Union with Christ
Cleveland Fans and Corporate Election
Submitted by Kevin Jackson on Tue, 06/21/2011 - 10:36am(This post was originally submitted Monday, the sixth)
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Eph 1:4 - bold mine)
There is much rejoicing in Cleveland today. Cav fans provide us with a great example of corporate election.1
Cleveland fans love the Cavs. As a result of loving the Cavs, they also love players who are on that team. Players come and go. The fans' fondness of a particular player is typically based on whether or not that player is a member of the Cavs.
Cleveland fans were FORMERLY quite enthusiastic about LeBron James. However, when Lebron left the team for Miami, the fans were not quite as pleased with him as they once had been (to put it nicely). Their enthusiasm for LeBron was conditional on his association with the Cavs.
Paul Washer’s – “Doctrine” of Election: An Arminian Critique
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 12:51pmI have been frequently referred to Paul Washer’s video discussion, “Doctrine” of Election. I found the video transcript and decided it would be beneficial to interact with this apparently influential accounting of Calvinist election. The sections of the transcript are marked by indentation with my comments in between. A copy of the transcript can be found at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21411721/Paul-Washer-Video-Transcript
Our Common Enemy
Submitted by WilliamBirch on Mon, 03/21/2011 - 10:52amI mentioned recently that Arminians and Calvinists are not enemies (even though there are people in both camps who at times disagree -- or at least behave as though they disagree -- with this statement). Calvinist John Owen (1616-1624), for example, calls the Arminian system a "proud Luciferian endeavour."1 Likewise, Arminian Malcolm L. Lavender (at least I think he is Arminian), who confesses that Calvinism is another gospel (cf. Gal. 1:6-9), writes, "It will be noted that Calvinism is the most dangerous system in Protestantism, and an upgrade of their parent types -- Paganism, Gnosticism, and Roman Catholicism."2 The battle between Calvinists and Arminians has, historically, been (and continues at times to be) a blight on the unity of Christ's body.
Robert Hamilton: Can You Do Anything to Gain God's Acceptance?
Hamilton addresses works salvation, faith, and repentance. Click on pdf to view article.
Provisional Atonement Part 3: The Integrity and Justice of God in the Gospel Offer
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Wed, 04/07/2010 - 5:44amIn this post we will defend the premise that only a universal provisional atonement view can maintain the integrity of God in the gospel offer and the universal command to repent. The Bible is clear that God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). But what is the basis for this repentance? Repentance means for us to change our minds and hearts from one direction to another. With regard to spiritual repentance it is a total spiritual reorientation. It is coupled with faith in Scripture because it is essentially the same motion of turning away from sin towards God viewed from two different perspectives. Repentance focuses on the turning from and faith focuses on the turning to, or the end goal of repentance, faith in Christ (Heb. 6:1; Acts 3:19, 26). So when the Bible says that God commands all men everywhere to repent, it is speaking of spiritual repentance which issues in faith towards God in Christ.
Provisional Atonement Part 2: Provision is Consistent With Foreknowledge
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Tue, 04/06/2010 - 7:08amAs we noted in our last post [Part 1] Arminians see the atonement of Jesus Christ as being provisional in nature. Not only is the atonement provisional but it is more specifically provisional in Christ Jesus. Only those who come to partake of Christ partake also of the atonement available through union with Him. Since we come to be in union with Christ by faith we also come to benefit from the atoning benefits of His blood through faith (Rom. 3:25). The atonement is one of those gracious spiritual blessings that we come to share in when we are united to Christ by faith and is probably foundational to all of the other spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3, 7).
Provisional Atonement Part 1: Dealing With John Owen's Arminian Dilemma
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Mon, 04/05/2010 - 6:54amI lifted this from Jeff Paton’s website . He gives an answer based on his commitment to the "sacrificial" view of the atonement, which allows him to bypass the force of Owen’s argument.
As I have stated before, I am not (at this time) dogmatic about views of atonement. I do, however, favor the penal satisfaction view which seems to be the view that Owen is describing as incompatible with Arminian soteriology. I reject any view that does not incorporate some form of substitution. Since I more or less hold to the view that Owen thinks incompatible with Arminianism, I thought it might be fun to take on his little “dilemma” (Owen’s argument is in bold).
“To which I may add this dilemma to our Universalists -”
Some Further Reflections on the Nature of the Sealing of the Holy Spirit in Eph. 1:13 and 4:30
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Mon, 03/22/2010 - 6:35amThe quoted material below comes from my post, Perseverance of the Saints Part 12: Examining Passages Commonly Appealed to by the Advocates of Unconditional Eternal Security. The sections in between these quotes are further reflections and exegetical notes on the quoted material.
- In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory….Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30).
Joshua Ratliff, "Ephesians 1:3-4: An Explanation of the Corporate and Christocentric Nature of Election"
Please click on the attachment to view Joshua Ratliff, "Ephesians 1:3-4: An Explanation of the Corporate and Christocentric Nature of Election"
Brian Abasciano, "Clearing Up Misconceptions about Corporate Election"
This article defends the concept of corporate election against the criticisms that have been leveled against it, showing that they arise mostly from misunderstanding of the concept. It argues that corporate election is the biblical view of election unto salvation, which means that election unto salvation is conditional on faith in Christ. This version of the article has different page numbers and may have some other slight differences from the published version.
Please click on one of the attachments to view Brian J. Abasciano, "Clearing Up Misconceptions about Corporate Election", Ashland Theological Journal 41 (2009) 59-90. The first attachment has footnotes with 12 point font that are double spaced. The second attachment is simply the same article with footnotes that are 10 point font and single spaced .
