Featured Biblical vs Reformed Salvation

I did.

 

Including Esau (whom “I have hated”) and Judas (the “son of Perdition”)?

(Just looking for clarification on the question).

 

It says “whosoever believes” and everyone without exception does not believe.

 

Exactly, that's the piece he is missing. Salvation is not for everyone. It is for everyone who believes. AND it says in the next verse that he who believes is not condemned but the one that does not believe has ALREADY been condemned.

 

I used to think so.
Over the years it's occurred to me that the word "world" is defined there as the "whosoever believeth".

I see too many contradictions otherwise.
Psalms 5:5, Psalms 11:5 and Romans 9:13 are but a few.

The Greek can define it however it wants;
The question I would be asking is, "does the Scriptures support it?"

Just because a lexicon determines that "kosmos" means "world" ( and it does ), does not mean every instance of the word "world" means "every man, woman and child who ever lived".
The text itself should define that, and there are so many examples I could bring up for comparison.

 

That is precisely my point. It's an oversimplification of the issue.

Lexicons are wonderful tools, but they are not the end all be all.

 

We aren't the ones trying to ram a single definition of a word to mean a certain thing without looking at context and the whole of Scripture.

 

I respect that you think that I'm in error, SBG.
I also concede that you have the right and privilege to understand it the way you do, and I have the same right and privilege.

But just to set your mind at ease, I'm not out in the churches around my area trying to get people to see things my way...
In fact, except for visiting the occasional Baptist church a total of 8 times in the past 14 years,
I've stayed out of them altogether.

For fellowship, I get together with another brother in the Lord who believes the same as I do every weekend,
and we encourage one another through our trials of faith and enjoy the Lord's goodness at a local buffet.
No one comes looking for us, and no one calls on the phone.
We're no threat, and we certainly don't wish to make ourselves into one.

Outside of my involvement on this forum, I rarely post my views on the other two that I'm a member of...
And I don't speak with professing Christians in my area at all;
I simply keep to myself and hope that the Lord comes soon.

We pray that He brings others into fellowship with us,
but even if that never happens, the last thing we want to do is to make ourselves a problem for people who don't agree with us.


Thank you for the privilege of answering your questions and comments in this thread, and for the opportunity to share my views of the Scriptures.
I wish you well, as always, and may the Lord bless you in many ways.

 

It says “whosoever believes” and everyone without exception does not believe ... see: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." [John 3:16 NASB]

• God loved "the world"
• "whoever believes" will not perish

That is what it SAYS.

 

Exactly. It clearly says that because God loved the world (human race) he gave His son for the ones that believe so they will not perish.

 

Moving the goalposts I see. Look at this translation, look at that translation, etc etc. You are grasping for straws.