Christforums
Active Member
Best understood in the theological works of primary and secondary causes: Primary and Secondary Causes | Monergism
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Acts 13:48 and Election
- Thread starter Brightfame52
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Brightfame52
Well-Known Member
God certainly uses secondary causes, in fact He is the first cause of His secondary causes.
Christforums
Active Member
I am that I am.
Some interpret as the first uncaused cause.
It is like a game of Billard balls. G-d knows where every ball will go when he moves a specific ball. Or, where every dust particle will go when he moves the wind.
Monergism in Acts(ion): Seven Texts That Affirm The Priority of God’s Grace
. . . I am sending you, to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who ar…
davidschrock.com
Silverhair
Well-Known Member
Which means that by your view He is the direct cause of all things which logically would include all the sin and evil in the world.
So since we know that God does not cause all the evil and sin then logically your view is wrong.
This is hogwash at it's ultimate worthlessness!
1 Tim. 2:3-6
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
Just as this guy Schwertley, you guys have no idea what Election actually means!
Baptizo
Active Member
A closer look at the full context is needed.
Acts 13:46-48
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
There are two groups of people being contrasted - Jews and Gentiles. The Jews rejected the Gospel and the Gentiles accepted the Gospel. Nowhere does it say that the Jews rejected eternal life because they had not been appointed to have it. The Gentiles, on the other hand, heard the Gospel message and responded by rejoicing in the Word of the Lord. Then, we are told that as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
One important thing to consider is that the text does not say that they had been appointed to have eternal life before they were even born. Rather, the appointment to eternal life came after they were rejoicing in God. Simply put, the Gentiles heard the Gospel message, they rejoiced because they believed, they were appointed to eternal life and continued to believe.
Acts 13:46-48
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
There are two groups of people being contrasted - Jews and Gentiles. The Jews rejected the Gospel and the Gentiles accepted the Gospel. Nowhere does it say that the Jews rejected eternal life because they had not been appointed to have it. The Gentiles, on the other hand, heard the Gospel message and responded by rejoicing in the Word of the Lord. Then, we are told that as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
One important thing to consider is that the text does not say that they had been appointed to have eternal life before they were even born. Rather, the appointment to eternal life came after they were rejoicing in God. Simply put, the Gentiles heard the Gospel message, they rejoiced because they believed, they were appointed to eternal life and continued to believe.
Baptizo
Active Member
Primary and secondary causes is a philosophical idea. Nowhere in scripture are we given any examples of God operating like that.
There are several here who have tried explaining this is several different ways.
But it won't be received, it can't be received by some.
David Lamb
Well-Known Member
Well, first I would look at the context. To whom was Zephaniah prophesying? To Israel, God's Old Testament people. Zephaniah wasn't addressing mankind in general. It's similar to the situation with Elijah on Mount Carmel, when he said to the Israelites:
“How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD [is] God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” (1Ki 18:21 NKJV)
The point here is that people clearly have a decision to make. That decision has to be made before God makes His final decision. The only thing that we can be sure of is how God will answer after we have made our choice. We don’t know how long we have or what decisions anyone in particular will make. We do know that now is the accepted time. It is the accepted time for all people. It means that God hasn’t decided and decreed everything from the beginning. For the people who believe that God has orchestrated every last spec of dust throughout eternity, this is incompatible.
Silverhair
Well-Known Member
So what you are suggesting is that people during the OT times had the God given free will with which to make actual choices but now in the NT times we do not. Really. Come on David you are grasping at straws.