:4, with that little dot at the end of the word “world”. I wanted to this morning, but wasn’t in a position for time to do so this morning.
Let’s look at this a little deeper, shall we?
Ephesians 1:4-5
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
So, to start out…FORGET for a moment the word “us”, in both verses, and “we” in the 2nd verse.
You put a period after the word “world”, and in doing so, your conclusions are incorrect. That wasn’t the topic of verse 4 at all.
The way those verses should read is:
“Before the foundation of the world, God decided that followers of Jesus would be adopted as sons of God, being holy and blameless in love.”
So, NOW you can see where the word “US” belongs, which is “FOLLOWERS OF JESUS”. So, it isn’t “followers of Jesus” that was chosen before the foundation of the world. Where, you might ask?
Followers of Jesus = “us/we”.
That’s it. No one was ever chosen to be saved. Status was chosen/predestined of the saved.
But, since you THINK like a Calvinist, but could care less of a Calvinist…lololololol…you are funny!
Ed Chapman
I apologize Ed,
I wonder if I scared Mike away
If I had a dollar for every Calvinist – who tried to hide all of the Calvinist influences within his thinking.
Trying to CAMOUFLAGE those influences behind a smoke-screen of “I only know what I read in the bible”
I would be able to take myself out to a 5 star restaurant and celebrate Calvinist denial-ism! ;-D
Ya, the non-Calvinist Calvinist…they come and go, I’ve noticed.
In a Calvinist resturaunt, there is no need for a menu! The waitress will bring you whatever God determined you to have.
Ed Chapman
AH! That is funny!
And they go about their office *AS-IF* NOTHING is on the menu in any part! ;-D
This is, once again, an argument from desperation. Let’s accept your conclusion, for the sake of argument, that “from the foundation of the world” only refers to only those who are written in the Book of Life starting from Genesis. Your argument is destroyed by Ephesians 1:4 which clearly teaches that God’s elect was chosen BEFORE the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless.
In order for your argument to be valid, it MUST agree with ALL of Scripture. The fact is that God Himself has made it clear that He had a plan before we all existed to save a people for Himself. You are attempting to disprove this truth and your conclusions contradict other parts of Scripture which renders your position invalid.
“From the foundation of the world” refers to any point from eternity BEFORE Creation whenever it refers to the elect.
In order for a doctrine to be considered biblical, it must agree with ALL of Scripture!
Ephesians 1.4 is not a proof text for your argument. Specifically, according to the context of the letter in Ephesians, the writer is arguing that God’s plan BEFORE the foundation of the world, was IN HIM. It is not as Calvinism argues for the “elect”, but rather God’s plan was always to save a people for Himself “IN Christ”. Unless you remove the presupposition Calvinism brings to that text, ALL of scripture cannot support that refutation.
I’m sorry James, but you’re simply incorrect in your exegesis sir. The direct object of the action of choosing is the pronoun “us”; not “in Christ”. Ephesians 1:4 is crystal clear that God chose a people BEFORE creation to be holy and blameless before Him.
“an argument from desperation” – Why be inflammatory? You raise a good point, but prefacing it with a verbal slap doesn’t help your argument! However, I’d be very interested to hear others respond to this point.
Ev Thomas:
There will be a good response to the question raised, but as to why the verbal slap….
It has become obvious to many of us on this site that the YRR-determinist defenders feel that they are right and any discussion is an insult and heretical. There is no wiggle room or room for discussion.
It feels like it is the same aggressive attitude that allowed Calvin and his followers to dump dissenters in the raging rivers.
Truth is truth and it must be contended for but in love!
I have often be amused at the allegiance and reverence given to Calvin (Seminaries, Bible Schools, isms) when he clearly did not discussed doctrine “in love.”
In November 1552 the Geneva Council declared Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion to be a “holy doctrine which no man might speak against.” —–allowing numerous burnings at the stake, torture, and seizure of property. For speaking against Calvin’s ideas.
Sir I don’t consider myself a Calvinist and I’m scarcely familiar with his formal writings. So as I’ve requested on numerous occasions..please don’t categorize me as a Calvinist!
Eva Thomas writes, “Why be inflammatory?”
The statement is one of opinion sir. It’s my opinion that the argument made here is a theological stretch. We are all entitled to our opinions when responding to each otherwise positions.
But can’t we disagree, even dissent, or argue in a civil, respectful tone? I have been a Reformed believer for over 20 years. But more recently I’ve been revisiting some of my doctrinal positions. I really want to get it right! But when someone makes a good point, as you did, but wraps the point in a dismissive attitude, I’m tempted to dismiss the point. Is that what you want?
I am desperate that people understand the truth of God’s love for all people, so that may be the desperation you are reading into my posts, Troy.
Like the mistranslation of of the ESV in Rev of the word apo, you likewise mistranslate Ephesians 1, as it clearly says “He choses us IN HIM” (referring to the faithful in Christ from vs 1-2), not “us” (arbitrarily selected individuals for no apparent reason). Thank you for your comments.
Prof. Flowers my dear sir you are simply wrong. Ephesians 1:4 reveals that God has chosen a direct object (us) and that direct object is in Christ. Those whom God has chosen are chosen in Christ. But I’m sure you know this because the verse is very clear grammatically.
There again, Troy. “you are simply wrong”. Why not say, “I simply disagree, and here’s why…”? Can’t you see the difference that would make? You would be more credible if you adopted a gentler tone, brother.
Sir we are to contend for the faith by teaching what “thus saith the Lord”. To say someone is wrong is not harsh.
Well, ok then! 😉
I don’t think discussing points of doctrine is the same thing as “contending for the faith” as quoted in Jude. I would hope that fellow brethren in Christ would see these kinds of discussions as a way to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Php 1:27). We’re all trying to get it right and glorify God in the process, aren’t we?
Thank Ev Thomas for your comment brother. However, I find that those who are trying to push Traditionalism are teaching heresy (false doctrine) that is easily refuted when compared with all that God teaches in His Word. We’re not called to just exchange our different views concerning Scripture. We’re called to teach/preach truth and to contend for that truth. This means, at times, we must contend with the brethren who may be in error as well. But we must discuss issues with the mindset of wanting to teach the truth.
When is one mark in Christ? See verse 13.
Do you believe you were born already in Him or were you born under wrath?
When we’re physically born, from our finite perspective, we are numbered among the children of wrath. From God’s eternal perspective, any of the elect was always numbered among His elect. It’s not hard to grasp!
He makes a good point about verse 13, though. Looks like it says that we’re not sealed until after we’ve believed.
There comes a time when God effectuates His predetermined plan. We must actually believe in Christ at some point IN TIME as an evidence of what God has already predetermined to occur BEFORE TIME. But from God’s eternal perspective, the elect have always been in Christ. At some point in time the evidence of our election is seen in our conversion to Christ.
It’s not grasping it that is the problem. It’s finding that supported in the text that’s an issue. You were marked in Him when you heard the truth and believed. You weren’t chosen to be made into a faithful followers of Christ. The text says he chose “us” (the faithful in Christ vs 1-2) to be made holy. That is what the text says.
Clearly you disagree with my understanding of it but that is ok. You’re free to do so. 🙂
Prof. Flowers writes, “The text says he chose us (the faithful in Christ) to be made holy.”
Prof. Flowers you just conceded my point with this statement brother. You are now stating that God had, in fact, chosen “the faithful in Christ” BEFORE the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. “The faithful in Christ” are individuals! So those individuals who are faithful in Christ were chosen before Creation to be holy. You just unwittingly conceded the argument sir.
A great article Leighton! I do have a question in regard to being blotted out though. Wouldn’t it help the cause of those who believe you can lose your salvation? If it is the case that you are only written in when you believe and then can be blotted out?
My understanding would be that from the foundation of the world, or at the time of creating all people were written in (not before) as you do a great job of pointing out. Then when people are blotted out is when they reject the free offer of salvation. Which would be at the time God decides, because they have rejected the many many offers of eternal life. Thanks Brother, love your articles.
Troy, you can’t say the grammar is clear when you’ve taken a piece of the entire sentence from the text instead of parsing the entire sentence. Possibly your assessment is correct but the entire passage/thought/sentence is
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.1.3-6.NKJV
God chose what would happen, not who the chosen would become. God foreordained the promise, the end result of enduring till the end. He didn’t determine who that would be.
Ephesians 1:12-13 shows us that we get the promise of salvation after we first trust in Christ.
Heb 10:26-31 shows that someone who trusted in christ and returns willfully to their sin will face the wrath of God.
Thank you for your comment Morris. However, God’s message through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:4 is explicit if we go by the rules of language. God chooses people, not an outcome in the verse as He says, “just as He chose US..” The direct object of the action of God is “us”. God is choosing a people (the elect) for the purpose of being both holy and blameless before Him. Any other interpretation requires a twisting of the rules of both the Greek and English languages.
Troy,
If you start at 1:4 you’re not using the rules of language or proper hermeneutics. You also likely stop at verse 11.
How does one become elect? By first trusting the promise.
How does one stay elect? By obeying Christ.
Rom 11:22, 2 Thess 1:8, 2 Peter 2:20-22, John 14:15
Frankly I’d worry more about all the passages warning of believers getting to heaven and being turned away with, “I never knew you, you workers of iniquity.” over the 2.5 chapters that talk about the promise of those who remain in Christ.
How do we know?
1 John 2:3-5
Those in Christ obey Him.
Morris thank you for your comment sir! However, your explication is untenable sir since the verse is quite clear that the choice was made BEFORE the foundation of the world; meaning BEFORE mankind has the opportunity to trust in Christ.
Troy,
You’re still putting the cart before the horse. What was promised was he outcome.
Think of it this way, if you’re standing on the side walk and see someone drive by going over the speed limit, texting and eating a cheeseburger, you *know* that person is going to crash.
Your foreknowledge, did not make it happen. He chose his destiny, through His own freewill. That is what the word of God is telling us. Choose today whom you will serve. Sin leading to death, or obedience leading to eternal life.
The destination is what has been foreordained, not who will make that choice.
I’m sorry Morris but you’re explanation still is inaccurate because the outcome in Ephesians 1:4 is not what’s chosen, it’s the PEOPLE who are chosen to be holy and blameless. Allow the verse to speak for itself brother!
Troy,
Are you Holy and blameless? My guess is you believe the false imputed righteousness.
Paul was saying there the same thing Peter says here. That *we* have to do that part. It’s how atonement is conditional.
“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”” — 1Pe 1:15-16 NKJV
I can’t help you discern the truth though, as you want to believe God chose you before the foundation of the world. That’s pride. That gives those not chosen an excuse, contradicting what Paul said in Romans 1:20. All are without excuse. Supernatural election is a huge excuse. What makes you better than your neighbors that weren’t chosen before the foundation of the world?
Why hasn’t God given non calvinists who are Christians and love God, the grace to see the Bible the way you see it?
Hey Morris you’re response didn’t come thru brother.
Disregard that. I see it now
Hey Morris! Sorry for the delayed response brother. Although I’m still living in this fleshly body that still craves sin, God has given me a new nature that craves His will and His purpose and loves His laws. We, the elect, are new creatures in Christ and are supernaturally indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This makes us holy and blameless before Him. Remember Paul said, “…it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God…” -Galatians 2:20
Also consider this verse, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” -Philippians 2:13
Salvation is supernatural from beginning to end.
The magical imputed righteousness is even less in the scripture than tulip. Point to a scripture that you believe defends go and sin some more. The new testament is filled with command the believers must live holy and sinless of their own will.
Morris states, “The new testament is filled with command the believers must live holy and sinless of their own will.”
Morris your understanding of the Scriptures is inaccurate. We can NEVER live a sinless life sir!!
Why do calvinist always use a verse completely out of context? And I can’t believe I missed that the first comment. Phil 2:13 is meaningless without 2:12.
Paul tells believers to work out *their own* salvation with fear and trembling.
Godly sorrow brings a season of repentance which leads to salvation. 2 Co 7:9-11.
We are to perfect holiness in fear of God. 2 Cor 7:1
These are all conditions of salvation. Those who willfully sin under the blood will face the wrath of God. Heb 10:26-31
Those who sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Col 3:5-6,Eph5:1-7
You will reap what you sow. If you sin, you will reap destruction, if you sow from the spirit, you will reap eternal life. Gal 6:8.
This is why I said, you calvinist focus too much on the tree of election and not how one becomes elect. The forest of scripture is more important than the two and a half chapters of election.
I’m sorry Morris but divine election was made before any odedience to the Bible could be accomplished. I know this is a hard doctrine to accept because it goes against our flesh because we want some say-so in our eternal destiny. But the Scriptures are quite clear that God had a predetermined decree which includes His prerogative to choose a people for Himself before they’re even created.
Also, Morris there are no pre-conditions for salvation. I’m sensing that you believe that we’re saved by obeying the Bible and that’s a faith + works gospel. God MUST give us the faith to believe and then persevere to the end. Your sustained obedience is worthless!
Morris:
It is not worth going round and round on this.
Apparently “the Scriptures are quite clear that God had a predetermined decree…”
Some of us just dont see that clear tree in the forest of contrary scriptural evidence.
But anyway…according to this determinist idea….if you dont ever see it his way—-you were not predestined to do so!
Morris writes, “But anyway…according to this determinist idea….if you dont ever see it his way—-you were not predestined to do so!”
This is true!!
God dose call us to be holy and blameless, This verse is Not about salvation. Most fail at the calling……
The verse is about salvation because, in order to be holy and blameless, one must, by necessity, be saved.
Also, Curt we’re not “called” to be holy and blameless. The verse says, we were “chosen” to be holy and blameless.
Curt:
Yeah…like the Jews were chosen for holiness….see Deut 14:2
“For you are a holy people to YHWH your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth.”
How’d that work out?
They were chosen for holiness…but because of disobedience and lack of faith….. not so good.
Nah…. it’s not as clear in the Word as people make it out to be.
But….but ….if you COME to the Scripture with what it must say….you can make it say that.
We must remember that national Israel is a picture/shadow/type of the spiritual Israel or the elect. God is not referring to national Israel in Ephesians 1:4. He’s only referring to those chosen BEFORE Creation to be holy and blameless.
Troy says:
“God is not referring to national Israel in Ephesians 1:4. He’s only referring to those chosen BEFORE Creation to be holy and blameless.”
So when did The Sovereign Lord chose the nation Israel to be holy?
I realize that Israel is not the same as the church (although for Calvin it is)…. that is not my point.
My point is that the same God used the same word (chosen, elect) many, many more times for Israel….and “to be holy” also.
But they didnt. And that shows that “chosen” doesnt mean what you say….irresistibly, irrevocably, before time.
Even Jeremiah’s potter in chapter 18 (yes the same one that Calvinists love in Romans 9) says “well that lump of clay did not work so I will choose another…”
So….the church was ‘chosen’ before creation…..and when was Israel ‘chosen’ to be holy?
God tells real people….a real nation…. children of Abraham that they were chosen to be holy. You can say they were a ‘type’ all you want…. but they still did not do what He wanted.
FOH Ephesians 1:4 separates national Israel from Spiritual Israel by the phrase “in Christ”. National Israel was never elected unto salvation sir. Only those physical Jews who believe in Christ are saved or “chosen to be holy and blameless”.
Of course Troy!
I am sure we all agree that only those “in Christ” are saved (like only those in their house—who had applied the blood in faith—- were saved from the angel of death at Passover).
Again…that is not related to my point.
My point is that the same God used the same word (“chosen”) in His Word many more times in the OT. He chose the real nation of Israel, seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be holy. Chosen to be holy….. He says it more times there then about the church later.
The point is that The Sovereign Lord chose the nation Israel to be holy….. and they weren’t. They resisted. His choosing was resistible.
To extrapolate the idea of “chosen” as you define it (irrevocably, irresistibly) before creation from that verse is eisegesis (reading into the text) not exegesis.
So you are saying that Israel was not chosen to be holy before creation? Then when? And why did they not do it?
If everything that God chose went as He planned….then Israel (the nation) would have been holy and the light of the nations they were chosen to be.
Are you saying that all the many, many OT verses where The Sovereign Lord says He chose the people of Israel to be holy were not real verses? Not important verses? Or just have to be interpreted through a presupposed way?
FOH the “chosen” in Ephesians is unto salvation sir. Also the references to “chosen” in the OT is looking forward to those who would be chosen in Christ.
Let the record state:
You believe that all of the words in the OT (and there are hundreds of verses) that speak of being chosen to be holy do NOT refer to a literal people of Israel. No intention on God’s part to choose the people of Israel—they were just an “image” of what it would mean to be chosen as the church.
I believe that the OT states hundreds of times that Israel was chosen by God to be holy. That was His desire. He says it over and over.
They did not do what He wanted. This is God illustrating His way, in His Word, that:
1. He does not always get what He wants.
2. The word chosen does not mean irresistible.
3. Non-chosen people can become chosen by faith (Rahab, Ruth, many others)
My friend you’re misrepresenting me. God did choose national Israel to be holy (separate/set apart from the other nations). However, the choice to separate them from the other nations is not the same choice of separating the elect from the the non-elect and making them “blameless”. You’re comparing apples with oranges sir!
My error. Don’t want to misrepresent you.
Answering these questions will clear things up.
Did God choose Israel?
When?
For what? To be holy? To be set apart?
Did they do what He chose them for?
Or did they resist His call/ His will/ His plan?
Was His plan to “look like” He call them (on paper in hundreds of verses) only to really want that they sacrifice their children to idols?
Either they resisted His will…….
or
They fulfilled His will (which was to appear like He was calling them, only to really want them to disobey and murder children)
God chose national Israel FROM amongst all the nations on earth to be His people on earth. National Israel repeatedly disobeyed God and was thus punished numerous times for their disobedience. EVERY MAN RESISTS THE WILL OF GOD BEFORE SALVATION! Post salvation, the true believer is made a new creature that loves and obeys (howbeit not perfectly) the will of God. National Israel had very few believers, thus, as a nation, they were wicked and rebellious!
The doctrine of Irresistible Grace doesn’t meant that man can’t or doesn’t resist God’s will because they always resist His Will. The doctrine of Irresistible Grace means that the natural man lacks the ability to resist God’s power to save him when God chooses to save him.
The error that most people make is that they conflate man’s intention/ability to resist God’s revealed will vs God’s intention/ability to save His people. The irresistibility is found in man’s SPIRITUAL INABILITY to resist God’s Spirit in saving him.
Okay, this is getting confusing. And I noticed you didnt answer my simple questions.
When God says He is choosing something it only means “irresistibly” when it has to do with salvation? And this is because…. humm… you say so?
The Sovereign Lord wills/ chooses/ plans/ desires lots of things in the Bible (hundreds and hundreds of verses in dozens of books and even types of writing: narrative, history, poetry, proverbs, epistles) ….that do not go the way He wants. Apparently from Scripture (all of Scripture) we see that He (sovereignly) chose to make his will resistible.
Why is this one idea an exception?
God called Abraham. But it says that when / because he believed it was imputed to him as righteousness (no imputing of faith… just righteousness after faith). Gen 15:6, then Rom 4:3 and Gal 3:6 all state this important idea. Of course whole chapters (Heb 11) are dedicated to naming people and saying they are commended for their faith. It aint me makin’ this stuff up!
The “man must be infused with faith” idea is simply brought to the Bible and made to fit. I know, I did it too when a young YRR.
My Calvinist friends say the my version of faith is a work….but I think Paul pretty much takes care of that in the whole of Romans 4 when he goes out of his way to make sure that we understand that faith is not a work. Works does nothing. But faith in Christ does.
Troy…
You said:
“EVERY MAN RESISTS THE WILL OF GOD BEFORE SALVATION! Post salvation, the true believer is made a new creature that loves and obeys (howbeit not perfectly)”
Couple questions:
1. Did Abraham resist God’s will? The order that Genesis (then Paul in Romans and Galatians) gives says that he believed the Lord and THEN the credited him with righteousness. Not given faith/life first. How does your order work? In all the hundreds of places that talk of people’s faith (even giving their names) where does say —even one time— that God gave them that faith?
2. So man does resist the will of God before salvation? So we can resist God’s will? I mean that means He does not get what He wants (wills) sometimes right?
3. You are staying that we love and obey afterward since we are redeemed, given the Holy Spirit, irresistibly drawn, made alive, buried with Christ, and “dead to sin.” Why does that “dead” (dead to sin) mean we can still sin (and must sin, as I heard you say to Morris) when the “dead men don’t make choices” is so dead that we cannot hear God?
Why is one “incapable dead” and the other is “capable dead”?
Troy….you said this….
“The doctrine of Irresistible Grace doesn’t meant that man can’t or doesn’t resist God’s will because they always resist His Will.”
I’m just a bit puzzled by that since there are so many passages of Scripture that seem to contradict that idea.
Luke 1:5 “…a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.”
Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.”
Many such examples in Scripture….of …. not-“dead” people.
You see it just doesnt sound like people are a “always resisting” as you say. I mean they dont sound “dead” in the way determinists talk about it. Honestly, it looks like the Scripture is making them sound like righteous, blameless folks.
I would agree that they can’t know God (be saved) without Christ….but it does not sound like the are “always resisting the will of God” as you say.
The vessels chosen for salvation are those that purify themselves.
2 co 7:1
1 Peter 1:14-15
2 Tim 2:21
Who cleanses the vessel, God chooses? You do. You have to choose to listen to the holy spirit and purge sin from your life.
As Jesus warns,
“many are called but few will be chosen.”
Jesus sent the call to the whole world, even of those who choose to follow him and come to the wedding feast, of those few will be chosen. How are they chosen? Because they came dressed in their righteousness, not believing the gnostic lie that God will clothe them. In fact Jesus says this. The man put out from the party was shocked that he was dressed incorrectly.
We so see this in Luke 13:23. Jesus is asked if many will be saved. His answer is that few will, and it depends on *our* actions in faithful obedience.
This is very dangerous Morris!!
Troy,
It’s very dangerous as believers can fall away and lose the promise of Salvation. it’s why there are over 80 warnings of that in the Bible.
Many of them from Jesus Christ Himself. That only those that obediently pursue Christ, will be saved at the end. It’s why He says, “those who endure till the end” will be saved.
Those who get to the judgement throne, and are found wanting will be cast out. (John 15:6)
Those who don’t remain in the goodness of Christ will be cut off (Rom 11:22)
Those who defile the Temple of God will be destroyed (1 Co 3:17)
Those who keep sinning will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Co 6:9-10, Ga 5:19-21)
Those who sin _after_ being free from sin by the blood of Christ will be worse off. (Heb 10:26-31, 2 Peter 2:20-22)
Those who come to the narrow gate, after bearing their cross daily, and get to the gate, and knock on it can still be turned away with, “I never knew you.”
What defines knowing Christ? Those who obey His commandments (John 14:15)
Those who do not sin (1 John 3:4-10) those who sin are of the Devil, and Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil (which even means those who profess belief in Christ, yet keep sinning.
This is why the Bible is also filled with the phrase, “DO NOT BE DECEIVED.”
If you had the “P” from TULIP, or the ES, or OSAS were true, why would there be SO MANY warnings of self deception leading to soul death?
It’s a choice to be obedient, just as Joshua laid out – Joshua 24:14-15.
Paul lays out the very same choice in Romans 6:15-18
“present yourselves slaves to obey WHETHER (our choice) of sin leading to death.”(He’s telling this to believers, that the wages of their sin is still death) or obedience leading to righteousness.
“But God be thanked, though you WERE (past state for the Roman believers) slaves of sin, you OBEYED from the heart the doctrine that delivered you.”
Having been _set free from sin_ you became *SLAVES* of righteousness.
Those that do not present themselves as slaves to righteousness will face the wrath of God with the other sons of disobedience.
[Eph 5:3-7 NKJV] 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
This is why Paul also warns here again, “DO NOT be partakers with them.”
If you as a believer couldn’t lose your inheritance, or will not face the wrath of God, no matter what, why would he have such a stern warning to believers?
There are over EIGHTY of these types of passages warning _believers_ that falling away can lead to not only punishment here, but punishment in the afterlife. The letter of Ephesus was written to Believers, as you yourself acknowledge as a Calvinist. Their election however is determined by their obedience.
Troy on,, exactly correct. It plainly speaks of books and the the Lambs Book Of Life!!
See numerous instances of
Calvinists “forgetting” to put in that “in Him” part of Eph 1:4. Paul says that He chose us, that is, those who have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. The “in him” is meant to communicate God’s choice of the sphere of blessing and those who would be blessed–saints, faithful in Christ, Paul. That Calvinists sometimes forget the “in Him” indicates they already know that and would have preferred Paul leave “in Him” out in order to give them the singular verse that proves Divine determinism.
Think of it this way: America’s founding fathers determined over 240 years ago that we Americans should be blessed with the Constitution. They provided that Constitution for every single individual American citizen. I am an American citizen. I am blessed with the Constitution. They chose to bless me as an American, but I am certain they did not know me personally. The only individual in scripture to have been known before the foundation of the world is Christ because, of course, He existed before the foundation of the world. You did not. All others were known when they came to know God–Gal 4:9 is a clear contradiction of before-the-foundation-of-the-world Calvinism–“But NOW that you HAVE COME to know God, or rather TO BE KNOWN by God.”
“Whoever shall now contend that it is unjust to put heretics and blasphemers to death, knowingly and willingly incur their guilt. It is not human authority that speaks, it is God who speaks and prescribes a perpetual rule for His Church.”…..
John Calvin
As I mentioned, I’ve been in the Reformed camp for over twenty years. But in my youth I was raised in the Brethren church, which is rooted in the Anabaptist/Arminian tradition. Lately I’ve been reading about the original Brethren in Europe and the incredible persecution they experienced at the hands of not only the Roman church, but also the Lutheran and the Calvinists! These poor Anabaptists just wanted to serve God peacefully and not cause trouble for anyone, but the rest of “Christendom” wouldn’t leave them alone!
Don’t allow emotionalism to cloud your capacity to reason out the Scriptures. Truth is not determined by those who commit wicked acts in the name of Christianity. Remember that God has given His truth to fallible and wicked mankind. Let’s keep this in mind when contemplating the history of the Church.
Agreed. We are to interpret scripture in light of other scripture. However, holding forth a doctrinal system as THE truth, when it’s clearly debatable, can lead to sinful behavior towards others with whom we disagree. And in light of your comment above characterizing Traditionalism as heresy, it seems that their view was that persecuting the “heretics” was righteous, as they were “contending for the faith”. So, emotionalism isn’t clouding my judgment on this point. It’s scripture: “Beware of false prophets, …..Ye shall know them by their fruits……every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” (Mat 7:15-17) So, it’s been interesting to me that as I’ve been recently examining my long held doctrinal views, I’ve watched and listened to several debates between Calvinist/Reformed believers and Traditionalist/Arminian. In fact, that’s how I learned about Dr. Flowers, as he was a guest debater on a podcast. It often strikes me that the Calvinist/Reformed debater comes off as arrogant and rude, with a lot of “mic drop” moments, while the Traditionalist continues to appeal to scripture without mockery or belittling. But I understand better now that some, such as yourself, consider the Traditional view as heresy, so they may feel justified in their attitudes. However, I don’t believe for a minute that all, or even most, Reformed believers consider their fellow brethren as heretics on this or other points of disagreement.
EvT
I have appreciated seeing your new interjections into this site.
I also appreciate your admonitions to young Troy from your own reformed perspective.
My testimony is easily found in these pages. I rode the (early) wave of YRR (before it was called that, and before it was all the fashion) in the late 70’s. Most of my Bible School and Seminary buddies are newly-reformed (or were) like I was. We were not from the Dutch/ Lutheran reformed background but the ones coming in via VanTil, Pink, Boettner, Packer (books) and now web sites Piper, Sproul etc.
But….somewhat like you perhaps I began not so much to reevaluate….but just consume Scripture (large chunks a day). There was way too much in there that I had to discount, reinterpret, dismiss, slide over, ignore, whatever….every day (and I mean every day) for me to stay in the determinist-fatalist camp of Calvin. It seemed to me from Scripture that God gave man some responsibility and freedom and that his choices made some difference (“Choose for yourselves this day”…etc).
I confessed my arrogance (how many times I had aggressively said “So Bob (insert any name) you have a man-made gospel!” “So you are giving glory to yourself and not to God!”)—-for chucking such belittling phrases at people who were honestly engaging with Scripture, and asked the Lord to let His word speak to me.
It was a delight this morning to find my wife on the patio very excited to share what she had just read in Galatians about the value of the sacrifice of Christ!! So many treasures in God’s Word helping us make correct decisions throughout the day!
Thanks for your input. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!
The problem is that too many people are trying to prove something (i.e. isms) instead of just being faithful to ALL that the Scriptures teach.
But, Troy, I still think you’re mistaken to think that a historic debate around the topic of free will rises to the level of heresy that needs to be repented. My grandfather, a couple of uncles, and my cousin are all Brethren pastors, which puts them solidly in the Wesleyan Arminian stream. They are all some of the most exemplary Christians I have ever known. I will not accept the label of “heretic” for them. Until recently I served as a Southern Baptist minister of music, where I met pastors and others from both Reformed and Traditional persuasions. Didn’t spot a single heretic!
Ev Thomas when I refer to someone as a heretic, I’m using the term it’s strictest sense as one who is teaching false doctrine or a lie. Anyone who deviates from the truth of the Bible and teaches false doctrine is practicing heresy. This is why we must study to show ourselves approved so that as we reprove false teachers, we do it with a firm grasp of the truth. This has nothing to do with Calvinism vs Arminianism vs Traditionalism. This is a matter of knowing and teaching truth.
Ev T
Get ready for the new normal for the young YRRs.
“Truth is truth” and must be defended. No discussion about spiritual gifts, end times (a-, post-, pre-), church government, soteriology, women in ministry (or women even talking or uncovered—or with braided hair for that matter!), deacons-elders-pastors-bishops, types of baptism (sprinkle, immerse), age of baptism (infant, believer), dispensations or covenants, etc.
The prepositional phrase ἐν αὐτῷ is a preposition of place. It modifies the object. so the object is not “us”, but “us-in-him”. Only Christ exists from the foundation of the world. He chose us-in-him, which can’t be the uncreated elect, as v. 13 shows.
That is not accurate. In the Greek the direct object is still “us”. The “us” are elected “in Christ”. Even what you said still shows that “us” is apart of “”in Christ”. God BEFORE Creation chose a people for Himself to be holy and blameless. The language in the Greek is quite clear sir.
That’s interesting. I don’t know anything about Greek grammar. The best I can do with Greek is to look it up in Strong’s!
In response to the original post, I got an ESV Bible from the first run many years ago. It was, and is, the translation of choice in my church. However, I was raised with KJV, so I notice when a verse is translated in newer translations in such a way as to change the meaning, however slightly. I’ve noticed several passages in the ESV that seem to have been translated with a Reformed bias. I realize the translators have other manuscripts to compare that weren’t available in 1611, but it strikes me as kind of odd that this translation leans so much more toward the Calvinist side than other translations. Up to now I’ve believed that they were arriving at their conclusions honestly. However the choice of “before” in the passage cited from Rev 13:8 seems downright dishonest.
First of all EV needs to be commended for the spirit and content of his comments. It is never a bad thing to carefully reevaluate one’s beliefs. It is nice to see you commenting here. On the flip side I want to respond to Troy. Normally I ignore his comments as they appear to be coming from a calvinist pit bull with extreme attitudes: attitudes that are both wrong and divisive. Troy says he is operating by the strictest definition of “heresy” (i.e. any error or deviation from the truth is heresy). I used to work counter cult ministry with Walter Martin. That is not the way we used the term heresy or heretic. For us the term was used for those denying essential doctrines (e.g. denying the resurrection of Jesus, denying that Jesus is God/Arians/modern Jehovah’s Witnesses; denying salvation through faith alone. denying the trinity, claiming there are multiple gods/Mormons). A heretic then, a false teacher is someone who denies essential doctrines. That means Christians who disagree with us on things are neither Heretics nor espousing heresy. It is better to say they are teaching things that are mistakes or false ideas.
Troy says a heretic is someone who is teaching false doctrine or a lie. Christians who disagree with us are not lying. Lying occurs when you know something to be false and yet present it as being true. Christians who disagree with us are not espousing something they know to be false: instead, while they may be mistaken they are espousing something they really believe to be true.
Another problem with Troy is that Heretic or heresy are inflammatory words when used incorrectly. Here is an example to make this point. When it comes to the millennium some hold to amillenialism, some hold to premill, some hold to postmil. Say that I hold to premill, should I then be declaring amills and postmills to be Heretics who are espousing heresy? Or should I say that while I believe in premill as the best interpretation, the others are mistaken in their views?
In scripture we are to separate ourselves from Heretics and those espousing heresy. Should we separate from all christians who disagree with us and declare them all to be Heretics espousing heresy? How divisive would this be? Troy is completely out of touch as to how the term Heretic and heresy are used in scripture: so his pronouncements should be ignored. There is no justification for his views and use of the terms Heretic or heresy, especially if we really base our views on scripture rather than on our desire to label and attack others who are believers who disagree with us.
Hello Robert and I appreciate your candor brother. However, we will respectfully agree to disagree on our positions of heresy. If you would recall my exact verbage Robert, I defined heresy, in its STRICTEST SENSE, as referring to ANY doctrine that contradicts the truth of Scripture. You have provided a definition of heresy that has evolved over time that exposes false religions/sects as their teachings relate to the truth of the Bible. But heresy is ANY false doctrine that contradicts Holy Writ.
One of the main issues in the modern Church today is that we’ve all become “inclusivists”; that is to say that we’re all accepting of each other’s views at the expense of teaching/preaching what “thus saith the Lord”. We are not studying the Scriptures with the attitude of “I’m going to believe it because it’s what the Bible teaches”. Instead, we have teachers/leaders who are only trying to force the Bible to agree with their presuppositions. These same teachers/leaders are interpreting Scripture as it appeals and soothes their flesh. The Bible was written to reveal God’s sovereign will/plan/purpose and we, as true believers, are called to adhere to His revealed purpose, NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT INJURES OUR FLESH.
ANY teacher who is teaching ANYTHING contrary to the Word of God is teaching a heresy. This does NOT mean that he/she is a “heretic” in the sense that they’ve abandoned the Faith. But we MUST be EXTREMELY careful of what we speak as truth because when we speak we’re, in essence, speaking “THUS SAITH THE LORD”.
It’s your prerogative Robert if you choose to ignore my comments, but that will not deter me from contending for truth, whether I’m contending with a brother/sister or an unbeliever. Remember that we’re all fallible (including believers). I don’t claim to be the one believer who understands ALL of Scripture, but I’ve been a student of the Word for over 26 years and I’m quite familiar with all the “isms” and cults and I’ve come to realize that truth is truth, no matter with whom you’re contending.
Troy have you considered the fact that no one else here agrees with your usage of the terms “Heretic” and “heresy”? No one agrees with you because you are wrong about this. You tried to dismiss my usage of the terms by claiming I am merely espousing evolved views. Also not true, I am using the terms according to their NT usage. In the NT a heretic is someone who espouses heresy. Or conversely, someone who espouses heresy is a heretic. In the NT you will not find any instance of a believer teaching heresy and called out as someone who is doing so. As I already said your usage of the terms is unnecessarily inflammatory, and you know it. I think you enjoy labeling other believers who disagree with you as engaiging in heresy. That is extremely sad and speaks about your character in a very negative way. You can say that in your view other believers are mistaken, but you are dead wrong if you claim they are engaging in heresy. I may be speaking to deaf ears here, as you do not seem to be open to the fact that you are in error regardig your use of heresy and heretic.
A late friend of mine was a calvinist apologist named Greg Bahnsen. I disagreed with his calvinism, you would agree with his calvinism. I also disagreed on his theonomy and postmill views. I am guessing that you hold neither postmill nor are you a theonomist. By your wayward reasoning, you would cosider Bahnsen to be espousing heresy regarding his post mill view and views on theonomy. I would say he is mistaken in these things. Bahnsen and I could have good discusions on things without neither claming the other way engaging in heresy. You on the other hand would not have good discussions with him as he would challenge your views on heresy and heretic. Bahnsen was a brilliant guy who was a delight to discuss things with. You on the other hand, intentionally use the term heresy in a divisive and inflammatory way.
Robert I can appreciate your perspective brother. However, we will agree to disagree.
For the record Robert, your use of such phrases as, “By your wayward reasoning..” are very inflammatory and divisive, which makes you guilty of your own accusations. Do have a blessed evening brother.
Robert also writes, “Normally I ignore his comments as they appear to be coming from a calvinist pit bull with extreme attitudes: attitudes that are both wrong and divisive.“
So Brother Robert is referring to me as a “calvinist pit bull” not divisive sir??
I’m just fascinated by this whole line of reasoning! I’m positive that Dr. Flowers and some of the commenters in this thread believe you to be ignoring major scriptural points. One of these brothers even pointed out your misunderstanding of a passage based on his knowledge of Greek grammar. Not one of them has called your doctrine heresy or labeled you a heretic!
My dear brother we must never shy away from correcting our brothers/sisters on doctrinal errors and point out areas where they have erred. We are talking about The Word of God; not just some other subject where we exchange philosophical ideas. We must be diligent in our studies and seek to teach truth; not points of view or conjecture.
I have no objection to us debating what we perceive to be error. I’m simply appealing to you to stop using the term “heresy”. It’s inflammatory and doesn’t help your case. It would also be helpful for you to adopt a more humble approach in general, since we are all fallible and subject to error. What if you’re the one that’s in error? That’s why it’s healthy to have these discussions, so we can get to the truth. But it stops the process when you label someone’s opinion “heresy” and call them to repent.
Good morning Ev Thomas and thank you for your comment. I have been corrected on many occasions throughout my Christian pilgrimage and it’s because of my hunger for truth that I’m willing to be corrected.
There’s is nothing wrong with using strong language (i.e. heresy) nor admonishing a brother to repent of heresy as long as I’m not doing it angrily, hatefully, etc. When speaking to others that claim to be followers of Christ, it’s ok to admonish them to repent of a false doctrine, as long as it’s done respectfully and lovingly. In fact, we demonstrate our love for fellow believers when we correct/rebuke them in love.
I’m not going to comment further on this. We’ve spent more time in this thread discussing Troy than we have discussing scripture. I’m sorry about that.
Amen brother!
Troy it may be helpful for you to know that when I used the term “calvinistic” before the term “pit bull”, it does not apply to merely calvinists such as your self. I have also encountered on the internet: Arminian pit bulls, Catholic pit bulls, etc. etc. I am speaking of a certain type of mentality. Such persons are usually very agressive, very persistent in presenting their views and attacking others views relentlessly (the way a pit bull is aggressive and when they bite they will hang on no matter what). Phillip Johnson a prominent calvinist, right hand man of John MacArthur who has edited most of his books speaks of “cage style calvinists” His term is similar to mine. If anyone “is” divisive it is these folks. Unfortunately they are often found on website discussons like this one. Contrast EV’s postings here. EV is a calvinist but he manifests a good spirit. He is the kind of calvinist you **can** have civil and good discussions with. Unfortunately calvinists do not have a monoply on being pit bulls in their manner of speaking with others with whom they disagree.
Robert you have never met me brother. So for you to label me as such is unwarranted and unfair and is inflammatory. I don’t consider myself a pitbull and speak very softly and am quite reasonable when speaking with both believers and unbelievers alike. It’s very unfortunate sir that you slap labels on people that you have yet to meet.
Reply to Troy.
Regarding Eph 1:3-4, God did not choose the *identity* of the faithful in Christ. Rather, God pretemporally chose for “the faithful in Christ” [“us who believe” per v.19] to be made holy and blameless, which is God’s spiritual blessing particular to believers, as a factor of “every” spiritual blessing being only for believers. [v.3] In other words, God is not choosing who will be believers. Rather, He chose that believers will inherit certain predestined spiritual blessings. In your argumentation, if God chose blessings for the faithful in Christ, then He necessarily chose the faithful themselves. Since your logic is plainly non-sequitur, your conclusion cannot be trusted.
Troy wrote: “Ephesians 1:4 is crystal clear that God chose a people BEFORE creation to be holy and blameless before Him.”
Plainly wrong, and your comment that the elect were eternally in Christ is equally wrong, since the Bible mentions some people being “in Christ” before others. Romans 16:7 states: “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” So you will say, “Well, that’s just the human perspective.” By creating contrasting senses out of thin air, you are creating a false dichotomy. The problem for you is a combination of poor reading comprehension skills and Confirmation Bias. The first thing that you need to realize is that v.4 begins with “just as.” That is critical, but you will see it as superficial, which again I would attribute to poor reading comprehension skills on your part. The function of “just as” at v.4 implies a vital connection between v.3 and v.4. If you don’t see that, then what follows will not make any sense to you. The point of v.3 is that every spiritual blessing is unique to believers, and “just as” at v.4 illuminates just such a spiritual blessing, which is that believers are uniquely predestined by God to be made holy and blameless before Him. Again, by employing sound reading comprehension skills, v.3 is about the spiritual blessings particular to believers, and what follows in v.4 is an *example* of exactly that, which is certain a spiritual blessing unique to believers, and then vv.5-6 is another example of a spiritual blessing that is unique to only believers, which is that God has predestined that believers will be adopted as sons. Additional examples of v.3 are that the spiritual blessing of redemption is unique to believers (v.7), and an inheritance is unique to believers (v.11) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is unique to believers. (v.13) However, in your logic, if you are consistent, then you would have “elect-unbelievers” as the place for all spiritual blessings (v.3), “just as” the elect alone are chosen to believe (v.4). Of course, that isn’t at all what vv.3-4 are saying, but you will have to conclude those things in order to remain consistent, but at this point, I suspect that this is all way over your head, so I’ll stop here.
Thank you Richard for your perspective brother. However, I stand by my original statement that Ephesians 1:4 is very clear in its purpose and language as it states, “just as He chose US in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that WE would be holy and blameless before Him…” -Ephesians 1:4
There have been countless attempts to explain away the plain meaning of this text. However, God has made this verse so clear that any attempts to explain away its meaning has been an exercise in futility.
When we look at the verse we draw the following conclusions:
1) God chooses a people for Himself
2) He chooses them BEFORE Creation
3) Christ is the means by which they’re saved as denoted by the phrase “in Christ”
4) The purpose for God’s choosing them is so that they would be holy and blameless before Him
Hi Troy, I have to disagree you brother. I believe the word “Chosen” is the proper English word of the underlying Greek for the following reasons.
To pick up on the word “chosen” which might be a boring grammar lesson, but I have found to be significant. Every word in the bible is significant “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4
Why use the word “chosen” and not ‘chose’? In English the word ‘choose’ is an irregular verb, with ‘chose’ as the past form and “chosen” as the past participle form; The ‘past participle’ form can be explained as something that started in the past but continues until now; The ‘past participle’ is used with the auxiliary has, have, had or “hath” to express the perfect aspect; In English grammar defining the ‘perfect aspect’ is a verb construction that describes events occurring in the past but linked to a later time, usually the present; Therefore to say that God’s ‘choosing’ was in a final sense (past form) before the foundation of the world and had nothing to do with God’s plan of salvation in the present is absolutely false. God choosing “the faithful in Jesus Christ” (the plural church) “in him” before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before him in love, has everything to do with what he is doing in the present (past participle), which is saving individuals by grace through faith, which was given “in Christ” in the past and continues into the present -“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:22.
Therefore, the word “chosen” is always linked to an event in a later time. Whereas “chose” can also mean this, but not always. The Greek word underlying the English is “eklegomai”. Strong’s Concordance describes the word meaning like this – “to pick out, select,” means, in the middle voice, to choose for oneself,” not necessarily implying the rejection of what is not chosen, but “choosing” with the subsidiary ideas of kindness or favor and love” – Strong’s Concordance.
Therefore I believe God in his omniscience has chosen (past participle) all who believe the gospel and are saved – to be glorified. Simple and proper hermeneutics in grammar settles it in my opinion.
Thank you Richard. This is how I understand Eph 1:3,4 as well. We were not chosen apart from Christ, but only in Christ. One of the many dangers I find with Calvinism is that in placing a certain ‘elect’ group of people as predetermined to be given salvation as given priority, it is no longer Christ who is the chosen, the elect as described in Isaiah 42, it is that group of people. It is that group of people who then become the beloved of God, and Christ merely becomes the vehicle through which Gods will to save the ‘elect’ is accomplished.
Our identity, contrary to how I understand Calvinism, is not of those chosen by God who out of necessity had to be redeemed by Christ, but chosen by God through, and only through Christ, for He is the chosen one. We were not adopted children who had to be washed before being presented to our Father, we were enemies of God, washed by the blood of Christ, who is the firstborn Son of God, in whom we are then presented to the Father for adoption.
I realize this is an old post, but I comment again for a particular reason
Blessings Richard.
I am about to do what I said I would not do. That is not post here anymore. Well a change of mind I guess. Just a short post to bring some understanding to what Troy is trying to say about Ephesians 1:4 and how you are incorrect respectfully about Romans 16:7.
Ephesians 1:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
It is obviously and most definitely speaking of those “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.” “Before the foundation of the world” means before the the “creation of the world” Or “before time began” or “from all eternity.” It does not refer to the blessings being chosen, “being holy and blameless in love in Him before the foundation of the World” It emphatically says, “He chose US IN HIM” before the “Foundation of the World” (before the creation of the world, before time began, from all eternity) that we should be holy and blameless in love depending on where you want to put the comma before or after the word love.
Now I know Mr. Brian Wagner said their “could not have been anyone elected IN CHRIST” because no one existed in eternity. That is human beings. Brian has a very recent, odd and ambiguous understanding on Ephesians 1:4 and I think Dr. Flowers understanding of verse 4 is close to his that it is referring to the blessings of “holy and blameless” and not the “CHOSE US IN HIM” before the foundation of the world.
Brian does not believe God has infinite and exhaustive knowledge. As far as I know Dr, Flowers does. I have shown Brian before where he is completely wrong on this issue but he will not budge on his Open Theism. He does believe God has infinite Understanding which he has no choice since the Book of Psalms spells it out in no uncertain terms.
I do know a God who “who calls those things that be not as though they are” and they manifest during God’s time table.
Romans 4:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
I know a God who knew a prophet before he was in his mother’s womb, that is before he even existed. That is a God with unlimited, infinite exhaustive Knowledge, Infinite understanding implies infinite knowledge and wisdom.
Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
You see God knows people or individuals before they exist and calls things that be not as though they were. It was his eternal Decree to elect certain individuals in Christ to be predestination to Salvation in time and history.
Dr. Flowers takes the “US”, which he says is the, ” the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus” He is correct. That is the original audience the Apostle Paul was speaking to. But Dr, Flowers must remember that all of the Scriptures for the most part is talking to an audience that is not speaking to us in the here and now. We must read it in context and then make application to us. There are no “TWO WAYS OF SALVATION” The Apostle Paul, an individual, one person, includes himself with the “saints who are in Ephesus and faithful (or believing ones in the Greek) in Christ. Paul is an individual. The saints in Ephesus are made up of individuals and the believing ones in Christ Jesus are made up of individuals. They did not get saved as a corporate elected chosen group. Even if you say they were chosen corporately they are still made up of individuals and they are saved individually in history and in God’s timing here on earth. So the application is made to everyone who has placed his or her faith and trust in Christ today. “They were chosen or elected in Christ Jesus from all eternity, or before the foundation of the world, before time began to holy and blameless in love.
Why does the Non-Calvinist say the Christian is saved and then elected by God? Where is this found in Holy Scripture?
Do not say it is the “doctrine of adoption” because Paul makes it clear in the same chapter of Ephesians 1 that those chosen in Christ from all eternity were “predestined unto adoption” not elected to adoption. Please clarify/
Then for your last verse Richard which you seem to be confused on. Romans 16:7
Romans 16:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me
You have mixed up “time and history” with “before the foundation of the world and from all eternity” There were those chosen and elected “IN CHRIST” from the foundation of the world or all eternity. Then there are those who are “SAVED AND ARE IN CHRIST” in time and history which they were predestined to when they were elected in Christ from all eternity.
I also came back to finish some unfinished business. I made two promises when I was still posting on here. I promised myself I would respond to Dr. Flowers understanding of “Provisional Atonement” and his understanding of 2 Thessalonians 2:13 which I made this assertion and posted on here. I will not respond to these to subjects on this site as i really do not wish to continue commenting here. I will respond to these two subjects on my own word-press site and will come back and announce it and maybe it will be posted. If not if God is willing those who are meant to find it will.
Oh yeah, here is an article on Revelation 13:8 that shows its English translation is not dishonest as two people on here have implied. It is plausible and possible. The ESV also indicates down below how it is translated in other versions of the Bible giving the reader an option. That is not being dishonest. There have been other Bible translations before the ESV that have translated Revelation 13:8 the same way before the ESV. But when the Reformed Calvinist do it they are being disingenuous and dishonest. 🙁
Here is a strong article for the ESV translation below: please take a look at it if you are really interested in looking at both sides, I know I am. It is truth I want, not just to win an argument through sinful quarreling.
http://turretinfan.blogspot.com/2009/08/camping-and-atonement.html
Still love your sense of humor you had with Dr. White on Provisional Atonement Dr. Flowers. A side of you I have never seen but I liked it and you had me laughing hard. Thanks so much to all and God bless.
OK you said and I quote: “He chose that believers will inherit certain predestined spiritual blessings.”
Then I look at the passage of Scripture and I am thinking to myself where does he get this? You are reading into the immediate text and surrounding text what you want it to say or think it says. It in no way says all those extra words you add to it in Ephesians 1:4. That “God chose that believers will inherit certain predestined spiritual blessings.” There are more blessings in Ephesians 1:1-14 than those “certain blessings” that I KNOW you are talking about of being “Holy and Blameless before Him”
Ephesians 1: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both [1] which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who [2] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Respectfully no matter how you try and say it. Even considering the verses that come before Ephesian 1:4 and after:
The verse says that the “saints at Ephesus and Faithful in Christ Jesus(believing ones in the Greek) and the Apostle Paul included himself with them as an individual. “God chose US (the us are individuals saved in time and history) IN HIM/CHRIST
Yes we are chosen or elected in Christ before time began and in time and history are Salvation is in Christ too. I see no problem with this. The first which is election from all eternity in Christ that will result in being saved through the Preaching of the Gospel by the Power of the Spirit and one being “in Christ in time and history in a salvific sense. Thus Soteriology101
(Paul, saints at Ephesus, faithful in Christ Jesus (believing ones, all individuals saved in time and history) before the foundation of the World, (not blessings, that is being imposed upon the verse) The “Saints at Ephesus (Saved Individuals at different periods in time) “the faithful in Christ Jesus (still individuals saved at different periods in time but probably synonymous with the Saints at Ephesus) and the saved individual Apostle Paul who included himself as part of the individuals that made up the US “whom God chose (the us, not blessings) “in Christ” before the foundation of the world or before time began that “we would be Holy and blameless before him.
The us being chosen in Christ of verse 4 is what leads to salvation in verse 5-8 Tell me it is not speaking of Salvation?!?
5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
The God I serve is the God who knew Jeremiah before he was even in his mother’s womb. Before Jeremiah even existed. He is the God who calls those things that be not as though they are.
Jeremiah 1:5 – I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
So to say no one could have been chosen in Christ before time began because they did not exist is nonsense.
We are Orthodox Christians right. We do believe in God’s Eternal Infinite Exhaustive Unlimited Perfect knowledge. His Omniscience!! Unless you are an Open Theist.
God has always known Past, Present and Future all at the same time. There is and never will be a time that God has or ever will not know something. God does not have to look into the future of time and history to obtain some information to learn because that would mean there was a time God did not know something.
Known to God are all His works from eternity. God knew those He Chose, Elected, Picked out from (yeah that is what the word “chose” means in the Greek in verse 4 of Ephesians 1. To be elected or Picked out from) IN CHRIST (not blessings it is the US that is chosen and they are individuals saved in time and history. Read verses 5-8 again. But the US were chosen in Christ TO BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS IN HIM.
The application of these verses is made to all who are saved today. They were chosen, elected in Christ before time began to be Holy and Blameless before Him. We are elected in eternity in Christ to predestined in time and history to be blameless and Holy before Him. Verses 5-8 and really all the way to verse 14 reveals this to us.
Respectfully in Christ and blessings to all.
PS. EV, I have been a Reformed/Calvinist believer for a long time. I have not noticed that most Calvinist Christians when talking about this subject are arrogant and prideful. I have seen it go both ways because I have interacted on a lot of forums. As you were admonishing Troy. I was curious why you were not admonishing some of the comments that were said to Him. I really do not think Troy said anything all that offensive. But you were definitely on him like a chicken on a bug for some reason. I would ask you to prayfully ask yourself why. Check the comments on this site real good. You will find both sides have been mean spirited at times including myself. Something I am determined to change by the grace and help of my God.
Leighton,
Regarding your final paragraph, I’ve added the following paragraph into the verse commentary. Let me know if it should be modified:
“An additional problem with respect to Calvinism is in regard to the lapsarian controversy of supralapsarianism vs. infralapsarianism. If one interprets the identities of those named in the Lamb’s Book of Life as being written and completed before the foundation of the world, then that would seemingly necessitate a high supralapsarian position, which has typically been rejected by mainstream Calvinists.[670] So the question of interest would be how an infralapsarian Calvinist would maintain their perspective of the Lamb’s Book of Life being completed by God unconditionally, before the foundation of the world, if they simultaneously hold that Unconditional Election is only subsequent to the Fall of man.”
Note that EV who is a calvinist also said that Troy should stop using the term “heresy” in an inflammatory way. EV also agrees with me that we should not say of believers who disagree with us that they are espousing heresy. If people hold Troy’s view of heresy they will be inflammatory and divisive and people will not want to have discussions with him. If Troy would change his view and instead of asserting that believers who disagree with him are engaging in heresy, assert they are mistake or in error that would help alot. I doubt this will happen which is why I say others should ignore his views on heresy and heretics.
Robert you are entitled to your opinion sir. But your opinion is just that..your opinion. However, heresy is any false doctrine. I will repeat again that anyone who espouses heresy is NOT NECESSARILY an infidel of the Faith. They are simply espousing a false teaching.
Heretic ALSO refers to those who have abandoned the faith and were never really true believers in the first place.
But, as stated before, I choose to agree to disagree with Robert on this issue even though I believe he’s not grasping what I’m saying.
Troy writes “your are entitled to your opinion sir”: True, as you are entitled to having opinions as well.
“But your opinion is just that . . your opinion”: this statement is false and demonstrably so. I repeat myself yet again, in the NT (which is not “just your opinion) those who espouse heresy are heretics, a heretic is one who espouses heresy, and there is no instance where a believer is said to be espousing heresy if they are presenting error or views that are mistaken.
That is what the NT in fact presents so it is not my opinion. Also, if you check out any authority or expert in cults or counter Christianity cults (e.g. Walter Martin) they all hold the same view on heresy and heretic. YOU are the only person who has ever espoused that all errors and mistakes made by believers are heresy while they themselves are not heretics. YOU are the one who is expressing mere opinion, opinion which is contradicted by the NT and all cult researchers.
Unless you can show from scripture that your opinion is true, you continue to present your mere opinion. For someone who claims that he is so biblical and that he holds the truth and that when he speaks it is “Thus saith the Lord”, you are playing fast and loose with the scripture. Time for you to abandon your false view and instead speak the truth on this subject.
Thank you Robert for your comments. Have a blessed evening brother! 😊
Probably not a big deal, but I feel like I should interject that I’ve never considered myself a true Calvinist. I did say I was Reformed, but in my view that’s a broader term for a larger group of people who hold a range of views on the grace doctrines. For example, in my particular Reformed camp, we generally don’t talk about limited atonement because we really can’t find clear scriptural evidence for it. I also struggle personally with the idea of irresistible grace for the same reason. To me, Calvinist is a stricter term for people who adhere to the “5 points” fairly rigidly, although there can be subtle differences. A former pastor of mine, who I would say is generally Reformed, commented to me that he doesn’t like any label for himself beyond “Christian”, because identifying to closely with a certain doctrinal systematic can lock us in to a way of interpreting scripture that we may later discover is wrong. I agree with him, that God can speak for Himself through scripture
The majority of those who call themselves do believe in effectual grace and particular redemption. I would not consider you reformed if you deny effectual grace though. Those who are of the majority who call themselves reformed are very Calvinist in what they believe. Yes there are some minor differences but not a major one like you mention the denial of effectual grace. We believe this is what God has revealed to us in His word. Could we be wrong. Sure, but so could you, Dr Flowers and Foreevermore who we all believe even if we are trying to pretend to humble, that what we believe is the truth of Holy Scripture, Blessings Brother
By the way, the aforementioned pastor was teaching through the book of Hebrews last year. When he got to chapter 6 he conceded that while he didn’t believe someone could lose their salvation, it might be possible, according to v. 4-6, for someone to renounce it. So if he’s a Calvinist, he’s now maybe just a 2 and a half point Calvinist!
Those here EV, the Traditional Southern Baptist are one point Calvinist. They believe you cannot lose your salvation. Although they believe and adhere strongly to Autonomous Self Governing Libertarian Neutral Free Will. That one’s will is independent and separate from God. Flowers Words. They believe according to their Statement of Faith that the will can choose between two options at any given time. So they can accept or reject Christ with this autonomous LFW. As is said in article 8 of their statement of faith. Then in article 9 they emphatically say that God will keep that person saved unto eternity. It actually says that a saved person cannot reject Christ and apostatize from the faith. A complete contradiction of autonomous LFW. They say God will not violate the autonomous LFW but one of the moderators on here told me in private email that once a person is saved God takes away his power of choice of using his autonomous LFW of rejecting Christ and apostatizing from the faith. But they still contend that all even Christians have this autonomous LFW. But they cannot reject Christ now or in eternity. Yeah. The redeemed according to the Traditional Southern Baptist Denomination have this autonomous self governing LFW that is separate and independent from God. But then they turn around and say that has taken away that LFW to reject Christ now and for all eternity once you are saved. Very contradictory. So it is not as cut and dry as it seems as I have read your comments. This Denomination and Faith has its issues as all do.
Blessings
Ev,
That’s pretty much where I’m at with eternal security. I grew up with the idea that you could lose it at any time, for one wrong thought, basically. I spent a lot of time later in a church that was at the other end of the spectrum, but never quite bought that it was impossible to lose. Study and experience tells me I can’t lose my salvation, but I can give it back by total and complete rejection of the Holy Spirit.
Hello Wildwanderer and welcome to the discussion brother! I would just encourage you and Ev with the following verses from Scripture:
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” -John 6:37
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” -John 5:13
Those are all wonderful promises, and they certainly assure me the God will not let me go. They do not however say that I cannot reject God’s grace. There are plenty of passages about falling away. I have the assurance as long as I have faith as a mustard seed my salvation is intact. It doesn’t depend on me having great strength, rather faith is the opposite, it is full Reliance on God’s strength. I do not understand how the Calvinist can have the same assurance, since there was always a possibility that he is not one of the elect.
WW:
Yes there are plenty of passage about believers rejecting….not just in Hebrews…
1 Timothy 4:1-3
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 24:10
“At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
2 Timothy 2:12
If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
2 Peter 2:20-21
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.”
1 Timothy 1:18-20
“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.”
1 Corinthians 9:27
“No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
Colossians 1:21-23
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation– if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every
Romans 11:20-22
“…But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.”
John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
See another “broad strokes” list I am compiling and studying….
Gal. 5:1-5, have their names removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 22:19),
Eph. 5: 3-5; 1Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19; Rev. 21:6-8; Matt: 6:15; Matt: 19:21-35; Matt: 10:22-32; Luke 12:41-46; 1 Cor. 15:1-2; Rev. 2:10, 25-36, 3:1-5;
WW:
I forgot to add that when a Calvinist begins to comment on these passages he will likely with something like.
“Yes, but we know these passages dont mean what they appear to mean….”
Wait for it…..
Great comment Wildswanderer! I always tell people that God’s elect is evidenced by the life they live. A true child of God WILL display an earnest and perpetual desire to do the will of his/her Savior. This is indicative of true conversion and true conversion is Holy Spirit-wrought. An authentic faith WILL endure to the end because it’s God who’s working in him [the true believer] both to do and to will according to His [God’s] good pleasure.
You see, when we realize that Salvation is a miracle whereby God makes us a new creation, then we know that our Salvation is 100% dependent on the Savior and not the faith of the saved. This is also why having a right understanding of the nature of salvation is tantamount to the Christian’s life.
“…our Salvation is 100% dependent on the Savior and not the faith of the saved”. Our salvation is absolutely 100% Christ’s work, but isn’t faith also required to receive it? I haven’t met a single Christian who didn’t exercise faith at some point to be saved. So it’s grace that saves, but still through faith, right? Eph 2:8 -9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Good evening Ev! Yes but the faith that is exercised is a God-given supernatural faith. The faith is “not of ourselves” as you so appropriately pointed out in Ephesians 2.
Ok. I was sure you couldn’t mean that no faith was required, but your wording could be taken that way. I’m glad you’re not one of the “Hyper-Grace” crowd!
No sir! There comes a time when the believer must show faith in Christ.
Not to nit-pick, but I wasn’t pointing out that faith is “not of ourselves”. The “not of yourselves” in this passage seems to be pointing back to the subject of the sentence, which is grace. I’m not disagreeing that faith is a gift from God, but I’m not sure that’s the point Paul’s making here.
Excellent observation Ev! The “that” is referring to the entire clause, ““For by grace you have been saved through faith..”
In other words, the gift is the entire concept of being saved by grace through faith.
“They do not however say that I cannot reject God’s grace.” This is an argument from silence, it is not necessary for the Bible to say that we can reject God’s grace if that is a possibility. In light of the clear passages that a genuine believer cannot lose their salvation. One of my mentors shared a very helpful thought on this subject. He said that whenever you teach or preach there will always be three types of people that may be present: those who are genuine believers, those who are genuine unbelievers,and those who think they are saved but are not. In Jesus’ parable of the sower you see this, different responses to the same seed. Some hard as a rock/the unbeliever, some produce good fruit/the believers, and others who start as professing believers but who then don’t continue/think they were saved but never were. If you look at the warning passages in Hebrews, Paul contrasts one group who don’t seem to be holding on and another group of which he says “we are convinced of better things concerning you”. I have no problem seeing these warnings as also including he three groups.
On this subject you also have to maintain the distinction between the objective aspect (i.e. what Jesus, the Spirit and the Father do which is factual, unchanging, independent of what we do or say) and the subjective aspect (how we feel about our salvation, usually closely connected with our obedience and actions). Assurance of salvation is subjective and can vary, the work of salvation, what God did/does is set, unchanging, not varying.
I would also say this is a complex subject involving a lot of verses and that it is a subject in which true believers disagree (and neither side whichever is in error, contrary to Troy’s opinion, is espousing heresy. We can respectfully disagree on this without calling the other side heretics or claiming they are intentionally espousing heresy.
Heresy, IN ITS STRICTEST MEANING, is any false doctrine!
Timothy 1:18-20
“Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.”
Seems very clear that one can cease to have faith. If faith was 100 percent God’s gift, requiring nothing from us, telling us to hold onto faith would be kind of silly.
If one ceases to have faith, then that faith was not a God-given faith. It was a false faith that most people display when they get excited about the Gospel and then the Devil or the cares of this world come and prove that faith to be false. However, the faith that God gives is sustaining and will endure until the end.
God in many passages of Scripture admonishes true believers to keep the Faith, but these are verses to encourage true believers. They’re not verses meant to teach the nature of saving faith. We know that authentic saving faith only comes from God and He will not give this faith and then snatch it back again.
And this is why I don’t believe in irresistible grace. I don’t find it in scripture. In a world where grace was not resistable, of course, you have to conclude that no one can fall away. Why would there be verses encouraging believers to keep the faith if they could not possibly do anything else? If faith were only God given, we would all be wholly sactified, and there would be no such struggle.
WW:
Responses to you will demonstrate why this goes nowhere.
Responses such as “We know all faith comes from God…” show that they start with a HUGE presupposition and build on that. Based on their interpretation of Eph 2;8-9, they decide that faith comes from God and then they must view all the hundreds and hundreds of verses about faith (Heb 11, personal faith, “Abraham believed the Lord,….then he was counted as righteous” “strengthen your faith” “if you had the faith of a mustard seed” Rom 4 “faith is not a work”—etc —and the list goes on for miles) through these lenses. It’s all about the presupposition they brought TO the Bible.
Of course grace is resistible! Look at the thousands of time in the OT that God made sincere offers that people did not take.
Of course the NT contains many warnings about “shipwrecked faith” or “dont turn back to your former ungodly lives”
But as usual…..all explanations of these multiple passages start with “These do not really mean what they look like.”
The Christian life is a struggle because we’re crucified with Christ. Galatians 2:20 relates the struggle of having true faith in Christ. But this does not negate the fact that true faith is God-given and will persevere to the end.
I really have nothing to add to what FOH says above. I think a lot of people misunderstand what faith is. They see it as me working hard to maintain my beliefs, when it is actually ceasing to rely on myself and trusting God.
My daily reading (OT, NT, Ps, Prov).
I could do this every day (see how the Scriptures contradict Calvinism) —-and I did…that is what drew me out of Calvinism.
Philemon 4:
4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.
Paul hears about his faith IN Christ. There is never (ever) mention of faith FROM Christ.
Then he goes on…..YOUR love….YOU will put into action….YOUR faith…YOU understand. YOUR love…..YOUR kindness…
No wonder we non-Calvinists are accused of being “man-centered.”
So is Paul!
This comment truly grieves my spirit because it epitomizes the mindset of the typical professed Christian today and the concentration on man’s efforts to save and sustain himself.
This is why we mustn’t look at the Gospel trying to prove or disprove and “ism”. In so doing, we’re limiting our ability to see tota scriptura and pit Scripture against itself, instead of harmonizing it.
Now the truth is that in every instance where God references “your faith”, we know from tota scriptura that the source of “your faith” is a supernatural gift from God. We truly believe in the Lord and that faith truly sustains us because it’s a God-given, supernatural gift. The following verses support this all-important truth:
“And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been GRANTED [GIVEN] him from the Father.” -John 6:65
“For to you it has been GRANTED for Christ’s sake, not only TO BELIEVE in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”
Philippians 1:29
“Jesus answered and said to them, This is THE WORK OF GOD THAT YOU BELIEVE in Him whom He has sent.”
John 6:29
We are to harmonize Scripture; not show it to be contradictory and we definitely NEVER say that they are man-centered for the Gospel is ALWAYS GOD-glorifying, even in the salvation of mankind!
Perhaps you could explain me why my having faith in order for God to save me somehow glorifies God less than God regenerating me against my will, as it were. God has sovereignly decided that my faith is required for him to do the work of salvation. Does that make God man centered? If God had decided that I needed to stand on my head and cluck like a chicken in order to be saved that is his Sovereign right to decide.
Let me follow up from my morning devotion.
Went to church, shortly after I posted that Philemon comment, where we were studying the latter half of John 1.
But John 1:11-12 caught my eye.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,…
Here it looks like they could have received Him….but they didnt.
Here it looks like they received Him … and they believed….. and then He gave them the right to become the children of God. There is no sense of giving them anything special before they believed.
Then….during the sermon
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?”
Even Jesus states that they were seeking something…. (though we are told “seeking” is impossible).
Then Andrew follows Christ….. and tells his brother Simon…
“We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.
So….here are people seeking and finding (all which we are told is impossible) ((I mean how dare the Calvinistic Scriptures ever saying that “dead” man “found” anything!)).
Later in the passage….Jesus walks up to people and says “Follow me.”
They need to believe and to follow. Personal decisions.
The message this morning was passionate….encouraging us to grow in our faith—and to follow Christ. (Why so much passion if not to plead to our personal decisions?)
Just like Paul telling Philemon…..”your love” has encouraged him…”your kindness has encouraged people”. To what? Encouraged them in their lives, in the need to make wise decisions.
Just like the teacher’s message this morning to “follow Christ” “to grow in Christ” —–what for? So that we make wise decisions each day in our walk with Christ.
To say that “our faith” or “our love” or “our kindness” in no way comes from us personally is to make a mockery of all the hundreds and hundreds of Scriptures (and Sunday messages) where we are challenged to grow in our faith, love, kindness.
The Scripture does not sound like it is encouraging people to do what they have already been robotically programmed to do.
Brother this comment further reveals your inability to harmonize ALL that Scripture teaches and you continue to unwittingly make Scripture contradictory.
Please brother, I admonish you to allow all of the Bible to speak to you!
Troy:
I find your comments interesting on two levels:
1. You have called me a deceiver and heretic on numerous posts (on other topics) and now call me brother. I would be relieved to know that the admonition of others (to you) to be more Christ-like have had some effect on you. That’s good.
2. The second curious thing is that I was a Bible-schooled Calvinist (likely before you were born) and my testimony is easily found in these pages. When I put down the Reformed-lenses and read massive portions of Scripture each day (OT, NT, Ps, Prov), through the Bible each year…. and listened to ALL the Bible is not when I became a Calvinist ….it’s when I left Calvinism.
The weight of the thousands of verses working against determinist-fatalist-Calvinism far out numbered the 15-20 key (Reformed lens) verses that I was urged to interpret all other verses by.
No, I am afraid the “all of Scripture” shows God far differently than the impassible, static, impersonal God of determinism.
I have posted of the hundreds of verses where the Sovereign, Almighty, LORD of Israel tells people “if you do this…I will do this….but if you do this…I will do that.”
If it were one verse—I would be hasty to make implications….. but there are hundreds and hundreds like it. They make no sense when interpreted through determinist lenses.
And the list of types of God-created scenarios like the one above goes on and on. That…..is all of Scripture.
Troy, I’ve also noticed in the last several posts that you’ve softened your tone without compromising your convictions. I want to thank you and encourage you in that! Good job, my brother!
Thank you sir
However, I reject that I haven’t been Christ-like in my responses because I have firmly rebuked my brothers in their handling and teaching of Scripture! That will not change brother.
Hello there. I am new to your site and hope you will still answer old posts. I have been quietly wrestling with these hard passages for a while with very little input from either side because I want to come to conclusions on my own about what I believe. I have seen the bitter fruit of Calvinism, but have so much to still work through.
My question is, “Even if the actual meaning is from instead of before, how does this really change things in the context of predestination?” Though I don’t appreciate how the ESV changes the word to before, it still says that “everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” (NASB) will worship the beast,
Therefore, it stands to reason that if our names had to be written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, then it still indicates that it was decided then who would be chosen for salvation. I simply cannot see another perspective unless I do some theological gymnastics. What have I missed, Dr. Leighton?
Hey Ellah, I’m not Dr. Flowers but I work with him in this ministry. I hope I can help you wrestle with your question.
The question I would ask in response is this: What does “before” mean when we’re talking about God? Obviously, I don’t take you as saying that God is bound by time and therefore can only know things as they happen. Let’s say time is like a parade. You and I are bound to watching the parade from the sideline, seeing everything as it happens. However, God is not bound as we are but instead can be thought of as being up in a helicopter, seeing the entire parade all at once. This is called the “eternal now” view of God. If God looks at the parade from above, outside of time, and sees those who are in Christ, “when” did he write their names in the book? Saying “before the foundations of the world” seems like an accurate way to describe that concept without attempting to say that God is bound by time.
When it comes to Calvinism vs. non-Calvinism, I don’t think the main issue is “when” the names were written in the book of life, but how they got there. If I say “God wrote the names of the saved before the foundation of the world” that only assumes simple foreknowledge. It is an irrational leap to go from “written before the foundation of the world” to “God effectually saves those he writes in the book before the foundation of the world”.
I hope that helps. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Hello Mr. Kemp. I am at your mercy knowing you are the powers that be. But you would have no power over me on this forum unless given to you by my Father in Heaven.
I would like to cordially and respectfully respond to your response and assertions here. Since I am currently watching my 71 year old mother who just recently fell and broke two ribs I have time on my hands.
As you know earthy analogies are faulty and eventually break down when used to define and characterize the Eternal God who all was and always will be the self-existing Eternal God. Far above are comprehension. As his thoughts are not are thoughts and his ways are not are ways.
Romans 11:33 – O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Isaiah 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’
I always like to go Back to the Holy Word of the Living God to get a picture of this Eternal Holy Loving Infinite in knowledge and power, God. Whose ways are higher than our ways and His ways are past finding out Other than what he has revealed to us in Scripture. Then we must pray and show due diligence in study to show ourselves approved in rightly dividing the Word of God the very Word of His grace for our lives.
Eric said and I quote as I think he was paraphrasing the person he was responding to: “The question I would ask in response is this: What does “before” mean when we’re talking about God? Obviously, I don’t take you as saying that God is bound by time and therefore can only know things as they happen.”
I agree with the statement that “God is not bound by time” as I think God in his Sovereign Providence is actively involved within His creation and not just sitting on the His Holy Metaphorical Throne (I don’t know maybe Jesus is, but God is spirit) and doing nothing.
I do not agree with the quote “God is bound by time and therefore can only know things as they happen”
I also do not think that Mr. Kemp believes this. As he would stand as an Orthodox Christian on this issue believing in the Infinite, Unlimited Exhaustive Knowledge of God. I would say there is nothing “bare” about it. There is never a time in the past, present, or future that God did or has not known something. God knows past, present and future all at the same time. God does not have to look into the future or down the corridor of time to retrieve or obtain some information. That would mean there was a time when God did not know something and his Knowledge would not be Eternal, Infinite and Perfect.
Colossians 2:that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
Colossians 2:3 – in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
All treasure of wisdom and knowledge can found in Christ. I could amplify and expand on the Verses of God’s Eternal Infinite Perfect Knowledge but do not feel the need to do so because I believe Mr. Kemp is on the same page. If not my brother in Christ can clarify.
There Mr. Kemp says and I quote: “Let’s say time is like a parade. You and I are bound to watching the parade from the sideline, seeing everything as it happens.”
This is true. We are God’s finite limited creatures and do not possess Eternal Infinite Perfect Knowledge as the “Great I Am” does. So in our creaturely limited knowledge of knowing, would would only see the parade and decisions and actions of the individuals within the parade as each reveal their decisions and actions. Then we are still limited to seeing only what we can see in our creaturely finite limited knowledge. This poses God no problem but in a completely different way other than Mr. Kemp states.
Mr. Kemp says and I quote: “However, God is not bound as we are but instead can be thought of as being up in a helicopter, seeing the entire parade all at once. This is called the “eternal now” view of God.”
This statement in the utmost to Mr. Kemp I emphatically deny. This is limiting God and His Eternal Infinite Perfect Foreknowledge.
In this sense I say this. We already said that God in His Eternal Infinite, Exhaustive, Unlimited and Perfect Knowledge knows Past, Present and future all at the same time. That there is and never has been a time when God has not known something. All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden within Christ.. O’ Depths of the wisdom and knowledge of God and His ways are past finding out!! God does not have to look into the future to obtain any information because he knew it from all eternity. If God did have to look into the future that would mean there was a time God did not know something.
So before God ever DETERMINED to create all the Universe and bring into being creatures that are “fearfully and wonderfully” made.
God knew from eternity due to His Eternal Infinite, and Perfect Knowledge “every action of every individual that would every exist.
So the analogy breaks down in assuming it is like “God in a helicopter and is able to view all things. Of course he sees all things that happen here on earth in time and history. But God sees what “He already knew would be from all eternity before he even created” That is the good decisions/actions and the evil decision/actions of men.
God chose to create a world of finite creatures that he knew all what there every action and decision would be. Whether it be good or evil and God in His Eternal Infinite Perfect Knowledge chose to create anyway. The very world he knew would be full of suffering, pain an sorrow due to sin, evil and wicked actions that God in His Eternal Infinite Perfect Foreknowledge knew would be before he created. He DETERMINED to create this very Universe we are living in now with all that happens whether evil or good. This was God’s Determination.
In the eyes of God, actions and decisions of individuals are fixed. Because God knew from eternity what their actions and decisions would be. God does not see Autonomous LFW where one could choose between two options as the much of the synergistic belief does. The actions of people are fixed and locked in place just as God saw they would be before he created.
I am arguing form the synergistic perspective. So yes God gave free will and he knows the other option they could have been made but knows emphatically and of necessity and most definitely the only fixed and locked in place choice that will be made that God in his Eternal Infinite Perfect Knowledge knew would be from eternity.
Eric said and I quote; “If God looks at the parade from above, outside of time, and sees those who are in Christ, “when” did he write their names in the book? Saying “before the foundations of the world” seems like an accurate way to describe that concept without attempting to say that God is bound by time.”
I would say Mr. Kemp is correct in how he described and responded to the person he was talking to in this statement. Although once again I emphatically deny that God is bound by time.
The question as to when names were written in the book of life. Well I see it this way. There are verses of Scripture where the Greek term “apo” is translated as “before” And not just in the ESV. I am talking about the KJV and others.
There is a comment below that addresses this issue I think strongly. The translators of the ESV Bible never translated Revelation 13:8 as “before” when it was “from or since” They left is as the RSV originally had it. In the comment below you will find there are many many translations that translate “apo” in Revelation 13:8 as “before”
But my question is this as down below. Whether “names are written in the Lamb’s book of life from or since the foundation of the world or before the foundation of the world. The fact remains is that God wrote down people who he in His Eternal Infinite Perfect Foreknowledge would be saved.
Once again speaking from a Southern Traditional Baptist and Arminian synergistic perspective. Who both adhere to the attribute of God’s Eternal Infinite Exhaustive Perfect Foreknowledge. Whether Mr.Kemp or Dr. Flowers does I do not know. I do know there are those whose god is to small and whose god have a lessor glory as they limit their god to only knowing what can be known. Their god is learning as people’s decisions and actions materialize. I do not think this is Mr. Kemp’s perspective of the Eternal God of His Salvation.
Mr. Kemp says and I quote: “When it comes to Calvinism vs. non-Calvinism, I don’t think the main issue is “when” the names were written in the book of life, but how they got there. If I say “God wrote the names of the saved before the foundation of the world” that only assumes simple foreknowledge. It is an irrational leap to go from “written before the foundation of the world” to “God effectually saves those he writes in the book before the foundation of the world”.
The “issue most definitely (when) names were written down in the Lamb’s book of Life!!” As this is what we are told. I will even stick with “apo” being “from or since” the creation of the world. This tells us very clearly in no uncertain terms that it was “from or since” the foundation of the World!!
How the names “got there” (as Mr. Kemp puts it) is very easily explained. if the Eternal God in His Eternal Infinite Perfect Foreknowledge knew (not saw the future) actions of all free men before he even created then God knew from all eternity those who would with their Autonomous LFW make a free response to the gospel. Remembering arguing from the SBT Synergistic perspective.
Just as from the “very foundation of the world there were individuals whose names were not written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” (from or since the foundation of the World) Because God once again in His Eternal Infinite Perfect Knowledge (not looking into the future) knew he would reject Christ with the decisions and action they would make and would be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
This God infinitely Knew from all eternity (before he ever created but he chose to create this reality as he knew it would be)
Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Mr. Kemp I think seems to be implying that (names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life) when a person from his Autonomous self-governing Libertarian Neutral Free will makes a faith based response to the Gospel. This the Word of God does not support as the Names are written or not written in the Lamb’s book of life from or since the foundation of the World.
God bless Mr. Kemp. I hope I have been respectful and have interacted in a way that Christ would approve. In no way have I have had evil intentions toward you. May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always Sir!!
Hi Eric. Thanks so much for your fast reply. I’m not certain I articulated my question well enough. Either that, or we’re just on different wavelengths:)
My main question (restated) is: How does using the word from instead of before completely change the doctrine of predestination. It only changes the time frame of when He wrote our names in the book of life, not the requirements of how they ended up there.
Does that make more sense?
Ellah, thanks for the dialogue! Just so we’re on the same page, you’re wondering if there is a difference between “from the foundation of the world” and “before the foundation of the world” when it comes to the Calvinistic understanding of predestination?
And, I apologize, I’m not sure I understand the rest of your question. I think “from” and “before” are trying to discuss the same concept. I don’t want to use the term “timeframe” when it comes to the actions of God that are clearly outside of time.
I’ll say something briefly about predestination: As a non-Calvinist, I too believe in predestination. God absolutely predestines certain things to happen. The question is, what is he predestining? God predestines that those who believe in him will have their name written in the book of life. I do not think the Bible teaches that God predestines which individuals will, and will not, believe in him.
Eric, Dr. Leighton made the whole podcast about how very different the words from and before are , and how they make a tremendous amount of difference in whether we interpret that verse from a Calvinistic perspective or a Traditionalist one.
But even if we use the word “from” instead of “before” it would only indicate that God elected who would be believers at the time of Genesis, rather than before He created the world.
However, I just went over the podcast again, and this time I caught Dr. Leighton saying that the word “from” actually means “since.”
If that is what the Greek word “apo” really means, then I can see how this would hold a lot of weight in discounting the Calvinistic perspective.
The only issue I have left now is whether the Greek word “apo” that means “from” actually means “since.”
Thank you again for your time, and God bless.
Ellah, if I remember correctly, “apo” can mean both “from” and “since” and so it’s up to the interpreter to decide which fits the context more. That’s why you have committees like the ESV run by Bill Mounce who lean more Calvinistic interpreting things like “before” cause they think it fits the context (read: their systematic) better.
Altering the biblical text to a “before” meaning when really “from/since” is in view is a problem, for sure.
I would still see the biggest point in discounting the Calvinistic perspective as how the names got in the Book of Life ie, effectual irresistible grace vs. God’s gracious response to free moral agency.
Cheers!
The question is, what is he predestining? God predestines that those who believe in him will have their name written in the book of life.
Respectfully Eric where is this taught in Holy Scripture and what other things do you believe God predestines in Scripture?
Blessings
It’s remarkable how one word can make such a profound difference in the meaning of a verse. If that is how one verse has been altered, then I’ll just stick with the NASB! The flow of the ESV hasn’t resonated with me anyhow.
You’re absolutely right, Eric. The greater picture does lie in the how rather than the when, and will most likely be the next thing I wrestle through. I only wish it could be resolved as quickly as this issue, but there’s no substitute for reflective, thorough study.
It must be difficult at times for you theologians to balance the need to plunge into the depths of study, while actually living out the words of Christ. It’s even hard for someone like me! Once my mind goes down a rabbit hole, it gets stuck there for a while:) yet in the end, our understanding of exactly how the balance between free will and predestination works will matter far less in our Father’s eyes than how we lived for Him as a whole.
Jesus paid too great a price for our salvation, and the unity He prayed for shouldn’t rest on mere men like Calvin or Arminius. I hope and pray that we can move beyond that in our Baptist churches.
Now more than ever, fellow conservatives with a high view of God’s Word need to be unified, not further divided on the basis of scripture that supports both. I appreciate you and all who work on this website, because I can see that is what you desire as well.
In Christ,
Ellah
I would say that using “from the foundation of the world” still makes the same point. Which is that God chooses people prior to their birth.
The word rendered “foundation” – καταβολή katabolē – means properly a laying down, a founding, a foundation – as where the foundation of a building is laid – and the phrase “before the foundation of the world” clearly means before the world was made, or before the work of creation; see Matthew 13:35; Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:50; Hebrews 9:26; Revelation 13:8, in all which places the phrase “the foundation of the world” means the beginning of human affairs; the beginning of the world; the beginning of history, etc. Thus, in John 17:24, the Lord Jesus says, “thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world,” i. e., from eternity, or before the work of creation commenced.God the Father Loved Jesus “before or “from ?? Thus, Peter says 1 Peter 1:20 of the Saviour, “who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world.” It was the purpose of God before the world was made, to send him to save lost men; compare Revelation 17:8. Nothing can be clearer than that the phrase before must refer to a purpose that was formed before the world was made. it is not a temporary arrangement; it has not grown up under the influence of vacillating purposes; it is not a plan newly formed, or changed with each coming generation, or variable like the plans of people. It has all the importance, dignity, and assurances of stability which necessarily result from a purpose that has been eternal in the mind of God. If the plan was formed “before the foundation of the world,” it “was eternal.” God has no new plan, He forms no new schemes. He is not changing and vacillating. If we can ascertain what is the plan of God at any time, we can ascertain what his eternal plan was with reference to the event. It has always been the same – for “he is of one MinD, and who can turn him?” Job 23:13. In reference to the plans and purposes of the Most High, there is nothing better settled than that what he actually does, he always meant to do – which is the doctrine of eternal decrees – “and the whole of it.
Richard, I hope I’m understanding you correctly, but I do not think anyone would disagree with you that God has eternally decreed certain things to come to pass. I think our disagreement with divine determinism/compatibilism would be the “how” God assures the decrees come to pass in time. We don’t think meticulous determinism is the only possibility.
I would love to hear what and how you believe God brings them to come to pass? Isaiah 46:8–11 says,
Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” 11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. Exegetically could you expound on this text?
Richard,
There is not much to exegete out of this (unless you out run the text!).
There is no one like God. He fulfills His purposes. He will do what He says He will do (unless He changes His mind: see Jeremiah 18,19 and Jonah 3).
But to say that God will do what He wants is entirely different than saying all that happens is what God wants.
fromoverhere- He will DO what he says he will DO unless he changes his mind?? Theres a Stark Difference between Didactic text of scripture and a Anthromoorphic Language Text.
Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”
God never changes his being and character this does not mean that he is static, paralyzed, or he dosent and cannot act.The Bible uses human ways to speak about God, the technical term for which is Anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphic language represents God’s unchanging attributes in the changing circumstances and different moral conditions of His creatures. For example, the Bible speaks of the “arm of God” (Deuteronomy 5:15) with respect to His power while Psalm 50:10 says, “[God] owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” Clearly this is metaphorical language. This language is perfectly useful to describe God’s activity among us; but when the Bible uses human language to describe God, particularly in the narrative sections of Scripture, the didactic portions of the Scripture give us the corrective explanation or else you have strong misinterpretations. So all the scriptures on God changing his mind relating to Jeremiah, Jonah:3, Exodus 32:14 Amos 7:3 ,God relented in his judgement to ninevah that means he changed his mind haha. Do we really think that if we say to God, “Well, I know you’re planning to do this, but have you considered this . . . ?” that God is going to change His plans based on the wisdom we provide Him?? God knows everything, has made the means and providentially uses the means to bring about his plans!
Unless of course you hold to Open theism and you suspect God’s just rolling the dice or once the sun comes up tomorrow God is watching and planning adjusting what he does in reaction to future events!
And yes there is a difference in God doing what he wants and everything that happens being what God wants! I don’t recall I ever stated that in any of the comments I made.
The Bible treats the will of God as his absolute sovereign decree by which he plans everything and sees to it that everything he plans comes to pass. And sometimes the Bible treats the Will of God as something that he commands, but which in fact does not always come to pass.Lamentations 3:32–33. Jeremiah is talking, and he’s describing the sufferings of Jerusalem under siege — horrible suffering. This is what he says: “Though he [the Lord] cause grief,he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” Here’s the amazing statement: “For he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” In other words, God is causing the grief, and it is not coming from his heart. Very interesting,God decrees that certain things happen that in some sense are not from his heart. That is, it is not his desire, which is a picture of the same divine dynamics in 1 Timothy 2:4.
My point is simple.
I assumed from your statements that you hold to the Calvinist definition of sovereignty…. determinism. God planned everything. If you dont, my mistake.
I have simply proposed on these pages that God does what He plans and what is the counsel of His will.
But not everything that happens is what God plans (Calvinism, Piper, James White) ….. even heinous sins.
My point —-and we see it hundreds of times in Scripture— is that God does not always get what He wants.
Richard,
You said “ha ha” …. “Do we really think that if we say to God…”
He say that very thing many time in many ways…. here’s one. No anthropomorphism here….
Jer 18:7 If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, 8 and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. 9 And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, 10 and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
Richard:
“If my people will …then I will..” (hundreds of time).
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (many if/then formulas like this throughout Scripture).
Jerusalem, Jerusalem…. I would have gathered you….but you would not. (Jesus wanted it….. they didnt do it).
If you come to the text insisting that God be a certain way, you will make these hundreds of examples “special” or “anthropomorphisms”…. but that is just starting with the answer and not listening to the text.
Otherwise…..why did God that “if you….I will, but if you dont….I wont” —–hundreds and hundreds of time? Just to confuse us?
Or just to have us say “He doesnt really mean that!”
My point is simple as well-
Gods Decreed will is determined and he does always get what he wants in that! Why else would he decree it?
His Will of Command i agree with you he dosent always get what he wants!
In regards to the Jeremiah passage i would just ask you honestly consider that interpertation and what that implies to everything if God can change his mind,character, ect.
Then this- If my people will …then I will..” (hundreds of time).
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (many if/then formulas like this throughout Scripture). Thats kind of broad in my opinion . You cant confuse a promise with a principle. Promises are always fulfilled 100 percent of the time. Principles state general truths. The book of Proverbs is often mistaken for a book of promises, when in fact it is a book of principles.The principle of “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6) is generally true and wise to heed. But it is not a guarantee that every child raised with godly instruction will become a believer in Jesus. We often apply a promise to ourselves before considering its original audience or its historical, cultural, or textual context. In some cases, a promise was made to a specific person for a specific reason and has no further application beyond its immediate context.
These are all pitfalls we can do.Overlooking the “if.” ,Choosing a promise selectively,Using a promise manipulatively. Sometimes we employ a verse as a promise because we want God to act a certain way. Probably the most abused passage in this category is “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them” (Matt. 18:20). Not only do we use it out of context, we also use it to try to coerce God into doing what we ask simply because we have gathered the requisite number of people to ask it. God’s promises to us should help us submit to his will, not bend him to ours. Limiting a promise to your own understanding. Even when we rightly recognize a promise as intended for us, we often impose our own understanding of exactly how it will be fulfilled. Or we are tempted to impose our own timeline on its fulfillment. Yes, God does have a plan to prosper you and not to harm you (Jer. 29:11), but as in the case of the people to whom those words were originally written, that “you” is more likely a collective reference to the body of believers, and that plan may play out across centuries in ways we can’t possibly predict. To recognize this intent does not diminish the beauty of the promise at all.
But anyways if you go back to my original comments/interaction with Eric Kemp and you my main point is there are certain things that are decreed and yes i would say other things are compatible in the sense God uses our “will of volition” ability to make choices in his providence. One of the greatest examples of Gods soverignty mans responsibility was the cross. Acts 2:23 –
“this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Acts 4:27-28
“for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” This is just one example i could provide many more they are responsible yet it was all in Gods plan! My main point with the lambs book of life is im sorry but i believe the bible clearly teaches God has an elect people which he predetermined before the world began and that is part of his decreed will when i take the whole of scripture.
Richard:
First of all I am a former Calvinist so I “get” (and no longer believe) the standard Acts 2 gotcha verses (used every time) to prove that man did it but God did it.
Second, you are using the man-invented will of volition, will of decree, will of command philosophy that are man-made and are mentioned nowhere in Scripture. These terms are all just brought to the text.
Third. Proverbs? What I did not mentioned Proverbs. I am talking about the hundreds of times in many, many books where God says that He would do X if man would do Y….or the reverse…He would not do X if man would not do Y. This is God speaking and laying down some clear conditional terms.
Fourth and most importantly ….you ask…..
” i would just ask you honestly consider that interpertation and what that implies to everything if God can change his mind,character, ect.”
What do you mean? What does it imply? God says he might change His plan and He is God. What are you saying? He can’t do that? He is deceiving us in the text (saying He could change His plan—-but the plans are decreed and set)?
Why must He be the way Greek philosophers (and you) say He must be?
I am very impressed with the many posts on the subject of Arminianism and reform or (calvinism) I wouldn’t have enough smarts to enter the debate. I am a reform and cessationist ( Calvinist doctrinally). TULIP I was a Charismatic at one point for about 23 years. Today after 2 years of listening and learning, I have never in my life had the joy and freedom that only Christ can bring. I’m 74 yrs old now and understand scripture more clearly than ever in my life. Thanks to people like John Macarthur, James White, Phil Johnson and the like. This Troy fellow on this debate has impressive knowledge, as well as some of the other Christian brothers. May our Lord Bless you one and all.
No hard feelings here but like i said i can show you tons of scripture on gods soverignty mans responsibility that one is a good picture of it thats all. Hoe about Isaiah 10 were God uses Assyria to Bring judgement on a nation 7, “Yet it [Assyria] does not so intend, nor does it plan so in its heart.” For he has said, ‘By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this’” (vv. 12–13) Man invented?? I love how everyone say “calvanist” is john calvins man made religion.. its what the bible teaches ! That would make God a liar thats why..Better call Paul, Jesus, most biblical authors man made doctrine ! Anyways God bless you Yes those men are some of the best bible expositors and teachers u !
Did it get changed back to “from” in the ESV? I just checked on a few websites (biblegateway, blueletterbible) and it says “from” instead of “before.”
Troy: “God MUST give us the faith to believe and then persevere to the end.” Help me here Please, if God MUST give us the faith to believe, what do we do with that faith He gives us? If we “use” it to believe, is that a “work” on our part, since we cannot do ANYTHING at all to please God? Does God end up believing for us? Is it possible that ‘faith/belief” in Christ AFTER hearing the Gospel is ONE action that is not considered a “work” by God…like Abraham, whose faith with counted as righteousness???? Thanks for an enlightening discussion. Selah!
Sorry to be the guy that came late to the argument… by a year and a half! LOL… Anyway, I’m on the fence between the Predestined doctrine and Free-For-All doctrine as I see many Scriptures to defend both points (which cause me to believe perhaps both camps are missing something more powerful… of which I’m still seeking). I believe that as for myself, I’m saved, regardless of that being by God’s predestined choice or my free will to choose Him. That is sealed in my heart and I love my Lord Jesus with a fiery passion! I do have a question to those on the Predestiny side (maybe that guy Troy if he’s still monitoring this conversation). If salvation is predestined in me, and one day, no matter my choice, I will choose Jesus as Lord and Savior, then why the command of Christ to go out and make Him known? Why is the entirety of the NT directing us Christians who were predetermined by God’s Sovereign Hand to enjoy His salvation, to live up to such salvation and tell as many as we can about it? Why is this treasure of the Gospel stored in these fragile jars of clay and not in the hands of mighty angels or the powerful Holy Spirit of God? Truly an honest question needing an honest answer. Thanks and God bless (unless He already has…☺️).
Hi Brandon! You are never too late… but Troy may not have his notifications on for this post. We’ll see. But, though not a Calvinist, let me try to answer your question like they probably would. God has predestined the whole story of human history which includes every event leading up to the individual salvation of each of His elect, and so for His glory (some of which is a mystery to us), He predestined the use of human means to get the gospel to those He has elected and to make His act of regeneration prior to their hearing the gospel, make them accept the gospel when they hear it.
The bigger question, in my view, is why predestine everything to only work out one way. That logically make free will decisions impossible, and in my view, personal love from man to God also impossible.
December 12, 2017 at 8:59 pm
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@Brent Beauford:
Reply to blog post at :
@Brent Beauford:
There are some problems with your theory. First, the ESV translators did not translate the word as “before”. The RSV translated the word as “before”. The ESV simply left it as is.
Second, the Catholic edition of the RSV also left the translation with “before”. I don’t think too many people will argue that Catholics are Calvinists.
Third, those were not the only translations to use “before”. The following translations all used “before” in Rev 13.8. Are they all Calvinist?
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
God’s Word (GW)
Good News Translation (GNT)
New International Reader’s Vesion (NIrV)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE)
As to “before” not being a “correct translation”, check out Acts 7.45 and 1 John 2.28 in the KJV, NASB, NKJV, NRSV, etc.
Here’s what the UBS Translator’s Handbook says:
« Not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain: for the book of life see 3.5; for the Lamb that was slain, see 5.6,9.
In Greek the phrase “from the foundation of the earth” comes at the end of the verse, immediately following the Lamb that was slain. Most translations, relying in part on 17.8, connect “from the foundation of the earth” with the verbal phrase been written. See TEV “except those whose names were written before the creation of the world in the book of the living.” Some, however, connect it with “the Lamb that was slain”: Phps, NIV, and REB (a change from NEB); and this understanding of the verse is supported by some commentators (for example, Sweet, Caird) who point out that such a statement is not without parallel in other New Testament passages (see especially 1 Peter 1.19–20). A translator must decide which interpretation to follow; it may be possible to have one in the text and the other one in a footnote. All in all, it seems preferable to go along with RSV, TEV, and others.
The various items of information should be properly related to one another in terms of the development of the narrative. Something like the following may serve as a model for this verse:
Everyone on earth will worship him, except those whose names were written in the book of the living before the world was created. That book belongs to the Lamb who was killed.
…whose names were recorded in the book in which God has written down before the world was created the names of those who really have life. That book belongs to the Lamb whom people killed. »
Source: C. Haas, M. de Jonge, and J. L. Swellengrebel, A Translator’s Handbook on the Revelation to John, UBS Translator’s Handbooks; Accordance electronic ed. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), paragraph 59293.
I asked James Swanson (editor of The Exhaustive NIV Concordance, The Exhaustive NLT Concordance, and Strongest Strong’s). He said:
« Apo (From) in the the Genitive case can have as I recall spactial, temporal, and logical meanings. Here it is temporal.
From the foundation could mean perhaps “from the moment the foundation was established” in that sense then “since the foudation” could be the gloss. If “from a time prior to the foundation” then before would be an acceptable gloss.
Prepositions can be very bendy and stretchy things.
I know Louw has many domain entries for this preposition. BDAG lexicon also may site this example.
They of course could also be wrong. But they at least had been studying in overview all the possible meanings and glosses. »
I asked another friend who has a Ph.D. in New Testament studies and is fluent in Biblical Greek. He said:
« I think the reason the translators have chosen “before” is because a possible concept that “apo” can communicate is origin/source, particularly a divine origin. So, “before” gives that idea of a divine source. »
However, I’m not even sure why “before” is supposed to be more Calvinist than “since”, “from”, etc. What Calvinist principle is being promoted?
A Calvinist friend said:
« I really don’t see how “from the foundation” is any more or any less Calvinist than “before the foundation”. From a Calvinist point of view both imply that the names of the elect were written in a book and those not elect their names are not in the book. The names are in or out of the book prior to anything anyone has done or not done.
I’m a Calvinist and I prefer the NASBs or NKJVs “from” reading. I don’t think the before adds anything to my theological position. »
Jacob says: April 19, 2018 at 7:13 am
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I didn’t even have to read your whole article before deciding to post my comment. If you truly don’t think there is Calvinist bias to the ESV, then you need to re-read the book of Acts. Chapter 8, preferably. Cross referenced with the KJV (no, I’m not a KJV onlyist, but I do believe it is the purest and truest english translation). The omittence of Acts 8:37, supports the “regeneration before faith” doctrine. Do you honestly, whole-heartedly believe that Philip would just simply baptize the eunuch because he asked him to? Do you honestly, whole-heartedly believe that Jesus didn’t say he was there to save that “which was lost” (Matthew 18:11)? I encourage all my brethren to seek truth to the fullest. My deepest thoughts and prayers.
I want to clarify a mistake I might have made when I was responding to Mr. Eric Kemp. He mentioned something of the concept of the “Eternal Now Knowledge of God.” I think I now understand more clearly what he may have meant but he can clarify for me if he wants.
The “Eternal Now Knowledge of God” is not the same as God Omniscience, God’s Eternal Infinite Exhaustive Perfect Knowledge where he knew everything and every action (good or wicked) of every decision or action that will ever exist. This God knows infinitely, and perfectly from all eternity before he ever created.
The “Eternal Now Knowledge of God” could be God actually seeing presently from eternity what he already “knew infinitely and perfectly would happen from eternity.” I do say in my comment to Eric above that God does see in time and history what he infinitely and perfectly knew would be from eternity.
But I want to address a statement that Dr. Flowers made in his article.
Dr. Flowers said and I quote: “NOTICE: All statements where “before the foundation of the world” is used, is given with reference to Christ. (John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20)”
This just is not true and even one that I notice I believe and others I respectfully think he interprets incorrectly. That being Ephesians 1:4 as for one.
Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
I already asked in one place (just when did CORPORATE ELECTION BEGIN TO BE DEVELOPED AND TAUGHT)
Dr. Sean Cole has a very interesting podcast on his website tracking it back to Karl Barth who seemed to pick up on it from another person (whose name I could not spell if I tried) in the 1920’s and the 1930’s. Can it be traced and found in the early Church Fathers. That is (CORPORATE ELECTION)
This is interesting since much has been made about Augustine being the inventor of what we now call today the Reformed Calvinistic Faith.
Then how about William Wredes Secret Motif of 1901. Wow! Now that is really new, recent and suspect. It is rejected by the majority of Orthodox Christianity that being Non-Calvinist and Calvinist Christians.
But was William Wredes Secret Motif of 1901 ever taught by the (EARLY CHURCH FATHERS) If so I would like to know where since what Augustine and what the Reformed Faith teaches today is rejected partially because it is said the ECF did not teach it. Although I have found many verses that allude to it in the ECF. Read John Gill Cause of God and Truth part 4.
So we reject some things because it is said it is not found in the ECF then we accept other things like “The Secret Motif that was invented in 1901 that I would say was not taught by the ECF. I wonder after listening to Church Historian and Scholar Dr. Sean Cole if the ECF even taught (CORPORATE ELECTION) as I think it is imposed but respectfully (because it is truly what one believes) on Ephesians 1:1-14.
But Ephesians 1:4 clearly says that God chose, elected, picked out, “US” (the us made up of individuals) “in Christ’ (not to be in Christ) that we should be without blame and holy before Him.
There is a direct connection between the US, and individual saved Christians in Verse 1 of Ephesians and the word “before”. Not to Jesus. Paul says it it to the “individual saints who are in Ephesus and the faithful (believing ones in the Original Greek) Christ Jesus.
Then the Apostle Paul includes himself as and individual with the Saints at Ephesus and Faithful in Christ Jesus when he did not include himself in verse one.
He does so in verse three adding himself as an individual to the US. By say God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
The following verses after Ephesians 1:4, in verse 5 says, “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”
We are Elected, Chosen, Picked out, By God before time began, from all eternity then predestined to be saved/adoption as sons in Christ Jesus to Himself in Time and History.
So Yeah, respectfully I do think the word “before” is very much related to the US, the individuals, chosen in Christ before time began to be holy and blameless before God. I do not think it refers to a collective election or to the blessings of being Holy and Blameless. The Greek just will not allow for it.
You say well Kevin You do not know Greek. I know one who does. I have his complete Biblical Greek Exegesis on this on as to how it is not speaking of Corporate Election or referring to Blessings of Holy and blameless in Christ being held in Christ stagnant until the right time in the future when one is saved. Very odd and ambiguous understanding here. But I do respect the theological theories and have tried to understand them.
2 Timothy 1:9 – the One having saved us and having called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, having been given us in Christ Jesus before time eternal,
2 Timothy 1:9 – who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,
Here is one Dr. Flowers maybe did not see. If he had I am sure he would have a different perspective than I do and I respect that.
The word “before” is not in this verse but without any uncertain terms this verse clearly and emphatically tells us that “God saved the audience being spoken to (as he does today) called them with a “Holy Calling” (as he does today, “not according to their works” (which is still true today saved by grace alone through faith alone ultimately because of Christ alone)
but all of this is “according to God’s own purpose (remember the eternal purpose in Christ Jesus and Jesus was prophesied to be the Savior before the Foundation of the World, before time began, 1 Peter 1:20)
so “according to God’s own purpose and grace which he gave the audience being spoken to in Christ Jesus before (TIMES ETERNAL, FROM ALL ETERNITY, BEFORE TIME BEGAN)
There are no two ways of Salvation, The same application is made to us. We can say no one existed but God was giving someone “grace in Christ before time eternal, before time began”
God is the Eternal God who calls those THINGS THAT BE NOT (THAT DO NOT EXIST) as though they were.
Blessings in Christ to all of you!!!
1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, ….since God knows everything, he knows who is going to believe….Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
The Lord knew that you will make this video and have this discussions on the comment sections before the foundation of the universe!
What I don’t understand is how anyone can call themselves a student of the bible, but can’t understand that the bible clearly teaches that we (believers) are chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) and are predestined unto our adoption as sons (1:5). If you can understand that Christ was slain, before, and we were chosen, before; it’s simply a matter of putting 2 and 2 together at this point in understanding that our names are written in the book, before. Elementary, really.
Thanks for the lesson in hermeneutics Shawn!
All non-Calvinists are stupid then? or unbiblical? or not good students?
There are lots of “simple” things in the Bible:
—“hate your parents” (pretty simple)
—Christ talking to His father—-so— separate beings right? That “simpleness” got us the JW’s
—saved and immediately baptized (Ethiopian) (“simple” method for everyone?)
—“He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9) (but in simple Calvinism He actually wants most people to be destroyed).
I could go on and on….
You show your naivete Shawn with such statements.
The word chosen is stated about Israel many many times….and yet some of them cursed God, rebelled, and were cut off and eliminated. How does the simple “chosen” word work for you there?
How about Judas? “He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them…”
Chosen…. “in Him!!!!” is well discussed in non-Calvinist, biblical literature! But if you insist on only looking through Calvinist lenses then you will see what you want to see.
I am Primitive Baptist, I believe these words “before” and “from” are teaching 2 different things. You are right about how many people have changed these 2 words to fit there doctrine.We were elected by God before the foundation of the world. We were written in the Lambs book of Life from the foundation of the world. “Before” is teaching an eternal salvation. “From” is teaching a timely salvation we experience in this life. The founding of the world was the 6 days of creation and the 7th day of rest. God Bless you and thanks for the article
Hello Jerry Strawder and welcome
A question for you: What were we elected for?
Lol, I thought you would never ask. (Just kidding)
I believe all of Gods children were elected “before” the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blame before him in love. I believe that after the final resurrection we will all be with God in Heaven.
I believe there is a timely election taught in scripture as well. God elected a certain people in this world to serve him in Spirit and in Truth. All of God’s children are part of the 1st election, but not all are part of the second election. No doubt a person has to have the 1st one before they could have the 2nd one. This is what God meant when he said Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated. This ONLY pertains to the timely election. Jacob was elected to enter into the promised land.
Hey Jerry,
Not sure I understood your comment, but I’m interested.
Not long after the elected or “chosen” people left Egypt, some of them were swallowed up in the earth and others were killed by the sword (after the golden calf). Were they “chosen”? Part of the chosen people.
Furthermore, around that same time, some very “non-chosen-people” (Rahab of Jericho, Ruth of Moab) became “elected/chosen” by faith and their actions (in Rahab’s case it was disobeying, hiding men, and lying…but in faith!).
How do the words elect or chosen fit in these cases for you?
I feel that we have to first understand (I don’t mean that in any derogatory sense toward you or anyone else) these 2 elections are different from each other. Most Old line Primitive Baptist (I’m not an Old line Primitive Baptist) make these 2 elections,1 in the same, but they are not. The Eternal election has nothing to do with faith, in the sense that God the Father did this before creation. Everyone who was elected will be in Heaven through the finished work of Jesus. They don’t have to believe it for it to be so. In fact I feel that the majority of God’s children don’t believe it.
The timely election (I just use this terminology to help understand which election I’m speaking about, the scriptures don’t really do that) is a group of people chosen out of the Eternal elect (sometimes we call this the elect within the elect) This group of people are given an experience that teaches them that they are very great sinners and that Christ saved them. So they are given faith. They are blessed to have a fellowship in this life with the Father and the Son, through faith. This is what the scriptures call The Kingdom of Heaven. Most of Jesus teachings are concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. The Old Testament, Land of Canaan is a type and shadow of the Kingdom of Heaven or this sweet fellowship with the Father and Son through the Spirit. While we can’t lose our eternal home in heaven through disobedience. We can lose that fellowship though disobedience etc. That’s what Korah lost. That’s what the ones killed by the sword lost. The Lord gave Rahab and Ruth faith.
Hello Jerry and welcome
What verses state these particular elections?
Jerry,
I certainly understand your position…and held it. See most of the posts in the last 2 years and my comments will be in there affirming my previous Calvinist (Primitive Baptist) position.
Per your post…
1. You use a lot of definitions and statements that “help” you understand. I believe, as a 30+ year veteran, overseas missionary, that the Scriptures and the Gospel are simple. Easy to understand. If we needed Western or Greek wording and phrasing, then that simple truth would always be prisoner to an outside (clergy) coming “to interpret for the masses.” That sets up a hierarchy (that early Calvinists were happy to live with!!) ….and we dont see the need for one.
So, it is no surprise that you start with ….”I feel that we have to first understand…”
2. “The Eternal election has nothing to do with faith, in the sense that God the Father did this before creation. Everyone who was elected will be in Heaven through the finished work of Jesus.”
The part of your statement above that is Scriptural… we all believe here! We will be elected and it will be through the work of Jesus!! Amen! The first part you just made up “eternal election has nothing to do with faith.” Sorry, friend. You bring that to the Scriptures (not get it from them).
3. Really interesting!!! You said: “They don’t have to believe it for it to be so. In fact I feel that the majority of God’s children don’t believe it.”
I have always found that incredibly interesting. Most Calvinists (sometimes begrudgingly) allow the rest of us to be part of the family (some Calvinists flat out do not!!).
So… they preach the 5 solas and the 5 points of Calvinism (and often infant baptism) and that the entire process is God-manipulated, orchestrated, directed, determined, decreed, ordained. And yet… even though God is gonna micro-manage this to the point of “irresistible election” (you do not get a say or opinion)… He is still gonna “allow” (or is that determine?) that most of elect dont believe that they were elected!!!
Why? He can determine (decree, ordain) all other things in the universe, but can’t quite manage to get His own elect to believe they were elected? He allows (decrees) that they go through life and arrive in heaven thinking that they had some small part to do with it…in faith?
This idea (that a “dead” man has any faith) is a total affront to most Calvinists. And yet, “some of the elect”—- oh, wait, you said “the majority” of the elect are decreed to think it and preach it over and over….
Do you see how puzzling that sounds to the rest of us?
4. I am trying not to let this get too long. “The Lord gave Rahab and Ruth faith.” Well, there you go. Just adding that. I cannot find that anywhere. I do find this in Hebrews 11:
1. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.” (“commended for”???) Do you commend someone for something they were “irresistibly forced” to do?
Who are these ancients? One of them is Rahab and it says this.
31 “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient”
Nah… It never says anything about “giving her faith”. Even the verse above shows that God made the walls fall down AFTER they showed faith and marched around them. In fact the whole chapter is about people’s faith. You would be making a mockery of that concept if you taught that anything and everything that those people did was because of a faith that was “irresistibly imposed” on them. If that were true, what’s the point of even bringing it up? To “encourage our faith”?
One place is in John 6:39-40, both elections are taught.
The first one is eternal (verse 39) and there is no belief or believing in that verse.
39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
The second one (verse 40) has belief involved in it. First you have to see the Son, and believe on him. The resurrection spoken of here is when we are raised to walk in a newness of life and we have the Holy Spirit walking with us. Everlasting Life.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Romans 9:9-18 Is a good text to show a timely election.
Romans 11:5 Teaches a timely election
Israel, in the Old Testament is the very example of God calling a special people to serve Him. I feel that this is the Church today. Spiritual Israel. Out of every nation kindred and tongue. Isn’t that awesome there is no middle wall of partition between denominations or people. It’s not my Church is the chosen people and yours is not. Whoever and where ever Spiritual Israel is. The Lord is right there in the midst of them.
The Bible is full of this teaching. Lol, you know where these scriptures are brother.
Jerry,
Thanks for sticking around and for your kind words.
Many times a Calvinist will come for 2-3 visits and then (sometimes) say we are (some form of the idea of) heretics and move on back to monergism.com.
Yes, indeed, we do know all the 40-50 passages and verses that you might cite. Most of them have an original post (and hundreds of comments) on this very site.
It is your statement below that leads many Calvinists to infant baptism:
“Israel, in the Old Testament is the very example of God calling a special people to serve Him. I feel that this is the Church today. Spiritual Israel.”
I posted recently how many of the young people in one of the countries where we served are turning to Calvinism…and subsequently to infant baptism (which they adamantly opposed previously).
Baptism doesn’t qualify a child of God for heaven. After a child of God has the experience of regeneration or the experience where God shows him/her their sinful nature and then shows them that their Saviour is Jesus. That cleans their conscience, gives them a good conscience toward God. In other words they see that God all the time was for them and on their side. They begin to understand that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself not imputing their trespasses unto them. Then they are a candidate for baptism. It’s a form of obedience to the Lord and there is a saving in it, but not an eternal salvation, because they already had that. They then raise to walk in a newness of life, to have a sweet fellowship with the Father and Son. (In the Kingdom of Heaven)
I don’t see any reason to strive with God’s people or argue or anything like that. I appreciate your Spirit. I believe you’re saved and I believe I’m saved. What is there to argue about. Yeah, we might discuss some differences in belief, but neither one of us will change the plan of God and I think we agree God is good and has nothing but his children’s good in mind. Lol.
I don’t see Jesus putting up walls of division, but rather breaking them down. I’m a sinner saved by grace and you’re a sinner saved by grace. Lol
The ground is level at the cross.
God Bless you brother
I might say that I believe that regeneration is misunderstood by most .
In John the 3rd Chapter Jesus taught 2 different births. The first one is being born of the Spirit. That is when a person becomes a child of God. Without that birth (that we are completely passive in) a person cannot see the Kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t say that everyone who is born of the Spirit will see the Kingdom, but He’s saying there are no exceptions, we must have that birth to see, if God allows us to see. He basically just told Nicodemus that he was already a child of God, otherwise he couldn’t have seen the miracles and credit them to God.
The second birth is regeneration. Except you be born of the water and Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Again there are no exceptions. I believe that we are chosen by God for this experience. This is the elect within the elect. It is completely by Gods Grace. We are passive in the experience, but we need to love, serve, be obedient to, believe in the Lord, etc.
I feel that most Children of God can see the miracles and credit God for them and praise God for them, but they haven’t been called or elected for the 2nd birth that Jesus taught. But they might be in the future we just don’t know all the works of God and what He’s going to do.
Thanks for the details.
I’m gonna have to let someone else pick this up. I’m out of time right now and you have presented very non-traditional positions (gone outside the Calvinist camp). I’m not even sure I have heard this kind of thing mentioned before, so I hope others can pick this up with you!
Stick around!
Yes Sir, and thank you. “Let us go forth unto him without the camp, bearing His reproach.”
May God richly bless you
Welcome Jerry! Some quick questions. Are you pastoring? Are you in submission to pastoral oversight? Do you believe the Scriptures are inerrant? Do you believe Scriptures are clear enough in all necessary sound doctrine for any believer to figure out using normal rules of grammar and context? Thx!
I’m a non-Calvinist. I became one of the elect in Christ through faith when God made me His everlasting child. Praise His wonderful Name!
Brian,
When did you become a Jew? Elect, huh? Interesting.
Hi Brian,
The Church I attend does not have an ordained Elder right now. I am an ordained deacon and am doing my best until we find a pastor or feel lead to become an Elder. Until then we will try and continue to serve the Lord.
I do believe that the Lord in His wisdom has preserved the teachings that are in scripture. However there is a place or 2 that I wonder if man didn’t transpose perfectly. (Hope that makes sense)
I believe the Bible is a Spiritual book and that it takes the Spirit to understand it. Some things, we can read and understand, some things were spoken in parables and allegories. These teaches take revelation from the Spirit. Often times teachings in scripture are teaching different teachings than what it seems to be on the surface.
Thank you Jerry for telling me more about yourself. I hope the Lord raises up qualified oversight for your congregation soon or gives wisdom how to be a better testimony for Christ until then.
I believe that necessary truth in Scripture for salvation and spiritual growth is clear enough for even as unsaved man to know what it says (even if he doesn’t believe it or want to do it).
Everything else are things we can come to beneficial understanding for ourselves as individuals, through the Spirit’s guidance, but those “discoveries” should not be used to divide believers or for qualifications for oversight.
For example… I’ll give you $100 for one clear verse that says the Lamb’s Book of Life had even one name in it at the foundation of the world! 😎 That the book had all the names of the elect in it at/from the foundation of the world is a very doubtful thing, from my study of that topic being guided by the Spirit, I think. 😊
The Church I attend/pastor has a Facebook page, if you’re interested. If not, no harm no foul. Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church in Spencer Indiana. We are a non-traditional Primitive Baptist Church.
God Bless, Brother Jerry Strawder
Yeah, I agree with what you said about the Book of Life, I don’t think it tells any names. The scriptures just say that it was written “from” the foundation of the world. I’ve always thought of that being in the first 6 days of creation and the 7th day of rest. But, it might just be teaching that from the creation up to the present. Which makes more sense to me. Hey Brian thanks for being Christian in discussing these topic. Some people sound rude in discussing things and that never helps anyone. Iron sharpeneth Iron.
Thanks for the kind thoughts, Jerry… Actually, no verse actually says anything was “written from the foundation of the world” in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The verses in Revelation talk about names that were “not written”… so we can infer reasonably that names started to be added “from the foundation of the world.”
Here are some of my thoughts.
Rev 17, 8
The Book of Life existed “from the foundation of the world”… names were added to it “from” not “before”. See similar use of the iterative use of the perfect in the word “shed” in Luke 11:50-51.
Luk 11:50-51 NKJV – “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple….” All the blood was shed (iterative perfect tense) at different times after (from) the foundation of the world.
A book is a created thing associated with creation. It did not exist before creation. The word “from” is significant and does not mean “before” but has a terminus a quo and goes forward from there.
See the idea of names being added to the Book of Life, which is called being “written with the righteous” in Ps 69:28 using the imperfect tense in Hebrew for the verb “written”, meaning, “not yet written”. That verse also mentions another book of life, the book of the living, which is the physical life of all humans. That book of life is also one that names could be blotted out of it, meaning, physical death.
Psa 69:28 NKJV – Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.
The idea of writing going on now in heaven is found in many places in the Scripture. And there is even a mention of a future event of the writing of new names.
Rev 3:12 NKJV – 12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And [I will write on him] My new name.”
So the premise of names being added after the foundation of the world to the book of life of the Lamb that was slain is consistent with the context and grammar of Rev 17:8. Those in that verse never had their names added to the Book of Life that has existed from the foundation of the world.
Yeah, I agree with all that. That’s how I see it.
Amen !
Brian,
Then how do you see the following:
Exodus 32:32
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
Exodus 32:33
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Do you see this as “IN THE FLESH (life on earth), or “IN THE SPIRIT (eternal life)”?
The “grammar” indicates that this book was ALREADY WRITTEN. It also discusses SIN. IN the context of sin, it is in regards to FORGIVING or not forgiving.
Moses asks God to forgive them of their sin, or let him die the natural death? From the looks of it, Moses is willing to take their sins upon his shoulders to SAVE them (ANOTHER SPIRITUAL REFERENCE TO JESUS, as Moses is considered a REDEEMER). Natural death of the body doesn’t solve anything here.
Deuteronomy 9:14
Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
That verse is very clear, due to the words, “UNDER heaven”, just like Ecclesiastes states, Nothing New “UNDER THE SUN”, meaning, THIS LIFE.
But how about Exodus 32 above? THIS natural life, or eternal life?
And if it is eternal life, then my conclusion is that EVERYONE is written in the book of life from the foundation, and THEN names are BLOTTED OUT as things go, hence those whose names are not written in the book of life in Revelation.
The word BLOTTED OUT indicates a once written in, so the real quesiton is WHEN WAS IT ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN before it can be blotted out. That is just plain common sense.
I don’t see Rev 3:12 as being related, because as the words indicate, the new name is written ON (not a book).
On a side note that I know you don’t believe, but our spirit exists long before we were born in the flesh. So our names are not written when we are born, but before we are conceived. And I don’t see anything in the bible that names are added to any book of life. The book is finished with the adding, but erasing can happen at any time.
In either case, your claim, or mine, still disproves Calvinism. And that is the ultimate goal!
Ed Chapman
In Israel the Book of Life was a census book, that as a child was born, their name was written in the Book of Life. Everyone who was written in the book had the benefits, privileges, rights, etc.. of living in the Theocracy. They where citizens of the commonwealth of Israel. If they committed sin to the extent that their name was blotted out of the book, they were excommunicated and no longer had the rights, benefits, etc. of the Theocracy.
Today, when we come to believe in Jesus for our salvation, (this is a birth) our names are written in the Book of Life. We have become part of Spiritual Israel. (Eph2:12) and (Eph2:19) We now have the rights, privileges, etc… of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Theocracy of Christ. If we begin to sin against the Lord, our names can be blotted out. We die Spiritually, to the sweet fellowship of Jesus. This is all timely, in this life. That’s why our names were written in the Book of Life “from” the foundation of the world. I don’t mean this in an arrogant way when I say this, but most folks don’t understand this so they have to make it eternal and say it means “before” the foundation of the world. The Book of Life “only” pertains to our fellowship with Christ in this life. It has nothing to do with our eternal salvation. We can lose our fellowship with Christ in this life. This does not effect our eternal salvation. We don’t go to Heaven by faith. We are justified by faith in this life, but that doesn’t get us to Heaven. We were already going to Heaven by being chosen in Christ “before” the foundation of the world. In other words there is an eternal salvation, that we will have in the resurrection by the blood of Christ. But there is a timely salvation that we get to enjoy here, by believing in the finished work of Christ. After we believe we are sealed and get to enjoy the earnest of the inheritance. So we get to enjoy a part of our eternal inheritance right now, through faith, while we are on this earth. When we get to Heaven we get to enjoy the full inheritance.
Jerry,
With all due respect, I do not believe in spiritual Israel. Israel is Jacob, and Jacob’s children are under the law of Moses. We Gentiles were never in that family line, and never were under the bondage of the law. We can’t be spiritual Israel.
Our family line, if you will is ABRAHAM, (JESUS IS THE PROMISED SEED) Jesus, then YOU. We bypass Israel (Jacob) altogether. We are the sons of Abraham thru Jesus, not thru Jacob. We can never be spiritual Israel.
I also do not buy into the CHOSEN thing, either, becasue there is a “TO BE” that is being missed as the SUBJECT of the chosen.
And lastly, I believe that the ONLY ELECT is Jews only, meaning, that I believe that reformed Baptists/Baptists/Calvinists don’t properly DEFINE Elect. They define Elect as, what? Saved? Christian? Not me. Isaiah states, “ISREAL, MINE ELECT”, and again, I do not believe in a spiritual Israel.
Finally, I believe that the word regeneration only pertains to blind Jews, not everybody at large.
Hebrews 11:1, faith broken down to the lowest common denominator is: KNOWING that you are going to get what you are waiting patiently for.
Again, for reference:
Exodus 32:32
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
Exodus 32:33
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
The author of this book is God himself, not a census taker. Moses indicates a past tense “HAST WRITTEN”, not a current tense, BEING WRITTEN.
I do indeed believe in TWO books of life, one for THIS LIFE, and one pertaining to ETERNAL life, and the above, it is clear to me that Exodus 32 is ETERNAL LIFE, not THIS life. Then take it to the LAST part of Revelation, where those not written in it (which I take it to be BLOTTED OUT, Christians are DEAD TO SIN, so they can’t be blotted out), are thrown into the lake of fire, and that is ETERNAL, not pertaining to THIS LIFE.
When one commits SIN, that separates one from God, and that is a matter of eternal life, not this life. Sin is a topic of Exodus 32.
Ed Chapman
Abraham found that he was justified by faith without the deeds of the law, here in this life. He didn’t find that he was going to Heaven by faith. Also, I didn’t know that the ultimate goal of this blog was to disprove Calvinism. I think that’s a very carnal goal. Isn’t studying the word of God to come to the knowledge of the truth. To study to shew ourselves approved unto God. work men that need not to be ashamed, before God, rightly dividing the word of truth. Isn’t that the goal. Maybe this blog isn’t for me if that’s not the goal. I really don’t consider myself a Calvinist. I think Christian is the proper term. I’m not following Calvin, he’s dead. I serve a risen Saviour.
Jerry,
There was no law of Moses in the days of Abraham.
Have you ever read Romans 4, regarding Abraham? Have you ever read Hebrews 11, regarding Abraham? God made him a promise and he believed it. THAT IS FAITH, so how can you say that He didn’t find that he was going to Heaven by faith?
YES HE DID. Hebrews 11:1, defined to the lowest lowest lowest common denominatory: FAITH IS KNOWING THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET WHAT YOU ARE WAITING FOR.
Did you realize that Abraham was married to his sister? IS that a sin under the law of Moses? YES, it is. Did he KNOW about it? NO he didn’t. WHY? Because there was NO LAW OF MOSES TELLING HIM. Did God tell him? NO, he didn’t. WHY?
That is what you should research.
Ed Chapman
Jerry,
I am not positive who that remark was directed at…but perhaps by now you can see that it is not the “ultimate goal of this blog was to disprove Calvinism.”
Ed jumped in with his favorite “Israel” part, and others may have other side roads that they want to travel…
But it IS called “Soteriology 101” so it has a lot to do with the “how/when” in salvation and therefore the 5-points of Calvin do come up.
You will see that most (all) of us are calling Calvinists “brothers” while disputing the 5 points.
You will see that most of the Calvinists that come on here will in turn call us (Bible-believing, born-again, Christ-alone commentators) “brothers” also. It happens occasionally that a young buck YRR Calvinist will come on…. think we just missed a few things and need a little help….comment 8 times…. and when we dont just jump on (like he likely did with his friends a few month before) he will shout “heretics” as he slams the door on the way out. Sad but true.
Okay, with all that said: there are a few of us on here (like Leighton, me) who spent years being Calvinists. We even brought others to “the Doctrines of Grace.” In my case it was just reading through the Bible (in a year, for 15 years) and asking: “Could Calvinism be true in this passage?” that helped me leave that behind.
In those readings, I found myself encountering the Calvinist proof texts very rarely, but saying almost daily “Calvinism makes no sense in a simple reading of this passage.” I decided to look for alternative answers to the 30-40 proof texts of my Calvinism —-and found them!
So, for me….. this is part of the reason that I visit here. You may call that carnal if you so choose. I prefer to think of it as a way to help others make the Scriptures come alive again!
Yes, there is a Spiritual Israel. Gal. 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise. He’s talking to Gentiles not Jews. Romans 11:25-26 blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. And so all Israel shall be saved. Once again Paul’s talking to Gentiles. (Romans)
Yes Abraham did believe that he was going to Heaven, but that’s not what got him to Heaven. He believed in the Messiah coming and being the sacrifice. Weather we believe what Christ did or not we will be in heaven, because he didn’t die in vain. We don’t have to receive His sacrifice, God did.
Jerry,
Abraham is NOT Israel. Jacob is Israel. Jacob’s name was the one changed to Israel, not Abraham. The CHILDREN of Jacob (Isreal) are under the law.
And I already mentioned Galtians 3:29 without referencing it, because I said that our family line is Abraham, Jesus (Galatians 3:16), then you, hence SONS OF ABRAHAM.
NO, Romans 9-11 is NOT about the Gentiles at all. All of it is about the NATURAL SEED of Abraham, and in order for the NATURAL seed of Abraham to become the SPIRITUAL seeed of Abraham, then JESUS must save them, and since they are BLIND AS A BAT, Jesus will save them DUE TO IGNORANCE IN UNBELIEF, just like Romans 11 states. MERCY DUE TO UNBELIEF, due to blindness. THEY only is ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED. The discussion is about them, not us. There is no spiritual Israel.
Here is FURTHER PROOF about Jews/Blindness/MERCY
BLINDNESS AND NO SIN:
John 9:39-41
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
NOTICE THE WORDS IN VERSE 41? Blind=no sin. If they claim to see…sin REMAINS.
NEXT:
Why did Paul get mercy?
1 Timothy 1:13 (Paul, speaking of himself)
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Now, if Paul got mercy due to ignorance in UNBELIEF as a JEW…
Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
That is about the BLIND JEWS, not the Gentiles.
They rejected Jesus DUE to the blindness that God put on them from the word GO. That blindness is NOT due to anything that they did.
Romans 5:20
The law was given SO THAT…SO THAT…what? So that sin would INCREASE, not DECREASE.
Is that how you see the first part of Romans 5:20, as I do? HOW do you suppose SIN INCREASES? Remember the “SO THAT” part of the equation.
The Jews sins PILE UP AND UP AND UP…but will be wiped clean, ALL BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE IN UNBELIEF, due to blindness.
Have you ever considered the TYPE AND SHADOW of Joseph and his BRETHREN with Jesus and the Jews?
Ed Chapman
You are confused brother
Jerry,
Not at all. I laid it all out. But there is a LOT MORE that I can use to back it up even more, too.
You are lying against God plain and simple. Isreal doesnt have to be jewish blood only. Your adoption by God makes you isreal. Your the one way wrong most of what calvin said was right. How can you do amy thing for your own salvation. Just like Stalin right before he died could have said oh christ save me. Power no choice but to save stalin. Thats right he also couldnt put your name in any book if youccould save yourself and have free will. As if you have free will u could change your mind at the last secounds before death and get saved. Just like every dirtbag out there you have power over that false god. He couldnt be omnipresent omnipotent or any other omni if you have free will. Duh. So keep word twisting lying against god there is a special place in hell for your type. Remeber that when you see and stand before Christ and just like all workers of iniquity he says get away from me i NEVER KNEW YOU. You think those that cast out demons and preformed miracles in HIS NAME didnt know they were surely saved. They are doing what your doing right now. Lying against God standing on their own free will works. You cant read the bible and believe what you do UNLESS God allows you. When god shows you the truth you wouldnt believe a thing of what u say and you could see the deception behind it
Dawn
Firstly:
As monitor of SOT101 I had to remove some of the expletives from your post – because it went way below the boundaries of acceptable language. Anyone who would lower themselves to such language – especially in a public forum – certainly raises the question of representing the name of Jesus Christ.
Secondly:
If what you say is true – and most of what John Calvin says is right – then the person you are addressing was infallibly decreed to think every thought and believe every belief. The impulses which come to pass within that person’s mind – do so by infallible decree – and as such occur IRRESISTIBLY.
John Calvin
-quote
They are merely instruments, into which god CONSTANTLY INFUSES infuses what energy he sees meet, and
turns and converts to any purpose at his pleasure. (Institutes)
Anyone who takes what John Calvin says as right – would address their words of displeasure directly to Calvin’s god who (as you say) does not grant any free-will to humans.
test
test
Whether it’s “before” the foundation of the world or “from” the foundation of the world, in either case, it was before I was born! The point being made in the scripture is that this is about God’s election.
“Even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) — it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” -Romans 9:11-12
You could say in this case that “from” their mother’s womb God had already made his choice. “From” the creation of the world or “before” the creation of the world? It doesn’t really matter! The result is still the same! God is making choices about us before we ever enter into this world or take a breath.
Hello Mike and welcome
I agree that “before” and “from” the foundation of the world – essentially mean the same thing.
I personally prefer the semantics of “at” the foundation of the world
And yes – the critical point is – that choices occur prior to the existence of any human being.
And 100% of whatsoever WILL come to pass is established – prior to the existence of any human being.
And it is critical to recognize – that ZERO% is left UN-Determined – prior to the existence of any human being
Which means that – this leaves ZERO% of anything that CAN be determined – LEFT OVER for anyone else to determine.
And we should be able to see – the logically prior the decree – there are multiple options available for the THEOS to select from.
For example – he has the options of creating humans as male and female.
And he has the option of creating them as something else.
He has the option of creating them out of the dust of the earth – and the option to create them out of something else.
He has the option of creating the world in 7 days – and the option of creating it in 9 days if he wishes.
So we can see that for every decree – there are an almost infinite number of options from which he can select.
And this meets the NECESSARY CONDITION for what we humans call “CHOICE”.
If you look up any number of definitions for the word “CHOICE” what you will find is that almost all definitions state a NECESSARY CONDITION for the function of “CHOICE” to be multiple options.
Where there are not multiple options – we don’t really have what we understand as “CHOICE”
Now at the foundation of the world – after the decree is made – we can see that a CHOICE has been made.
ONE SINGLE option has been selected out of a number of alternative possibilities.
But the process of that ONE SINGLE option being selected – is also the process of all alternatives being REJECTED.
Therefore in Calvinism – for every event that will come to pass – there is ever only ONE SINGLE RENDERED-CERTAIN option – which will infallibly come to pass. And all other alternative options are thus INFALLIBLY EXCLUDED.
Therefore in Calvinism – for every event that will come to pass – there are never multiple options available to the creature.
So, are you saying that you don’t exist until born? When do we begin to exist?
Hi Mike… consider this… names added to the Book of Life which has existed from the foundation of the world. It’s a created thing, so it couldn’t have existed before creation with any names in it.
Also, Jer 1:5 NKJV – “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
I believe God knows each and everyone as he forms them in His image in the womb for a good purpose, which includes to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever (which the WSC calls the “chief end of man”). He makes a perfect plan for each one in His mind. He’s not eternally immutably locked in to a plan for each. But He also knows all the ways that plan could still change.
What the Calvinist and Molinist have a hard time seeing in Scripture is that God in His sovereignty adds contingent elements to those plans so that covenant love based on trust freely offered can exist, and so free rejection of elements of His plan must also be able to exist.
We were all “elected” and formed in the womb to each glorify God and enjoy Him forever as the chief end for each of us, as designed for us in God’s plans which He makes while we were in the womb… but He includes some conditions in that plan and gave us the freedom to fulfill or reject some of those conditions.
Is David only talking about himself being “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God, or is that true of all infants (Ps 139:14-18)? We can become marred in His hands by our own doing, away from the original design He had for us (Jer 18:4).
Being “chosen”/”elect” to be a prophet like Jeremiah or an apostle like Paul (Gal 1:15) from the womb, or even in the seed of the Messiah didn’t happen before creation in some decree, nor does it guarantee personal salvation. Look at the prophet Balaam, the apostle Judas, and Davidic king Amon.
Yes Brian!
Speaking of David…
In 2 Samuel 12 we see…
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?
There are hundreds of these kinds of direct-action-in-real-time passages. God is sovereign…. He does what He wants…. but all of these passages show that He has not settled everything before the foundation of the world. That is just forcing a determinist idea onto the text.
If God determined David’s actions before he was born then God actually wanted the adultery, murder, and deception. Nah.
Very true FOH!
My theory is…Everyone’s names were written in the book of life FROM the foundation of the world.
Here is a FROM for our convenience:
Hebrews 4:3-4
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
NOTE THE WORD, “FINISHED”? WHEN? “FROM”.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Anyway, it is also my contention that we were ALL created at the same exact time…on the 6th Day. Animals were created on the 5th day, which is the DAY BEFORE. And yet, Adam was FORMED first, before the animals. How is that possible? Then after all the animals were FORMED, then finally Eve came along.
Notice this:
Isaiah 65:17
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
When it’s all over and done with, what we experienced here on earth…none of it will ever be remembered.
I say that for a reason. It’s hard for people to imagine this, but I think that while were are here on earth, that we don’t remember anything PRIOR to coming to this earth FROM HEAVEN.
Yes, I said it…we were in heaven BEFORE coming to live in a body on the earth. Long before. As far back as Adam and Eve…as a spirit (ghost), meaning, NO BODY.
Having said all that, we not only were known by God…we also knew (past tense) God. Here…we seek and learn about what we already once knew, because in this life…we don’t remember. I know, it’s far fetched for some, but this is what I believe.
It’s the difference between Genesis 1, where man was CREATED, vs. Chapter 2 of Genesis where man is FORMED. Genesis 2 is not a review of Genesis 1, and why? The order of events is DIFFERENT between animals and man. Eve was the only one formed AFTER the animals, whereas Adam was formed AFTER the animals. But Genesis 1 shows that animals were CREATED before man.
Getting to the point:
I beleive that all names were written in the Lambs Book of Life FROM the foundation of the world, and that OUR OWN ACTIONS causes our own names to be “BLOTTED OUT”.
And therefore, Revelation 13:8 is MISUNDERSTOOD. Let’s break it down:
Revelation 13:8
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Now, first of all, WHAT was FROM the foundation of the earth? Lamb slain? I’ve heard that one from many, but…uh, NO.
The BOOK was from the foundation of the earth. Not the lamb slain. The lamb slain is from ETERNITY, aka Jesus, so he is not from the foundation of the earth. He was slain, but not from the foundation of the earth.
Revelation 17:8
…they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Do you see how that is written? The book is from the foundation of the world.
Now…
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Do you see that names are BLOTTED OUT of that book? Meaning that the names were ONCE THERE.
Exodus 32:32
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
Exodus 32:33
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
You can’t be blotted out of a book if you were never in the book to begin with…can you?
Now, with Brian indicating that we were all elected…REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY, and I disagree. Israel mine elect, not Gentiles. The church did not replace Israel. But that’s another story of Romans 9-11.
Ed Chapman
Ed, I never said believers are elected in a replacement theology sense. There are more than two types of election taught in Scripture. God is not done with the elect nation of Israel.
I hope you have other opportunities in your life at present where you are a help to others, perhaps physically working with you hands to be able to give to those in need. May you new year be filled with those opportunities.
I really believe the time you’re spending sharing your idiosyncratic speculations from Scripture, some of which ignore clear Scriptures or twist clear rules of grammar, could be better spent loving your family and neighbours in more tangible ways.
Is that a nice way of showing me to the door, Brian? I’ll back up what I say with scripture, as I always do, such as the difference between Genesis 1 and 2, which some just wish to ignore. I always have backup from the bible. But what you are telling me about WORKING is that WORKS will get me somewhere. We know that works doesn’t save.
However, I am employed, and work overtime almost every week.
Ed
I’m glad you have a profitable job Ed, and I hope you are seeing the profitable ways your income is helping others.
I’m guessing you have read good commentaries that show there is no contradiction between Gen 1 and 2, and you’ve probably read arguments against your view of the preexistence of the souls of mankind. I know I’ve given you the Scriptural arguments against seeing the word “elect” as only applying to Israel.
I’m not trying to show you “the door.” You are free to spend your time as you see fit within the wide parameters of this blog. I was just making a confrontational assessment that I hope you will think seriously about. And I wanted readers to be assured that I don’t believe in the replacement theology that you accused me of.
Why are you so concerned with my finances? In any case, NO, I have NOT READ commentaries. I stay away from commentaries. I read the bible alone. And no one can tell me that CREATE and FORM is the same thing. Our bodies are made of DIRT, which 1 Cor 15:42-46 indicates is a NATURAL body, which dies, and THAT body is what came first, not a glorified body. Adam did not start out with a glorified body and lose it. He was going to die a natural death anyway, which means that the death discussed in Genesis 3 is a spiritual death (separation from God), not a natural death that BEGAN with Adam’s disobedience. The only way that Adam could have “OBTAINED” eternal life was if he would have eaten from the TREE OF LIFE, which was a real tree, because God had to block access to that tree AFTER the fall, because Adam still could have obtained eternal life from that tree after the fall, but in a SPIRITUAL DEATH (separation from God) status. This is why I do not believe in Original Sin.
But your side believes in Original Sin.
It is also tied to Genesis 1 and 2 where there is a difference between, not a similarity to.
If man was created AFTER THE ANIMALS, in Genesis 1, then the pre-existance of souls is a no-brainer regarding Genesis 2, where animals were FORMED after Adam, and not before. A no-brainer.
And if you think I got that from commentaries? Uh, no.
Ed Chapman
Your words – “no one can tell me CREATE and FORM are the same thing” are true… but can anyone tell you anything or must you only learn from your own speculations?
Adam’s sin was the origin of sin in mankind, the original sin. Now how that influenced him, his wife, and their posterity is what people have to decide from their study of Scripture, hopefully listening to and evaluating the grammatical, contextual evidence others being to their attention and not just relying only on what they think they find.
Adam’s nature changed in that moment of sinning, and he passed on that nature to his children. Of course he could not pass on his guilt. That was his alone to deal with.
My concern is with the value of your time spent in this life. I really don’t think you have convinced anyone of your speculations on this blog. Do you? As you can see, I ask not spending much time anymore on this blog, because I wish to share truth from Scriptures with those more open to learn from others.
Do you believe me when I say that I don’t believe it teach replacement theology?
I’m probably going to break this down, cuz I have to go to work in about ten minutes…
You had said:
“Adam’s sin was the origin of sin in mankind, the original sin. Now how that influenced him, his wife, and their posterity is what people have to decide from their study of Scripture, hopefully listening to and evaluating the grammatical, contextual evidence others being to their attention and not just relying only on what they think they find.”
Well, considering that Adam and Eve were the only humans ON EARTH at the time, then I suppose you can make the case that Adam’s sin was the ORIGIN of sin in mankind. I don’t consider that to be any major epiphany so far, regarding Original Sin. No need for a Greek gramatical scholar to conclude that.
But, so far that does not address the Doctrine of Original Sin.
But to BEGIN to disagree, somewhat here, is you think that Adam’s disobedience to eating of a tree as the FIRST SIN that Adam did.
First of all, what was the NAME of that tree? KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil.
The name of that tree seems to get ignored.
What does Romans 7:7-9 state?
7 …I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 … For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
First of all, Romans 9 discusses the spiritual death that Genesis 3 discusses. RIGHT?
Next, the word “KNOWN” is a shortened form of KNOWLEDGE.
Next the words “SIN WAS DEAD” before the law indicates that YES, PAUL SINNED BEFORE THE LAW, but until he got knowledge of that sin…he was ALIVE SPIRITUALLY.
Adam and Eve covered themselves after they ate, because they got KNOWLEDGE of something. What was that knowledge? Good and Evil.
So why did they cover themselves? Because they thought it GOOD to be naked? Hardly.
But you default to the disobedience of eating of a tree. If you tell a child not to play with matches, WHY do you tell them not to play with matches? Just because YOU SAID? Or is their a further reason? So they won’t get burnt, right?
God did not want them to get knowledge of ANYTHING good or evil. Satan did. Just like the atheists today, who accuse us of being ignorant…they want us to GET EDUCATED. But God basically said, “STAY IGNORANT”, for as long as you are ignorant, you are NOT GUILTY…
And this is why babies cannot go to hell at all. But in your world, this is still debated as a MERCY or GRACE issue.
I’ve gotta go, but will get back to the rest later.
Ed Chapman
Brian,
You had said:
“My concern is with the value of your time spent in this life. I really don’t think you have convinced anyone of your speculations on this blog. Do you? As you can see, I ask not spending much time anymore on this blog, because I wish to share truth from Scriptures with those more open to learn from others.”
My response:
It’s really nice of you to volunteer yourself to be my Holy Spirit. But…no thanks. I don’t give “speculation”. I give bible verses. I’m sorry that you have a problem with bible verses, consentrating more of your time on grammar, instead of the complete story.
I look at ALL references to a subject.
Exodus 32:32-33
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Now, does that sound to you like what you suggested at:
brianwagner
October 18, 2017 at 2:30 pm
Great post! I think Psalms 69:28, with its use of the imperfect tense, shows there are two books of life… one physical and one spiritual, and that names are being written with the righteous at salvation (spiritual) and blotted out of the book of the living at death (physical).
So let’s look at Psalms 69:28.
I agree with you that there is a book of the “living”, but the topic is the book of life in the book of Revelation 13:8.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Does Revelation 3:5 sound to you that the blotting out is as a result of natural death?
It sure doesn’t to me. But you are the teacher of truth, right? To those who will not question your truth, of course.
Ed Chapman
I have never said, Ed, that Rev 3:5 is about the one Book of Life, which is for physical life. It is about the Book of Life, which is spiritual life. But the verse is not a warning.
It is a promise, like saying, You will never perish, nor will anyone pluck you out of the Father’s hand! The verse is not a warning, right? So why are you reading it as if it a warning of something possible? God keeps His unconditional promises, doesn’t He?
Sorry, Brian, but Revelation 3:5 is conditional upon those who overcome. If you don’t overcome, then you will indeed be blotted out.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Those who do not overcome, they will indeed be “blotted out”.
Exodus 32:32-33
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Now, if you were correct in stating that people are written in at salvation…when did that happen for Moses, which he asked that his name be blotted out of a book PAST written? Salvation didn’t happen until Jesus died on the cross…right?
Moses is not asking, Ed, to have his salvation taken away, but only his physical life, with his name blotted out of the Book of Life, the one for physical life.
We become overcomers permanently when we are joined to Christ in our new birth through faith (1John 5:4). He unconditionally promises to confirm us to the end (1Cor 1:8).
But I’ve shared this all before, and you think you know better, reading in warnings where there are none, and unwilling to see there are two books of life, just like there are two types of life, one physical and one spiritual.
That’s why I don’t like discussing things with those whose minds are made up and don’t seem to be teachable. So I’ve nothing more to add to this thread between us, even if you ask another question. Sorry.
Please inform as to how you conclude this, regarding Moses discussing the book of the living, rather than the book of life.
Keep in mind that Exodus 32 gives part of the story. Deuteronomy 9 gives the rest of the story. The people had committed a great sin while Moses was on the mount.
Last I recall, sin separates man from God, therefore, if these people “perish” from the land of the living, what would be their eternal destination if God was going to blot them out of the book of the “living”?
Deu 9:14
14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
The end result would be that they are also blotted out of the book of life, too. That’s only logical.
But Deuteronomy 9/Exodus 32 indicates how Moses atoned for their sin, so God didn’t kill them from the land of the living.
But you think that Moses pleaded with God to just die a natural death for the sake of their sin? Yea Team! No, Moses put it all on the line, that God forgive their sin, or send him to eternal damnation…for the sake of the people, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deu 9).
Exodus 32:
30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
And he did. And God listened to Moses, a mere man, a mortal.
Deu 9:19
19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also.
So, knowing that those who sin against God, without atonement, they will be blotted out of the book…of the living, and of the book of Life. Not just the book of the living.
Ed Chapman
How is it that I see a “warning” in Rev 3:5, and Brian doesn’t?
Revelation 2:11
…He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
IF that’s not a warning, I don’t know what is. To those who will die a 2nd Death…it’s gonna hurt. WARNING, WARNING!
Those who are NOT SAVED, Brian, will be blotted out of the BOOK OF LIFE. Meaning, that they were ONCE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE before being blotted out. And no, I’m not discussing the book of the living.
You are right about one thing…you can’t teach me. I never asked for you to be my teacher.
Ed Chapman
Brian,
My last comment on the Issue of Exodus 32:32-33, and Deuteronomy 9.
Last night, I was going to comment that Exodus 32:32-33 and Deuteronomy 9 is another TYPE/SHADOW of Jesus. But I didn’t. I wanted to wait until I was awake enough to actually Google it.
I don’t read commentaries…so I violated my own rule.
In Got Questions, and others, they list Exodus 32:32-33 as a TYPE/SHADOW of Jesus, in that Moses was willing to take the sins of the people upon his shoulders, and go to hell, in order to save them.
In other words, it’s prophesy of Jesus.
I know that you refuse to look that deep into scripture, thinking that my conclusions are wacked out. But I can assure you that others have come to the same conclusions as I.
The End
Brian,
This has really been bugging me that last few days regarding your stance on “warnings”.
You mention that God is not going to let anything be PLUCKED out of his hand, if I remember correctly. Also, I saw a conversation that you had with Dana Steele that boggled my mind as well.
The New Testament is a CONTRACT, or COVENANT. Contracts can be broken…not by God, but by man. Man can leave God by their own free will if they want to. But you are indicating that there is no way that they can leave, because God won’t let them, which tells me that you are advocating the “Irresistable Grace”. God has your back, IF IF IF you remain IN the faith. There is an if/then statement in the contract. You have an obligation on your part to maintain your faith. If you don’t…warning.
But you say that there are no warnings for believers. Well, I, and Dana Steele disagree.
Regarding Dana Steele, you basically tell him that God’s got this, nothing to worry about.
Dana was correct in bringing up the book of James and you kept pushing back…You and Dana are supposed to be on the same team here. Both non-Calvinists.
The whole idea behind Matthew 25’s LORD LORD is that you must DO SOMETHING if you are a believer, to PROVE your faith, hence James’ live what you believe scenario, where James tells a story about Abraham being justified by what he DID, not just what he believed. James states that he will show his faith by what he does, and God expects us to DO SOMETHING to produce fruit.
Oh, and Moses was indeed asking for his salvation to be taken away, as I showed you that he was willing to take the sins of the people upon himself, so that they can receive what was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yes, Moses was indeed discussing the Bood of Life from the book of Revelation stand point, not the book of the living.
But I would still love for you to disclose to us as to how you concluded that Exodus 32:32-33 is discussing the book of the physical life of the living, instead of the spiritual book of life? How did you conclude that?
Ed Chapman
Brian,
You had said:
“I know I’ve given you the Scriptural arguments against seeing the word “elect” as only applying to Israel. ”
My response:
In other words, you “include” Gentiles as elect along with Israel, right?
My contention is that there are ZERO Gentiles in the “elect” category.
I do not consider the word “elect” as a synonym of “saved”.
Ed Chapman
Ed, I dislike repeating myself. This is my last comment. There is an elect Israel which includes saved and unsaved. There is an elect body of Christ which includes saved Jews and saved Gentiles. There are elect angels. A complete word study of the adjective and verb in the NT of “elect” will show this.
If you think God has called you to be a voice in the wilderness, I don’t think any one in this “wilderness” is listening. I think you should seriously reconsider how you spend your time. No one, I think, is benefiting.
I agree with you Brian.
Ed, please concentrate your comments on the faulty foundation of Calvinism… Or the beauty of Christ’s provision for all. I think it would be better for our group.
FOH,
My comments about genesis 1 and 2 are tied into the conversation, because my premise is that all names were written in the book of life at the foundation of the world, which Hebrews 4 states is after the creation of man, when it states that God’s works were finished at the foundation of the world, and then he rested on the 7th day.
I believe it’s relevant.
Yes, calvinism is wrong. But so is the opposing side wrong, too.
You were right regarding blotting out of names, and I was suggesting, with scripture, that names can’t be blotted out of they weren’t once there to begin with.
I would have thought that you would agree with that.
Brian has suggested that names are ADDED, as salvation takes place. But I don’t see evidence to that whatsoever.
Ed Chapman
And again, I disagree regarding an elect body of Christ. There are epistles that Paul wrote exclusively to Jews only. In addition, James, Peter, and John epistles are also written to Jews only. Many think that Paul always wrote to the church at large. Not true. 1 and 2 Thessalonians are great examples of Jews only, as they are the Jews Paul converted back in Acts, in which the unbelieving Jews gave them a hard time.
I always enjoy when scholars discuss “clear rules of grammar”, as if we can’t read, and we need a Pope to interpret scripture for us, because we are too stupid to do it for ourselves. Imagine the Bereans being told that they can’t search the scritpure daily to see if what Paul was telling them was true or not…to just TRUST PAUL, have faith in Paul. But Paul called them NOBLE instead, for checking up on the scholar, who had a lot of education behind him.
Ed,
I don’t know if you have or not – but I became interested in dabbling with reading the N.T. Greek a number of years ago
The ability to read the NT in the original language was a real thrill for me.
I consider myself to still be an infant in the process – and I haven’t kept it up as a discipline – but during the time I was – I discovered how different it is from the English language – and started to understand why various translations are done with a panel of language experts.
I remember Gordon Fee describing his experience working with a group of other Greek experts on the NIV Bible.
There were some verses that required almost no discussion at all.
There were other verses that had nuances for one Greek reader that were quite different from another – and those verses could even take a day or two of deliberation before the panel would reach a conclusion about the best way to translate it into English so that the English reader would not be mislead by what it was saying.
Regarding my beginnings of study…it’s always best to start at the beginning, Genesis, not Matthew, or John. The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
I read the bible from beginning to end five times before I even began studying doctrines of denominations.
And when I learned that reformers would still be Catholic IF…IF…the Catholic church would have reformed theimselves from corruption, then I see very clearly a lot of Catholic baggage that reformers still carry with them.
So be a Greek scholar. But the Bible was interrpeted FOR US already by Greek scholars, so that we dont’ have to be a Greek scholar. At least in my view.
Ed Chapman
Yes – I agree – the Bible has already been interpreted.
But we have the reality of human bias in every translation.
So a person who is reading an English translation of scripture is reading someone’s version of what is stated in another language.
We probably have – as the worst case example – the Jehovah’s Witness translation.
The average Jehovah’s Witness picks up his English translation and AUTO-MAGICALLY assumes to understand what it is saying with complete accuracy.
We of course have people who read verses in the KJV and come to extremely different conclusions as to what verses say.
And that phenomenon tells us – there is a multi-layered problem.
There is the issue of human bias in the translation of the original language into English.
And then there is the second layer of human bias in the reading of that English translation.
Its a common human characteristic for me to assume my perceptions of any data as the TRUE perception.
And anyone who disagrees with me must therefore have a problematic perception.
That’s simply an idiosyncrasy of me being human.
One issue of intellectual honesty – the Calvinist is saddled with – we can see exhibited by Roland here at SOT101
He is willing to acknowledge that Calvinism has its own INTERPRETATION of scripture.
But he can’t bring himself to acknowledge that the Calvinist translation is a HUMAN interpretation.
So anytime someone disagrees with the Calvinist translation – he AUTO-MAGICALLY assumes the Calvinist interpretation is -quote “God’s revelation”
What is hidden within his thinking – is that the Calvinist tradition of interpretation is DIVINE and is not subject to human bias as other human interpretations are.
He follows the typical Calvinist pattern of making bold claims about “WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES”
He UNWITTINGLY sets Calvinism up onto a pedestal – making it CANON and equal to scripture.
So when someone disagrees with the Calvinist reading of scripture – he AUTO-MAGICALLY assumes that person is disagreeing with scripture itself – rather than a HUMAN interpretation.
The JW’s is the first cult I studied. They are the reason that I had to study out SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY as mentioned in 1 Thes 5:23. They kept wanting to equate the body with the word soul, and the word spirit with the air that we breathe. I’m like, uh, NO!
The Greek word for soul is PSUCKE, transliterated to Latin is PHYCHE. But they take the definition of soul to be “A LIVING BREATHING CREATURE”, and leave it at that without further looking into the matter.
I’ll talk later. I liked your use of “AUTO-MAGICALLY”.
Ed Chapman
A couple of things I need to clear up from what I stated last night.
I had said:
“Here is a FROM for our convenience:
Hebrews 4:3-4
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
NOTE THE WORD, “FINISHED”? WHEN? “FROM”.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.”
My clarification:
It appears that the creation of man, which was the last thing created before God took his REST, is INCLUDED, as part of the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
Something to keep in mind if the “works were finished from the foundation of the world”, as stated.
NEXT:
I had said:
“It’s the difference between Genesis 1, where man was CREATED, vs. Chapter 2 of Genesis where man is FORMED. Genesis 2 is not a review of Genesis 1, and why? The order of events is DIFFERENT between animals and man. Eve was the only one formed AFTER the animals, whereas Adam was formed AFTER the animals. But Genesis 1 shows that animals were CREATED before man.”
All is correct except where it states, “, whereas Adam was formed AFTER the animals.” I meant to say “BEFORE”, not “AFTER”. Oops.
Ed Chapman
Hey welcome Mike!
Please see all the comments in this thread. Young Troy gets all YRR aggressive, and even other reformed guys try to ask him to be nice (nothing doing!).
Aaanyway….. are they also “blotted out” before the foundation of the world? Do they “shipwreck their faith” or “return to their former ways” before the foundation of the world?
Do people “fall away from the faith —and not be brought back to repentance —because they are ‘crucifying the Son of God all over again,'” before the foundations of the world?
This article deals with that one (foundations) statement. Most Calvinists ignore or do verbal gymnastics to the many passages that talk about faith in real time.
“from the foundation of the world” , Genesis is the record of the beginning of the world. Therefore, the names were there before the people entered time and space. Peace
Hello Terrance and welcome.
Thank you for sharing your INTERPRETATION
Hi Terrance… a book is a created thing, and “from” does not mean “before”, and no verse teaches there were any names in that Book at the dawn of creation… and certainly no verse teaches there were any in a Book before creation.
Brian, and Terrance,
Foundation of the world:
Before:
John 17:24
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
1 Peter 1:20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
NOTE: “THAT BELIEVERS (WE) SHOULD BE” what was chosen BEFORE the foundation of the world.
Only those 3 verses are BEFORE.
FROM:
Matthew 13:35
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Matthew 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Luke 11:50
That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
**********************************Hebrews 4:3*****************************
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.******************************************
Revelation 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 17:8
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Brian,
I know we’ve had this discussion before, but it seems to me that the names were indeed written in the BOOK OF [ETERNAL] LIFE “FROM” the foundation of the world, and that names are NOT progressively added, but are BLOTTED out.
Revelation 3:5
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
************************************
UNDER HEAVEN:
Note: Ecclesiastes is a book written about THIS LIFE, not the afterlife, and as such, uses the term “UNDER HEAVEN”.
THIS LIFE = UNDER HEAVEN, whereas the BOOK OF LIFE = AFTERLIFE.
Ecclesiastes 1:13
And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Colossians 1:23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
BLOT OUT UNDER HEAVEN
Genesis 6:17
And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
NOTE: Jesus spoke with those people (1 Peter 3:18-20)
Deuteronomy 9:14
Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
Deuteronomy 29:20
The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven.
2 Kings 14:27
And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
*************************************
Summary:
Phrases/Terms
Before the foundation of the world
From the foundation of the world
Blot out from:
Book of Life (Eternal Life)
From Under Heaven (This Life)
Ed Chapman
Food for thought, after salvation, I read the Bible from start to finish several times. I had not heard of John Calvin and I did not trust commentaries. While discussing eternal security with a friend at work, he called me a Calvinist. I have always believed that the scriptural view of the Bible, looks like Calvin’s view. For a while I defended Calvinism, but somewhere along the road I realized that there is a right position, and a wrong position, and you can’t be both, there is also “a saved position”. I no longer consider right or wrong, I believe that after God changed my heart I accepted Jesus as Lord, and for that I am saved. I personally think there are going to be lots of surprised faces when we stand before the throne.
Hello Robert and welcome
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It is critical to realize – humans are social creatures – living within a social structure
Our thinking is influenced every day – by social influences.
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Dr. Gordon Fee – in his Seminary class on Biblical Hermeneutics asks the students the question “What INFORMS your mind’s reading of scripture?
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Many years ago – certain people lived within a social structure – in which it was believed the sun orbits around the earth. That conception of the solar system was taken as unquestionable truth – which INFORMED their reading of scripture. Since scripture is unquestionable truth – and the sun orbiting the earth is unquestionable truth – the human mind is guaranteed to interpret the text accordingly.
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There is a fatal pattern that comes with Calvinism’s relationship to scripture.
1) The Calvinist reading of scripture is based on the proposition that everything without exception is determined in every part by divine decree.
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2) But the consequences of living and functioning congruent with that belief are such that the Calvinist cannot possibly be congruent with it – and at the same time – retain a sense of human normalcy.
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3) John Calvin understood this clearly – and teaches his disciples to -quote “Go about your office *AS-IF* nothing is determined in any part.
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4) Now an intelligent mind will connect the dots here. The doctrine forces the Calvinist to live *AS-IF* the doctrine is FALSE
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5) The irony here is – since the Calvinist is forced to live *AS-IF* the doctrine is FALSE – then it becomes the case – he is forced to live *AS-IF* what the Bible teaches is FALSE
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Now you need to ask yourself the question.
Where in scripture does it teach the believer to treat scripture *AS-IF* what it teaches if FALSE?
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One of the primary consequences of Calvinism – is how it requires DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS
Blessings!
br.d
Welcome Robert… There is no substitute for reading through the Bible over and over to get a thorough view of the gospel and of sound doctrine.
What caught my attention was your statement about having “accepted Jesus as Lord, and for that I am saved”. You’ll have to explain that further. For how does that relate to trusting Jesus as Savior from your sins, in your view.
And when you said “After God changed my heart”, I immediately thought of the reformed false view of regeneration of the will before faith. Is that what you were trying to say? Or did you mean He was drawing you and you were humbly responding to that drawing with faith and then He changed your heart?
Thanks for whatever you can do to clarify for me what you were trying to say.