It’s the St. Luke’s Day edition of the Friday Files, our weekly review of the links and articles SEA posted long, long ago. Well, a year ago, five years ago, and 10 years ago, so… within your lifetime. Unless you’re 9.
The views expressed in them don’t necessarily reflect that of SEA, its members, or our FACTS page. And that’s okay; we’re grown-ups here. Well, except you 9-year-olds. SEA members’ names are in blue. Posts are from the third week of October…
Last year! (2018)
- Timothy Tennent, “Prevenient Grace: Why I am a Methodist and an Evangelical.” Really we’re all part of Christendom because of God’s prevenient grace; Calvinists too. But limited atonement doesn‘t fit the biblical description of how God universally acted to save Adam’s race.
- Ben Witherington III, “Apostasy—a Christian Problem.” Richard Watson’s Theological Institutes makes clear Hebrews 6 is inconsistent with the idea of particular atonement: Apostasy really does happen.
- Ben Witherington III, “The Sin of Apostasy—Hebrews 6 Revisited.” The chapter doesn’t jibe with Christian beliefs about eternal security, and one must ask the point of Hebrew’s warnings if it’s impossible to fall away—and if it’s impossible for the reprobate to repent.
- Ben Witherington III, “Richard Watson’s Institutes—The Arminian Antidote.” Kudos to Lexham Press for republishing the Institutes for a new generation of Arminians.
- Richard Watson, Theological Institutes. Because you really oughta have a copy of his 1836–50 systematic theology. Read it at the Wesley Center Online, or get the two volumes from Google Books (Volume 1 and Volume 2), or if you prefer the Kindle format or analog version you can purchase it.
Five years ago! (2014)
- Dan Chapa, “Church Fathers on Libertarian Free Will.” For Christianity’s first four centuries, we taught God endowed us with the free will to believe and follow Jesus, or not.
- Micah Currado, “Early Church Fathers on the Freedom of the Will and Romans 9.” [PDF] Commentaries on Romans 9 by early Christians: John Chrysostom, Origen, Ambrosiaster, and Irenaeus. They affirm a libertarian view of the human will.
- J. Matthew Pinson, “A Problem in Calvinism’s Order of Salvation.” Calvinists teach regeneration must take place before a person can have faith in Christ. So in essence they place sanctification before justification. That can’t be right.
- David L. Allen, “Review of Wellum’s Chapter ‘The New Covenant Work of Christ’ in From Heaven He Came and Sought Her.” Stephen Wellum talks about definite atonement through Christ’s priestly work. He’s too dependent on typology; not so much on the scriptures.
- Mackenzie, “Why I Care About Calvinism.” A friend became convinced his addictions were sovereignly predetermined by God—and therefore he was reprobate. ’Cause he was just being consistent with where Calvinism will lead.
Ten years ago! (2009)
- Martin Glynn, “Ephesians 2:4-5; A Devotional.” The point of mercy and grace is we don’t deserve them.
- Martin Glynn, “What Is Classical Arminianism?” Calvinists have so poisoned the well, people don‘t know what Arminianism is—so here’s a quick explanation.
- Ben Henshaw, “Great Quotes: James Arminius.” Facing an accusation he went Pelagian on them, Arminius explains his view on God’s gift of salvation.
Today: Links!
Yep. Here’s our links and books page. Because if the Friday Files isn’t enough reading material, you’re simply gonna need more—and that’s way more.
