Featured Cornelius’ Conversion

I did in post #33. (actually post #6)

 

Post #33.

 

This was still during the time the Christian church was almost entirely Jewish and considered a sect of Judaism.

This purpose of this revelation from God was to show Peter salvation was also going to Gentiles.

The term “God-fearer” is a technical term for Gentiles converted to Judaism and is certainly who Peter was referring to when he said, “those who fear God and work righteousness.”

peace to you

 

Do you believe God choses people for salvation based on their “good works”?

If you don’t, try to plainly explain how this “acceptance” of the good works of sinners is connected to salvation.

peace to you

 

You are allowing your obsessive hatred of all things Calvinist blind you to what all is entailed in this record.

 

Cornelius had been elect/adopted from before the foundation of the world. Thus God acknowledged Cornelius had been chosen and gifted faith. God was revealing to Cornelius that the Promised One has come (no longer a future hope) and had redeemed Cornelius via the Messiah, Jesus.

Why would God not let His chosen ones know that the Promised One had come? We see this when baby Jesus is brought to the temple and Jesus is held by and prophesied over by the saints who had waited for that day. God is a good God.

 

It's the truth...and I'm not a Calvinist. If all you want to wring out of this record is God rewarded Cornelius because of his good works it proves your Calvinist-hating tunnel vision.

 

It seems you wish to ignore all of scripture, which guides our understanding, and instead interpret only from one verse or sentence. False doctrines are created by people who make up theology from a sentence or verse while ignoring the whole.

 

[post edited by Scarlett O.]

 

Cornelius feared God and worked righteous BEFORE hearing the gospel.

Abraham feared God and worked righteousness BEFORE Genesis 15:6.

Nathanael was "an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" BEFORE he ever met Christ. Jn 1:47

Those Jews at Pentecost were devout men BEFORE hearing the preaching. Acts 2:5

....all 'regenerate' BEFORE hearing the gospel of Christ.

Regeneration BEFORE faith.

 

Your man-centric theology reeks with the flesh.

 

Yes. But all of this BECAUSE he was regenerate. Post #13

 

Hey brother, I've read through the posts and understand your frustration of your specific points not being addressed.
Calvinism cannot address your specific points.
There is nothing difficult about Acts 10. It doesn't say that his good works saved him, only that God saw in Cornelius a man who was at least trying and seeking to follow what basic revelation he had. Therefore, God gave him the opportunity to hear the fuller revelation of the gospel. All this is in line with scriptures:
Psa 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.
Cornelius was ordering his conversation (behaviour) aright and so God showed him salvation by grace in the gospel, as preached of Peter.
By the way, this answers the question about the heathen who never heard. If a heathen man died truly never having heard, then he did not want to hear more revelation than he already had, which is why God justly did not give him more in the form of the gospel, hence: Psa 119:155 Salvation is far from the wicked: FOR they seek not thy statutes. But those heathen who, like Cornelius, are at least honest with the conscience and creation, God sends them the further revelation of the gospel.
So, good works are never good enough to earn salvation, however, they do catch God's attention as a mark of honesty (and filthy rags are still better than nothing) which prompts God to give such a man the revelation of the gospel which is salvation without works. This is also in line with Romans 2: Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Thus the Gentile of Paul's words here was illustrated in the Gentile Cornelius (it's true that Acts is more of a historical book, but Acts 10 illustrates the doctrine of Romans 2 and Psalm 50:23 in action, and our Calvinist brethren never shy from quoting Acts doctrinally when it suits their system), and note how Paul's for there is no respect of persons with God (Ro.2:11) matches Peter's Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), thus confirming that Acts 10 is Romans 2 in action.
Of course, to our Calvinist brethren, such theology on the part of God is unacceptable, for they, being more royal than the King, classify this as being salvation by works even though God himself does not.
The idea that Cornelius was already regenerated, is of course, bordering on madness, and is nothing but a cop-out that doesn't deal with the words. It's the Calvinistic system's auto-immune response in the face of opposing scripture.