The Trouble With Calvin – Pt. 1 [Total Depravity]

Tim Staples' Blog ^ | May 1, 2014 | Tim Staples

[GonzoII]

The Trouble With Calvin – Pt. 1

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Over my next five blog posts, I am going to critique the famous “five points” of Calvinist theology: 1. Total Depravity 2. Unconditional Election 3. Limited Atonement 4. Irresistibility of Grace 5. Perseverance of the Saints (“Once Saved, Always Saved”).

Pt. 1 – Total Depravity

In John Calvin’s magnum opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin presents a view of man that is very much like Luther’s, but contrary to what we find in the pages of Sacred Scripture. Calvin used texts like Gen.6:5,

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,

and Romans 3:10ff,

None is righteous, no not one; no one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one…

in order to prove that man is totally and utterly depraved through the fall of Adam and Eve. Calvin’s conclusion from these texts and others was to say, “The will is so utterly vitiated and corrupted in every part as to produce nothing but evil” (Institutes, Bk. II, Chapter II, Para. 26).

What Say We?

The context of the texts Calvin used actually demonstrate the opposite of his claim. For example, if we read forward just four verses in Genesis 6, we find this:

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a righteous (“just”) man, blameless in his generation (Gen. 6:8-9).

While we Catholics agree that God’s grace or “favor” was absolutely essential for Noah to be truly “just” before God; nevertheless, Noah was truly just, according to the text.

As far as the quote from Romans is concerned, the greater context of the entire epistle must be understood. One of the central themes of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans is the fact that it is through “the goodness of God” that we are led to repent (cf. Romans 2:4), to be justified (Romans 5:1-2), and persevere in the faith (cf. Romans 11:22). It is solely because of God’s grace that we can truly become just:

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

Further,

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death…in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:2-4).

Notice the emphasis on the fact that man is truly made just so much so that he can fulfill “the just requirement of the law.” It doesn’t get any more just, or righteous, than that!

Thus, Romans 3:10ff simply does not teach total depravity in a Calvinist sense. It cannot when the context is understood.

Moreover, if we examine the very verses where St. Paul paints his picture of the wicked who have “turned aside” and “done wrong,” we find he actually quotes Psalm 14:3. The next two verses of this Psalm explain who these “evil ones” are.

Have they no knowledge, all the evil-doers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord? There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.

The Psalmist clearly refers to both evil-doers and “the righteous.”

The impetus of these and other texts from Romans tell us that Christ came to make us just, not that there are absolutely none who are just. We must stress again that it is because of the justice of Christ communicated to the faithful that their actions, and indeed, they themselves, are truly made just. But they indeed are truly made just.

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right (Gr.—ho poion tein dikaiousunein—the one doing justice) is righteous (Gr.—dikaios estin—is just), as he is righteous (Gr.—kathos ekeinos dikaios estin—as he is just) (I John 3:7).

There is no way the Scripture could be any clearer that the faithful are truly made just in their being and in their actions through the grace of Christ.

The Problem Magnified

More grave problems begin to arise when we begin to follow the path Calvin lays for us with his first principle. Even when considering the unregenerate Calvin is wrong about total depravity because Scripture tells us even those who are outside of the law can,

… do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts” (Romans 2:14-15).

Though Catholics agree with Calvinists that grace is necessary even for these who are ignorant of the law in order for them to be just before God—in other words this text is not saying these pagans can be justified apart from grace—the text does infer that nature is not totally depraved because man can clearly act justly on a natural level, or by nature.

But an even more grave error comes to the fore when we consider his notion of the depravity of the just. “Depravity of the just?” Yes. That was not a typo. According to John Calvin, even those who have been justified by Christ “cannot perform one work which, if judged on its own merits, is not deserving of condemnation” (Institutes, Bk. III, Ch. 9, Para. 9). How far from “he that acts justly is just” (I John 3:7) or the plain words of the Psalmist who uses similar words as found in Gen. 15:6 with regard to Abraham being justified by faith: “[Abraham] believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness,” in Psalm 106:30-31: “Then Phineas stood up and interposed, and the plague was stayed. And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness from generation to generation.”

Phineas was clearly justified by his works and not just by faith. In other words, Phineas’ works are truly “just as he is just” to use the words of I John 3:7.

There are a multitude of biblical texts that come to mind at this point, but what about the words of our Lord in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Or, “by works a man is justified and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Or,

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:13-14).

These texts do not even come close to saying all of these works were “worthy of condemnation.” They say just the opposite!

We should be clear here: All “good works” man performs that contribute to his salvation are first and foremost God’s gifts, which, along with his cooperation, truly make him just and worthy to “walk with [Christ] in white; for [he is] worthy” (Rev. 3:4), by God’s grace and mercy. But we cannot escape the biblical fact that these works truly are just and they are truly the fruit of the just man himself.

The Problems Continue

Once Calvin deduces “total depravity” via poor exegesis of a relatively few texts of Scripture, all sorts of unbiblical notions follow. For example, Calvin also concludes from this that human nature is so totally depraved that free will is an impossibility. It’s a farce:

The grace offered by the Lord is not merely one which every individual has full liberty of choosing to receive or reject, but a grace which produces in the heart both choice and will (Institutes, Bk. II, Ch. 3, Para. 13).

According to Calvin, man’s total depravity means necessarily that he does not have the capacity to cooperate with God’s grace.

In fact, I argue that Calvin’s notion of grace and nature is a carbon copy of the theology of Sunni Islam. And I am far from alone in my conclusion. The famous Calvinist and anti-Catholic, Loraine Boettner, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, provides:

Dr. Samuel M. Zwemer, who in a very real sense can be referred to as “apostle to the Mohammedan World,” calls attention to the strange parallel between the Reformation in Europe under Calvin and that in Arabia under Mohammed. Says he: “Islam is indeed in many respects the Calvinism of the Orient. It, too, was a call to acknowledge the sovereignty of God’s will… It is this vital theistic principle that explains the victory of Islam over the weak divided and idolatrous Christendom of the Orient” (Boettner, The Doctrine of Predestination, p. 318-319).

Strange bedfellows? Perhaps not. Islam and Calvinism agree based not only upon a distorted notion of the sovereignty of God, but also because of a distorted notion of man’s depravity. The two are very similar.

Understanding the Strange

When John Calvin says man is utterly dependent upon God for every single just thought in his mind (see Institutes, Bk. II, Ch. II, Para. 27), Catholics will happily agree. And they would be correct. We do agree. However, appearances can be deceiving because there is more meaning beneath those words that Catholics cannot agree with.

With Calvin, there is no sense of grace aiding and empowering our wills as St. Augustine taught and the Catholic Church teaches. For Calvin, being “dependent upon God” means our free cooperation or free wills have no part to play. God does not merely empower our wills; he operates them.

In the end, this may well be the most disturbing idea stemming from Calvin’s notion of total depravity. Man is essentially a puppet of God’s, which led to Calvin attributing both the good and the evil actions of man to God.

And mind you, Calvin rejects and ridicules the Catholic notion of God merely permitting evil and working all things together for good. In his words:

Hence a distinction has been invented between doing and permitting, because to many it seemed altogether inexplicable how Satan and all the wicked are so under the hand and authority of God, that he directs their malice to whatever end he pleases… (Institutes, Bk. I, Ch. XVIII, Para. 1).

Evildoers do not commit acts of depravity in spite of the command of God, but because of the command of God, according to Calvin (Ibid. Para. 4)! In fact, Calvin uses Is. 45:7 and Amos 3:6 to teach that there is no evil that occurs that is not “impelled” by God’s positive command (Ibid. Para. 2).

God is the author of all those things which, according to these objectors, happen only by his inactive permission. He testifies that he creates light and darkness, forms good and evil (Is. [45:7]); that no evil happens which he hath not done (Amos [3:6]) (Ibid. Para. 3).

As Catholics we understand—as St. Paul teaches—“since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct” (Romans 1:28). This means God may well remove grace that is rejected. He may also hold back grace as well, but this is, as St. Augustine said, God’s “just judgment.” But, according to Calvin’s unbiblical teaching, God does not give grace in the first place and then “impels” men to act sinfully. As quoted above, according to Calvin, God causes evil. And we are not talking about physical evil here; we are talking about moral evil. That is categorically absurd! God cannot “do” or “impel” moral evil because He is infinitely and absolutely good!

God cannot lie (Heb. 6:8, Number 23:19), “he cannot deny Himself” (II Timothy 2:13)—or act contrary to His nature. If God’s nature is one of love and pure being, it is absurd to say that he can “do” evil, which is by nature a lack of some perfection that ought to be present in a given nature. In fact, James 1:13 tells us that God not only cannot cause this kind of evil, but he cannot even tempt anyone with evil. That is contrary to his nature.

The Bottom Line

When Is. 45:7 and Amos 3:6 say God “creates evil” and “does evil,” this must be seen only in a sense in which it does not contradict God’s nature and what is clearly revealed to us about God in Scripture. God can directly cause physical evil, such as the ten plagues he released against Egypt in Exodus. But this was an act of justice, which in and of itself was morally upright and justified. We can also say that God permits evil in view of the fact that he chose to create us with freedom. But even there, God only permits evil in view of his promise to bring good out of that evil as is most profoundly demonstrated through the greatest evil in the history of the world—the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through this greatest evil God brings about the greatest good—the redemption of the world. God did not kill Christ, nor did he “impel” anyone to kill Christ. But by virtue of his omnipotence, he brings good out of the evil acts committed.

[GonzoII]

John Calvin: “The will is so utterly vitiated and corrupted in every part as to produce nothing but evil” (Institutes, Bk. II, Chapter II, Para. 26)."

2Ch 31:20 Thus Hezeki'ah did throughout all Judah; and he did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God.

Php 4:13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me

[Salvation]

I don’t know much about Calvinism so this is really a learning piece for me.

[Gamecock]

***I don’t know much about Calvinism so this is really a learning piece for me.***

If you used this as a “learning piece” you still don’t know much about Calvinism.

[ifinnegan]

Weird.

Why advertise denial of Christ’s propituary sacrifice?

[hondact200]

Keep in mind John Calvin’s book Institutes of Christian Religion was updated a total of 5 times 1536, 1539,1543, 1550, and 1559.

Take the time to read Phillip Melancthon’s Loci Communes
, Huldyrch Zwingli’s Commentary on True and False Religion, Martin Bucer’s works and Martin Luther’s works. Before criticizing John Calvin’s works. The TULIP was a good part of Christianity for many years. The scholastic theologians argued with one another for years over the Catholic Church and the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter Reformation.

The church that we have have today is an aspect of what came about over the years of the arguments. Liberalism of the church came about by yet another movement that spread through the world over other aspects of Christian thought.

Also take a look at Augustine’s City of God, Aquinas’ Summa Theologica.

Remember Martin Luther started a the Protestant Reformation by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg. He wanted a debate with other church scholars over theological abuses and heretical view points.

Calvin was influenced by Luther, Zwingli, Bucer and melancthon.

But keep in mind Calvin was a catholic theologian whom became a lawyer and became a protestant theologian too. Calvin dedicated his first Christian Institutes to King Francis of France because the Catholic King was killing the Hugenounts (Protestant) believers in droves.

[ForYourChildren]

“Over my next five blog posts, I am going to critique the famous “five points” of Calvinist theology.”

This certainly is not a good start for the “next five blog posts.” It is obvious this author does not fully grasp the presuppositions of Calvinism, and as such makes straw man claims about Calvinism.

This does not bode well for the rest of blog posts critique.

At least enjoy the “next five blog posts” for its humorous mischaracterizations and misrepresentations.

[.45 Long Colt]

You must differentiate between the redeemed will of a believer and the corrupt will of a lost man, a man dead in trespasses and sins. Be careful of what the Apostle Paul referred to as “will worship” in Colossians 2:23. Below is what Pastor Don Fortner has written on “will worship.”

“I can think of nothing in all the world more foolish, more debasing to humanity, more dishonoring to God and more assuredly damning to the souls of men than idolatry. It is pathetic to see men and women worship- ping gods that other men have made, dumb gods made by the hands of ignorant men! Idolatry is hideously evil! “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they,but they see not:They have ears,but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They that make them are like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them” (Psa. 115:4-8). I have seen poor people in Mexico crawl on their knees before a statue of Mary, burning candles before it as they prayed. The pope of Rome attributes his life to Mary. I repeat, idolatry is hideously evil! But the most abominable form of idolatry in the world is that which Paul calls “will worship.” Will worship is the worship of yourself!

“Those who attribute salvation, in whole or in part, to the will, the work, or the worth of man are the most abominably evil idolaters in the world, for they worship themselves. Free-willism is the worship of yourself. Legalism is the worship of yourself. Free-will, works religion makes man his own savior, for it makes the will, the work, and the worth of man to be the determining factor in salvation.

“If your salvation, in whole or in part, is looked upon by you as something that is dependent upon, or determined by, your will or your works, you are lost, a Christless, graceless soul, an idolater (Gal. 5:1-4). You may talk about God and grace, Christ and redemption, the Holy Spirit and regeneration, but you really worship yourself. Your trust is in your decision. Your confidence is in your goodness. Your peace is derived not from what Christ has done, but from what you have done. In your opinion the thing that separates you from the damned is not the will of God, the work of Christ and the grace of the Spirit, but your own will, your own work, and your own worth.

“I urge you to flee from your idolatry. Smash to pieces the gods of free-will, good works and human worth. And trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone as your Savior. Seek salvation on the basis of grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone!”

[Iscool]

Smash to pieces the gods of free-will

You may talk about God and grace, Christ and redemption, the Holy Spirit and regeneration, but you really worship yourself. Your trust is in your decision. Your confidence is in your goodness. Your peace is derived not from what Christ has done, but from what you have done. In your opinion the thing that separates you from the damned is not the will of God, the work of Christ and the grace of the Spirit, but your own will, your own work, and your own worth.

While I believe it is the epitome' of hilarity to watch Catholics attempt to use the bible to attack other religions I too have to take exception to a thing or two here...

You may talk about God and grace, Christ and redemption, the Holy Spirit and regeneration, but you really worship yourself.

I don't believe that for a second...And I see know scripture that would back up your claim...

Your trust is in your decision. Your confidence is in your goodness.

No truth in that at all...I trust in the one who gave me the opportunity to make that decision...And it doesn't include a drop of goodness on my part because there is none...

Your peace is derived not from what Christ has done, but from what you have done.

That's ridiculous to make a claim like that...I could have chosen to follow Buddha and not ended up with any peace...Peace doesn't come from me...It comes from God...

In your opinion the thing that separates you from the damned is not the will of God, the work of Christ and the grace of the Spirit, but your own will, your own work, and your own worth.

You are partially correct...I am not saved because it is the will of God...God wishes all would be saved but that ain't happening...

The rest of that applies to Catholics but it does not apply to born again Protestants...

[.45 Long Colt]

I know of no Scripture in support of man’s free will after the fall. If you’ve been born again it did not happen due to your decision or will. Scripture could not be more clear. For starters see John 1:13 and Romans 9:16

Because of the fall we do not have the ability to choose God. No one dead Iin trespasses and sins chooses Christ (Romans 3). It’s up to God to show mercy. That’s what He told Moses in Exodus 33 and that is reiterated throughout the Word. Salvation is by grace!

This is nothing but traditional Protestant/Baptist doctrine that has been eroded over the past century of so.

[.45 Long Colt]

Here is a Southern Baptist Dr. Voddie Baucham explaining this doctrine:

The Doctrine of Total Depravity
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=5510954312

And here is a Presbyterian, Dr. Alan Cairns:

Universal Guilt and Total Depravity Parts 1&2
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=61032016
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=680318225

I used to believe as you now believe. As I’ve said many times before, coming to understand grace changed my life, and that’s not an understatement. It’s the best thing that has happened to me since I was born again back in 1977.

[metmom]

Hit piece on Calvinists.

So much for *There’s no Protestant bashing on FR*.

[Elsie]

What's a Catholic doing posting about Calvin?

[Elsie]

I don’t know much about Calvinism so this is really a learning piece for me.

You'll 'learn' a lolt more if Gonzo can get the Arminians in the ring with the Calvinists!

Then you catholics can sit back and watch!

HMMMmmm... I wonder if there are any Eastern Orthodox folks who would be interested in this thread...

[Elsie]

But keep in mind Calvin was a catholic theologian whom became a lawyer and became a protestant theologian too.

Obviously poorly catechized!

[Elsie]

humorous mischaracterizations and misrepresentations.

Like...

...Mary never died and now is Jesus' executive secretary in Heaven?

[Elsie]

Because of the fall we do not have the ability to choose God.

Oh???

Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

[Elsie]

It’s the best thing that has happened to me since I was born again back in 1977.

Could you explain HOW this event occurred?

[.45 Long Colt]

We are commanded to choose Him, but because of the Fall, we cannot and we will not. Your verse speaks not of our ability. Like so much of Scripture it merely tells us what we should do. We must be careful not confuse ought with ability. All sons of Adam lost much in the Fall!

This is what the Bible says of natural men after the fall.

Romans 3:
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

There is no one righteous, no one understands and none are seeking Him. Not even one! Why? Because we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. We are in bondage to sin. How could an unrighteous man who doesn’t understand and isn’t seeking The Lord choose Christ? Why would he want to?

Here are some things lost men can not do on their own power:
1) Natural men cannot discern spiritual things:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). A.W. Pink said, “Until a man is born again he remains in his natural, fallen and depraved state and so long as that is the case it is utterly impossible for him to discern or perceive divine things. Sin has both darkened his understanding and destroyed his spiritual vision.”

2) Natural men cannot come to Christ:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (John 6:44) Notice it says: “NO MAN CAN except the Father” We have no ability to come to Christ unless God acts first.

3) Natural men cannot receive the Holy Spirit:
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not . . .” (John 14:17)
A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3:27)

4) Natural men cannot hear nor discern God’s Words:
“He that is of God heareth God’s words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God.” (John 8:47)
“But the natural (unsaved) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Corinthians 2:14)

5) Natural men cannot bring themselves into the family of God:
“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God.” (John 1:13)
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9:15-16)

6) Natural men cannot believe in Christ Jesus:
“But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you.” (John 10:26)

7) Natural men cannot please God:
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. . . . So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:5, 8, 9)

8) Natural men cannot know their own hearts:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

9) Natural men cannot properly direct their own steps:
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

10) Natural men cannot produce faith and repentance in Christ:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
“. . . for all men have not faith.” (2 Thessalonians 3:2)
“For unto you it is given . . . to believe on him . . .” (Philippians 1:29)
“. . . if God peradventure will give them repentance . . .” (2 Timothy 2:25)
“. . . to them that have obtained like precious faith with us . . .” (2 Peter 1:1)

More passages to consider:
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you...” (John 15:16)

“Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (Ps. 110:3) because, as Pink wrote, “they have no power whatever of their own to effect such willingness.”

Ephesians 2:5: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath he quickened us together with Christ; (by grace ye are saved.)”

Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Jeremiah 13:23: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

Romans 8:7 - For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Genesis 6:5 & 8:21 - The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually... from
youth.

1 Corinthians 2:14 - The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 - our gospel is veiled... to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

I didn’t always believe as I do now, I was much as old Augustine who said, “I once laboured hard for the free will of man, until the grace of God at length overcame me.”

Here are some quotes from Luther:
“Do God’s Commands Imply Abilty to Obey?”
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/bondage0809.html

http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-276

[.45 Long Colt]

“And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”
—Acts 16:14

The Lord opened my heart to hear and respond, just as He opened Lydia’s heart to respond to Paul. Accordingly, in the day of His power, I believed. (Psalm 110:3)

[boatbums]

Staples makes numerous errors in his feeble attempt to condemn ALL Protestants via proxy in his disputation of Calvin's doctrines. Here is but the first mistake he makes:

The context of the texts Calvin used actually demonstrate the opposite of his claim. For example, if we read forward just four verses in Genesis 6, we find this:

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord… Noah was a righteous (“just”) man, blameless in his generation (Gen. 6:8-9).

While we Catholics agree that God’s grace or “favor” was absolutely essential for Noah to be truly “just” before God; nevertheless, Noah was truly just, according to the text.

Just because Noah "found favor in the eyes of the Lord" and was a "righteous man" doesn't prove he was without a sin nature. Abraham also found favor with God because he sought to know the true God, denying the false gods that were part of his heritage. Both Noah and Abraham, Scripture tells us, committed many acts that were sinful in God's eyes but were forgiven them, just as we are forgiven, by faith. Besides, any righteousness man is capable of having is NO match for the righteousness of God and which God REQUIRES for anyone entering heaven. So, wrong, Tim, Noah was not a "just" man in the sense that he was sinless. ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory (perfection) of God. (Rom. 3:23)