Question: Luke writes that all who were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48)

• Tue, 13 Mar 2001

• Pastor Bob,

• In Acts, Luke writes that all who were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48). How do we reconcile that

• with Open theology?

• In Service for the Master,

• F. Wesley Brainard – Director

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Wesley,

2. That’s one of the most important passages to deal with. Here is the context of the verse: Acts 13:45-48 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

3. I want to re-translate Acts 13:48: Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed disposed themselves (h\san tetagmevnoi) to eternal life believed.

4. It is hard to read Acts 13:48 as a verse for predestination in the context of the thirteenth chapter. Luke is describing the dramatic events at Antioch which center around the rejection of the gospel by the Jews (45) and the acceptance of it by the Gentiles (46-48), The point of the passage is to castigate the Jews for rejecting Christ and praise Gentiles for accepting Him. For Luke to slip in a predestinarian commentary on this scene would work against the mood he is trying to create. “Oh, that’s why the Jews rejected the gospel and the Gentiles accepted it. They were predestined to do so. It really wasn’t their fault.” That’s the kind of conclusion we could make from that kind of interpretation. But Luke was trying to fault the Jews. That would work against his purpose for writing about this event.

5. We read in Acts 13:48, “And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” The phrase, “had been appointed,” is the Greek periphrastic pluperfect (h\san tetagmevnoi). This can be either middle or passive in meaning since perfect participles only have one form to express the passive and the middle (reflexive) meaning. I think it has a middle meaning here. When we see the word used in the aorist, which has different forms for the middle and passive, its normal use seems to be in the middle. Acts 28:23 looks as though it would be active when you read the New King James translation, but when we look at the Greek, it’s a middle. Also, in 1 Corinthians 16:15, the word is active in the Greek, but the meaning of the thought is definitely middle.

6. If we took the meaning of the clause in 1 Corinthians 16:15 and used it in Acts 13:48, we would have, “As many as had devoted themselves unto eternal life, believed.” This verb, “had been appointed,” or, had disposed themselves, from tavssw, can have a number of meanings. Bauer’s second American edition and Moulton and Milligan give the following meanings: to classify, place or station something in a fixed spot, appoint to or establish in an office, to put someone in charge, assign, be classed among those possessing, devote, order, fix, determine, allot, pay, tell, arrange, or agree. I think dispose fits just fine in the ideas related by all these words.

7. What word fits in the context of Acts thirteen without forcing anything? From verse 46 we see that the Jews judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. The middle voice of the verb is not used here, but this is a reflexive, or in Greek, a middle voice idea. The statement we’re dealing with is the corresponding statement about the believers. They had devoted themselves, disposed themselves, arranged themselves, or classified themselves unto eternal life. Certainly, ordained, of the King James Version, is too strong. There is no reason to consider this a passive with the context of the previous middle (reflexive) concept of verse 46. Therefore, this portion should be translated, “As many as had disposed themselves to eternal life, believed.”

8. Theologically speaking, no one would seek God. But since Christ enlightens everyone coming into the world (John 1:9), and counsels that everyone has room for repentance (2 Pe 3:9), a positive response to the gospel sets powerful forces in motion. The Holy Spirit continues to draw the person to Himself. A chain reaction is set in motion. As the person continues to yield (in contrast to those like the Jews of Luke 7:30), the Holy Spirit draws more powerfully. The person could always back out at this point, but God is on the move on the person. Therefore, since the word was being preached, their response in faith includes an active yielding. Thus, the interpretation of the entire passage yields a theologically middle concept. God is at work too. This passage fits the Open View of God Theology without sacrificing the context, grammar, or language. This respects both context and language. Context is always the most important thing to consider when interpreting a small portion of Scripture.

9. In Christ,

10. Bob

• From: OZARK_LIB 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 1:50 PM
  Question : Does man have a free will?

Question: What path led you to your new position from the position of a staunch Calvinist?

• Wed, 28 Mar 2001

• Bob,

• You mentioned on one of your posts that at one time you were an adamant Calvinist, but Scripture convinced you otherwise. I would love to hear how your transformation to sound doctrine was made. What path led you to your new position from the position of a staunch Calvinist.

• In Christ,

• Devon

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Devon,

2. I’m writing a book against Calvinism. I will attach part of the first chapter to this post.

3. In Christ,

4. Bob

5.    After I graduated from high school in 1951, I believed in Jesus Christ as my savior. Shortly after that, I was discipled by a high school friend of mine who went to the church where I got saved. Although the church was Arminian in theology, he was a Calvinist. All the Scripture he showed me was interpreted from that viewpoint. Since the explanations seemed reasonable to me, I became a strong advocate of Calvinism.

6.    My belief at this time was a copy of Calvin’s statement in his Institutes:

7.       No one who wishes to be thought religious dares simply deny predestination, by which God adopts some to hope of life, and sentences others to eternal death. But our opponents, especially those who make foreknowledge its cause, envelop it in numerous petty objections. We indeed place both doctrines in God, but we say that subjecting one to the other is absurd. When we attribute foreknowledge to God, we mean that all things always were, and perpetually remain, under his eyes, so that to his knowledge there is nothing future or past, but all things are present. And they are present in such a way that he not only conceives them through ideas, as we have before us those things which our minds remember, but he truly looks upon them and discerns them as things placed before him. And this foreknowledge is extended throughout the universe to every creature. We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which he compacted with himself what he willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others. Therefore, as any man has been created to one or the other of these ends, we speak of him as predestined to life or to death.[1]

8.    Later, I was influenced by my wife’s dear uncle, who was a Universal Reconciliationist. He showed me in 1 Timothy 2:3-6, that God willed all men to be saved:

9.       “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

10. He explained that not all were saved in this life, but all would eventually be reconciled to God. He showed me that there were many ages in the Bible. This reconciliation would happen at the end of the ages. This added to my problem. Now I was wrestling with two doctrines – the doctrine of universal reconciliation, all will be reconciled to God, and limited atonement, Christ died only for the elect. At that time it seemed that these were my only choices. I believed I had to see a systematic consistency in the biblical statements. Either God exhaustively foreknew the future and willed all to be saved, or He predestined only the elect to be saved. Which one was right? Did God will only the elect to be saved? Or did He will all to be saved ultimately? I thought it had to be one or the other.

11.  A Breach in My Calvinist Armor

12.    Shortly after we moved to California, my pastor presented a new idea to me. He showed me another interpretation of Ephesians 1:4,5: “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will”. He explained to me that both the election and predestination here were corporate. He pointed out in the passage that it didn’t say the body of Christ was chosen to be saved or predestined to be saved. Instead, they were elected because they were in the body of Christ, to be holy and without blame, and predestined to the adoption as sons. He also explained to me that the nation of Israel was God’s elect, but individuals in elect Israel had to believe to be in the true Israel, God’s elect nation. That was the first crack in my Calvinistic armor.

13.    However, in my mind, the idea of corporate election and predestination had a serious flaw which the Scriptures did not seem to support. That problem could be stated as follows: In this theory, in contrast to Calvin’s view of predestination, God’s foreknowledge was the basis of His election and predestination. But, I reasoned, since to God “all things always were, and perpetually remain, under his eyes, so that to his knowledge there is nothing future or past, but all things are present”, God knew everything as though it were present. Then, since I could see from Scripture that His election and predestination followed His foreknowledge, and since He knew everyone who was foreknown, then God’s predestination had to be individual just as His foreknowledge was. I was right back where I started. I could not reconcile this apparent biblical inconsistency.

14.    At this time of my life, this deterministic theology had a detrimental influence on my attitudes about prayer. If God knew everything, and I believed He did. And if God predestinated everything based on His foreknowledge, and I believed He did that too. Then, everything that I prayed was foreknown and predestinated. If I didn’t pray, that also was predestinated. I thought, then, why should I pray? Unfortunately, I ended up having a lousy prayer life. The only reason I prayed, I determined in my mind, was because God commanded it in His word. I realized that Christ was zealous in prayer, and Paul was zealous in prayer, however, there was no zest in my prayers. Therefore, I recognized that something was seriously wrong with my prayer life. I knew this was wrong but didn’t know what to do about it.

15.    During this troublesome period, my wife and I visited her parents in Illinois. Her father had a treasure trove of theological books. I was browsing through his books when I found one by William Biederwolf titled, How Can God Answer Prayer? I began reading it immediately. BOOK THREE chapter IV. had the title, “Why Pray if Everything Is Predetermined by God?” That was exactly my dilemma. I eagerly turned to that page. He had three answers based on three different explanations:

16.       The first explanation declares that everything which comes to pass is first predetermined in the mind of God. It declares that God’s predestination precedes His foreknowledge as the ground of certainty for human action. God only foreknows that which He has predetermined to take place.

17.       The second explanation, while admitting that God absolutely predetermines some things, contends that such things as respect the government of his free moral agents are only conditionally predetermined. God purposes to do under certain conditions, which depend upon the free agency of man, what He would not do under other conditions. This explanation further declares that God’s foreknowledge precedes His predestination. God only predetermines that which He foreknows will take place and the foreknowledge of human action has no influence upon its taking place; it does not necessitate the action.

18.       The third explanation denies that God’s foreknowledge is necessarily all-comprehending.[2]

19.    The third explanation was a brand new idea to me. He then evaluated three suppositions. He started with, “Suppose we accept.” I will skip his suppositions on the first two explanations and will continue with the third:

20.       3. Suppose we accept the third explanation: the explanation which affirms that God’s foreknowledge and foreordination are not necessarily all-comprehending.

21.       You shrink from an attitude of thought like that toward the Supreme Being. It appears, does it not, to reflect discredit upon His perfection? Yet, let us not be too hasty in our judgment. Many earnest and noted scholars defend the position and strenuously maintain that not only does it not dishonor God, but that it is the only scheme of thought which does not divest Him of the essential attributes of His divinity.

22.       The position is quite clearly set forth in W.W. Kinsley’s “Science and Prayer,” . . . This explanation, if it may be maintained consistently with the perfection of God’s character, relieves us, of course, of the difficulty in question.

23.       It is contended by the advocates of this explanation, that when God created us in His own image and made us equally with Himself of sovereign will (and we know we are free to choose as we will) by His very so doing He surrendered at least partially His control over us and of necessity limited thereby His foreknowledge concerning us. Plainly it is the old time-worn controversy between two great schools of theology; between God’s sovereignty on one side (involving as it does His absolute foreknowledge and predestination) and man’s free will on the other, and between the horns of such a dilemma the only thing to do is to confess a wise ignorance and hang on to both.

24.       A controversion of God’s perfect foreknowledge does not set well with most of us, regardless of our denominational bias. The fear, however, of any belittling conception of God its advocates would overcome by showing what the theory of such foreknowledge really involves, leaving us to decide which is the greater injustice, if any, to the all-perfect character of God.

25.       The following from the work above quoted on “Science and Prayer” will help us to an appreciation, if so be such is possible, of the position assumed by the advocates of the limited knowledge theory. The author says: “No petitioner can plead with any genuine unction unless he believes that he can actually effect some change in the purposes existing in the divine mind at the time his prayer is offered. . . . If God foreknows everything that will ever come to pass, all His own mental states must necessarily be included in that foreknowledge. A moment’s reflection will convince us that otherwise there is not a single present intention or plan but what is exposed to the possibility of modification. If a single thought or emotion is ever going to spring up in God’s mind unanticipated, God Himself must be as ignorant as we as to what part of His vast plan it will pertain. And so, if we would logically defend a belief in the all-comprehensiveness of God’s foreknowledge, we must affirm that not a single new idea can arise in His mind—not a single new emotion be felt—and that if He is thus limited now He must have been equally so at every moment in all the eternal past, and must be through all the years to come; for if there ever has been, or ever will be, a moment when a new thought can thus come, then during all the time preceding that moment the foreknowledge was incomplete. Where does this lead? In what sort of an intellectual or emotional condition does this irrefragable logic compel us to assert God to be continually? Unquestionably that of perfect stagnation. No thought processes can be carried on under such conditions—no succession of ideas, no change of mental state; but God must have been and must still be imprisoned in a hopelessly dead calm. . . . When, then, did He form His plans for creation? Under this supposition there never could have been a time when He began to think about them. . . . If God has had no thought succession, He can have had no feeling; His emotional state having ever necessarily been that of unbroken placidity—of absolute apathy, His heart throbless as a stone. He could experience no change of feeling, for that would involve thought-succession. From all the sources of joy or sorrow of which we can conceive He would be utterly debarred – from pleasurable or painful memories, from hopes and forebodings, from social sympathies, from emotions that accompany changes, contrasts, surprises, from the glow of activity, even from the delights and griefs of contemplation; for they all involve thought-movement. Therefore, under this supposition God can have no emotional activity, for He would have no thought-activity for its background. Thoughts must, of course, come and go, or the heart lies dead.” “Such,” he says, “are the absurdities in which we become hopelessly entangled the moment we attempt to defend the doctrine of God’s perfect foreknowledge.”[3]

26.    This was astounding to me. If this were true, it would change everything. But he had presented no Scripture to back up the argument. It was just philosophical reasoning. I had already been shown and then studied God’s word on this subject. The Bible said that God worked all things after the counsel of His will. But I thought about his statements. I must find a copy of that book, Science and Prayer, and see if there was any Scripture to back up this argument.

27.    I found the book in a used book store. I read it avidly, but it was very philosophical. However, he wrote: “The doctrine of God’s perfect foreknowledge is not only unphilosophical, but also unscriptural.”[4] That encouraged me to read further. I got to the part that Biederwolf had quoted. Then I realized Biederwolf had skipped the most important part, for me, the reference to Scripture. It was there! Kinsley even admonished the reader:

28.       Read if you will the ninth chapter of Deuteronomy. Moses here rehearses the several rebellions of Israel, and his three separate pleadings before the Lord, of forty days and forty nights each, without either eating bread or drinking water. Each time he fell down before a very angry God who had fully purposed, and had definitely announced his purpose to destroy the rebels, and each time, if Moses can be credited, he actually changed that purpose right then and there and rescued his people. The God here depicted had none of that foreknowledge which theologians with such strange unanimity ascribe to him. But, say you, [And many have made these statements often.] that and similar accounts scattered throughout the Bible are simply instances of anthropomorphism, of rhetorical accommodation, of describing in the language of human experiences and human limitations what really transcends the human; that it was not the intent to have these narrations interpreted as literal history, but as poetic approximations of dim shadowings of really ineffable truths. It seems to me that it would be a strange way to bring the truth within our comprehension, to state what is directly opposed to the truth, and to reiterate the downright falsehood again and again, in a most misleading way, and in a matter of such vital moment that all possibility of religious life depends on it, and through which alone any lasting comfort comes to the hungry human soul.[5]

29.    What happened next changed my life. I read Deuteronomy 9 with a searching heart. Here is what shattered the foundations of my Calvinistic system of theology:

30.       Deu 9:8-19 Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. 9 When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. 12 Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’ 13 Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, “I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people. 14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.” 15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. 17 Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes. 18 And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was angry with you, to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me at that time also.

31.    This Scripture disrupted my presuppositions. Along with other Scripture it undermined my Calvinistic mindset about the immutability of God. Here was Scripture I had read but never grasped before. Before long, I found that there was a vast amount of Scripture which showed that God changed His mind – even repented. Since that time, I have studied this issue for thousands of hours. This book is the result of my studies.

    ---

    [1] Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, v. 2, Book III, Ch XXI, sec. 5, p. 926, Ed. John McNeill, Westminster Press, 1960.

    [2] Biederwolf, William E., How Can God Answer Prayer?, pp. 106,107, The Winona Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1906.

    [3] op. cit., pp. 106-118.

    [4] Kinsley, W. W., Science and Prayer, p. 80, The Chautauqua Century Press, Meadville, Pa, 1893.

    [5] ibid., pp. 81,82.

Question: What is Calvansim?

• From: X6XCrAzYgUrLX9X

• Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 2:31 PM

• Subject: Question.......

• What is Calvansim????????????????? 

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Calvinism believes that man is totally depraved so he is unable to even believe in order to be saved.

2. Calvinism believes that God unconditionally elects some to be saved and some to be damned.

3. Calvinism believes that the atonement is limited, Christ died only for the elect.

4. Calvinism believes that God irresistably regenerates the elect. Then they are able to believe. 

5. Calvinism believes that God will cause the elect to persevere and never fall away and be lost.

6. Calvinism believes that God knows all of the future and it appears to Him as an eternal now.

7. Calvinism believes that God cannot change. He is immutable.

8. Calvinism believes that God has no feelings. He is impassible.

9. I do not agree with any of these points of Calvinism.

10. In Christ,

11. Bob Hill

Question: Why did GOD elect some to be His chosen ones & not the others?

• From: Samia Nabih

• Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 3:05 AM

• Subject: predestination

• Why did GOD elect some to be His chosen ones & not the others? If I fall

• under the category of the unchosen ones, then there is no point in  praying

• or going to church etc.. as long as I am predestined to damnation! How then

• do preachers say we have a free will if GOD has foreknowledge of our

• destinies and had already made his choice

• Samia,

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Not once does the Bible say that God elected some to be His chosen ones and not others. That is fatalism and a paralyzing disease that has permeated Christianity with devastating consequences.

2. Satan wants us to think of God as a fiend who arbitrarily chooses some to go to heaven and others to be damned. But that is not true. Most don’t know what God’s will is, like we do, or should know.

3. What is God’s will? I believe we can break it down into 3 scriptural categories. His intentional will, His circumstantial will, based on His laws – thermodynamics, gravity etc. His ultimate, or determinate will.

4. His intentional will (qelhvma Logos Greek font). We were created for God’s will (pleasure). Rev 4:11 You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; because You created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created.

5. God wills all to be saved. 1 Ti 2:4 who wills (qevlei) all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. We must do God’s will if we want to be saved. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

6. God’s will is for us to be holy. 1 Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification. God’s will is for us to function in the local body. 1 Co 12:18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased (hjqelhvsen).

7. God’s will is for all of us to know the mystery. But, many don’t know it at all. Eph 3:8,9 “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” God’s will is for us to teach the mystery to others. 2 Ti 2:2 “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” As you can see by now, God’s will (qelhvma) can be thwarted. Psa 78:41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

8. Also, consider 2, All aren’t saved. None of us are holy in our lives. Many don’t function in the local body. Most don’t know the mystery. Most don’t teach the mystery to others.

9. But, God’s ultimate or determinate will (boulhv) Cannot be thwarted. Acts 4:26-28 The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together  against the LORD and against His Christ. 27 For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together (sunhvcqhsan) 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose (hJ boulhv sou) determined before (prowvrise) to be done. Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel (boulhvn) of His will.

10. His counsel is connected with His power in Isa 46:10-11 “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel (mou hJ boulhv LXX) shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure (bebouvleumai), 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel (bebouvleumai LXX), from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.

11. He makes sure all can repent: 2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not counseling any to perish but all to have room for repentance.

12. Chosen in Him,

13. Bob

Question: What is the different beliefs of Calvanism vs Baptist?

• From: Skinner 

• Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 12:40 PM

• Subject: What is the different beliefs of Calvanism vs Baptist?

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Skinner,

2. Most Baptists, I know, are Calvinists in that they believe that there are people elected to salvation and those who are not elect. There are different levels of Calvinism. some believe that God determines where every atom is in the universe. Because He does that, no one has a choice to believe and become a Christian. From their theory, God has to regenerate a person before he would even be able to believe. There are many other doctrines that vary in Baptists as well as Classic Calvinists. If you have specific questions, let me know.

3. In Christ,

4. Bob Hill

Question: How can any man hear the word of God if he is dead in sins?

• Dear Pastor Bob,

• Thank you for the helpful insights that you provided to these questions. I still have a question of how our faith becomes if we are dead in sins. You stated that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17) If we are dead physically we can not hear, so the bible says we are dead spiritually, how then can any man hear the word of God if we are dead in sins?

• In Christ,

• John Todd

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Dear John,

2. Good question. God’s word is sharper than a two edged sword. It can get a hearing from anyone. But, if you buy that idea that a human being cannot even hear when God spreads His gospel, as some Calvinists say, using 1 Co 2:14, then, we must look at the context which shows God was speaking to us believers about the things He has in store for us regenerated ones. 1 Co 2:6-16 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.). 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

3. Further, we can hear because God enables us according to John 1:9; 6:45; 12:32; and 2 Pe 3:9.

4. John 1:9 That (The Word) was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

5. John 6:44,45 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

6. John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Myself.”

7. 2 Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not counseling any to perish but all to have room for repentance. (My translation. Check the Greek. boulomai and sunergo)

8. In Christ,

9. Bob Hill

Question: Since we are dead in sins, can we believe? Is faith a work that is unacceptable to God?

• From: John Todd 

• Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 2:00 PM

• Questions: Since we are dead in sins, can we believe? Is faith a work that is unacceptable to God?

• Dear Pastor Bob,

• I am a fairly new Christian, I have been saved for about 4 years. In my early days as a Christian I was more Calvinistic in my beliefs and theology, but in the last two years or so I am still struggling with this Predestination, Election, and choosing. I have often heard from those who are Calvinistic that "There is none who seeks after God" They have told me that we are "Spiritually Dead". They then use the illustration of Lazarus when Jesus raised him from the dead. They tell me what part did Lazarus have in being raised from the dead? Did he have ears to hear Jesus or did Jesus do all the work? They say how can a dead man have heard the Lords words? So they conclude that Jesus did all the work and Lazarus couldn't contribute anything to his resurrection. Then they tie this into us being spiritually dead. They say how can we hear when we are dead? Can a corpse hear? This is the same state we are in ! being spiritually dead! It is God who has to give us ears, It is God who has to call us out just as He called Lazarus out from the tomb, it is God who has to do all the work.

• I have also heard another argument. They say that when Jesus told the Rabbi's in John 6:28-29 "Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent." The Calvinist says that believing is a work, therefore that if we do come to believe in Christ it is a work and must be done totally by God, because we are not saved "By works" These are just some of the issues I have struggled with and I am still looking to let the Bible speak on these truths and not mans words or my own. I try to be careful not to straightjacket the Bible into some pet doctrine I or my Church might have, "Let God be true but every man a liar"

• I have taken a look at your web site and there is some interesting stuff that would no doubt prove helpful in my studies, If you do have a chance I would appreciate any insight into the question I have raised. Thanks for your help Pastor Bob

• In Christ,

• John Todd

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Dear John,

2. Thank you for your questions. They are really excellent. I want to answer them by looking at all the passages that have works associated with the ideas of salvation and similar subjects. I will list the passage, then comment.

3. John 6:28,29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

4. They wanted to do something to produce their own righteousness just as Paul explained in Romans 9:30-10:4. The only thing they can do is believe, have faith, trust. All 3 of these words can be translated from the underlying Greek word. God didn’t want them to think human righteousness would get them anywhere, since all have come short of God’s righteousness. God is the one who provided righteousness for us. All we have to do in this dispensation is believe.

5. Rom 3:21-31 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation through His faith, by His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

6. Here, we see that Jesus Christ produced the redemption for us. It was His faithfulness in going to the cross so anyone who believes may be saved. We appropriate His righteousness that He provided by our faith. Notice the 28th verse shows this faith is not a work of the law. We are justified by our faith/belief in Christ. God sent Paul to preach the gospel so the world could believe: Rom 1:5-8 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. In the OT, we see they will live by their own faith: Hab 2:4 Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

7. Rom 4:1-5 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

8. Here we see in Rom 4:5 that belief is contrasted with work. And then, it is his faith that is put to Abram’s account as righteousness because Christ would pay for Abram’s sin when Christ dies years later. Since faith is contrasted with work, faith cannot be work.

9. The next passage talks about our faith. It even tells how we get our faith. by the word of God: Rom 9:30-10:17 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Chapter 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”

10. Here we see that our justification is a result of Christ’s faithfulness. But after He provided the righteousness, we believe so it is applied to us. Gal 2:15,16 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

11. 1 Th 1:2-4 “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.” Here, we see that we are God’s elect because we have believed. Once we believe, we become part of the elect body of Christ which is sealed unto the day of redemption. The body of Christ was chosen to be holy and blameless before God, in Eph 1:3-14, and since we were baptized into this body when we believed, we are secure in Him.

12. Now, in the next dispensation, we see that their faith has to produce works or they will not remain in a state of salvation. That’s what Jam 2:14-26 shows us: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

13. Here, we see that the apostles had their own faith, and it was too small: Mat 8:26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

14. Next we see that the paralytic and the ones who brought him had their faith: Mat 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” Their faith was strong enough that Christ said their sins were forgiven.

15. In Mat 9:22, the woman’s faith is what healed her: “But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour.”

16. Abram/Abraham had his faith in uncircumcision and in circumcision. Because he had faith in both dispensations, he became the father of all those who would believe whether uncircumcised or circumcised. So, it’s the person’s faith again, in Rom 4:5,9-14,16: “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

17. How do we get this faith? We get it by hearing the word of God. It is written in our hearts. And everyone has heard it. Therefore, we can all develop faith enough to believe.

18. Col 1:4-6,23 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; 5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” If we let the word work in us, we develop faith: Rom 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

19. Paul prayed for the saints that their faith would grow. If it were God’s faith, how could it not be perfect? 1 Th 3:10 “night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?”

20. Their faith grows: 2 Th 1:3,4 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,

21.  In 1 John, it is their faith that overcomes the world: 1 Jo 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

22. I hope this answers your questions. In Christ,

23. Bob Hill

• Bob,

• Hello, my name is John Moran and a few months ago we emailed briefly concerning my inquiring of the Berean movement and Stam, etc... not that you'll necessarily remember - but I attend a PCA church in Atlanta, GA. and we discussed the difficulties of holding to the Open View of God in a strictly Calvinistic setting. So, my church was a start-up church that is part of a larger 'parent' church that begins new churches when a need comes about in different neighborhoods/regions of metro-Atlanta. We are only about 1.5 yrs old and for the past 6 months i have been a part of the first Leadership core of the church. With all this background info out of the way - my question is this - as part of my Leadership responsibilities - i lead a bible study at a local art school. it has actually been very fruitful, but now that the semester is finished we are taking nearly 6 weeks off until school resumes again in late January. The new plan of action will be to study either Ephesians or Galatians. Do you have any suggestions on a good commentary or study guide for one of these books and do you have any preference on which is a better book - theologically - to begin to present the Word from an Open View. There are a couple of people who attend that have a very loose, unjustified Calvinistic slant on scripture - with the others - I haven't felt any strong basis in their theological opinions. You mentioned in an earlier email to me that Paul M. Sadler had written a book on Ephesians. Any other suggestions?

• Thank you for your insight.

• John M. Moran

Answer: (click here to see the answer)

1. Dear John,

2. I recommend you study the book of Ephesians. It contains material that Calvinists consider strong for their position. I have worked through that material and have most of it in files or in booklet form.

3. I will be glad to forward to you any answers you may have as you teach this book. I have a number of booklets that you can purchase from biblediscount.com. They are: Predestination and Free Will, Our Passionate God, Does God Repent, The Knowledge of God in Psalm 139, Greek Philosophy, the Foundation of Calvinism, Universal Reconciliation, Some Answers.

4. I also have files of sermons I have preached, through Ephesians. Get that stuff from Bible Discount, and let me know if you need any other help. Although I have 19 commentaries on Ephesians, the only one I can recommend is by Charles Welch, who is an Acts 28 Ultra-Dispensationalist, but it may be out of print.

5. In Christ,

6. Bob Hill