Former Desiring God writer Paul Maxwell announces he's no longer Christian

IF he is one of his sheep, he may depart, but he will return

 

so, what you are saying is, that this guy who was a follower of Jesus Christ for many years, (as was Bart Ehrman), involved in the Gospel of Jesus with a leading Reformed Church, he decides of his own FREE WILL (or did God predetermine this for him?) to no longer follow the Lord, and Jesus will never leave him? Man, your theology here is so unbiblical!

 

Like Bart Ehrman?

 

was he one of His own?

 

Ehrman grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, and attended Lawrence High School, where he was on the state champion debate team in 1973. He began studying the Bible, Biblical theology and Biblical languages at Moody Bible Institute,[1] where he earned the school's three-year diploma in 1976.[2] He is a 1978 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, where he received his bachelor's degree. He received his Ph.D. (in 1985) and M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he studied textual criticism of the Bible, development of the New Testament canon and New Testament apocrypha under Bruce Metzger. Both baccalaureate and doctorate were conferred magna cum laude

 

A Case Study: Bart Ehrman, a “Christian” Who Lost His Faith - Resources - Eternal Perspective Ministries

 

Hard to lose Jesus though!

 

what do you make of 1 John 5:16?

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it"

The only sin here has is apostasy

 

Have seen it exegeted though as meaning suicide!

 

read the verse as it stands, "sin which is not unto death"; and "sin unto death". What is the difference here?

Jesus in Rev 3:5, "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels"

What about those who do not overcome?

 

ALL who have been saved and have the Holy Spirit shall overcome, as that refers to will they still be standing for lord Jesus in the end!

 

Sin unto physical death, not spiritual death.
A brother is still a believer, otherwise he is an apostate.
Same thing happened with the Corinthians who got sick and died not discerning the Lord's supper.
They sinned and died as part of God's judgement, so prayers for them would not be effective, (it is why John says dont pray for that and expect them to get well again), but Paul is clear they went to be with Christ.

1 Corinthians 11
27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

 

'My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.'
It is possible to become a lost sheep for a period of time, but in that case the Good Shepherd leaves the ninety and nine sheep and goes and finds it (Luke 15:4-7). However, if this chap does not return we have to face the fact that he was never one of Christ's sheep (Matthew 7:21-23).
'They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us' (1 John 2:19).

 

You are appealing to human emotion. Look at scripture.

My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
~ John 10:29

Either Jesus is telling the truth or he is lying. Tell me, is Jesus telling the truth or not?

 

To every Calvinist posting on this thread, Why did he not reject Calvinism instead of Christianity? For non-Calvinists, it is easy to conclude he realized Calvinism was not true, but why did that result in throwing the baby out with the bath water?

 

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
~ John 10:1-4

 

Once again a Calvinist posts scripture but does not indicate to what purpose. The issue is not that the defector was not one of His sheep, that is a given. Now, returning to the question why did he reject Christianity rather than just Reformed theology? Plenty of people who were past Calvinists, transition to a more biblical faith.

 

You can read and see it answers your statement. I have no need to elaborate since it is God's word that teaches us, not Calvin.

 

I have been unable to find any information about Paul Maxwell's Christian experience - did he attend church in his high school years? If so, what denomination? Does he have a testimony of being born-again?


What I did find:

About Me - Paul C. Maxwell

“…Amateur in hot yoga. Fan of Chris Nolan. Anxious evangelical. More than anything, my primary energy is spent wrestling with the God who fights for my life—in sin, suffering, and sanctification. Life is difficult, and God gets that, and has talked a lot about it, and has blessed me with the opportunity to think a lot about that both personally and professionally…”

Sounds like a spiritually and emotionally confused man to me.

 

I notice that the Reformed/Calvinist like to pick the same Bible verses that support their theories, and completely ignore all those that are against what they believe. Such is their blindness.