Featured It is impossible to convince a Mormon that he is wrong!

The problem here is your failure to study the immediate context of this verse and the overall context and usage of the terms "little children" by Christ and His apostles. This is a regular used metaphorical expression of endearment especially by spiritual leaders toward their followers and it is also a proper description of the spiritual relationship between believers and God.

I will help you in both cases to see the immediate and overall context. First, the overall contextual usage of this termonology as terms of endearment and actual spiritual relationship to God:

Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

CONTEXT: Those who fit all the other beattitudes - responsible believers

Mt 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one

CONTEXT: The proper term to describe the spiritual relationship between true believers and God

Mr 10:24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!

CONTEXT: His apostles

Mt 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

CONTEXT: The word "as" denotes he is using a simile or comparison. He is speaking to adults and telling them they must become "as" children or a child like submission and faith

Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

CONTEXT: Addressing His Apostles in upper room discourse

Ga 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

CONTEXT: He is addressing those who had been led astray by false teachers. Literal infants can hardly fit this context.

1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

CONTEXT: He is addressing those able to READ his letter and who can and do sin. Literal infants can hardly fit this context.

1Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

CONTEXT: He is addressing those who are able to express mature spiritual love for one another. Literal infants can hardly fit this context.

1Jo 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1Jo 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

1Jo 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

CONTEXT: In all the above passages the words "little children" is a metaphorical term of affection used to describe ALL His readers regardless of their literal age. This is so obvious that only the blindness of paedobaptism could not see it.



Now for the immediate context of your so-called proof text:

1. In Matthew 13 where he addresses the very same ones - His disciples - he says:

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mt. 11:25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.


2. However, let us look more closely at the verses that precede and follow Matthew 11:25 to see how Jesus actually applies this statement:

a. Who is he addressing? Those who had REJECTED Him:

Mt. 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

b. Who is he applying this too? All those whom He reveals himself to, who are burdened and laden with sin and who are ABLE to come to Him by faith:

Mt. 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The immediate context makes it clear he is addressing ADULTS and this is a rebuke to their unbelief whereas the immediate following context makes it clear he is applying this to ALL who come to him BY FAITH under the burden and yoke of sin as characterized in verses 28-30. Literal infants are not burdened and weary of their sins because they are not even cognant of sin or that they are even sinners. The application is exactly as in Matthew 13:10 and it is obvious to anyone not wearing paedobaptist blinders.

You come to the scriptures wearing the BLINDERS of the traditions of YOUR FATHERS - who were neither inspired by God but were Roman Catholics who never intended to leave Romanism but only make reforms that were neither deep enough or transforming enough.

However, again, notice the language in the following verses which is directed toward ADULT APOSTLES:

Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

Joh 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

 

The Old Covenant was a covenant of SHADOWS or TYPES (Heb. 10:1-4; Col. 2:14-16). The circumcision of babies was a SHADOW or TYPE of new birth under the New Covenant. Such "new birth" typology fit the OLD MAN Nicodemus (Jn. 3:3-6). Experiential entrance under the new covenant is by spiritual cutting off of the flesh or new birth. All who are under the New Covenant do not need to be LATER "confirmed" or taught the gospel in order to become believers [as all paedobaptist infants must be] but at their ENTRANCE into the New Covenant God revealed Himself to them in connection with the preaching of the gospel (1 Thes. 1:4-5; 2 Thes. 2:13-14) and they know him by faith from the start.


Jer. 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

This is contextually defined as the New Covenant in Hebrews 8-10

Heb. 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Sure, we can teach children of God many things but one thing we can never reveal to any human being is God that comes by direct revelation to their minds and hearts from God Himself at the point of regenerative faith:

Mt. 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

CONTEXT: Jesus is directly referring to Peter's personal confession of faith in Christ. This confession came as a direct result of revelation from God to the heart and mind of Peter.

Mt 11:25 ¶ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

CONTEXT: This is a rebuke to those who REFUSED TO BELIEVE in Him. Saving faith is by direct revelation of God to the human soul that no human can reveal to the soul .

Gal. 1:15 [B] But when it pleased God, who [/B]separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:on

CONTEXT: This is a direct reference to the personal revelation of Jesus Christ to Him on the road to Damascus. No human mediator revealed Christ to his soul although he had heard the gospel with his ears from many of Christ's disciples.

Jn. 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

 

Not to speak for Biblicist, but all of this is just false. And your attempt to attach this viewpoint to Calvinism is a deflection and untrue.

 

I appreciate this honest response that demonstrates you are attempting to be objective.

However, I have one question for you. What if your traditions and church supported what your first impression???

 

I may have edited in that question to late for you to see. Again, my question is, what IF your church, the ECF's and traditions had supported your first position?

I presented you with none of my teachers, church or traditions but only with the Bible and its context! Would that have been totally sufficient for you IN SPITE of what anyone, any other source may have said to the contrary??

 

I have no issue with consulting commentators, living or dead, when researching the immediate and overall context of scriptures in arriving at an interpretation as long as the Biblical context trumps all uninspired commentators.

 

God has given to His church gifted teachers and expositors of the bible, but have to always remember that though giftes, not same as being Apostles/prophets!

 

Here are some biblically based rules of Hermeneutics:

1. 1 Cor. 14:30 - God is not the author of Confusion. Since God is the Author of the Scriptures:

a. Therefore, any interpretation that must depend on pitting scripture against scripture is a false interpretation.

b. Therefore every correct interpretation of scripture must HARMONIZE with its immediate and overall context.


2. 1 Cor. 2:13 - Comparing Spiritual things to Spiritual. The Scriptures are inspired by God and the product of the Spirit of God.

a. Therefore, the best available resource for interpreting the inspired words of one writer in Scripture is the inspired Words of other writers speaking about the same subject in scripture.

b. Therefore, inspired writers are a better source for interpreting scripture than uninspired writers and teachers.


3. 1 Jn. 4:6; Isa. 8:16 - We are commanded to test what all men say by what God's Word says and if they do not harmonize we are to reject whatever does not harmonize with God's Word.

a. Therefore Scripture is the final authority in regard to all that it speaks about and all that it is designed to be used for.

b. Since Scripture is given by God for doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof, so that a man of God can be complete in these matters, it is therefore the final authority in such matters.

More to come.

 

Scriptures harmonize with each other and are never in true oppositon to each other. James 2 does not contradict Romans 4. If the only response a person has to Romans 4 "without works" is to quote James 2 "by my works" so as to imply a contradiction then the person pitting James 2 against Romans 4 does not properly understand either Romans 4 or James 2 or else he would not stoop to pitting one text against another. Instead, he will be able to explain Romans 4 within its context to show it does not contradict Jame 2 and vice versa.

Those who respond to one scripture by merely pitting another scripture against it are loudly advertising they are truly ignorant of both scriptures.

 

Neither is true.

The previous context leading up to this parable is the increasing rejection by the professed people of God and the leadership of the professed people of God (Matt. 9-12). At the close of this parabolic section is further rejection by his own home city.

The implied question of the context is IF you are the Messiah of Israel, then why are the vast majority of the professed people of God rejecting you? Christ's answer is:

1. It is a heart problem - Not all who profess to receive the Word are true children of the kingdom.

2. It is a spiritual problem - the rejectors are tares - false professors planted in the professing kingdom of God by Satan.

3. It is a temporal problem - At the end of the world these tares, bad fish, unregenerated hearted people will be separated and removed from the professing kingdom of God.


The ground represents the "heart" and the description or characterization of the condition of the soil represents the condition of the human heart.

The first three soils represent hearts that have not bee prepared by the Holy Spirit - no regeneration or the LOST PROFESSOR or the "tare" in next parable or the "bad" fish in the parable of the net.

Only the last soil represents the regenerate heart. It has been thoroughly prepared for the seed (gospel). Moreover, the third soile represents all various extents of progressive sanctification among the saved, as saved people vary in their fruit production (some thirty, some sixty....).

1. Hard heart false professors - receive the word but it has no penetration

2. Shallow heart false professors- receive the word but there is no depth and no root - superficial professions and committments

3. Weedy heart false professors - hearts not prepared to receive

4. Good heart - The only soil that is called "good" and the only soil where the seed (gospel) penetrates, has no obstacles but is rooted, and the heart has been thoroughly plowed up and weeds removed. This is the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. The variety of amount of production allows for the different level's of sanctification among born again Christians.