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Theology 201 Guidelines

This is the forum to discuss the spectrum of views within Christianity on God's foreknowledge and election such as Calvinism, Arminianism, Molinism, Open Theism, Process Theism, Restrictivism, and Inclusivism, Christian Universalism and what these all are about anyway. Who is saved and when is/was their salvation certain? How does God exercise His sovereignty and how powerful is He? Is God timeless and immutable? Does a triune God help better understand God's love for mankind?

While this area is for the discussion of these doctrines within historic Christianity, all theists interested in discussing these areas within the presuppositions of and respect for the Christian framework are welcome to participate here. This is not the area for debate between nontheists and theists, additionally, there may be some topics that within the Moderator's discretion fall so outside the bounds of mainstream evangelical doctrine that may be more appropriately placed within Comparative Religions 101 Nontheists seeking only theistic participation only in a manner that does not seek to undermine the faith of others are also welcome - but we ask that Moderator approval be obtained beforehand.

Atheists are welcome to discuss and debate these issues in the Apologetics 301 or General Theistics 101 forum without such restrictions. Theists who wish to discuss these issues outside the parameters of orthodox Christian doctrine are invited to Unorthodox Theology 201.

Remember, our forum rules apply here as well. If you haven't read them now would be a good time.

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  • #76
    Originally posted by The Remonstrant View Post
    I would encourage you to send this word of correction to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: <http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible>.
    I'm not Catholic, so why should they care what I say? For that matter, neither are you - so why should YOU care what they say?

    It's entirely possible that the Roman Catholics dogmatized a canonical order at, e.g., Trent. However, that does not apply to those outside their jurisdiction.
    Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

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    I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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    • #77
      Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
      [1] I'm not Catholic, so why should they care what I say? [2] For that matter, neither are you [—] so why should YOU care what they say?
      (1) They likely would not. (2) I generally do not.

      Originally posted by One Bad Pig View Post
      It's entirely possible that the Roman Catholics dogmatized a canonical order at, e.g., Trent. However, that does not apply to those outside their jurisdiction.
      Yes, I understand that you are not a Roman Catholic.
      For Neo-Remonstration (Arminian/Remonstrant ruminations): <https://theremonstrant.blogspot.com>

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      • #78
        Originally posted by The Remonstrant View Post
        (1) They likely would not. (2) I generally do not.

        So why bother bringing them up?
        "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

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        • #79
          Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
          So why bother bringing them up?
          There was an objection raised concerning the use of the term ‘canonical order’. It is my opinion that the concept is, by and large, functionally useful. The scholarly literature, for example, would be a mess if some kind of basic order had not been eventually settled upon for the books of the Bible. Presently, for example, the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and most Protestants agree upon the inclusion and arrangement of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, Matthew–Revelation/The Apocalypse. (Of course sharp disagreements will emerge, especially when speaking of the Old Testament and which books should be included or excluded, along with arrangement and appropriate titles.) It is primarily a practical, organisational matter, not a dogmatic one.

          You may arrange the books of the Hebrew Scriptures (or Septuagint, for that matter) and Greek New Testament however you see fit; no one is about to prevent you.
          Last edited by The Remonstrant; 02-18-2018, 09:40 PM.
          For Neo-Remonstration (Arminian/Remonstrant ruminations): <https://theremonstrant.blogspot.com>

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          • #80
            Originally posted by Sparko View Post
            [1] If you think about it, since God preknows [sic] everything, including who will be saved and who won't be, in some sense weren't we "saved" even before we believed? In God's eyes anyway.
            God (fore)knows when a person will enter into positive relationship with him through his Son in time, yes. Only open theists would deny this. Nevertheless, an individual is not properly regarded as a child of God* prior to actually receiving Christ. One goes from being a child of wrath (Eph. 2.3) to being a child of obedience (1 Pet. 1.14). This transition occurs in time. God accurately recognises the state of persons as they are in time, whether (or whenever) they are alienated from him or reconciled to him by his Son. Divine foreknowledge in no way alters or negates this.

            Originally posted by Sparko View Post
            He will protect his own, so I think that anyone who would be saved will be saved.
            If you are intending to imply that a believer cannot become an unbeliever again, or that a believer cannot re-enter a state of condemnation (e.g. by denying Christ, committing gross immorality, forsaking the faith), these are different matters altogether. Whether some form of the doctrine of once saved, always saved/eternal security/unconditional security is true (a point that I do not concede), it is not even tangentially related to the issue of divine foreknowledge.


            * I.e. ‘child(ren) of God’ or ‘sons of God’ in the redemptive, Johannine/Pauline sense (see e.g., John 1.12; Rom. 8.14; Gal. 3.26; 1 John 3.1–2).
            For Neo-Remonstration (Arminian/Remonstrant ruminations): <https://theremonstrant.blogspot.com>

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            • #81
              Originally posted by Adrift View Post
              [I]n Molinism, you decided to accept Jesus when you were 40, and then God knew it. As I understand Molinist thought, though God knew you would accept Jesus chronologically prior to you doing so, but you did so ontologically prior to God's knowledge. [I]n someone like Craig's view of Molinism, God ordered the world so that the most people who could come to saving faith would do so, but I'm not so certain that God selects for who makes that choice (making sure that you, personally, get the chance), only that the most who will, will do so. I don't know. It's a fine distinction I suppose, but the phrase "we were saved before we believed" just sounds off to me (even with passages like Jeremiah 1:5, and Galatians 1:15 which seem to indicate sanctification, but not salvation). Perhaps I'm just overthinking it though. [emphasis added]
              The closest theological position that I am aware of that corresponds to what Sparko has propounded in messages #52 and #55 (above) is an aberrant teaching known as ‘eternal justification’ (EJ). I will leave it to those who might be interested to conduct an online search to read further on this doctrine. The primary difference between Sparko’s view and EJ is that it is (1) non-Calvinistic in nature, and (2) based on divine foreknowledge of the human response (understood in the libertarian, non-deterministic sense). For my response to this problematic view, see message #80 (above).

              A word on Calvinism’s understanding of divine foreknowledge: Strict/high Calvinists maintain that God’s foreknowledge, whilst exhaustive, is wholly reliant upon the foreordination of God, which likewise is considered to be all-encompassing. Consequently, according to this view, each and every human response, positive or negative, to heed the invitation of the good news of salvation in Christ was determined by God prior to the actual creation of the world. This position may be simplified and summarised in this manner: God foreknows because God has foreordained.
              Last edited by The Remonstrant; 02-20-2018, 11:28 PM.
              For Neo-Remonstration (Arminian/Remonstrant ruminations): <https://theremonstrant.blogspot.com>

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              • #82
                Originally posted by The Remonstrant View Post
                The closest theological position that I am aware of that corresponds to what Sparko has propounded in messages #52 and #55 (above) is an aberrant teaching known as ‘eternal justification’ (EJ). I will leave it to those who might be interested to conduct an online search to read further on this doctrine. The primary difference between Sparko’s view and EJ is that it is (1) non-Calvinistic in nature, and (2) based on divine foreknowledge of the human response (understood in the libertarian, non-deterministic sense). For my response to this problematic view, see message #80 (above).

                A word on Calvinism’s understanding of divine foreknowledge: Strict/high Calvinists maintain that God’s foreknowledge, whilst exhaustive, is wholly reliant upon the foreordination of God, which likewise is considered to be all-encompassing. Consequently, according to this view, each and every human response, positive or negative, to heed the invitation of the good news of salvation in Christ was determined by God prior to the actual creation of the world. This position may be simplified and summarised in this manner: God foreknows because God has foreordained.
                Interesting. Thanks for the insight Remonstrant.

                As an aside, I'm not too fond of having my posts corrected for grammar either, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather you just quote the post as I've written it. Thanks!

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                • #83
                  Originally posted by Adrift View Post
                  Interesting. Thanks for the insight Remonstrant.

                  As an aside, I'm not too fond of having my posts corrected for grammar either, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd rather you just quote the post as I've written it. Thanks!
                  Apart from a possible lapse of memory, I will honour your request.
                  For Neo-Remonstration (Arminian/Remonstrant ruminations): <https://theremonstrant.blogspot.com>

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