Refuting effectually caused faith
- Thread starter TomL
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Obadiah
Well-known member
That not your call. It's unbiblical.
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Romans 14:4
We as Christians are not to despise or judge those who hold the opposite opinion. Christians are to tolerate each other.
Obadiah
Well-known member
Just how many races did God create? One the human race.
brightfame52
Well-known member
It is my call, we are in discussion, I can judge what you say 1 Jn 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try[judge] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Obadiah
Well-known member
That doesn't work. Look how it says to test the spirits. It's only about acknowledging that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Also since we are in a discussion I have to be listening to you.
So your post is wrong
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
brightfame52
Well-known member
The Faith of Gods Elect acknowledges the Truth unto Godliness
Titus 1:1-2
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
The faith given by God never shares its habitat with the faith of man. There is only room for one faith in a man and it is either his own faith or the faith of God. The faith of God cannot abide a false gospel, but only abides in the doctrine of Christ. The sole purpose for the existence of God’s faith is that it be given to His elect so that they will believe the truth and reject every false gospel.
The Holy Spirit produces the Faith of Gods elect in order that they will believe the Truth 2 Thess 2:13
13But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Believing the Truth doctrinally is Godliness !
Titus 1:1-2
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
The faith given by God never shares its habitat with the faith of man. There is only room for one faith in a man and it is either his own faith or the faith of God. The faith of God cannot abide a false gospel, but only abides in the doctrine of Christ. The sole purpose for the existence of God’s faith is that it be given to His elect so that they will believe the truth and reject every false gospel.
The Holy Spirit produces the Faith of Gods elect in order that they will believe the Truth 2 Thess 2:13
13But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Believing the Truth doctrinally is Godliness !
brightfame52
Well-known member
Its not the old man but the New Man that believes in Jesus Eph 4:22-24
22;That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24;And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Yes its the renewed mind by the Spirit that receives, apprehends spiritual things
The New man acts from a pure Principle, from which arise holy, spiritual Actions such as Faith, Repentance unto God
22;That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24;And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Yes its the renewed mind by the Spirit that receives, apprehends spiritual things
The New man acts from a pure Principle, from which arise holy, spiritual Actions such as Faith, Repentance unto God
brightfame52
Well-known member
No holy Acts can be exerted, in a Mind destitute of Holiness. Such as Faith, Repentance, and evangelical Obedience, hence we need a holy mind to cleave to a holy faith Jude 1:20
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
How can a unholy mind like we have by nature, submit to a holy Gospel, Doctrine of Faith ?
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
How can a unholy mind like we have by nature, submit to a holy Gospel, Doctrine of Faith ?
brightfame52
Well-known member
Man is only able to believe the Gospel and the Spiritual things of God, only after by regeneration being delivered from the power of darkness Col 1:13
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
The word darkness means:
Also look at Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
There is no faith in Christ prior to being turned from darkness and the power of satan, first our eyes must be opened, that is to see the truth,
So faith in Christ in the salvation sense is all due to the power, mercy and grace of God, and not the so called freewill of man, who by nature is under the power of darkness and satan !
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
The word darkness means:
- darkness
- of night darkness
- of darkened eyesight or blindness
- metaph.
- of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell
Also look at Acts 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
There is no faith in Christ prior to being turned from darkness and the power of satan, first our eyes must be opened, that is to see the truth,
So faith in Christ in the salvation sense is all due to the power, mercy and grace of God, and not the so called freewill of man, who by nature is under the power of darkness and satan !
brightfame52
Well-known member
Faith in Jesus Christ is the fruit of God’s ordination. “...as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” Acts 13:48
(Hart’) And hearing this the gentiles were elated and gave glory to the Lord’s word, and as many as were disposed to the life of the Age had faith;
(2001) Now, when those who came from the nations heard this, they started rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord. And all those who were inclined to accept age-long life became believers.
(Mace) when the Gentiles heard this, they received the word with joy, glorifying the Lord: and as many as were dispos'd to eternal life, believed.
(Diaglott-NT) Having heard and the Gentiles rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord; and believed as many as were having been disposed for life age-lasting.
(Etheridge) And when the Gentiles heard, they rejoiced and glorified Aloha; and they believed who were disposed [Or, set unto.] unto eternal life.
(LHB) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were disposed to eternal life believed.
(LONT) And the Gentiles hearing this, rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were disposed for eternal life, believed.
MTMattie
Well-known member
brightfame52
Well-known member
Disposed and set in order are harmonious
The gentiles were disposed to eternal life while the Jews were not
Act 13:44 And, on the following Sabbath, almost the whole city was gathered together, to hear the word of God.
Act 13:45 But the Jews, seeing the multitudes, were filled with zeal; and opposed the things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and reviling.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas, with great freedom of speech, said, It was necessary, that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but since you thrust it away from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life; behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For so the Lord has charged us, saying, "I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth."
Act 13:48 And the Gentiles hearing this, rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were disposed for eternal life, believed.
Gentiles … glad—When now these Gentiles learn from the gracious words of Hebrew prophecy that this Gospel was promised to them of old, their hearts go forward with eager joy to embrace it. Ordained to eternal life—Should be rendered, disposed to eternal life. It plainly refers to the eager predisposition just above mentioned in the heart of many of these Gentiles on learning that old prophecy proclaims a Messiah for them. As many as were so inclined to the eternal life now offered committed themselves by faith to the blessed Jesus.
Rarely has a text been so violently wrenched from its connections with the context, and strained beyond its meaning for a purpose, than has been this clause in support of the doctrine of predestination. There is not the least plausibility in the notion that Luke in this simple history is referring to any eternal decree predestinating these men to eternal life. The word here rendered ordained usually signifies placed, positioned, disposed. It may refer to the material or to the mental position. It is a verb in the passive form, a form which frequently possesses a reciprocal active meaning; that is, it frequently signifies an action performed by one’s self upon one’s self. Thus, in Romans 9:22, The vessels of wrath fitted to destruction are carefully affirmed, even by predestinarians, to be fitted by themselves. Indeed, the very Greek word here rendered ordained is frequently used, compounded with a preposition, in the New Testament itself, in the passive form with a reciprocal meaning. Thus, Rom. 13:1, Be subject unto the higher powers, is literally, place yourselves under the higher powers. So, also, Rom. 8:7; 1 Cor. 16:16; James 4:7, and many other texts. The meaning we give is required by the antithesis between the Jews in verse 46 and these Gentiles. The former were indisposed to eternal life, and so believed not; these were predisposed to eternal life, and so believed. The permanent faith of the soul was consequent upon the predisposition of the heart and the predetermination of the will.1
1 D. D. Whedon, Acts–Romans (vol. III; A Popular Commentary on the New Testament; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1875), 164–165.
TibiasDad
Well-known member
From Myers NT Commentary
…..It was dogmatic arbitrariness which converted our passage into a proof of the decretum absolutum;[13] see Beza and Calvin in loc., and Canon. Dordrac. p. 205, ed. Augusti. For Luke leaves entirely out of account the relation of “being ordained” to free self-determination; the object of his remark is not to teach a doctrine, but to indicate a historical sequence. Indeed, the evident relation, in which this notice stands to the apostle’s own words, ἐπειδὴ … ζωῆς(Acts 13:46), rather testifies against the conception of the absolute decree, and for the idea, according to which the destination of God does not exclude (comp. Acts 2:41) individual freedom (ὡς οὐ κατʼ ἀνάγκην, Chrysostom); although, if the matter is contemplated only from one of those two sides which it necessarily has, the other point of view, owing to the imperfection of man’s mode of looking at it, cannot receive proportionally its due, but appears to be logically nullified….
Doug
TibiasDad
Well-known member
Expositors Greek NT
Acts 13:48. ἐδόξ. τὸν λ. τοῦ Κ.: δοξ. τὸν Θ.; frequent in Luke and Paul, cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 for the nearest approach to the exact phrase here.—ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγ.: there is no countenance here for the absolutum decretum of the Calvinists, since Acts 13:46 had already shown that the Jews had acted through their own choice. The words are really nothing more than a corollary of St. Paul’s ἀναγκαῖον: the Jews as a nation had been ordained to eternal life—they had rejected this election—but those who believed amongst the Gentiles were equally ordained by God to eternal life, and it was in accordance with His divine appointment that the Apostles had turned to them. Some take the word as if middle, not passive: “as many as had set themselves unto eternal life,” and in support of this Rendall refers to 1 Corinthians 16:15, ἔταξαν ἑαυτοὺς (see also Blass, in loco). The rendering here given by Rendall may be adopted without pressing the military metaphor in the verb, as has sometimes been done; see Wendt’s note, p. 308 (1888). St. Chrysostom takes the expression (rightly as Wendt thinks): ἀφωρισμένοι τῷ Θεῷ. Mr. Page’s note, in loco, should be consulted.
Cambridge Bible Commentary
48. and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed] In the controversies on predestination and election this sentence has constantly been brought forward. But it is manifestly unfair to take a sentence out of its context, and interpret it as if it stood alone. In Acts 13:46 we are told that the Jews had judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, and all that is meant by the words in this verse is the opposite of that expression. The Jews were acting so as to proclaim themselves unworthy; the Gentiles were making manifest their desire to be deemed worthy. The two sections were like opposing troops, ranged by themselves, and to some degree, though not unalterably, looked upon as so arranged by God on different sides. Thus the Gentiles were ordering themselves, and were ordered, unto eternal life. The text says no word to warrant us in thinking that none could henceforth change sides.
Doug
dwight92070
Well-known member
The God-ordained condition for receiving all that is offered in the gospel is faith in Christ.
Only God Saves.
Therefore only God can be the ultimate and primary cause of salvation.
The God who causes men to be saved does so when they meet the condition for salvation ordained by Him, which is to believe in Jesus Christ.
Charles Spurgeon refused to explain how men could be held accountable for not trusting in a Saviour in whom they were never chosen, on the grounds that Scripture itself offers no explanation.
Only God Saves.
Therefore only God can be the ultimate and primary cause of salvation.
The God who causes men to be saved does so when they meet the condition for salvation ordained by Him, which is to believe in Jesus Christ.
Charles Spurgeon refused to explain how men could be held accountable for not trusting in a Saviour in whom they were never chosen, on the grounds that Scripture itself offers no explanation.
Indeed
Why these Gentiles here ranged themselves on God’s side as opposed to the Jews Luke does not tell us. This verse does not solve the vexed problem of divine sovereignty and human free agency. There is no evidence that Luke had in mind an absolutum decretum of personal salvation. Paul had shown that God’s plan extended to and included Gentiles. Certainly the Spirit of God does move upon the human heart to which some respond, as here, while others push him away. Believed (ἐπιστευσαν [episteusan]). Summary or constative first aorist active indicative of πιστευω [pisteuō]. The subject of this verb is the relative clause. By no manner of legerdemain can it be made to mean “those who believe were appointed.” It was saving faith that was exercised only by those who were appointed unto eternal life, who were ranged on the side of eternal life, who were thus revealed as the subjects of God’s grace by the stand that they took on this day for the Lord.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Ac 13:48.
brightfame52
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brightfame52
Well-known member
I did my study
