Transcript HOLY SPIRIT - Erskine College

CHRISTOLOGY
Rubens,
BJU Art Gallery
ELECTION
• Biblical Language
– bachar, rxB, “choose, elect, decide for” 198x; Deut.
7:6,7; Deut. 4:37; Ps. 135:4; 78:68; I Kings 8:16; I
Chr. 28:5; I Sam. 10:24
– eklegomai, “Pick for oneself, choose” 22x, Eph. 1:4
– eklektos, “elected, chosen” 22x, I Peter 1:1, 2:4,6,9
– eklogh, “election, choosing” 7x, Rom. 9:11; 11:5,7,28;
I Thess. 1:4
– airew, “take, choose” II Thess. 2:13
– tassw, “appoint, ordain” Acts 13:48
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ELECTION
• Biblical Language
– proginwskw, “foreknow” 5x; Romans 8:29, 11:2
– prognwsij, “foreknowledge” 2x; Acts 2:23, I Peter 1:12
– proorizw, “decide upon beforehand, predestine” 6x of
God’s decree, Romans 8:29-30; I Cor. 2:7; Eph.
1:5; 11
– protiqhmi, “plan, propose, purpose” 3x, (Rom. 1:13;
3:25) Eph. 1:9
– proetoimazw, “prepare before” Rom. 9:23; Eph. 2:10
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• Arminian. Christ died for all people equally. It is
Arminian doctrine that “Christ came to save all men; that
he died for all; that he atoned for all, even for those that
finally perish.” Wesley, Works, X,215
• Calvinistic. Christ died for the elect. The extent of the
atonement is identical with the intent of divine election
• Hypothetical Universalism. Moses Amylraut (15961664) made “a distinction between objective and
subjective grace. The former rendering salvation
objectively available to all men, he held was universal.
The latter, which give the gracious ability to accept the
gospel, he admitted was designed for the elect alone.”
This is often referred to as “4-Point Calvinism.”
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• “Did Christ offer himself a sacrifice for the whole human
race, for every individual without distinction or exception?”
Boettner, Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, 150.
– This question does not involve the nature of Christ’s work; it is a
satisfaction for sin
– It does not involve the value of Christ’s satisfaction which is deemed
by all to be of infinite value
– It does not involve the suitableness of the atonement, for it is
appropriate for and adapted to all
– It does not involve the application of the atonement- which all
(except Universalists) limit!
– “The whole question, therefore, concerns simply the purpose of God
in the mission of His Son.” Hodge, ST, II,544-5.
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• There are many passages which teach particular
atonement:
–John 10:11, “the good shepherd lays down his life for his
sheep”; 14-15, “I know my sheep”
–Acts 20:28, “the church of God, which he bought with his blood”
–Eph. 5:25, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her”
• There are passages which limit the extent of the
atonement:
–Matt. 20:28, “give his life a ransom for many”; 26:28, “my blood
of the covenant, which is poured out for many”
–Heb. 9:28, “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of
many”
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EXTENT OF ATONEMENT
• There are additional passages of importance:
–Rom. 8:33-34, “gave him up for us all . . . Whom God
has chosen”
–I Cor. 15:3-4, “Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures”
–Eph. 1:4-7, “in him we have redemption”
–Matt. 7:23, “I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew
you’”
– John 10:26, “you do not believe because you are not
my sheep”
–Rom. 9:24-32, “even us, whom he also called, not
only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles”
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OBJECTIONS:DEFINITE ATONEMENT
• Election violates my free choice to accept or reject
Christ
–I am not a robot!
–What about my free will?
–The Devil votes against you, God votes for you- you cast the
deciding vote!
–BUT, APART FROM THE REGENERATING WORK OF GOD,
YOU WILL ALWAYS VOTE THE WRONG WAY! See Rom.
1:18-25; 3:10-18
• Election is unfair
–This stacks the deck!
–BUT- ISN’T THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF GRACE? IT ISN’T
FAIR OR JUST!
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OBJECTIONS:DEFINITE ATONEMENT
• God only expects of me what I am able to give him
–But, cf. Ezekiel 37:1-4. Were the bones capable of doing what God
required?
• God loves everyone alike
–BUT, Cf. Luke 22:31 with John 13:27
• God is no respecter of persons!
–Indeed- Rom. 3:10, 3:23- in reference to sin
• Election removes any reason for evangelizing
–So- God ordains ends without necessary means? Does that make
sense?
• Election means the free offer of the gospel cannot be
sincere
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SINCERETY: FREE OFFER OF GOSPEL
•“The Scriptures clearly teach that the
gospel must be preached to all. Whether
we can square this with particular election is
another question. But the rule for our
preaching must always be the revealed will
of God. In the last analysis, it is God’s
business to bring into harmony the
predetermined outcome of the preaching of
the gospel with the general offer of
salvation.” Hoekema, Saved By Grace, 68.
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ARMINIANISM
– An abstract concept of Justice governs how God may
dispense his grace. “A major part of Christendom has
never been able to accept the concept of the
unconditional election of individuals as biblical. They
declare that Scripture just does not teach such an
idea, which appears to be unjust and arbitrary on
God’s part and seems to lead to pessimism and
quietism on man’s part.” Cottrell, Grace Unlimited, 56.
– Re abstract notions, Calvinists argue we must get our
concepts of justice and freedom of the will from the
biblical data- not from some other philosophical or aprior source. The concrete biblical teaching on this
issue must be determinative for the Calvinist.
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ARMINIANISM
• Based on several concepts
– Some passages appear to teach universal atonement,
John 6:51; II Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20; I Tim. 2:6, 4:10;
Titus 2:11; Heb. 2:9; II Peter 2:1, 3:9; I John 2:2
– An abstract notion of Free-Will is usually played off
against the notion of Divine sovereignty. “So when a
theory comes along, whether philosophical, theological,
or psychological, which endeavors to deny this intuition
of freedom, it is up against a basic human selfperception that will eventually overwhelm it.” Clark
Pinnock, Grace Unlimited, 96.
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ARMINIANISM
– Nevertheless, Arminianism results in a limited
atonement as well as does Calvinism
• All people are “salvable,” since the atonement is not
limited
• Not all people are saved, since not all choose to
believe
• Furthermore, even those who will not believe are
created and allowed to rebel, according to Arminian
doctrine. They are just as certain of damnation as
the reprobate in a Calvinistic construct
• To interpose “foreknowledge” only moves the
problem back one level- it does not remove the
problem!
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FOREKNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge, to know, often means intimate personal
relationship: Gen. 4:1; Jer. 1:5; Amos 3:2; Matt. 1:25;
7:23; I Cor. 8:3; Gal. 4:9; II Tim. 2:19
• Foreknowledge is more than merely “knowing
beforehand”: Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29, 11:2; I Peter 1:2,
19-20
– In Acts 2:23, “by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge” tou/ton th/| w`risme,nh|
boulh/| kai. prognw,sei tou/ qeou/
– In I Peter 1:1-2, “Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit unto obedience” and the
sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ.
– What is NOT asserted here is the idea that foreknowledge is
foreknowledge of (ek) or on account of (dia) but unto (eij) obedience.
*kata. pro,gnwsin qeou/ patro,j evn a`giasmw/| pneu,matoj eivj u`pakoh.n kai. r`antismo.n ai[matoj VIhsou/
Cristou/(
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CALVINISM
• Christ did make salvation, as an objective fact,
possible to all men to whom it is offered, if they
will believe
• A purpose to make salvation objectively
available to those for whom it was never
intended (purpose) must not be an
independent purpose in itself
• Rather, this availability of salvation for all is
subsidiary to the main design of entirely
effecting the salvation of those for whom
it was intended
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CALVINISM
Calvinism Argues:
– No one is saved except God intends his/her
salvation
– Ultimately, “all” God’s people
(eschatologically) will be saved
– Broad or general passages in Scripture (“all”)
are limited by the more detailed and specific
passages (“his sheep,” “the elect”)
– The practical impact of Arminianism is not
significantly different from Calvinism; it
explains the universal offer by another, less
consistent means
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ELECTION AND DECREE
• Supralapsarian View (Beza, Pink)
–
–
–
–
To
To
To
To
Predestine some to life, others to death
Create mankind
Ordain the fall (lapsus)
Redeem the elect
• Infralapsarian View (most Calvinists)
–
–
–
–
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To
To
To
To
Create mankind
Ordain the fall
Elect some to eternal life, pass by others
Redeem the elect
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ELECTION AND DECREE
• The Arminian View
–
–
–
–
To
To
To
To
Appoint Christ as Redeemer
receive into favor those who believe/persevere
render all means necessary for faith/repentance
save those whom God foreknows will believe
• Amyrauldian View
–
–
–
–
–
To
To
To
To
To
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(Arminius, Works, II,719)
(Hypothetical Redemptionism)
Create mankind
Ordain the fall
Send Christ to redeem all
Elect some to eternal life, pass by others
Send H.S. to apply salvation to elect.
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CHRISTOLOGY
Rubens,
BJU Art Gallery