John Wesley had the rare gift of bringing the Calvinist/Arminian debate from the head to the heart. In Predestination Calmly Considered, Wesley first examines the idea of upholding unconditional election while rejecting reprobation and then…
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Predestination As Temporal Only
Predestination As Temporal Only
From the Wesleyan Theological Journal
J. Kenneth Grider
One of the most interesting theological finds I have made in recent years is that God’s predestinating of us does not seem to have to do with eternal destiny.
God does indeed predestinate us in certain ways. Six times the word for “to predestinate” is used in the NT. Besides the instances of cognates of that very word “proorizo,” other “pro” words are found in both Testaments which also show that God makes pre-decisions on various matters. And God sometimes makes decrees, even as kings do, according to Scripture. But my recent study suggests that none of these references has to do with our eternal destiny, but only with other matters.
Arminians Do Not Believe in Predestination?
Roger Olson lists this as one of many myths leveled against Arminianism. He writes, “Few of Arminianism’s theological critics would claim that Arminians do not believe in predestination in any sense; they know that classical…
Election and Predestination – Life in the Spirit
The content of this post was authored by Ben Henshaw and is posted on his behalf. A co-worker of mine bought me a Life in The Spirit Study Bible [which used to go by the…
John Wesley, “On Predestination”
A sermon by John Wesley taken from http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/58/ On Predestination By John Wesley Sermon 58 (text from the 1872 edition – Thomas Jackson, editor) ——————————————————————————– Whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be…
Richard Coords, “Mystery”
The general perspective of Calvinists is that since we know that God is sovereign, who determines whatsoever comes to pass, and since we know that man is free, we must simply accept the mystery in…
Richard Coords, “Love”
Omni-benevolence is the basis for a universal atonement, which is also the basis for asserting a universal salvific will, which is then the basis for giving a universal offer of the gospel. However, before Calvinists…
Richard Coords, “Lottery”
The Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election seems to turn salvation into the luck of a lottery. In Calvinism, those who are born saved are far more fortunate than those born non-elect and un-savable. What do…
Kingswood Hart, Exegesis of Romans 9-11
[This is a compilation of Kingswood Hart’s key exegetical posts on Romans concerning Romans 9-11. (Several of his posts on the structure of the letter have been left out but can be found at his…
Ben Henshaw, “An Arminian Response to C. Michael Patton’s ‘The Ultimate Balanced Guide to Arminianism (From a Calvinist)’: The Good, the Bad, and the [Very] Ugly”
You can find Patton’s original post here I was referred to this recent post by C. Michel Patton and thought I would respond to it. My comments can be found in-between sections of his post below:…
Wilbur F. Tillett, “Methodism Is Arminianism Put into Practice for the Salvation of Souls & the Evangelization of the World” (1906)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] Here is Wilbur F. Tillett, Vanderbilt University, in A Statement of the Faith of World-wide Methodism (1906): The Arminianism of Holland, even in its earliest and purest form, was but a…
Richard Coords, “Judas”
[This post has been excerpted with permission from Richard Coords, Calvinism Answered Verse by Verse and Subject by Subject, © 2020.] Is Judas proof that God predestines some people to Hell? The Scriptures foretold plenty about…
“Arminianism” defined, by Rev. Richard Watson (1832)
“The memory of Arminius is frequently loaded with imputations the most unreasonable & unjust.” “It is fair to the character of Arminius, and useful to the interests of religious truth, to revert to his own…
Edward H. Dewart, “The Life & Theology of Arminius” (1875)
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordpress.com] We deem, it, therefore, not inappropriate, in this first number of our METHODIST MAGAZINE—a part of whose mission will be to expound and defend our Scriptural, Arminian theology—by a…
Video: “What’s an Arminian?”
From the description: In this video we look at John Wesley’s 1770 tract, “What is an Arminian?”, to conclude that an Arminian is a Christian who: – Affirms the doctrines of original sin & total…
Prevenient Grace in Romans 1-2: some thoughts with Arminius & Wesley
[This post first appeared at GospelEncounter.wordress.com] “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.” – Romans 1:19 ESV “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness…
A. Skevington Wood, “The Declaration of Sentiments: The Theological Testament of Arminius”
Please click on the link to read A. Skevington Wood, “The Declaration of Sentiments: The Theological Testament of Arminius”, Evangelical Quarterly 65:2 (1993), 111-129) available online in PDF from BiblicalStudies.org.uk The Declaration of Sentiments: The…
Arminius on TULIP (The five points of Calvinism)
[This post first appeared at gospelencounter.wordpress.com] Here are some quick, Scripture soaked quotes from James Arminius on each point of Calvinism’s TULIP (quotes from Declaration of Sentiments are from W. Stephen Gunter’s translation): Total depravity: yes. Without Divine assistance…
1 Timothy 2:4-6 – Who Will Have All Men to be Saved
Dan (Arminian) and Turretinfan (Calvinist) briefly review Dan’s discussion with Leighton Flowers on total depravity, then dig in to 1 Timothy 2:4-6. The main points of discucurrance were talking “all men” to mean everyone or…
Richard Coords, “Hardening”
The operative word in human hardening is resolve, and there are two types of hardening. There is the hardening that we do to ourselves within our own heart and there is the hardening that God…