Do Calvinists not believe that man cooperates with God in the salvation of man by preaching the gospel?
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Calvinists are synergists
- Thread starter Revmitchell
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The Archangel
Well-Known Member
No. The salvation of man is accomplished solely by Christ through His life, death, and resurrection. The preaching of the Gospel may bring salvation to a heart, but it does not affect atonement for that person.
The Archangel
Some do. Spurgeon, for example, preached quite about about the necessary human response to the gospel for salvation. He urged those who would to "come and drink freely". Men must repent and believe. Sometimes I think the difference is the hyper-Calvinist will see this as descriptive while many non-Calvinists see it as prescriptive. Scripture presents it as both - the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of men towards salvation and men must repent and believe.
The error is when men take one aspect away - either by making the determining factor in salvation purely a matter of man's will (apart from the work of the Spirit) or by excluding the necessary human response. One view makes God benign at the crux of salvation while the other invalidates salvation itself by removing not just human boasting (which is good) but by removing man entirely (which is not good).
What we typically get on this form is arguments from two extremes, both equally wrong in the opposite direction.
What I am saying is not that the receiver of the gift of salvation works in cooperation but that the preacher of the gospel works in cooperation with God. Either way Cals do believe in synergism (as they put it) since they believe man should work with God to save other men by the preaching of the word.
The preaching of the Gospel is the God ordain means to have Him wake up His elect unto eternal life in Christ, as the Holy Spirit takes that word to make that come to pass.
The preacher/teacher is not causing the sinner to be saved, as that is the sole work of the Holy Spirit!
In the same fashion man responding to God by believing is not causing him to be saved. If you are going to accuse others of being "synergists" because we see in scripture where man must believe to be saved, then you must also confess to being synergists because man cooperates with God to save others by preaching of the gospel lest you are guilty of an inconsistency.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I didn't say it God did.
The power unto salvation is the gospel. I didn't say it God did.
Another positive proof that you have no understanding at all of the gospel you so vehemently deny and argue against.
Except that my free will did not produce the end result of salvation, but you would see that yours did!
Another positive proof that you have no understanding at all of the gospel you so vehemently deny and argue against.
Yes the clarion call of the calvinist when you have nothing else.
I don't see that, that is the strawman calviinists make. It has always been a false argument. Again, Cals are synergists so long as they believe man is to cooperate with God by preaching the gospel.
The Archangel
Well-Known Member
I’m not disagreeing that faith comes by hearing or that the gospel is the power of God to salvation. I am, however, disagreeing with your conclusions about what those statements mean.
The Archangel
I understand that. However, if one believes others are "synergists"because they see in scripture that we must believe to be saved, then you must also claim to be a "synergist" if you believe man must preach the gospel for men to be saved. Else you are involved in an inconsistency.
Different subject.
Another positive proof that you have no understanding at all of the gospel you so vehemently deny and argue against.
I await more unnecessary and rude posts like this from the James White school of debate.
There is nothing true in your post.
Don't bother. It is obvious he doesn't understand what "synergy" means.
The pastor/preacher is not causing the other to get saved at all!
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