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Does Paul's conversion prove Calvinism's teaching on Irresistible Grace?
- Thread starter Skandelon
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Yet again we have multiple Calvinists, changing Paul was zealous for God, to Paul was not really zealous for God. Then the ad homenim, Van you are twisted. That is all they have folks, denial of scripture and ad homenims. Calvinism is a mistaken doctrine and Paul being zealous for God (while rejecting Jesus) provides yet more evidence of that fact. 
Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
Put your thinking caps on, is the God in view, the God believers are zealous for, not the God of the Bible? Calvinists present absurdity when confronted with truth.
Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
Put your thinking caps on, is the God in view, the God believers are zealous for, not the God of the Bible? Calvinists present absurdity when confronted with truth.
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No, what Calvinists do is talk out of both sides of their mouth. They say people are enslaved to sin, yet they don't always do the worst thing they could do. That is a direct contradiction right there, that is saying two opposite things at once that cannot possibly be true. If you are truly enslaved to sin, then you would be compelled to always do the worst thing you can do. If you can choose to do otherwise, then you are not compelled or enslaved to sin.
When the scriptures say a man is a servant to sin, it does not mean a man is compelled by his nature to sin as Calvinism falsely teaches. It does not mean a man is unable to choose to trust Christ as Calvinism falsely teaches.
What being a servant to sin DOES mean is that the moment any man knowingly and willingly sins he sells himself to sin, just as a man sold himself in the slave market in ancient times. Now sin (personified) OWNS you, you are his property. This is for life, the only escape is DEATH.
This is what Paul is saying in Romans 7:14
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Again, the moment you sin you are sold to sin, and now sin owns you. You are his property, and his only wage is death. It doesn't matter if you do good, it will not help you, you are still going to die.
But scripture is not teaching that as a servant to sin you cannot trust Christ. In fact, the scriptures clearly teach that even while man is a servant to sin he can obey the gospel, and when he does, THEN (after obeying the gospel) he is made FREE from sin and BECOMES a servant to righteousness.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
In this passage both sin and righteousness are personified as masters under the slave system.
Does Paul teach we are compelled either to sin unto death or obey unto righteousness? NO, Paul teaches that to whomsoever we "yield" ourselves servants to obey, we are servant to whom we choose to obey. And the words "whether" and "or" show we have the option and ability to obey either.
In other words, we become slaves when we choose to obey, we do not obey because we are slaves as Calvinism falsely teaches. Calvinism teaches the EXACT OPPOSITE of what scripture plainly says.
Then in vs. 17 Paul, speaking of new believers says they "were" servants to sin, but from the heart they have obeyed or believed the gospel.
Did they have to be regenerated to obey the gospel? NO, they obeyed while they were still servants of sin.
It was only AFTER obeying the gospel while they "were" the servants of sin that they were made free from sin. That is clearly shown in vs. 18 where Paul says "Being then" made free from sin. It was THEN (AFTER believing) that they were made free from sin and BECAME the servants of righteousness, again, both sin and righteousness being personified in this passage.
This passage utterly destroys the false Calvinist doctrine of Total Inability. This passage clearly proves that sinners who are servants of sin have the ability to obey and believe the gospel, and the moment they do they are THEN made free from sin and BECOME servants of righteousness.
Now, if you want to hold to your false Calvinist doctrine and parrot that the rest of your life that is your choice, but your view is easily refuted by scripture. Your other Calvinist buddies aren't going to be able to help you when you stand before God to give account for teaching falsehoods to your fellow man. Good luck.
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Yet again we have multiple Calvinists, changing Paul was zealous for God, to Paul was not really zealous for God. Then the ad homenim, Van you are twisted. That is all they have folks, denial of scripture and ad homenims. Calvinism is a mistaken doctrine and Paul being zealous for God (while rejecting Jesus) provides yet more evidence of that fact.
Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.
Put your thinking caps on, is the God in view, the God believers are zealous for, not the God of the Bible? Calvinists present absurdity when confronted with truth.
The truth is the lost sinner can have faith, in same way that Satan/demons believe God exists, but not in a saving faith way!
Reading appears not to be one of your gifts. If Paul was zealous for God in exactly the same way believers are zealous for God, this IS in a saving way!!! Put your think cap on, and read Acts 22:3. Good golly Miss Molly.
Romans 6:17 completely refutes your false view. Paul said while these Romans "were" servants to sin that they obeyed the gospel from their heart. Your false doctrine is destroyed right there.
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Plain as day.
It was AFTER believing the gospel that these persons who were servants of sin were made free from sin and became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Again, plain as day. The word "then" in vs. 18 pointing back to the word "obeyed" in vs. 17.
Total Inability is absolutely false doctrine plainly refuted by Romans 6:16-18.
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In summary, Paul's conversion demonstrates Irresistible Grace is a fiction.
He was zealous for God in the same way believers were zealous for God, Acts 22:3, therefore, according to Calvinism, he had to be under the compulsion of irresistible grace. But, he still rejected Jesus as the Messiah, therefore the "irresistible" grace was not irresistible. Therefore the doctrine is an unbiblical fiction.
He was zealous for God in the same way believers were zealous for God, Acts 22:3, therefore, according to Calvinism, he had to be under the compulsion of irresistible grace. But, he still rejected Jesus as the Messiah, therefore the "irresistible" grace was not irresistible. Therefore the doctrine is an unbiblical fiction.
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