I have no idea.Originally posted by Ray Berrian:
Pastor Larry,
Who was first to inform you that what you believe falls well within the framework of Calvinism?
I have not forgotten that and I have not pushed it anywhere. My point is that this parable shows your statement to be incorrect. The salvation of even one sinner is a cause of "great shouting," contrary to your claim that the salvation of only a few is not a reason for great shouting. I don't think this being a real situation would lead to universalism. The 99 were those who thought they were righteous. Check out Bock's commentary on Luke (BECNT). It is the best available on Luke at the present. See also HEndrickson.You may have forgotten from seminary days that you cannot push a parable to the extreme. I think Jesus was giving a hypothetical illustration that He desires that even the one lost sheep would be saved. The ninety-and nine were already in the fold. This obviously is not a real situation otherwise universalism would be correct; and neither of us believe this non-sense.
The point of the parable is the contrast between the Pharisees and the sinners that Jesus was reaching out to. Surely you do not believe the Pharisees were truly saved do you? I can't imagine that position being viable. They were self-righteous. They did not consider themselves in need of repentance. That is exactly the situation that Christ speaks of in v. 7.
The point of the parable is the value of a lost soul that the callous unsaved Pharisees did not share. Jesus is communicating the heart of the gospel--go to the world and bring them in. The Pharisees were too self-righteous; they did not need repentance -- in their minds only. But again, the particular details of exegesis we can differ on. My point is still the same: Where you believe that the salvation of a minority is not a cause for great joy, Scripture says that it is.