After several years on the old MS boards where you acquired a thick skin, you were never exposed to or acquired a knowledge of those terms, free willer, or synergist, or arminian?
Please don't insult our intelligence.
Oh, yes, I was quiet exposed to all those terms. I was exposed enough to learn that to many different folks who use the terms, they seem to have a different meaning.
Granted terms like trinity or rapture are not found in the Bible; but when used, there is very little doubt about the meaning.
However in the Calvinist system there seems to be those who are "Calvinist" to varying degrees and they all place a different degree of meaning to the terms they use.
Therefore before a quality discussion can be had, one must discover the definitions of the individual.
I don't know for sure why this is, perhaps a lack of common authority.
Terms like supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism, total depravity and total inability, reprobation and preterition, synergism and monergism, common grace and special grace are all thrown about in a dazzling array of confusion to most folks.
The only way to sort it all out is to ask the specific user to define his (or her) specific meaning when they use the terms.
I truly was and am ignorant of the true meaning of many of the terms used; but I don't worry too much about it because if one reads, one soon realizes that even Calvinist cannot agree among themselves on the proper definitions.
I have learned it is best to simply ask each user for his definition at the time.
Take for instance the term "Arminian".....
It seems to be used in a derogatory fashion many times and associated with those who combine an element of works with salvation.
However if one reads the words of Arminian himself, one begins to feel he is getting a bad rap.
It seems Calvin's very foundation is in trying to prove that no man in this Age of Grace has any degree of works associated with salvation.
This is an effort to which I would join and approve. However I feel one has to go no further than the scriptures themselves for the proof, not create some elaborate theology with the ever need of new terms to better explain and clarify the old terms.
please see:
Galatians 3:22-23 (King James Version)
22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
We see from vs 23 there is a new faith on the scene which was only revealed after the law so this dates this new faith as a NT occurrence because the law was unto the cross when Christ fulfilled everything. But what is this new faith?
also see:
Galatians 2:16 (King James Version)
16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
IMHO this new faith is the Faith of Christ as shown in vs 16 above and also in vs 22 above.
It is the Faith of Christ,,,not man's personal faith in Christ which brought salvation to all men.
Our Lord Jesus Christ did it ALL,,,,no man can boast of works or even of having a greater degree of personal faith.
And it is the salvic Faith of Christ which is gifted to men (Eph 2:8) when they but believe in Jesus Christ. (vs16 above)
After I learned these truths, I stopped worrying about the "Calvinism-Arminian" battle because I see both in error.
But........there is still the matter of the terms. I do wish Calvinist could just all agree so the rest of us would know what they mean....:thumbs: