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And what is so crazy about this is that the bible isn't silent about this question. James clearly teaches that God doesn't even tempt men to evil, yet some might suggest that God determined the desires which cause men to fall into temptation.

But, the point is that even Calvinists agree that the gospel is meant to be proclaimed to all. And my question is about why God would decide to send an appeal for reconciliation to all fallen people which wasn't powerful enough to enable a response on the basis that they were fallen?

Willingly means positively....i.e. he willingly went to the feast. According to Calvinistic doctrine mankind cannot respond willingly to the gospel appeal unless first regenerated. That is what I was talking about. So, is it your contention that it just happened by accident? Chance? Is...

In the SBC a recent report from a group of Calvinistic Baptists made this declaration: "The Offer of the Gospel We affirm that the Gospel is to be made known freely to all in the good faith offer that if anyone confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord and believes in his heart that God has raised...

It's so rare that I have to make a point to note it, but I agree with Aaron on this one. Creation indeed is supernatural and unexplainable, but the term 'miracle' typically refers to a unique 'sign' or work of God in the midst of his created natural order. i.e. Water is a created marvel, but...

Funny how you were 'free' to do that? :smilewinkgrin:

Why? Because God decreed that all man from the time of Adam would be born unable to do otherwise? Who, if not God, decided that the nature of fallen man would be such that it COULD not willingly respond even to God's own appeals for reconciliation? I can't remember where anyone has...

That may be your individual perspective, but depending on what you mean by ' the ability to exercise free will,' I contend that many of the Reformed types would disagree. Determinists deny the concept of contra-causal freedom (i.e. the categorical ability of the will to refrain or not refrain...

I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't. I was making commentary on what has been my typical experience with Calvinists who claim to once have been 'Arminian.' And that has been that they are not aware of the scholarly non-Calvinistic Baptist approach...but have reduced it to what is known as...

And that has to do with the proper hermeneutics of knowing the context and audience how? Clearly we disagree on our views of 'election' thus to properly argue for our view of this text we must be willing to actually address its context and audience. Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience which...

Let me guess. You think all us 'Arminian' types believe that God looks through the corridors of time to see who will believe in Christ and then elects them, right? That's what I used to think too when i was converted to the Calvinistic doctrine, but that is not the view most scholarly...

Whatchew talkin bout, Willis? I don't believe that is accurate, but again I haven't been around as much lately so I could be mistaken. But, I agree. This forum can make a difference. I too know of several, myself included, who have changed their views. Or at least 'kept from being...

Inspector, thank you for the replies...saved me some time this morning! :)

I just heard every hermeneutics teacher groan a little... Asking who is the audience and the historical context of that day is not a rabbit trail. You may disagree with my conclusions about those questions, but they MUST be addressed if you are going to practice good hermeneutical...

Webdog, don't you know its not 'magical' if God is in control of it? When God decides for us to sin then its our 'free choice,' but if we decide that for ourselves, then it's 'magical.' Try to keep up.:laugh:

So, who, if not God, decided that Adam's choice, as the head of humanity, would result in all men being born unable to willingly respond to God's very own appeals to be reconciled from that fallen condition?

How is Israel's being temporarily blinded from the truth while the Gentiles are being given that truth an outworking of God's decree to make all mankind born totally blind to all truth?

Oh, I didn't see this before I wrote my last post... Yes, I have been gone a while. :laugh: You crack me up, Luke. Or, the young are less educated, more naive and unaware of the alternative scholarly views of such doctrines as predestination and election, thus are more prone to accept...

It's difficult for me to say much here because I actually agree with many of Luke's statements. I'm one who spoke out against having it moved, but it is what it is. I insisted that they at least make a link to this forum on the main page (which they did, but for some reason its under the...

Calvinists must understand the context of John 6. Who is in his audience? Israelites, most of which are been hardened temporarily in their unbelief (John 12:39, Acts 28:23-28, Rm 11), the rest who have been set apart for the noble purpose of apostleship (the twelve he references later in the...