Cut & Paste, Part 5

The third topic I would like to address involves the very name of God; or more accurately, how that name is pronounced. This particular topic seemed too trivial to be pursued with all seriousness, but there seem to be sects within Christendom who want to make a divisive issue about the name of both Yahweh and Jesus, some going so far as to say that if you are not saying their names correctly you are following false gods and are deceived.

Cut & Paste, Part 4

Peter likewise describes physical baptism as a symbol (antitype, NKJV) and that the act itself does not save, 1st Peter 3:21. He explains that the act of removing the filth of the flesh avails nothing; but rather the answer of a good conscience in God’s sight that consents to be baptized, as is our Lord’s first command for new believers, Matthew 28:19.

Cut & Paste, Part 3

A second doctrine commonly taught by many Christian sects and accepted as the norm is strongly linked to works salvation: baptismal regeneration. I have posted numerous Scriptural arguments against this doctrine but will go on here to demonstrate how error begets error; in other words, if you begin with a wrong premise (salvation is by works and not solely grace) then you reach wrong conclusions (water baptism effects new life, even in infants.)

Cut & Paste, Part 2

But James writes that faith without works is dead, and that a man is justified by his works and not merely by faith. Taken from James chapter 2 and taken out of context, this does appear to be a valid argument for works salvation and is a favorite passage for Catholic apologists. But the key to understanding James chapter 2 comes with James 2:18: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” The emphasis here is on men seeing whether or not our faith is valid and producing spiritual fruit as Jesus promised it would. It is justification in the sight of men; not in the sight of God.

Cut & Paste, Part 1

Where do Biblical exegetes go so wrong in dividing God’s word? This is a serious question that has haunted godly men and women through the centuries, and one that no commentator of Scripture can rightly escape, since everyone one of us is at some point guilty of error. There are innumerable doctrinal errors the writer can bring into Scripture through ignorance, bias, misinformation, poor study, lack of prayer, preconceived ideas, etc.

An Issue of Contention

I do not normally give room for debate on my blog, but I felt that this issue should be openly addressed and given a full and fair audience with my Christian readership. The topic in question is the issue of what the function of women in the church and the world is, according to the Bible. This was a debate hed between a gentleman who owns the blog "El Shaddai Reigns." While both he and I agree that women are not meant to lead the church or the home our view quickly branched off from one another at this point and we began a lively but unfruitful debate about the matter. One of the reasons I have, after consideration, chosen to air this on my blog is due to the fact that for reasons of his own choosing Alex has refrained from printing my comments so a reader could only see what he was saying to me. I shall post the article that began the debate and then preface each remark so the reader may know who is speaking. I will not otherwise alter any commentary between Alex and myself. Judge for yourselves what the truth of the matter is. I apologize for the length. God bless.

Misconceptions, Part 2 of 2

The church only holds what its Lord has passed on to us in terms of truth regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ. He claimed that He alone, being Lord of Heaven, was capable of bringing sinful men and women to His Father. He alone knew the way because He alone is the way, John 14:6.

Misconceptions, Part 1 of 2

What does the Christian Church teach regarding its exclusivity? Do we covet a dogmatic “our way alone” mentality that denies everyone else? Is there a particular denomination in today’s rank and file of the church that is the main gate by which the saints must enter?

Doctrine, Part 3 of 3

We have our marching orders as Christians. A soldier without direct and clear orders is a confused and impotent one. The enemy of the church, Satan, would have it no other way than to beguile us with contrary gospels and faulty doctrine. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that he had not shunned to give them all of God’s counsel, and that with his departure perverse men would come to lead away disciples after themselves, 20:27, 29-30.

Doctrine, Part 2 of 3

Clearly, our Lord took doctrine seriously, as anyone giving the New Testament an honest reading would likewise conclude. It is actually very simple: God gave us His written and infallible word to be the basis and ground of our life. It contains the message of our creation, sin’s entrance, the promises and prophecies of the Redeemer, their realization, and the gospel that saves.

Doctrine, Part 1 of 3

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little, Isaiah 28:7-10.

Christian Liberals, Part 2 of 2

This is where Christianity departs from liberal thinking. Liberals want to allegorize Scripture. They wish to broaden the way to God by making Christ a way like flavors of ice cream; don’t like vanilla? Just have cherry instead! They want to dismiss the more “embarrassing” passages of Scripture as mythical. They want to strip Christ of His unique place as God-man and only Savior.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 7 of 7

Two passages of contention:

#1: Acts 13:48, a pro for Calvinism.
The portion of the verse that seems to strongly support Calvinism is, “And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” The KJV uses the word “ordained” in place of “appointed.” The Greek word for “ordained” is “tasso” and can mean either “appointed, determined, or disposed (to a certain position or lot).” In the sense of the latter two uses of the word the verse’s context would entirely alter, and read as such it would suggest that those who were disposed to eternal life believed the gospel. There is another Greek word rendered as “appointed” in Acts 17:26; the word being “protasso.” It literally means “to pre-arrange or appoint before.” Surely, had Luke intended to clarify this verse in Acts to teach predestination as Calvinism explains it this would have been the word of choice.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 6 of 7

When God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, take note that Pharaoh also hardened his own heart first, Exodus 3:19; 4:21. This is in accord with 2nd Thessalonians 2:11-12, which tells us that God sends strong delusion to those who resist His message, so He might destroy those who received not the truth. God hardened Pharaoh in his obstinacy so that He might demonstrate His power in him, but this was not something that Pharaoh, by his volition, hadn’t already chosen for himself.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 5 of 7

Regarding again the topic of Total Depravity: True, man is “dead in sins and trespasses” but spiritual death is not the same as physical death. Physical death is the passage of one state into another. The body is inanimate and moldering; the spirit has passed on into an eternal abode. The physically dead can’t speak, think, act, etc. Spiritual death means that your sin has separated you from God, Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 59:2.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 4 of 7

Irresistible Grace is another topic of contention. Were this doctrine true, then believing on Christ (the criterion for salvation according to the New Testament) is mistaken. God quickens someone to eternal life before the gospel can even be heard or believed on; in other words, your choice is removed because according to Calvin, were you left to yourself you would never believe the gospel.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 3 of 7

Calvinism’s doctrine of Limited Atonement does not agree with Scripture, which clearly states that Jesus Christ was the propitiation for the entire world. Anyone may be pardoned on account of Jesus’ merit from His satisfactory payment on the cross. Twisting Scripture to demean certain clear passages so they fit a Calvinist mold is not what I call rightly dividing the Word. The world, used in several verses cited later, means simply that: the entire world, all men.

Irresistible God? A Considerate Search into Calvinism, Part 1 of 7

I would like to explore the concept of Calvinism at length, comparing the teachings of John Calvin with Scripture to determine how “Calvinist” Christians truly are. I say this on my own behalf; I always believed that Calvinism possessed theological flaws, but felt that most fundamental Christians were essentially at least “mildly Calvinistic” in their thinking. Upon closer inspection, I humbly confess that this is a wrong assessment of John Calvin’s teachings, and much taught by this alleged Biblical exegete was not Scriptural. Together let us peer into Calvinism as its proponents teach it.

That Most Needful Thing (John 3) Part 5 of 5

3:18-19 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

The Lord has reached a point in His sermon to Nicodemus in which He reveals the reason why men would reject Him and the salvation He offers. As Jesus Himself put it: “this is the condemnation.” What might that be? That light (God’s truth, Jesus Christ come in the flesh; John 1:9) has come into the world. But men loved religious invention rather than God’s truth; men loved Satan’s lie over Christ because Satan’s lie promised self-improvement. God’s truth brings first and foremost conviction and condemnation. We are in darkness because we have received and hold as truth that man is a good creature with character flaws; instead of a sinful creature that dimly reflects the image in which he was originally cast. God needs to bring a man to his knees before He can elevate him to any useful position in the kingdom. Christ came presenting the gospel of salvation, but men were more interested in perfecting their own views on God to be interested in what God said about Himself. God’s light reveals sore truth in every life that it shines upon.

That Most Needful Thing (John 3) Part 4 of 5

3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

For God so loved the world. There is the unfortunate penchant in Scripture to sometimes read into God’s word what we want it to say. Everyone who ever approached Scripture to understand it more clearly is guilty of this; some are far guiltier than others. I think that is in part why Paul wrote that the mature should strive to be of the same mind; both among themselves and with Christ. Anyone who lacked this maturity and thought otherwise would receive clarity from the Lord, Philippians 3:15.