Total Depravity
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The Five Points of Calvinism
• TULIP The Five Points of Calvinism instructor’s guide Bethlehem College & Seminary 720 13th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55415 612.455.3420 [email protected] | bcsmn.edu Copyright © 2007, 2012, 2017 by Bethlehem College & Seminary All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. • TULIP The Five Points of Calvinism instructor’s guide Table of Contents Instructor’s Introduction Course Syllabus 1 Introduction from John Piper 3 Lesson 1 Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace 5 Lesson 2 Total Depravity 27 Lesson 3 Irresistible Grace 57 Lesson 4 Limited Atonement 85 Lesson 5 Unconditional Election 115 Lesson 6 Perseverance of the Saints 141 Appendices Appendix A Historical Information 173 Appendix B Testimonies from Church History 175 Appendix C Ten Effects of Believing in the Five Points of Calvinism 183 Instructor’s Introduction It is our hope and prayer that God would be pleased to use this curriculum for his glory. Thus, the intention of this curriculum is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. This curriculum is guided by the vision and values of Bethlehem College & Seminary which are more fully explained at bcsmn.edu. At the Bethlehem College & Semianry website, you will find the God-centered philosophy that undergirds and motivates everything we do. -
Pat-Abendroth-Dissertation.Pdf
A Pastoral Note About My Doctoral Project I am glad you are interested in reading my dissertation. Given that it took a fair amount of effort and my passion for the subject matter, I am happy to share it with church members and friends. Please allow me to introduce you to the project by saying just a few things. If you ask someone what Covenant Theology is and if it is a good or bad thing, you will likely hear lots of different answers. It is fairly common for evangelicals to respond by either saying they do not know what Covenant Theology is or by describing it as something unbiblical and relating to a particular view regarding millennialism, baptism, or Israel. There are three major problems with such responses. First, classic Covenant Theology is essentially concerned with matters of sin and salvation, not something else. Second, the biblical support for such things as the federal headship of Adam and Jesus is strong (federal being from the Latin foedus meaning covenant). Third, when Covenant Theology is rejected, justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is at best in serious jeopardy. My dissertation is a promotion and defense of classic Covenant Theology. I have written out of a pastoral passion to help people understand human history federally/covenantally just as the Apostle Paul did as he wrote inspired Scripture (see Romans 5:12-21). Likewise, I have written in order to demonstrate the vital connection between Covenant Theology and justification by faith alone, the doctrine that is so commonly compromised by rejecters of the federal perspective. -
Objections to the Doctrine of Total Depravity
Biblical Soteriology: An Overview and Defense of the Reformed Doctrines of Salvation by Ra McLaughlin Total Depravity, Part 4 OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF TOTAL DEPRAVITY 1. The most obvious objection to the doctrine of total depravity is the objection that man is not so sinful that God must condemn him. 2. Another objection to the doctrine of total depravity states that all men can savingly believe and trust the gospel, while a corollary objection asserts that man cannot savingly believe the gospel in and of himself, but that God graciously grants all men (or all men who hear the gospel) this ability, which man must then exercise by his own freewill in order to be saved. Under this second system, not all who have the God- given ability to believe actually exercise this ability in saving faith. Most versions of this view hold that all mankind has received this enabling gift. 3. Some objections to the doctrine of total depravity are based on experience. They insist that experience demonstrates that man may desire to be saved, to do good, and to please God prior to coming to saving faith. If any of these things are true, then total depravity is false. 4.. Most objections to total depravity also insist that a command by God to do something implies that the people of whom the thing is commanded possess a corresponding ability to do the thing commanded. That is, God would not command the impossible. Therefore, since God commands all men to exercise saving belief in the gospel, all men have the ability savingly to believe the gospel (whether from natural or graciously granted ability). -
Calvinism and Limited Atonement Isaiah 53:6; Hebrews 2:9 and Others
CALVINISM AND LIMITED ATONEMENT ISAIAH 53:6; HEBREWS 2:9 AND OTHERS Text: Isaiah 53:6; Hebrews 2:9 Isaiah 53:6 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Hebrews 2:9 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Introduction: Of the five points of Calvin’s philosophy, (and I call it "philosophy" instead of "theology" because in this particular point, it is 100% contrary to the revealed will of God as given to us in the Bible, therefore, it cannot properly be called "theology") the weakest link is his so-called false teaching on the "LIMITED ATONEMENT," or the "L" of the T.U.L.I.P. acronym of Calvinism. - 1 - It is interesting to me that this point is the center of this deadly flower. We will consider the Basic Definition, Blatant Distortion, and the Biblical Dispute, of Limited Atonement. 1. BASIC DEFINITION OF LIMITED ATONEMENT By “Limited Atonement” we refer to the belief which states that Christ did not die for “all or everyone” but rather died only for the elect. While it is true that only the saved benefit from Christ’s death on the cross, Christ died for all people. 1 John 2:1-2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. -
Eve's Answer to the Serpent: an Alternative Paradigm for Sin and Some Implications in Theology
Calvin Theological Journal 33 (1998) : 399-420 Copyright © 1980 by Calvin Theological Seminary. Cited with permission. Scholia et Homiletica Eve's Answer to the Serpent: An Alternative Paradigm for Sin and Some Implications in Theology P. Wayne Townsend The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. "' (Gen. 3:2-3) Can we take these italicized words seriously, or must we dismiss them as the hasty additions of Eve's overactive imagination? Did God say or mean this when he instructed Adam in Genesis 2:16-17? I suggest that, not only did Eve speak accu- rately and insightfully in responding to the serpent but that her words hold a key to reevaluating the doctrine of original sin and especially the puzzles of alien guilt and the imputation of sin. In this article, I seek to reignite discussion on these top- ics by suggesting an alternative paradigm for discussing the doctrine of original sin and by applying that paradigm in a preliminary manner to various themes in the- ology, biblical interpretation, and Christian living. I seek not so much to answer questions as to evoke new ones that will jar us into a more productive path of the- ological explanation. I suggest that Eve's words indicate that the Bible structures the ideas that we recognize as original sin around the concept of uncleanness. -
Understanding Baptism
UNDERSTANDING BAPTISM At some point in your journey with Embrace Church you may have a question about baptism. Our hope here is to answer some of those questions and convey how we understand and practice baptism as a United Methodist Church. We recognize that a number of people who engage with Embrace Church may come from various faith backgrounds or denominations, thus spurring a number of good questions around baptism. A Wesleyan Understanding of Baptism………….Page 2 Infant Baptism……………………………………….Page 2 Beyond Baptism, The Role of Confirmation…….Page 3 Frequently Asked Questions……………………...Page 4 Vows of the Baptismal Covenant…………………Page 7 Further Resources…………………………………..Page 7 2 A WESLEYAN UNDERSTANDING OF BAPTISM As United Methodists, our primary understanding of the act of baptism is that of a “sacrament”, simply meaning an act where God uses a common element (in this case, water) as a means of offering his divine grace. In this sacred act God bestows upon a baptized person the presence of the Holy Spirit, marks them with an identifying seal as God’s own, and implants in their heart his inheritance as a son or daughter of God. We also believe baptism to be God’s sign of initiating us into his new covenant that was first established through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This word “covenant” is a Biblical term that describes God’s initiative in choosing us to be his people with a special mission in the world, and our response in a life of faithfulness. We understand the baptismal covenant in light of Jesus’ baptism where God said, “This is my son.” And while Jesus’ relation to God as Son is unique, for Christians, baptism means that God has also chosen us as sons and daughters and knows us intimately as a parent. -
Richard Baxter: of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Believers
Richard Baxter’s Of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers Quinta Press, Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, SY10 7RN The format of this book is copyright © 2018 Quinta Press The text was sourced from EEBO (Early English Books online). The images are black and white so sometimes the text is blurred by various degrees of foxing. Also sometimes the book was not microfilmed flat meaning text is hidden in the binding. Such instances where it is difficult to read the original are indicated by [[?????]]. All these instances need double checking against an original copy and it is hoped to consult these during 2019. OF THE IMPUTATION OF Christ’s Righteousness OF BELIEVERS: In what sence sound Protestants hold it; And, Of the false devised sence, by which Libertines subvert the Gospel. With an Answer to some common Objecti- ons, especially of Dr. Thomas Tully, whose Justif. Paulina occasioneth the publica- tion of this. By Richard Baxter; A compassionate Lamenter of the Churches wounds, caused by hasty judging and undigested concep- tions, and by the Theological Wars which are hereby raised and managed; by perswading the World that meer verbal or notional Differences are material, and such as our Faith, Love, Concord and Communion must be measured by, for want of an exact discussion of the ambiguity of words. London, Printed for Nevil Simons and Jonathan Robinson, at the Kings-Arms and Golden-Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1675. The Preface. Reader, F thou blame me for writing again, on a Subject which I have written on so Ioft, and so lately (specially in my Life of Faith, and Disputations of Justification) I shall not blame thee for so doing; but I shall excuse my self by telling thee my reasons. -
Wesleys Trinitarian Ordo Salutis
JOURNAL A Quarterly for Church Renewal VOLUME 14 . NUMBER 4 . 2005 Wesleys Trinitarian Ordo Salutis Corrie M. Aukema Cieslukowski Elmer M. Colyer INTRODUCTION .If)ne of the curious facts evident to anyone who spends ~ even a brief amount of time examining the secondary lit erature on John Wesley (the founder of Methodism) and his theology is how little has been written on Wesley's doctrine of the Trinity, save for a spate of recent articles.} Indeed, there is scant discussion of the Trinity in many books devoted to Wes ley's theology. This dearth of attention to the Trinity is especially clear in the area of Wesley's soteriology, his understanding of the ordo salutis (order of salvation). A classic example of this is The Scripture Way of Salvation: The Heart of John Wesley's Theology, a significant work by one of the premier contemporary experts on Wesley's theology.2 There is no chapter, and not even a subsection of a chapter, that deals with the Trinitarian deep structure of Wesley's understanding of salvation.3 In fact, there is no reference to the Trinity in the index and hardly any mention of the Trinity anywhere in the book despite the fact that Wesley understood the ordo in Trinitarian terms. Another example is Randy Maddox's book, Responsible Grace: John Wesley's Practical Theology.4 Maddox's study is out standing, possibly the best summary of Wesley's theology to WESLEY'S TRINITARIAN ORDO SALUTIS 107 106 WESLEY'S TRINITARIAN ORDO SALUTIS THE TRADITIONAL READING come into print in the past twenty years. -
The Nature and Extent of the Atonement in Lutheran
THE N A T U R E A N D E X T E N T O F T H E ATONEMENT I N L U T H E R A N T H E O L O G Y DAVID SCAER, TH.D. I. The Problem The· conflict concerning the nature and extent of the atonement arose in Christian theology because of attempts to reconcile rationally apparently conflicting statements in the Holy Scriptures on the atone- ment and election. Briefly put, passages relating to the atonement are universal in scope including all men and those relating to election apply only to a limited number. Basically there have been three approaches to this tension between a universal atonement and a limited election. One approach is to understand the atonement in light of the election. Since obviously there are many who are not eventually saved, the atonement offered by Christ really applied not to them but only to those who are finally saved, i.e., the elect. This is the Calvinistic or Reformed view. The second approach understands the election in light of the atonement. This view credits each individual with the ability to make a choice of his own free will to believe in Christ. Since Christ died for all men and since man is responsible for his own damnation, therefore he at least cooperates with the Holy Spirit in coming to faith. This is the Arminian or synergistic view, also widely held in Methodism. The third view* is that of classical Lutheran theology. This position as set down in the Formula of Concord (1580) does not attempt to resolve what the Holy Scriptures state con- cerning atonement and election. -
The Doctrine of Imputed Sin Is Not Explicitly Stated in the Bible. The
What is the Doctrine of Imputed Sin? The Doctrine of Imputed Sin is not explicitly stated in the Bible. The doctrine is born out of careful study of the biblical text, and, in this case, a careful study of the Greek language. It is often confused with Original Sin and is a subject of much controversy. The doctrine is based principally on Romans 5:12-19, which has been arranged so that each unit of Paul’s logic and thought can be more easily understood. Romans 5:12-19 12) Therefore, Therefore makes an inference to what has gone on before. After his introduction to Romans, Paul speaks about the depth and depravity of sin committed by both Gentile and Jew. Even with the Law, the Jews have failed to be holy and are under God’s judgment; all of humanity is helpless to sin (Rom 1:18-3:20). But God provided a means for righteousness for humanity: justification through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul uses Old Testament examples, Abraham and David, to illustrate how God declares people righteous on the principle of faith instead of works (Rom 3:21-4:25). Jewish allegory had always held to the concept of two Adams: one with good inclinations and the other with bad. The significance of using Abraham and David is apparent; God had made covenants with them. Now Adam can be introduced; the bridge has been set, with the focus on the two Old Testament covenant figures, to connect the second Adam (Christ) to the first Adam. How sin, introduced by the first Adam, can be resolved with the second Adam Jesus Christ. -
The Nature of Atonement in the Theology of Jacobus Arminius
JETS 53/4 (December 2010) 773–85 THE NATURE OF ATONEMENT IN THE THEOLOGY OF JACOBUS ARMINIUS j. matthew pinson* Jacobus Arminius is one of the best known and least studied theologians in the history of Christianity. His writings have been neglected by Calvinists and Arminians alike. Calvinists have disliked him because of his opposition to scholastic predestinarian theology. Most Arminians have neglected him because what little they have read of him reminds them more of Calvinism than they like. Arminius scholar Carl Bangs is correct when he says that most modern treatments of Arminius assume a definition of Arminianism that does not come from Arminius. Bangs states that most interpreters of Arminianism begin with a preconception of what Arminius should be expected to say, then look in his published works, and do not find exactly what they are looking for. They show impatience and disappointment with his Calvinism, and shift the inquiry into some later period when Arminianism turns out to be what they are looking for—a non-Calvinistic, synergistic, and perhaps semi-Pelagian system.1 This is the approach many scholars have taken toward Arminius regard- ing his doctrine of atonement. For example, the Calvinist scholar Robert L. Reymond has said that the Arminian theory of atonement is the governmental theory, which “denies that Christ’s death was intended to pay the penalty for sin.” He claims that the governmental theory’s “germinal teachings are in Arminius.”2 Similarly, well-known Wesleyan-Arminian scholar James K. Grider states: “A spillover from Calvinism into Arminianism has occurred in recent decades. -
The Doctrine of Sin in the Thought of George R. Knight: Its Context and Implications
Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Master's Theses Graduate Research 2009 The Doctrine of Sin in the Thought of George R. Knight: Its Context and Implications Jamie Kiley Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses Recommended Citation Kiley, Jamie, "The Doctrine of Sin in the Thought of George R. Knight: Its Context and Implications" (2009). Master's Theses. 47. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses/47 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT THE DOCTRINE OF SIN IN THE THOUGHT OF GEORGE R. KNIGHT: ITS CONTEXT AND IMPLICATIONS by Jamie Kiley Adviser: Denis Fortin ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Thesis Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE DOCTRINE OF SIN IN THE THOUGHT OF GEORGE R. KNIGHT: ITS CONTEXT AND IMPLICATIONS Name of researcher: Jamie Kiley Name and degree of faculty adviser: Denis Fortin, Ph.D. Date completed: December 2009 George R. Knight attempts to chart a middle course between various historical extremes on the doctrine of sin. His view of the Fall and of the consequent effects on human nature is not as pessimistic as that of theologians in the Augustinian tradition (including Martin Luther and John Calvin), who stress the complete corruption of human nature and the loss of free will.