Posted on 05/13/2002 10:08:33 PM PDT by drstevej
Summary Evaluation of Arminian Theology
Arminianism stresses a number of important features. The emphasis on man’s responsibility is surely a biblical factor: man must believe to be saved (John 3:16; Acts 16:31, etc.). If man refuses to believe, he is lost (John 5:40; 7:17). Arminianism’s emphasis on the universality of the atonement is also biblical (1 Tim. 4:10; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 2:2).
Several features within Arminianism should be evaluated.
(1) Arminianism denies the imputation of sin; no one is condemned eternally because of original sin. Man is condemned because of his own sins. This appears at variance with Romans 5:12–21.
(2) Though variously interpreted, Arminians generally teach that the effects of the Fall were erased through prevenient grace bestowed on all men, enabling individuals to cooperate with God in salvation. There is, however, no clear indication of this kind of prevenient grace in Scripture.
(3) Arminians teach that the Fall did not destroy man’s free will; furthermore, they teach that prevenient grace moves upon the heart of the unbeliever, enabling him to cooperate with God in salvation by an act of the will. While it is true that man must bear responsibility in responding to the gospel (John 5:40), man’s will has been affected because of the Fall (Rom. 3:11–12; Eph. 2:1); man needs God’s grace in order to be saved (Eph. 2:8; Acts 13:48; 16:14).
(4) Arminians relate predestination to God’s foreknowledge of man’s actions. They stress that God knew beforehand who would believe, and He elected those. In Arminianism, election and predestination are conditioned by faith. The word foreknowledge (Gk. prognosis), however, is basically equivalent to election (cf. Rom. 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:20). The data of God’s foreknowledge originates in advanced planning, not in advanced information.
(5) Arminianism stresses human participation and responsibility in salvation: recognition of sin, turning from sin, repentance, confession, and faith. For Arminianism, repentance involves change of actions, forsaking sins, whereas the biblical word repentance (Gk. metanoia) means “change of mind.” Although the stress on human responsibilities is significant, if it involves multiple conditions for salvation, this stress becomes a serious matter because the purity of salvation-by-grace-alone is then at stake. The sole condition of salvation stressed in scores of Scriptures is faith in Christ (John 3:16, 36; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9, etc.).
(6) Arminianism teaches that believers may lose their salvation because the human will remains free and so may rescind its earlier faith in Christ by choosing sin. Frequently this view is based on controversial passages like Hebrews 6:4–6 and 2 Peter 2:20–22. The clear emphasis of Scripture, however, is that the believer has eternal life as a present possession (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11–13) and is kept secure by Christ (John 10:28) because of what He has done (Rom. 5:1; 8:1).
How about "foice." Or maybe, "chate." <GRIN>
Actually, somethings are "poof" from God. Conversion is. For ten years I was an atheist, and then "poof" in one instant I was no longer.
Is the mind of God an entirely logic-based entity?
Here is something else to ponder:
The end towards which created things are directed by God is twofold; one which exceeds all proportion and faculty of created nature; and this end is life eternal, that consists in seeing God, which is above the nature of every creature.
The other end, however, is proportionate to created nature, to which end created being can attain according to the power of its nature. Now if a thing cannot attain to something by the power of its nature, it must be directed thereto by another; thus, an arrow is directed by the archer towards a mark.
Sooooo...properly speaking, a rational creature, capable of eternal life, is led towards it, directed, as it were, by God. The reason of that direction pre-exists in God; as in Him is the type of the order of all things towards an end, which we proved above to be providence.
Now the type in the mind of the doer of something to be done, is a kind of pre-existence in him of the thing to be done. And the type of the afore direction of a rational creature towards the end of life eternal is called predestination. For to destine, is to direct or send. Thus it is clear that predestination, as regards its objects, is a part of providence.
I think Aquinas was on the money. Which part do you disagree with?
I do agree with that. However understanding can be aquired by prayer. I have found that one only has to ask God for enlightenment and knowledge of his intrinsic nature and he will answer the prayer. It may only be a tiny fraction of His nature, but one can indeed increase in knowledge.
And you're right. I am getting very punchy. I'm going to turn in. Good night. =)
You are partially correct, but the Canons of Dort from which TULIP is derived was formulated by the Dutch Calvinists in response to the Arminian statement of faith. If you doubt this, all you need to do is take a look at the back of a Christian Reformed Church 'Psalter Hymnal' and read it for yourself. Even the Dutch/Christian Reformed Church would not debate this point.
While I think the Arminian viewpoint is much more correct than that of the Dutch Calvinists, one must give some credit where credit is due. The Christian Reformed Church is the organization that initiated and gave birth to the NIV of the Bible, althought it eventually enlisted and joined with several other churches and organizations in a coordinated effort to create a Bible that truly strived to be an accurate thought-for-thought translation of the Bible, a claim that is apparently accepted based on the extremely wide acceptance of this version.
Why? If some argument reduces to an elementary logical error, then it is refuted
That is all well and fine and good, as far as it goes.
But people aren't created to be Dr. Spock's. There is something even in the midst of the erroneous debates common to Arminianism vs. Calvinism which reflects the God-image quest of man to understand, to know, to believe, looking at reality as a whole. That is why Aquinas' insight, as important as it is logically, is by itself only dry bones.
It seems to me that Calvinists rely on the writings of Aquinas to justify their extreme position on predestination and total depravity, rather than using the Bible to develope their position. One thing is for sure, if one is looking for an example of a person who possessed joy and an abundant life in Christ, John Calvin would be a poor example. One can hardly picture John Calvin singing while being shackled in prison as Paul did. Calvinists are not permitted to be happy, at least that is the case with the Dutch Calvinists. To be happy is a sin because happiness obviously must mean one does not understand the depravity of ones life.
In 20-20 hindsight, every major Christian movement has been almost impossibly warped in one direction or the other. Protestant, Orthodox, Catholic, all have been rife with disproportion and scandal. The wonder is that Christianity has persisted to this day, not that it has been beset with just about every problem under the sun. This is because it is not kept in motion by human effort, but by the grace of God.
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