tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5131891315769163469.post8036565275578524709..comments2017-07-26T08:24:40.626-07:00Comments on TODAY'S RAMBLINGS: Shirley Schmuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03620738689948356517noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5131891315769163469.post-23689685787960256832011-01-20T15:43:44.812-08:002011-01-20T15:43:44.812-08:001. "Finally, I believe the whole idea that Go...1. "Finally, I believe the whole idea that God would purposely raise up human beings with an eternal soul and "predestine" them . . ." Why does he put the word predestine in quotes? I assume to disparage its legitimacy as a word to be used. I don't by that because . . .<br /> <br />2. "In regard to Romans 9 - this is THE "proof text" the Calvinists use to illustrate that God does indeed raise up some for eternal salvation and others for eternal damnation." Actually, before "the Calvinists" get to Romans 9, they read Romans 8:29: For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; <br />which includes the word "predestine." It is a legitmate and biblical word and shows that there is a difference b/w foreknowledge and predestination.<br /> <br />3. "I fully believe that neither the five-point Calvinist nor the Armenian view are totally right nor totally wrong." I really doubt this pastor's knowlege of either Calvinism or Armenianism. I don't think any Calvinist (3, 4, or 5 point) would ever say that God predestines some "to spend eternity in a fiery torment" because the Bible doesn't use the word in this way. And an Armenian does not say that a human's will can "be exercised of his own "personal volition." Not only does that sentence not make sense in light of the fact "will" and "volition" are synonymous but it's also Pelagian and every Christian since Augustine has condemned that view--Armenians included. (BTW: Armenians believe that an individual exercises his or her will for God because of the empowerment of universal, PREvenient grace.<br /> <br />4. "Too much of the time people begin studying their "theological system" and then begin interpreting Scripture through the lens of their "theological system" instead of forming their "theological system" through their careful study of Scripture." I think this is a naive and misleading statement. We ALL read the Bible through the lens of the "theological system" we are most familiar/comfortable with. This is not a bad thing; it's a human thing. We read the Bible subjectively; "we" is the subject of the verb. Subjectivity is bad only if it is individualistic and proud and refuses to admit that by divine design we need others (even and especially those who aren't like us) who are also members of the "one body" indwelt by the "one Spirit" called to the "one hope" to help us hear more clearly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com