tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172417803867627775.post5821116402697306779..comments2023-05-18T03:50:23.681-07:00Comments on The Center for Theological Studies: The ParallelByronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11537490279115937176noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172417803867627775.post-27468806408760394922011-01-14T12:49:59.524-08:002011-01-14T12:49:59.524-08:00Whenindoubt,
Thanks for your response. In regard...Whenindoubt,<br /><br /> Thanks for your response. In regards to Christ being human, the text doesn't deny that. However, the problem with your interpretation is that Christ is the one being discussed in the passage as the parallel to Adam (that is, as being the spiritual head of the spiritual union between God and believers). So Christ wouldn't be discussed in the idea of mortal humanity to which I am speaking. <br /><br /> In regards to belief as a legitimate reason to boast, this is purely a philosophical argument. Where is the proof in the Scriptures for this interpretation? What about the text of Romans 4 where it states that Abraham was only accounted as righteous when he "believed God"? Explain how Abraham's belief gave him "a legitimate reason to boast"...and then I might believe you.<br /><br /> You mention that believers were "dead in sin" before Christ made them alive, not merely weak...I believe the same. It appears that you misunderstand the nature of Classical Arminianism. Nowhere in our theology do we argue that man was merely weak in sin. To argue that is to argue a purely Pelagian notion of sin and salvation. If you read the work of James Arminius, he never actually states anything like Pelagius. In actuality, what you'll find when you read him is that he disagrees with Pelagius completely and argues for the Augustinian notion of grace. Arminius argued that the fall was so devastating that man can only believe because of the awakening grace of God. Without it, man would never come to faith.<br /><br /> When you speak of belief in order for redemption to occur, you misunderstand my view. What I mean in regards to salvation is that salvation is only granted to a person on the basis of faith. To argue anything other than this would be to contradict the Scriptures themselves. Faith is a consistent message throughout Scripture...which is the reason why I find unconditional election to be unbiblical. How can God elect without regard to faith, but tell humanity that they must believe? God becomes nothing more than a trickster if such an interpretation is true (which I doubt).<br /><br /> Please write back for more discussion.Deidre Richardson, B.A., M.Div.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04415891901162852180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172417803867627775.post-37404841244386636372010-12-30T17:06:36.895-08:002010-12-30T17:06:36.895-08:00Responding to The Parallel, posted 12/26/2010 by D...Responding to The Parallel, posted 12/26/2010 by Deide Richardson<br /><br />Although there are other significant errors in Deide Richardson’s posting this response will be limited to her major premise that: “Every single human being sinned in Adam” so also every single human being in Christ “will be made righteous.” Part B of this claim is correct; part A is not true.<br /><br />Jesus Christ is an “offspring” (seed) of Eve (Gen. 3:15) and from “David’s family” (2 Sam. 7:12; Rom. 1:3). “Death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15: 21, 22). Verse 22 does not say “all in Christ,” as Richardson claims, in both English and Greek it says: “in Christ all will be made alive.”<br /><br />If Jesus is not a true human being who remained in every sense “the sinless one” he cannot be our Savior. Therefore it can not be said that “every single human being sinned in Adam.” <br /><br />The “all men” in Romans 5:18a must be defined as “all men except those persons who are designated in the Bible as those who were not corrupted by the sin of Adam.” The Scriptures reveal that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only human being who was not defiled by Adam’s sin. He is an exception to the “all men” spoken of in 5:18a.<br /><br />The Bible does not say, either in John 3:16 or anywhere else, that some persons will be saved “because they believed.” Such a condition for salvation would give these sinners “reason to boast” as over against those who did not chose to believe. Furthermore, they were “dead in sin” (not merely weak) before new life was given to them. The Scriptures do say that some will not be saved “because” they refused to believe (see John 3:18b).<br /><br />The “all men” in Romans 5:18b is a precise (exact) parallel to the “all men” in 5:18a. It must be defined as “all men except those persons who are designed in the Bible as those who will not be made righteous.” The “all men” of Rom. 5:18b is reflected in these “so-called” universalistic texts: John 1:29, 3:17, 12:32, 12:47; Rom. 3:23, 24, 11:32; 1 Cor. 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:14, 5:19; Phil. 2:10, 11; Col. 1:20; 1 Tim. 2:6; 1 Tim. 4:10; Titus 2:11 (RSV); Heb. 2:9; ;1 John2:2. These are not universals; they are generalizations because they have designated exceptions. <br /><br />No one is designated an exception to the “all men” of Rom. 5:18b exclusively on the basis of inherited (original) sin committed by Adam. The designated exceptions to Rom. 5:18b are those, and only those, who in addition to their sin in Adam have willfully, persistently and finally disregarded God’s will, as they have known it, during their lifetime on earth. (For basis of eternal death see: Matt. 7:23; 16:27; 25:42, 45; John 3:36; 5:29; Rom. 1:20, 24, 26, 28; 2:1- 2, 5-8; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7; Eph. 5:5, 6; Col. 3:25; 2 Thess. 2:12; Rev. 20:12b, 13 and 22:15.) <br /><br />What about the need to “repent, believe and willingly obey”? These are not conditions for redemption to occur. Such a condition would demean that work that was accomplished fully, completely and perfectly by Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago. No conditions remain to be fulfilled. Jesus does not share the work needed for our redemption. The Bible speaks of this as a completed work (See Luke 1:68; Rom. 3:25; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:22; 2 Tim. 1:9, 10; Titus 2:11 (RSV); Heb. 1:3b; 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; Rev. 5:5, 9).<br /><br />Repentance, Faith and joyful obedience are required of all who hear the gospel because to refuse to do these things would be an act of willful disobedience against the known will of God. Such persistent refusal is the basis for the sentence of eternal death.whenindoubthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02270325406022311707noreply@blogger.com