Calvinists are Evil

[briancook007]

The text says that Lydia was baptized immediately, which means that Acts 16:14 was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33); you may try to escape this fact, but that doesn't change its validity.

No, Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 are Christ's quoting Isa. 29:13, where the Scripture saith:

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 are references to worshiping Jehovah in vain, not to the worshiping of any false god in vain; your assertion is ridiculous.

You're trying to avoid the point, you're obfuscating the issue. Your argument is predicated upon the idea that Lydia was saved before Acts 16:14 because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that means automatically, that that proves, that she was saved. The same Greek word, σέβω, is used in both Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7, which say worship toward Jehovah can be in vain, which was the case with Lydia before Acts 16:14; she wasn't saved until then, for what saith the Scriptures?

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, noun form of κτίζω): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Col. 3:9-10, 12: "Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that CREATED (κτίζω) him: Put on therefore, as the elect of God..."

How many times do I have to say it, Arminian? Calvinists do not assume regeneration before faith and repentance, we say that man must do those things this very day. We say that the ONLY way man does those two things is because God allows them to him, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:28-29: "Then said they unto him, What shall WE DO, that WE MIGHT WORK (ἐργάζομαι) the WORKS (ἔργον) of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the WORK (ἔργον) of God, THAT YE BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent."

Phil. 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that HE which HATH BEGUN a good WORK (ἔργον) in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Jn. 4:10: "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the GIFT (δωρεά) OF GOD, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; THOU WOULDEST HAVE ASKED OF HIM, and he would have given thee living water."

Eph. 2:8-10: "For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and THAT not of yourselves: it is the GIFT (δῶρον) OF GOD: Not of WORKS (ἔργον), lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, CREATED (κτίζω) in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God HATH BEFORE ORDAINED that we should walk in them."

You Arminians DO teach that man provides faith and repentance apart from God's grace, whether or not you'll admit it. You people preach that man ultimately saves himself because he was smart enough to make the right decision. That is unscriptural, proud, and arrogant. Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Jn. 1:13 is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. In regeneration, man is CREATED (II Cor. 5:17), BORN AGAIN (Jn. 3:7); a creation cannot resist being created, no one can resist being born. It is God who performs the miracle of regeneration according to His own sovereign will, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

Rom. 9:16, 18: "So then IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD that sheweth mercy. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

James 1:17-18: "EVERY good gift and EVERY perfect gift is FROM ABOVE, and cometh down from the Father of lights, WITH WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING. OF HIS OWN WILL begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

Again, "studylight.org" defines the Greek imperative mood: "The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command [emphasis mine] to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order [emphasis mine] and authority [emphasis mine] of the one commanding [emphasis mine]. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mk.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers [emphasis mine]." You are NOT a Greek scholar, you are NOT qualified to give a Greek grammatical opinion, which means your attempt to explain this grammatical RULE away is of no effect. Rev. 22:17c & d are in the imperative mood, which means those statements are COMMANDS, NOT INVITATIONS. You mentioned taxes; go ahead and refuse to pay your taxes and then see what the government does.

You said, "I still find you to be wrong each and every time." Again, very interesting. The UNREGENERATE Pharisees held the same view of Christ, for what saith the Scripture (Mat. 27:63)? "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again."

Yes, God has two wills, a foreordinative will and a preceptive will. Jesus Christ WAS MURDERED the day He was crucified, a DIRECT violation of the Sixth Commandment, but what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, SMITTEN OF GOD, and afflicted."

Acts 2:23: "Him, BEING DELIVERED BY THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, ye have taken, and by WICKED hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For TO DO WHATSOEVER THY HAND AND THY COUNSEL DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE."

You've accused me of being "schizoid or bipolar". Very interesting. UNREGENERATE peopleheld the same view of Christ, for the Scripture saith (Jn. 10:20), "And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is MAD; why hear ye him?"

You write against God's two wills because you can't understand it. What saith the Scripture (Isa. 55:9)? "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

No, the Scriptures do NOT say that man has free will; he has free agency, he is free to do whatever he pleases, but his will is totally enslaved to his own evil nature, for what saith the Scriptures?

Gen. 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that EVERY imagination of the thoughts of his heart was ONLY evil continually."

Gen. 8:21: "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The WICKED shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The WICKED, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

"Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Yes, again, unregenerate people can help a lady across the street, but, regarding that, what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

Again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. Not a pretty picture, is it? That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

No, spiritual death means TOTAL SEPARATION from God, NO SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION, for what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 59:2: "But your iniquities have SEPARATED between you and your God, and your sins HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, that he WILL NOT HEAR."

Jn. 9:31: "Now we know that GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS."

No, again, in Heb. 2:9 (ὅπως χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου), "man" or "one" is NOT IN THE GREEK TEXT; it's a masculine adjective, πᾶς, being used as a noun. "Every man" or "every one" is determined by the context, which shows clearly that that term refers to believers, the elect of God, for what saith the Scriptures (Heb. 2:9-17)?

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

"All things" in Heb. 2:8 refers to the creation; what saith the Scripture (Rom. 8:21)? "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the CHILDREN OF GOD." "Every man" is a Jewish group designation, as Jn. 2:10 shows clearly.

You say God doesn't foreordain sin. What saith the Scriptures?

Gen. 50:20: "But as for you, ye thought EVIL against me; but God meant it unto good, TO BRING IT TO PASS, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Job 1:21: "The LORD gave, and THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY."

I Chr. 21:1: "And SATAN stood up against Israel, and PROVOKED DAVID to number Israel."

II Sam. 24:1: "And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and HE MOVED DAVID against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah."

Man's HEART isn't totally depraved? What saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 1:5-6: "The whole head is sick, and the WHOLE HEART faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Jer. 17:9: "The HEART is deceitful above ALL THINGS, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

No, reprobation is God's leaving some in their own sins, they having been guilty before Him from the moment of conception, JUSTLY condemning them for His own glory in His infinite wisdom. You've accused God of injustice in reprobation; what saith the Scriptures (Rom. 9:19-22)?

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Your desperation is showing, having accused me of worshiping men, because you CANNOT REFUTE what I wrote, that Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. What saith the Scripture?

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

No, Pharaoh's hardened heart was God's foreordinative plan; what saith the Scriptures?

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Again, a careful examination of the Hebrew shows that God hardened Pharaoh's heart by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a totally depraved, wicked sinner. What saith the Scriptures?

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") WITH INIQUITY..."

Your ignorance of Calvinistic teaching shows once again. Reprobation is divided into two components: preterition and condemnation. Preterition is unconditional, whereas condemnation is conditional.

You say God loves everyone? What saith the Scriptures?

Psa. 5:5: "Thou HATEST all workers of iniquity."

Psa. 11:5: "The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH."

Psa. 53:4-5: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath DESPISED them."

Rom. 9:13: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED."

No, Jesus died for the elect only, securing our salvation at Calvary. Yes, Jn. 1:29, Jn. 4:42, I Jn. 4:14, and Jn. 3:16-17 all use the term "world" (κόσμος); what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 12:19-20: "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the WORLD (κόσμος) is gone after him. And there were certain GREEKS among them that came up to worship at the feast."

Rom. 11:12: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the WORLD (κόσμος), and the diminishing of them the riches of the GENTILES."

II Cor. 5:14-17 is determined by context, which shows clearly that "all" refers to God's elect; what saith the Scriptures?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Regarding I Jn. 2:2, what saith the Scriptures?

Gal. 2:9: "And when James, Cephas, and JOHN, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they UNTO THE CIRCUMCISION."

I Jn. 2:2: "And he is the propitiation for OUR sins: and NOT FOR OURS ONLY, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

Jn. 11:51b-52: "Being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for THAT NATION (ἔθνος); And NOT FOR THAT NATION (ἔθνος) ONLY, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."

Rom. 1:5, 8: "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among ALL NATIONS (ἔθνος), for his name: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Greek grammarian of modern times, says that the sense of σωτήρ in I Tim. 4:10 is "preserver"; so say Greek scholars W.E. Vine, J.N. Darby, and George Ricker Berry as well.

Regarding Mat. 23:37, was Christ speaking as the sovereign God of Heaven and Earth, or was He speaking as a human being, as He did in Jn. 5:30, where the Scripture saith, "I can of mine own self do nothing." What did He tell Jeremiah as God (Jer. 23:37)? "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" Furthermore regarding this, what saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and YE WOULD NOT!"

Ex. 10:27: "But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and HE WOULD NOT let them go."

You're avoiding the point. From the time God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees until Acts chapter 10, the Gentiles were LEFT OUT of God's salvation plan, He having passed them by, dealing EXCLUSIVELY with Israel electively FOR CENTURIES. You Arminians never accuse God of injustice for that, yet you all have the audacity to suggest God is unjust in reprobation, which very well may be blasphemy, as you all are accusing Jehovah of injustice.

Where did I say that water baptism wasn't for believers only? Of course it is.

The only thing we've seen about the Scriptures I've presented is your HERETICAL efforts to distort, to pervert, and to deny them.

In Rom. 5:15 Paul changes the object of his discussion to BELIEVERS, for what saith the Scriptures?

I Cor. 15:22: "For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be MADE ALIVE."

Rom. 5:15-19: "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto MANY. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more THEY WHICH RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS."

What does "all men" mean in Rom. 5:18 and I Tim. 2:4? What does "all" mean in I Tim. 2:6? What saith the Scriptures?

Acts 9:15: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before THE GENTILES, and KINGS, and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."

Acts 22:15: "For thou shalt be his witness unto ALL MEN of what thou hast seen and heard."

Rom. 2:9-11: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of THE GENTILE; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to THE GENTILE: For there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS with God."

Rom. 10:12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the GREEK: for the same Lord over ALL is rich unto all that call upon him."

I Tim. 2:1-7: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN; For KINGS, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME. WHEREUNTO I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of THE GENTILES in faith and verity."

No, when God draws someone to Christ, He draws him IRRESISTIBLY; there is NOTHING in man's nature that desires God. What saith the Scriptures?

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:11: "There is none that understandeth, there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

No, I say that man is able to do exactly what he wants to do, that he can take of the "water of life" whenever he has a desire for that, but he'll never have a desire for that unless God allows that to him. What saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Mat. 11:28 is in the IMPERATIVE MOOD in the Greek; "come unto me" is a COMMAND, NOT AN INVITATION. Again, Rev. 22:17c & d are ALSO in the imperative mood, which means they are COMMANDS, NOT INVITATIONS.

It's not for you or me or anybody else to understand how God foreordains sin for His own glory; if He says He did it, and He DID say it, He did it!

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle. That is proud, arrogant, and unscriptural. There were twelve legitimate apostles; those dear men have accomplished their work on this earth. I Cor. 15:7 says that after James saw Jesus He was then seen by "all the apostles"; it means simply that He appeared to the twelve apostles at the same time after James saw Him. And no, Janias was NOT an apostle. Have you never read I Tim. 2:12?

No, ᾅδης is HELL, just as γέεννα is Hell. Only γέεννα is designated as the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14-15), but they are both places of righteous torment for the reprobate.

You said, "If I believed what you did, I demand that I go to Hell deservingly." Be careful what you wish for, Arminian; God may give it to you.

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[Churchwork]

The text says that Lydia was baptized immediately, which means that Acts 16:14 was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33); you may try to escape this fact, but that doesn't change its validity.

Born-again with the indwelling Holy Spirit is not the same thing as believing in God and being saved in OT times. The latter did not have the indwelling.

No, Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 are Christ's quoting Isa. 29:13, where the Scripture saith:

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 are references to worshiping Jehovah in vain, not to the worshiping of any false god in vain; your assertion is ridiculous.

When a person worships God falsely they are effectively worshiping a false god.

You're trying to avoid the point, you're obfuscating the issue. Your argument is predicated upon the idea that Lydia was saved before Acts 16:14 because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that means automatically, that that proves, that she was saved. The same Greek word, σέβω, is used in both Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7, which say worship toward Jehovah can be in vain, which was the case with Lydia before Acts 16:14; she wasn't saved until then, for what saith the Scriptures?

Paul speaks very positively of her worshiping God before her being born-again.

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, noun form of κτίζω): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Col. 3:9-10, 12: "Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that CREATED (κτίζω) him: Put on therefore, as the elect of God..."

Good verses.

How many times do I have to say it, Arminian? Calvinists do not assume regeneration before faith and repentance, we say that man must do those things this very day. We say that the ONLY way man does those two things is because God allows them to him, for what saith the Scriptures?

Of course Calvinists assume regeneration before repentance and faith, since they say in order for them to be able to do so they must be irresistibly selected.

Jn. 6:28-29: "Then said they unto him, What shall WE DO, that WE MIGHT WORK (ἐργάζομαι) the WORKS (ἔργον) of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the WORK (ἔργον) of God, THAT YE BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent."

Phil. 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that HE which HATH BEGUN a good WORK (ἔργον) in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Jn. 4:10: "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the GIFT (δωρεά) OF GOD, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; THOU WOULDEST HAVE ASKED OF HIM, and he would have given thee living water."

Eph. 2:8-10: "For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and THAT not of yourselves: it is the GIFT (δῶρον) OF GOD: Not of WORKS (ἔργον), lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, CREATED (κτίζω) in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God HATH BEFORE ORDAINED that we should walk in them."

Good verses.

You Arminians DO teach that man provides faith and repentance apart from God's grace, whether or not you'll admit it. You people preach that man ultimately saves himself because he was smart enough to make the right decision. That is unscriptural, proud, and arrogant. Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Jn. 1:13 is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. In regeneration, man is CREATED (II Cor. 5:17), BORN AGAIN (Jn. 3:7); a creation cannot resist being created, no one can resist being born. It is God who performs the miracle of regeneration according to His own sovereign will, for what saith the Scriptures?

We are not as smart as Calvinists who assume they are regenerated without having had to repent and believe in Christ.

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

Rom. 9:16, 18: "So then IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD that sheweth mercy. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

James 1:17-18: "EVERY good gift and EVERY perfect gift is FROM ABOVE, and cometh down from the Father of lights, WITH WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING. OF HIS OWN WILL begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

Amen.

Again, "studylight.org" defines the Greek imperative mood: "The imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command [emphasis mine] to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order [emphasis mine] and authority [emphasis mine] of the one commanding [emphasis mine]. Thus, Jesus' phrase, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mk.1:15) is not at all an "invitation," but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers [emphasis mine]." You are NOT a Greek scholar, you are NOT qualified to give a Greek grammatical opinion, which means your attempt to explain this grammatical RULE away is of no effect. Rev. 22:17c & d are in the imperative mood, which means those statements are COMMANDS, NOT INVITATIONS. You mentioned taxes; go ahead and refuse to pay your taxes and then see what the government does.

God commands you to repent and believe but you refuse to do so.

You said, "I still find you to be wrong each and every time." Again, very interesting. The UNREGENERATE Pharisees held the same view of Christ, for what saith the Scripture (Mat. 27:63)? "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again."

Though the Pharisees couldn't prove Jesus wrong, you are proven wrong.

Yes, God has two wills, a foreordinative will and a preceptive will. Jesus Christ WAS MURDERED the day He was crucified, a DIRECT violation of the Sixth Commandment, but what saith the Scriptures?

God is one being with one will, some of which we don't all understand. God doesn't contradict Himself with two contradictory wills.

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, SMITTEN OF GOD, and afflicted."

Acts 2:23: "Him, BEING DELIVERED BY THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, ye have taken, and by WICKED hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For TO DO WHATSOEVER THY HAND AND THY COUNSEL DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE."

Praise the Lord!

You've accused me of being "schizoid or bipolar". Very interesting. UNREGENERATE peopleheld the same view of Christ, for the Scripture saith (Jn. 10:20), "And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is MAD; why hear ye him?"

If it is a sin for God to contradict Himself, then it is a sin for you too.

You write against God's two wills because you can't understand it. What saith the Scripture (Isa. 55:9)? "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Nobody can understand God contradicting Himself with two wills, not even God.

No, the Scriptures do NOT say that man has free will; he has free agency, he is free to do whatever he pleases, but his will is totally enslaved to his own evil nature, for what saith the Scriptures?

Free will is free agency, and man is not Totally enslaved to be unable to receive the gift of repentance and faith.

Gen. 6:5: "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that EVERY imagination of the thoughts of his heart was ONLY evil continually."

Gen. 8:21: "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth."

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The WICKED shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The WICKED, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

"Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Some of my favorites.

Yes, again, unregenerate people can help a lady across the street, but, regarding that, what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

Again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. Not a pretty picture, is it? That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

No, spiritual death means TOTAL SEPARATION from God, NO SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION, for what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 59:2: "But your iniquities have SEPARATED between you and your God, and your sins HAVE HID HIS FACE FROM YOU, that he WILL NOT HEAR."

Jn. 9:31: "Now we know that GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS."

Ergo, you are not Totally depraved. You only think you are to prevent truly receiving Christ.

No, again, in Heb. 2:9 (ὅπως χάριτι θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου), "man" or "one" is NOT IN THE GREEK TEXT; it's a masculine adjective, πᾶς, being used as a noun. "Every man" or "every one" is determined by the context, which shows clearly that that term refers to believers, the elect of God, for what saith the Scriptures (Heb. 2:9-17)?

No. Jesus died for all, every man.

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Amen.

"All things" in Heb. 2:8 refers to the creation; what saith the Scripture (Rom. 8:21)? "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the CHILDREN OF GOD." "Every man" is a Jewish group designation, as Jn. 2:10 shows clearly.

His grace is sufficient upon all.

You say God doesn't foreordain sin. What saith the Scriptures?

God is not the author of evil.

Gen. 50:20: "But as for you, ye thought EVIL against me; but God meant it unto good, TO BRING IT TO PASS, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Job 1:21: "The LORD gave, and THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY."

I Chr. 21:1: "And SATAN stood up against Israel, and PROVOKED DAVID to number Israel."

II Sam. 24:1: "And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and HE MOVED DAVID against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah."

That's good Scripture.

Man's HEART isn't totally depraved? What saith the Scriptures?

Nope. Your idol.

Isa. 1:5-6: "The whole head is sick, and the WHOLE HEART faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Jer. 17:9: "The HEART is deceitful above ALL THINGS, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

True.

No, reprobation is God's leaving some in their own sins, they having been guilty before Him from the moment of conception, JUSTLY condemning them for His own glory in His infinite wisdom. You've accused God of injustice in reprobation; what saith the Scriptures (Rom. 9:19-22)?

I don't believe in Calvinism reprobation because it is evil. I believe in God's reprobation. A person is not guilty for being born into sin.

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

How true.

Your desperation is showing, having accused me of worshiping men, because you CANNOT REFUTE what I wrote, that Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. What saith the Scripture?

You are fitted to destruction.

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

Yes.

No, Pharaoh's hardened heart was God's foreordinative plan; what saith the Scriptures?

God foreknew the Pharaoh would harden his heart first.

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Yes.

Again, a careful examination of the Hebrew shows that God hardened Pharaoh's heart by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a totally depraved, wicked sinner. What saith the Scriptures?

God only hardened his heart after the Pharaoh hardened his own heart first.

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") WITH INIQUITY..."

Amen.

Your ignorance of Calvinistic teaching shows once again. Reprobation is divided into two components: preterition and condemnation. Preterition is unconditional, whereas condemnation is conditional.

You contradicted yourself. Condemnation is conditional but preterition sends the person to Hell from birth without a condition.

You say God loves everyone? What saith the Scriptures?

Psa. 5:5: "Thou HATEST all workers of iniquity."

Psa. 11:5: "The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH."

Psa. 53:4-5: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath DESPISED them."

Rom. 9:13: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED."

Yes, God loves everyone to provide sufficient grace to all.

No, Jesus died for the elect only, securing our salvation at Calvary. Yes, Jn. 1:29, Jn. 4:42, I Jn. 4:14, and Jn. 3:16-17 all use the term "world" (κόσμος); what saith the Scriptures?

Jesus died for all, securing salvation for the elect who were willing.

Jn. 12:19-20: "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the WORLD (κόσμος) is gone after him. And there were certain GREEKS among them that came up to worship at the feast."

Rom. 11:12: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the WORLD (κόσμος), and the diminishing of them the riches of the GENTILES."

Yes.

II Cor. 5:14-17 is determined by context, which shows clearly that "all" refers to God's elect; what saith the Scriptures?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Clearly this all means everyone, not just the elect.

Regarding I Jn. 2:2, what saith the Scriptures?

Gal. 2:9: "And when James, Cephas, and JOHN, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they UNTO THE CIRCUMCISION."

I Jn. 2:2: "And he is the propitiation for OUR sins: and NOT FOR OURS ONLY, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

Jn. 11:51b-52: "Being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for THAT NATION (ἔθνος); And NOT FOR THAT NATION (ἔθνος) ONLY, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."

Rom. 1:5, 8: "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among ALL NATIONS (ἔθνος), for his name: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

Amen.

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Greek grammarian of modern times, says that the sense of σωτήρ in I Tim. 4:10 is "preserver"; so say Greek scholars W.E. Vine, J.N. Darby, and George Ricker Berry as well.

That's nice.

Regarding Mat. 23:37, was Christ speaking as the sovereign God of Heaven and Earth, or was He speaking as a human being, as He did in Jn. 5:30, where the Scripture saith, "I can of mine own self do nothing." What did He tell Jeremiah as God (Jer. 23:37)? "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" Furthermore regarding this, what saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and YE WOULD NOT!"

Ex. 10:27: "But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and HE WOULD NOT let them go."

Yes the Scripture says these things.

You're avoiding the point. From the time God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees until Acts chapter 10, the Gentiles were LEFT OUT of God's salvation plan, He having passed them by, dealing EXCLUSIVELY with Israel electively FOR CENTURIES. You Arminians never accuse God of injustice for that, yet you all have the audacity to suggest God is unjust in reprobation, which very well may be blasphemy, as you all are accusing Jehovah of injustice.

This doesn't mean others could not be saved. God would be unjust if He held to Calvinist reprobation.

Where did I say that water baptism wasn't for believers only? Of course it is.

Then baptism must follow regeneration and not before.

The only thing we've seen about the Scriptures I've presented is your HERETICAL efforts to distort, to pervert, and to deny them.

You are not even born-again because you refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated.

In Rom. 5:15 Paul changes the object of his discussion to BELIEVERS, for what saith the Scriptures?

I Cor. 15:22: "For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ shall ALL be MADE ALIVE."

Many receive His gift because they receive Jesus.

Rom. 5:15-19: "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto MANY. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more THEY WHICH RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS."

Amen.

What does "all men" mean in Rom. 5:18 and I Tim. 2:4? What does "all" mean in I Tim. 2:6? What saith the Scriptures?

To the whole world: God's sufficient grace. I am glad I don't read the Bible like you.

Acts 9:15: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before THE GENTILES, and KINGS, and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."

Acts 22:15: "For thou shalt be his witness unto ALL MEN of what thou hast seen and heard."

Rom. 2:9-11: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of THE GENTILE; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to THE GENTILE: For there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS with God."

Rom. 10:12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the GREEK: for the same Lord over ALL is rich unto all that call upon him."

I Tim. 2:1-7: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN; For KINGS, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME. WHEREUNTO I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of THE GENTILES in faith and verity."

Praise Jesus!

No, when God draws someone to Christ, He draws him IRRESISTIBLY; there is NOTHING in man's nature that desires God. What saith the Scriptures?

God never forces anyone, for many "draw back unto perdition" (Heb. 10.39). God pleads with us all because we can desire after God.

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:11: "There is none that understandeth, there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

Willfulness not Total depravity.

No, I say that man is able to do exactly what he wants to do, that he can take of the "water of life" whenever he has a desire for that, but he'll never have a desire for that unless God allows that to him. What saith the Scriptures?

God provides sufficient grace to us all to take of the water of life freely so that none have an excuse.

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Amens.

Mat. 11:28 is in the IMPERATIVE MOOD in the Greek; "come unto me" is a COMMAND, NOT AN INVITATION. Again, Rev. 22:17c & d are ALSO in the imperative mood, which means they are COMMANDS, NOT INVITATIONS.

Why do you refuse His command and invitation?

It's not for you or me or anybody else to understand how God foreordains sin for His own glory; if He says He did it, and He DID say it, He did it!

Nah! God doesn't contradict Himself. Be "not doubletongued" (1 Tim. 3.8).

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle. That is proud, arrogant, and unscriptural. There were twelve legitimate apostles; those dear men have accomplished their work on this earth. I Cor. 15:7 says that after James saw Jesus He was then seen by "all the apostles"; it means simply that He appeared to the twelve apostles at the same time after James saw Him. And no, Janias was NOT an apostle. Have you never read I Tim. 2:12?

You shouldn't accuse the Apostles, for judgment comes upon you. Paul was a legitimate Apostle. The Apostles work today (Eph. 4.11) in the Ministry for the Church. The 12 Apostles saw Jesus then a larger group of Apostles, all of them. Junias was notable among the Apostle, and a more prominent one at that. You're misreading 1 Tim. 2.12 being abusive to women. Figures. You're a Calvinist.

No, ᾅδης is HELL, just as γέεννα is Hell. Only γέεννα is designated as the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14-15), but they are both places of righteous torment for the reprobate.

There are not two Hells. You can't throw Hell into Hell. You can throw Hades into Hell.

You said, "If I believed what you did, I demand that I go to Hell deservingly." Be careful what you wish for, Arminian; God may give it to you.

Nah, I will never lose salvation and thus, can never be a Calvinist.

You hear me again, sir. I've said it before, and I'm saying it again; I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU or THE DEVIL that's motivating you. BY GOD'S GRACE, I'M NOT GOING AWAY, I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED. IF THE LORD WILL, I will continue to defend the truth of Calvinism in this forum, as I now call respectfully upon the LORD JESUS CHRIST to give me the grace to do it, to His glory and honor, for He is worthy (Rev. 4:11).

You are not born-again. You worship a false Christ.

The reason you are not born-again is simple: 1) You refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated by erecting an idol called Total depravity which says you can't so you won't; 2) You worship a god who sends people to Hell from birth without any opportunity to be saved and they could do nothing about it; 3) You worship a god who does not provide sufficient grace to all or is unable (impotent) to; 4) You worship an evil tyrant that must irresistibly impose its kind of regeneration on people without giving them the choice (not much of a gift); 5) Your god contradicts himself with his two wills you claim secretly doesn't want all to be saved but openly says he does and if something is a secret then by definition you can't make any claim about it or if it even exists; 6) It's wrong for your god to tell people to deliver the Calvinism gospel to the Calvinism reprobate because that gives them false hope and really makes your god sadistic and mocking.

It's time to grow up! Or you will spend eternity in Hell.

[briancook007]

You still don't produce the Scriptures to back your position; you do your best to distort, to pervert, and to deny the Scriptures that I have given. It won't work, for it is written (Isa. 55:11), "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

No, Acts 16:14 says, "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, heard (ἀκούω) us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." When it says she "heard" them, it's talking about her spiritual ears, for what saith the Scripture (Mk. 4:9)? "And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear (ἀκούω), let him hear (ἀκούω)." God opened her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response to the Gospel, faith and repentance.

No, when one worships God falsely, they are not worshiping a false god, they are worshiping in vain. The two are different. What saith the Scriptures?

Mt. 15:9: "But in vain they do worship (σέβω)me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit in vain do they worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

No, Paul mentions nothing of Lydia before Luke mentions her in his narrative.

No, again, Calvinists do NOT assume regeneration before faith and repentance, we say that man must do those things this very day. We say that the ONLY way man does those two things is because God allows them to him AS A RESULT of regeneration, that those two things are the fruits of regeneration, not the causes of it.

No, sir, the only thing that has been proven wrong in this debate is your Arminian heresy, for the Word of God has defeated it.

You Arminians say God doesn't foreordain sin in His infinite wisdom for His own glory. What saith the Scriptures?

Jos. 11:20: "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

I Sam. 16:23: " And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

II Sam. 16:8-11: "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."

I Kgs. 22:23: "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

II Kgs. 24:2-3: "And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did."

II Chr. 33:11: "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

II Chr. 36:16-17: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand."

Isa. 5:25-29: "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it."

Isa. 10:5-7, 15: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

Jer. 25:9-12: "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations."

Lam. 1:17: "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Amos 9:9: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Lk. 22:22: "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"

Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 3:18: "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 19:9: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus."

I Pet. 2:8: "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

Rev. 17:17: "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Man isn't totally depraved? What saith the Scripture (Jn. 6:65)? "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can (δύναμαι) come unto me, except it were given (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father." δύναμαι means "to be able"; man is NOT able of his own ability to come to Christ, for the Scripture saith (Isa. 1:5-6): "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

No, Jesus died for the elect only, those whom the Father had chosen, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering he hath perfected (τελειόω) for ever them that are sanctified (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

You still accuse God of injustice in reprobation? What saith the Scriptures (Rom. 9:19-22)?

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

No, Pharaoh's hardened heart was God's foreordinative plan; for what saith the Scriptures?

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

No, sir, reprobation is divided into two components: preterition and condemnation. Preterition, God's passing by of the reprobate, is unconditional; condemnation, God's judging the reprobate for their sins, is conditional.

No, God does NOT love every single member of the human race, for what saith the Scriptures?

Psa. 5:5: "Thou HATEST all workers of iniquity."

Psa. 11:5: "The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH."

Psa. 53:4-5: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath DESPISED them."

Rom. 9:13: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED."

No, Christ secured the salvation of God's elect at Calvary, not because we were willing, but despite the fact that we were unwilling; what saith the Scripture (Jn. 5:40)? "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." George Ricker Berry, noted Greek scholar, translates this verse as, "Ye are unwilling to come to me...."

No, "all" in II Cor. 5:14-17 refers to God's elect; what saith the Scriptures?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Yes, water baptism follows faith and repentance; regeneration produces faith and repentance.

The Scriptures always must be interpreted from a Jewish cultural perspective; the terms "world", "whole world", and "all men" always must be defined this way.

The Greek word translated "of them who draw back" in Heb. 10:39 is ὑποστολή, and that Scripture refers to human responsibility. Jn. 6:44 refers to an irresistible drawing on God's part, for what saith the Scriptures?

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:11: "There is none that understandeth, there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

There are two places of torment for the reprobate, ᾅδης and γέεννα. One day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα, but that doesn't nullify what I just said.

You hear me again, sir. I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU or THE DEVIL that's motivating you, and don't you ever forget it. BY GOD'S GRACE, I'M NOT GOING AWAY, I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED. IF THE LORD WILL, I will continue to defend the truth of Calvinism in this forum, as I now call respectfully upon the LORD JESUS CHRIST to give me the grace to do it, to His glory and honor, for He is worthy (Rev. 4:11).

You wrote, "You are not born-again. You worship a false Christ.

"The reason you are not born-again is simple: 1) You refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated by erecting an idol called Total depravity which says you can't so you won't; 2) You worship a god who sends people to Hell from birth without any opportunity to be saved and they could do nothing about it; 3) You worship a god who does not provide sufficient grace to all or is unable (impotent) to; 4) You worship an evil tyrant that must irresistibly impose its kind of regeneration on people without giving them the choice (not much of a gift); 5) your god contradicts himself with his two wills you claim secretly doesn't want all to be saved but openly says he does; 6) if something is a secret then by definition you can't make any claim about it or if it even exists.

"It's time to grow up! Or you will spend eternity in Hell."

<Removed impersonal, repetitive, copy and past large block of text>

[Churchwork]

You still don't produce the Scriptures to back your position; you do your best to distort, to pervert, and to deny the Scriptures that I have given. It won't work, for it is written (Isa. 55:11), "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

None of the verses you give support your case. You have to read into the text.

No, Acts 16:14 says, "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, heard (ἀκούω) us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." When it says she "heard" them, it's talking about her spiritual ears, for what saith the Scripture (Mk. 4:9)? "And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear (ἀκούω), let him hear (ἀκούω)." God opened her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response to the Gospel, faith and repentance.

First things first, she worshiped God.

No, when one worships God falsely, they are not worshiping a false god, they are worshiping in vain. The two are different. What saith the Scriptures?

Mt. 15:9: "But in vain they do worship (σέβω)me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit in vain do they worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Lydia didn't worship in vain. Vain worship is not to God but a false God, treating God falsely.

No, Paul mentions nothing of Lydia before Luke mentions her in his narrative.

That's right. First mention is she worshiped God not in vain.

No, again, Calvinists do NOT assume regeneration before faith and repentance, we say that man must do those things this very day. We say that the ONLY way man does those two things is because God allows them to him AS A RESULT of regeneration, that those two things are the fruits of regeneration, not the causes of it.

You can't do it if you are Totally depraved. You can't be demanded to do something you can't do. There are no verses for Total depravity or irresistible regeneration.

No, sir, the only thing that has been proven wrong in this debate is your Arminian heresy, for the Word of God has defeated it.

Where?

You Arminians say God doesn't foreordain sin in His infinite wisdom for His own glory. What saith the Scriptures?

Jos. 11:20: "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

I Sam. 16:23: " And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

II Sam. 16:8-11: "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."

I Kgs. 22:23: "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

II Kgs. 24:2-3: "And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did."

II Chr. 33:11: "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

II Chr. 36:16-17: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand."

Isa. 5:25-29: "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it."

Isa. 10:5-7, 15: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

Jer. 25:9-12: "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations."

Lam. 1:17: "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Amos 9:9: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Lk. 22:22: "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"

Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 3:18: "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 19:9: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus."

I Pet. 2:8: "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

Rev. 17:17: "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Where is God the author of sin here? He uses evil for good.

Man isn't totally depraved? What saith the Scripture (Jn. 6:65)? "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can (δύναμαι) come unto me, except it were given (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father." δύναμαι means "to be able"; man is NOT able of his own ability to come to Christ, for the Scripture saith (Isa. 1:5-6): "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

God is the provider: He provides the power and the strength and grace. Nothing about irresistible coercion.

No, Jesus died for the elect only, those whom the Father had chosen, for what saith the Scriptures?

He died for everyone, except many refuse His love such as yourself. So you are not one of the people He has chosen. You can't look back upon your life and say Jesus died for you.

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering he hath perfected (τελειόω) for ever them that are sanctified (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

Amen.

You still accuse God of injustice in reprobation? What saith the Scriptures (Rom. 9:19-22)?

"Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

You're confusing Satanic Hitler-type reprobation with God's reprobation.

No, Pharaoh's hardened heart was God's foreordinative plan; for what saith the Scriptures?

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

No, even Piper your Calvinist brethren, admits from the clear reading of the text the Pharaoh hardened his own heart first in the first active instance. Which is sorta funny if you think about it because Piper is a Calvinists and being a Calvinist requires irresistible hardening. The doublespeak never ends. Thank God there is a Hell!

No, sir, reprobation is divided into two components: preterition and condemnation. Preterition, God's passing by of the reprobate, is unconditional; condemnation, God's judging the reprobate for their sins, is conditional.

Passing over is evil, for God wants none to perish. Sending someone to Hell from birth is wrong.

No, God does NOT love every single member of the human race, for what saith the Scriptures?

Psa. 5:5: "Thou HATEST all workers of iniquity."

Psa. 11:5: "The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH."

Psa. 53:4-5: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath DESPISED them."

Rom. 9:13: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED."

God loves everyone to die for the sins of the world. He hates wickedness.

No, Christ secured the salvation of God's elect at Calvary, not because we were willing, but despite the fact that we were unwilling; what saith the Scripture (Jn. 5:40)? "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." George Ricker Berry, noted Greek scholar, translates this verse as, "Ye are unwilling to come to me...."

God provides sufficient grace to all. Don't confuse Total depravity with willfulness. You can still help an old lady across street as you can obtain the gift of salvation.

No, "all" in II Cor. 5:14-17 refers to God's elect; what saith the Scriptures?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

"All" and "All dead" here refer not to those who died with Christ in co-death but to all things summed up in Christ, so "He died for all"; and it is "they which live" out of the "all" who have died with Christ and are new creations. You're in your head, not reading by the Holy Spirit at all.

Yes, water baptism follows faith and repentance; regeneration produces faith and repentance.

Increased faith and repentance certainly flow from regeneration, for it is the new life, but regeneration is not to be assumed, but you must first repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated, otherwise you will go to Hell. You're still unwilling, blocked by the idol of Total depravity you erect so you can keep your selfish salvation.

The Scriptures always must be interpreted from a Jewish cultural perspective; the terms "world", "whole world", and "all men" always must be defined this way.

The Greek word translated "of them who draw back" in Heb. 10:39 is ὑποστολή, and that Scripture refers to human responsibility. Jn. 6:44 refers to an irresistible drawing on God's part, for what saith the Scriptures?

The drawing is unto regeneration, but sadly many draw back. John 6.44 says all those who come to God must be drawn not that all drawn must come to God. Your practical logic is not so good.

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:11: "There is none that understandeth, there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

Amen.

There are two places of torment for the reprobate, ᾅδης and γέεννα. One day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα, but that doesn't nullify what I just said.

Hell is not thrown into Hell. Hades is thrown into Hell. You're confused. Speaking to me in tongues won't help you either.

You hear me again, sir. I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU or THE DEVIL that's motivating you, and don't you ever forget it. BY GOD'S GRACE, I'M NOT GOING AWAY, I WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED. IF THE LORD WILL, I will continue to defend the truth of Calvinism in this forum, as I now call respectfully upon the LORD JESUS CHRIST to give me the grace to do it, to His glory and honor, for He is worthy (Rev. 4:11).

You're not born-again. The reason you are not born-again is simple:

1. You refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated by erecting an idol called Total depravity which says you can't so you won't;
2. You worship a god who sends people to Hell from birth without any opportunity to be saved and they could do nothing about it. What love is this? You worship a god who does not provide sufficient grace to all or is unable (impotent) to. Isn't this what Hitler did to the Jews?;
3. You worship an evil tyrant that must irresistibly impose its kind of regeneration on people without giving them the choice (not much of a gift). Isn't this what Hitler did to his Aryan race?;
4. Your god contradicts himself with his two wills you claim secretly doesn't want all to be saved but openly says he does. If something is a secret then by definition you can't make any claim about it or if it even exists;
5. It's wrong to give people false hope to deliver the gospel to them when your god made them unable to respond. There is no way around this duplicity and charade;
6. The god of Calvinism could save all, but doesn't, whereas God of the Bible doesn't save all because most people refuse His love, e.g. Calvinists.

Let's call this the 6 Major Sins of Calvinism.

[briancook007]

The Scriptures that I have given DO support Calvinism, no matter what linguistic legerdemain you may use to attempt to explain them away.

No, when God is worshiped in vain, a false god is not being worshiped, God is being worshiped in vain; THAT is what the Scriptures say. And NO, the Scriptures NEVER say Lydia worshiped God NOT in vain. If anybody is engaging in eisegesis in this debate it is you, sir.

You're still evading. Your argument is predicated on Lydia's having been saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that proves she was a believer. What saith the Scriptures?

Mt. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, "CREATION"): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles HEARD THIS (ἀκούω), they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart THE LORD opened (διανοίγω, "to open thoroughly"), THAT SHE ATTENDED (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

When it says she "heard" them, it's talking about her spiritual ears, for what saith the Scripture (Mk. 4:9)? "And he said unto them, He that hath ears TO HEAR (ἀκούω), LET HIM HEAR (ἀκούω)." God opened her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response to the Gospel, faith and repentance; such was the case in Acts 13:48. Lydia was baptized immediately, showing that this was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33).

You say there are no verses for total inability? The Greek word δύναμαι, "to be able", is found in Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65. What saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 3:27 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "A man IS ABLE to receive NOTHING unless it be given to him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Young's Literal Translation): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING, if it may not have been given him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING unless it has been given to him from Heaven."

Jn. 6:44 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise up him at the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father having sent me should draw him, and I will raise up him in the last day."

Jn. 6:65 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it be given to him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65: (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it has been given to him from the Father."

You say there are no verses for total depravity or irresistible grace? What saith the Scriptures?

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? THEN MAY YE ALSO DO GOOD, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The wicked shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

"Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:10-11: "As it is written, There is none RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth (συνίημι), there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Jn. 6:44: "NO man CAN come to me, EXCEPT the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

Eze. 36:26-27: "A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the STONY HEART out of your flesh, and I will give you an HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart THE LORD opened, THAT SHE ATTENDED(προσέχω)unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

You wish to know where the Word of God has defeated your Arminian HERESY? What saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

I never said God was the Author of sin, I said He foreordains it, brings it to pass, for His own glory; what saith the Scriptures?

Gen. 50:20: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, TO BRING IT TO PASS, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

I Kgs. 12:19-24: "So Israel REBELLED against the house of David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for THIS THING IS FROM ME."

Job 1:21: "The LORD gave, and THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, SMITTEN OF GOD, and afflicted."

Acts 2:23: "Him, BEING DELIVERED BY THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD, ye have taken, and by WICKED hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For TO DO WHATSOEVER THY HAND AND THY COUNSEL DETERMINED BEFORE TO BE DONE."

No, Jesus died for the elect only, those whom the Father had chosen, securing our salvation at Calvary, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for THE SHEEP. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for THE SHEEP."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved THE CHURCH, and gave himself for IT; That HE MIGHT SANCTIFY (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering HE HATH PERFECTED (τελειόω) for ever THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "ELECT according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through SANCTIFICATION (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

Again, John Piper is not the authority; the Scriptures are. NEVER ONCE in the Exodus narrative is it said that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened apart from God's hardening it. As the Hebrew shows, He hardened it by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a wicked, evil, totally depraved sinner, for what saith the Scriptures?

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") with INIQUITY..."

You accuse God of injustice in reprobation? What saith the Scriptures?

Prov. 16:4: "The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even THE WICKED FOR THE DAY OF EVIL."

Rom. 9:19-22: "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

No, God does NOT love every single member of the human race, for what saith the Scriptures?

Psa. 5:5: "Thou HATEST all workers of iniquity."

Psa. 11:5: "The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul HATETH."

Psa. 53:4-5: "Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath DESPISED them."

Rom. 9:13: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I HATED."

Again, unregenerate people can help a lady across the street, but, regarding that, what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

Again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

No, again, "all" in II Cor. 5:14-17 refers to God's elect; what saith the Scriptures?

"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one DIED FOR ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he DIED FOR ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which DIED FOR THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Again, Calvinists do NOT assume regeneration before faith and repentance, we say that man must do those things this very day, this very moment. We say that the ONLY way man does those two things is because God allows them to him, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:28-29: "Then said they unto him, What shall WE DO, that WE MIGHT WORK (ἐργάζομαι) the WORKS (ἔργον) of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the WORK (ἔργον) of God, THAT YE BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent."

Phil. 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that HE which HATH BEGUN a good WORK (ἔργον) in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Jn. 4:10: "Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the GIFT (δωρεά, from δῶρον) OF GOD, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; THOU WOULDEST HAVE ASKED OF HIM, and he would have given thee living water."

Eph. 2:8-10: "For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and THAT not of yourselves: it is the GIFT (δῶρον) OF GOD: Not of WORKS (ἔργον), lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, CREATED (κτίζω) in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God HATH BEFORE ORDAINED that we should walk in them."

Dr. George Ricker Berry, noted Greek scholar, translates Jn. 5:40 as, "Ye are unwilling to come to me...." And yes, all those who are drawn by the Father irresistibly are elect, saved, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:37: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and HIM THAT COMETH (ἔρχομαι) to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can COME (ἔρχομαι) to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

Again, there are two places of torment for the reprobate, ᾅδης and γέεννα. Christ referred to both in His public ministry, and both are translated as "hell" in the King James Bible. One day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα (Rev. 20:14).

It doesn't surprise me that you devalue Greek scholarship, because it shows Arminianism to be the FALSE DOCTRINE that it is. The New Testament was not written in English, it was written in Koine Greek. Any exegetical study must be conducted from the original language, as something always is lost in any translation. By the way, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, was a Calvinist; so was John Gresham Machen, another prominent Koine Greek scholar.

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle; those twelve men have accomplished their blessed work on this earth. For you to claim apostleship is proud, arrogant, and UNSCRIPTURAL.

I dare say that what you call the "6 Major Sins of Calvinism", God calls BLASPHEMY on your part.

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[Churchwork]

Worshiping God in vain is worshiping God falsely. God is never to be worshiped falsely for that is making a false god out of God. Paul said positively, she "worshiped God" then what follows was she "heard us" (Acts 16.14).

You're assuming into the text she worshiped falsely.

Goes the the opening and she did the attending. Don't assume into the text that regeneration is irresistible. God has His part of opening. She has her part in accepting. Many people don't believe in God before receiving Christ, but Lydia did believe in God. She worshiped God. Don't assume more than that, don't assume that she was doing so vainly. The way Paul spoke was a positive way, for she "heard us".

God creates human beings. Just because God creates human beings doesn't mean we are Totally deprave. All that we have and can be is by His sufficient enabling grace. This doesn't mean we are Totally depraved. Your negative portrayal is not by the Holy Spirit. When man fell from grace, His willfulness was towards sin, but he was not incapable of receiving the gifts of God and believing in Christ. Repentance precedes faith for initial salvation without which you can't be saved. If you are unrepentant and think you have faith for salvation, that is a false faith. God is not going to save you if you stand there and assume you were regenerated without prior repentance and faith. God will not save you into a selfish salvation of "stacking the deck."

I agree with these verses. Nothing about Total depravity or irresistible generation in them. Stop posting verses as though they agree with you, but deal with them specifically.

These verses are saying God uses evil for good not that he is the author of sin which is necessary if everyone is Totally depraved and your god has to irresistibly regenerate them and evilly sends billions to hell without any grace whatsoever. What love is this? This makes your god the author of evil.

The first active hardening was the Pharaoh hardening his own heart first as your own Calvinist brethren admits which contradicts his own faith. This is within God's allowance.

Nowhere do we find reprobation here is by God not providing sufficient grace to all. Why read into the text that which is not there?

You work apart from God's grace because you refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated. Just as you can help an old lady across the street you can obtain the gift of faith if you come to God with an honest heart. You prefer to remain soiled tampon-one of your favorite phrases.

"They which live" are only some of those for whom Jesus died, for Jesus died for all.

"Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Rom. 5.18). "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2.4). All men can be saved "whosoever should believeth" (John 3.16) "to the knowledge of truth" and "unto justification of life." This is a parallelism. Same "all men".

You can't do something if you are Totally depraved. You're Totally unable to, so it would be odd to be commanded to do something you couldn't do it. How sadistic! God provides sufficient for all, not just some. That would be evil. If it is evil for man to behave this way, why would God have morals less than ours? I am glad I don't have to spend eternity in the New City with any Calvinists. That would be Hell.

Many who are drawn to God "draw back unto perdition" (Heb. 10.39). Certainly all that come to God must be drawn, but we don't read in John 6.44 that all drawn do come to God. All that are given in verse 37 do come, but it doesn't say all that are drawn come. Read the text with humility, without assuming a thing.

Again, there are two places of torment for the reprobate, ᾅδης and γέεννα. Christ referred to both in His public ministry, and both are translated as "hell" in the King James Bible. One day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα (Rev. 20:14).

Hell can't be thrown into Hell. That's silly. That's like saying I am going to put the dish waster instead of the dishes into the dish waster. There are not two Hells anymore than there are two 3rd Heavens. Hades is thrown into Hell. KJV got it wrong. ASV, RSV, NLT, NIV, etc. corrected this mistake in the KJV. You can see the problem with being a KJV onlyist for you will rationalize falsely by making an idol out of King James.

It doesn't surprise me that you devalue Greek scholarship, because it shows Arminianism to be the FALSE DOCTRINE that it is. The New Testament was not written in English, it was written in Koine Greek. Any exegetical study must be conducted from the original language, as something always is lost in any translation. By the way, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, was a Calvinist; so was John Gresham Machen, another prominent Koine Greek scholar.

I appreciate the Greek, that is not the issue; the issue is you can't get the Greek to agree with you without reading into it that which is not there. Time and again this is has been shown.

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle; those twelve men have accomplished their blessed work on this earth. For you to claim apostleship is proud, arrogant, and UNSCRIPTURAL.

The Apostles are for today which I am one and you couldn't show otherwise, after all, you are not even born-again, because you refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated. Paul was an Apostle and he was not one of the 12, thus by your reasoning he is not an Apostle. You are accusing one of the mightiest workers for the Church. You also accuse women, for Junias was an Apostle, a notable one at that, and there were "all the Apostles" in addition to the "12 Apostles". Every century there have been Apostles. You deny Church history and the call of Eph. 4.11 of the Apostles during and for every church period, for this is still the mystery age of the Church.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" (Eph. 4.11). The role of the Apostles is still today. Who could even consider you a Christian that you deny God's workers in the Ministry of the Work for the Church. Of course, are a false Christian, so that make sense.

"Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars" (Rev. 2.2). For there to be those who are false Apostles implies that there are Apostles during John's day around 95 AD when he wrote Revelation after all the original Apostles had died.

I dare say that what you call the "6 Major Sins of Calvinism", God calls BLASPHEMY on your part.

What you consider holy these 6 major sins, God considers unholy.

Who are these false tares who try to look like the saved wheat, the unsaved swine with cloven hooves but don't chew their cud? Who are they who say to the Lord, didn't we work in your name? for which He responds, those who say Lord, Lord, He never knew you Brian. To come so close to Lord but still reject Him is a very sad thing indeed. It would have better that you never knew God (2 Pet. 2.21) since it will be much more difficult for you to give your life to Christ now, and at worse, your permanent stay in Hell will be worse than most.

My prayers go out to you that may you yet one day repent as a helpless sinners to the cross as you are not Totally depraved to receive the Lord Jesus as Savior. Amen.

[briancook007]

No, worshiping God in vain is exactly that, worshiping HIM in vain, NOT worshiping a false god. That assertion on your part is eisegesis; you're groping. In both Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 Christ is quoting Isa. 29:13; what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 29:13: ""Wherefore THE LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near ME with their mouth, and with their lips do honour ME, but have removed their heart far from ME, and their fear toward ME is taught by the precept of men."

Mat. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Acts 16:14: " And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) GOD, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Again, you're evading. Your argument is predicated on Lydia's having been saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that proves she was a believer. What saith the Scriptures?

Mt. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, "CREATION"): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles HEARD THIS (ἀκούω), they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Mk. 4:9: "And he said unto them, He that hath ears TO HEAR (ἀκούω), LET HIM HEAR (ἀκούω)."

Jn. 6:44-45: "No man CAN (δύναμαι) come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore THAT HATH HEARD (ἀκούω), and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart THE LORD opened (διανοίγω, "to open thoroughly"), THAT SHE ATTENDED (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Your position is that Lydia was saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that worship proves she was a believer; the Word of God says that is NOT SO. And no, Paul didn't say anything there at all; Luke wrote the Book of Acts.

God opened (διανοίγω) her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response (προσέχω) to the Gospel, faith and repentance; such was the case in Acts 13:48. Lydia was baptized immediately, showing that this was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33). You wrote, "God has His part of opening. She has her part in accepting." That comment shows Arminianism to be the man-centered theology, the HERESY, that it is.

You still deny total inability? Again, the Greek word δύναμαι, "to be able", is found in Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65. What saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 3:27 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "A man IS ABLE to receive NOTHING unless it be given to him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Young's Literal Translation): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING, if it may not have been given him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING unless it has been given to him from Heaven."

Jn. 6:44 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise up him at the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father having sent me should draw him, and I will raise up him in the last day."

Jn. 6:65 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it be given to him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65: (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it has been given to him from the Father."

You still say there are no verses for total depravity or irresistible grace? What saith the Scriptures?

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? THEN MAY YE ALSO DO GOOD, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The wicked shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

"Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:10-11: "As it is written, There is none RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth (συνίημι), there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 6:44: "NO man CAN come to me, EXCEPT the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

Eze. 36:26-27: "A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the STONY HEART out of your flesh, and I will give you an HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart THE LORD opened, THAT SHE ATTENDED(προσέχω)unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

"What love is this?", you ask? What saith the Scriptures?

Rom. 9:16-22: "So then IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD THAT SHEWETH MERCY. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore HATH HE MERCY ON WHOM HE WILL HAVE MERCY, and WHOM HE WILL HE HARDENETH. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

Again, John Piper is NOT the authority; the Scriptures are. NEVER ONCE in the Exodus narrative is it said that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened apart from GOD'S hardening it. As the Hebrew shows, He hardened it by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a wicked, evil, totally depraved sinner, for what saith the Scriptures?

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") WITH INIQUITY..."

You dare to question God's holiness and justice in His sovereign foreordination of sin? What saith the Scriptures?

I Jn. 1:5: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

Jos. 11:20: "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

I Sam. 16:23: " And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

II Sam. 16:8-11: "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."

I Kgs. 22:23: "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

II Kgs. 24:2-3: "And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did."

II Chr. 33:11: "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

II Chr. 36:16-17: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand."

Isa. 5:25-29: "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it."

Isa. 10:5-7, 15: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

Isa. 29:16: "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"

Jer. 25:9-12: "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations."

Lam. 1:17: "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Amos 9:9: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Lk. 22:22: "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"

Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 3:18: "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 19:9: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus."

I Pet. 2:8: "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

Rev. 17:17: "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Again, unregenerate people can do charitable things, but what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

Again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

No, Jesus died for the elect only, securing our salvation at Calvary. Again, "all" in II Cor. 5:14-17 refers to God's elect, for what saith the Scriptures?

II Cor. 5:14-17: "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one DIED FOR ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he DIED FOR ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which DIED FOR THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for THE SHEEP. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for THE SHEEP."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved THE CHURCH, and gave himself for IT; That HE MIGHT SANCTIFY (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering HE HATH PERFECTED (τελειόω) for ever THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "ELECT according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through SANCTIFICATION (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

In Rom. 5:15 Paul changes the object of his discussion to BELIEVERS, for what saith the Scriptures (Rom. 5:15-19)?

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto MANY. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more THEY WHICH RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS."

How do the Scriptures, a JEWISH Book, define the term "all men" in Rom. 5:18 and I Tim. 2:4? How do they define "all" in I Tim. 2:6? What saith the Scriptures?

Acts 9:15: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before THE GENTILES, and KINGS, and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."

Acts 22:15: "For thou shalt be his witness unto ALL MEN of what thou hast seen and heard."

Rom. 2:9-11: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of THE GENTILE; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to THE GENTILE: For there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS with God."

Rom. 10:12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the GREEK: for the same Lord over ALL is rich unto all that call upon him."

I Tim. 2:1-7: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN; For KINGS, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME. WHEREUNTO I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of THE GENTILES in faith and verity."

Who repents and believes? What saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Acts 13:48b is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

You continue to try to understand God completely, to deny reprobation because it makes no sense to the carnal mind, your mind. What saith the Scripture (Isa. 55:9)? "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

You wrote, "I am glad I don't have to spend eternity in the New City with any Calvinists. That would be Hell." Again, be careful what you wish for, Arminian; God may give it to you.

The Greek word in Heb. 10:39 is ὑποστολή, a different word than is used in John chapter 6. You wrote, "All that are given in verse 37 do come, but it doesn't say all that are drawn come." You are WRONG, your logic is faulty; ALL those who COME are DRAWN by God irresistibly, and they are ELECT, SAVED, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:37: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and HIM THAT COMETH (ἔρχομαι) to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can COME (ἔρχομαι) to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him: and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY."

All those who come (ἔρχομαι) are drawn (ἕλκω), and they all are raised up at the last day, SAVED, ELECT.

I am not a King James Only advocate, I merely pointed out that both ᾅδης and γέεννα are translated as "hell" in the King James Bible. They are both places of TORMENT (Lk. 16:23, Mk. 9:43) for the reprobate, and one day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα (Rev. 20:14).

No, sir, that IS the issue. The Greek has shown your Arminian FALSE DOCTRINE to be the HERESY that it is; THAT is why you downplay it. You never responded to the Berry, Young, and Comfort translations of Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65, because they prove total inability.

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle; for you to claim that sacred office is proud, arrogant, and UNSCRIPTURAL. Paul was a legitimate apostle, He was God's replacement for Judas, "the apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13), chosen by God Himself (Acts 9:1-15). And no, no woman ever was an apostle, for it is written (I Cor. 14:34), "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law," and it is written again (I Tim. 2:11-12), "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." The Apostle Paul said He had seen Christ (I Cor. 9:1). Have you seen Him? If you say you have, you're a liar, for it is written (I Pet. 1:8), "Whom having not seen, ye love." Yes, Rev. 2:2 indeed does say, "Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." John must have had YOU in mind.

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[Churchwork]

No, worshiping God in vain is exactly that, worshiping HIM in vain, NOT worshiping a false god. That assertion on your part is eisegesis; you're groping. In both Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 Christ is quoting Isa. 29:13; what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 29:13: ""Wherefore THE LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near ME with their mouth, and with their lips do honour ME, but have removed their heart far from ME, and their fear toward ME is taught by the precept of men."

Mat. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Acts 16:14: " And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) GOD, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Worshiping God in vain is not the same thing as worshiping God. To worship falsely is to effectively worship God like some false god.

You shouldn't accuse Lydia of worshiping in vain, for she "worshiped God, heard us."

Worship can be true and false, not just false.

Again, you're evading. Your argument is predicated on Lydia's having been saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that proves she was a believer. What saith the Scriptures?

Mt. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, "CREATION"): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles HEARD THIS (ἀκούω), they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Mk. 4:9: "And he said unto them, He that hath ears TO HEAR (ἀκούω), LET HIM HEAR (ἀκούω)."

Jn. 6:44-45: "No man CAN (δύναμαι) come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore THAT HATH HEARD (ἀκούω), and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart THE LORD opened (διανοίγω, "to open thoroughly"), THAT SHE ATTENDED (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Lydia "worshiped God, heard us"; so this is not in vain. Even if she wasn't a believer in God before receiving Christ, that still would not demand irresistible regeneration so your argument fails.

Your position is that Lydia was saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that worship proves she was a believer; the Word of God says that is NOT SO. And no, Paul didn't say anything there at all; Luke wrote the Book of Acts.

God opened (διανοίγω) her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response (προσέχω) to the Gospel, faith and repentance; such was the case in Acts 13:48. Lydia was baptized immediately, showing that this was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33). You wrote, "God has His part of opening. She has her part in accepting." That comment shows Arminianism to be the man-centered theology, the HERESY, that it is.

"She attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul" (Acts 16.14), but you said "Paul didn't say anything there at all"?

Just like people in the OT were saved who believed in God and the Messiah had not yet come, Lydia also worshiped the One True God which is why she accepted Christ so readily. What she received in Christ was regeneration of her spirit for the Holy Spirit to indwell. This is regeneration: born-again, the new birth. You're missing the fact that regeneration for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (now that the veil is rent) does mean those in the OT were going to Hell because Jesus had not arrived yet. Otherwise you become like Satan the great accuser who accuses the brethren day and night (Rev. 12.10). I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

That God enjoys our participation in His will is not man centered. "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1.15) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3.19). Man-centered is assuming one is regenerated in Calvinism without having had to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated. Baptism does follow being born-again, but does not mean Lydia was not a believer in God like David or Jeremiah or Isaiah or Abel were. Man-centered ideas say things like, women can't be Apostles or Baptism must follow immediately after the new birth even though the person may not yet be ready to be baptized, imposing constricting and invasive rules by men on people to control them unethically. That will never do.

You still deny total inability? Again, the Greek word δύναμαι, "to be able", is found in Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65. What saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 3:27 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "A man IS ABLE to receive NOTHING unless it be given to him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Young's Literal Translation): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING, if it may not have been given him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING unless it has been given to him from Heaven."

Jn. 6:44 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise up him at the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless the Father having sent me should draw him, and I will raise up him in the last day."

Jn. 6:65 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it be given to him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if it may not have been given him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65: (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it has been given to him from the Father."

These verses show God is the Great Enabler not that man is Totally depraved. Since you can't find anything in these verses that teaches Total depravity, but you must read into the text, realize this idol you have created for yourself is what you use to keep yourself from truly repenting and believing in Christ to be regenerated.

God's grace is sufficient for all. Your god's grace is not. He provides sufficient enabling grace to all whether by common or special grace of the gospel.

You still say there are no verses for total depravity or irresistible grace? What saith the Scriptures?

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? THEN MAY YE ALSO DO GOOD, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The wicked shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

"Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:10-11: "As it is written, There is none RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth (συνίημι), there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 6:44: "NO man CAN come to me, EXCEPT the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

Eze. 36:26-27: "A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the STONY HEART out of your flesh, and I will give you an HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart THE LORD opened, THAT SHE ATTENDED(προσέχω)unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life believed."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Being wicked, unrepentant and disobedient in these verses do not imply Total inability but willfulness and propensity. God provides the grace to enable us to receive Him, does not suggest irresistible regeneration for some and preterition for others. What you would need for your faith to be true is a verse that says God sends people to Hell from birth without recourse and saves people irresistibly without any right to accept it. And you would have to explain so much pleading by God, commading us to believe on Him by faith, and how God can contradict Himself with a secret will that conflicts with a revealed will. That's just for starters. What an evil tyrant your god is, very much like Hitler who sends the Jews to the gas chambers from birth without recourse. What love is this?

"What love is this?", you ask? What saith the Scriptures?

Rom. 9:16-22: "So then IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD THAT SHEWETH MERCY. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore HATH HE MERCY ON WHOM HE WILL HAVE MERCY, and WHOM HE WILL HE HARDENETH. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

I didn't ask, What love is this in Romans 9? I asked, What love is this that God sends people to Hell from birth without any opportunity for salvation and must irresistibly regeneration someone like a robot? What an impotent and pathetic god the god of Calvinism is! Such a god is not worthy of anyone's worship.

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

When God renders someone fitted for destruction, that's His call, which doesn't imply or necessitate the person had no choice in the matter to receive God's saving grace.

Again, John Piper is NOT the authority; the Scriptures are. NEVER ONCE in the Exodus narrative is it said that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened apart from GOD'S hardening it. As the Hebrew shows, He hardened it by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a wicked, evil, totally depraved sinner, for what saith the Scriptures?

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") WITH INIQUITY..."

There is nothing that any of us can do without God's permission just as the Pharaoh hardening his own heart first is within God's provision and providential hand. It doesn't mean God irresistibly made him to harden his heart first, for then God would be the author of evil like the god of Calvinism. Your own Calvinist brethren, though contradicting himself, was right, the first active hardening was the Pharaoh hardening his own heart first. Subsequent hardening were done by God. There are two kinds of verses of hardening for the Pharaoh. There are verses that say he hardened his own heart and there are verses that say God hardened his heart. The first active instance is the Pharaoh hardening his own heart first. Thus, destroying the heart of Calvinism.

You dare to question God's holiness and justice in His sovereign foreordination of sin? What saith the Scriptures?

I Jn. 1:5: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

Jos. 11:20: "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

I Sam. 16:23: " And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

II Sam. 16:8-11: "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."

I Kgs. 22:23: "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

II Kgs. 24:2-3: "And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did."

II Chr. 33:11: "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

II Chr. 36:16-17: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand."

Isa. 5:25-29: "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it."

Isa. 10:5-7, 15: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

Isa. 29:16: "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"

Jer. 25:9-12: "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations."

Lam. 1:17: "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Amos 9:9: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Lk. 22:22: "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"

Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 3:18: "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 19:9: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus."

I Pet. 2:8: "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

Rev. 17:17: "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

I don't question God's handling of sin. I reject your god for being the cause of sin since he sends people to Hell without recourse and is limited in having to irresistibly impose salvation without giving the person the choice to receive the gift of faith if she or he comes to Him with an honest heart. Something you are quite unfamiliar with! Where in any of these verses can you find your god to be true as the author of sin and evil? Since you don't deal with any verse specifically, but can only reference verses vaguely, therein lies the problem. They say the Devil is in the details to prevent you from looking specifically at a verse unassumingly.

Again, unregenerate people can do charitable things, but what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

We are all fallen, born into sin, full of willfulness, but where in these verses do we read Total inability and the insufficiency of God's grace to us all to give us all the opportunity to be saved?

Again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

Where's the Total inability in Isaiah 64.6? We are still made in God's image with free will. That will never change.

No, Jesus died for the elect only, securing our salvation at Calvary. Again, "all" in II Cor. 5:14-17 refers to God's elect, for what saith the Scriptures?

II Cor. 5:14-17: "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one DIED FOR ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he DIED FOR ALL, that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which DIED FOR THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for THE SHEEP. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for THE SHEEP."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved THE CHURCH, and gave himself for IT; That HE MIGHT SANCTIFY (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering HE HATH PERFECTED (τελειόω) for ever THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "ELECT according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through SANCTIFICATION (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

Jesus died for the sins the whole world in 2 Cor. 5.14: "if one DIED FOR ALL, then were ALL dead [sums up all in death]: And that he DIED FOR ALL [for the whole world]" then out of which, those who repent and believe in Christ are "THEY WHICH LIVE." Your god doesn't have the love, power or ability to die for the sins of the whole world so anyone may be saved whosoever is willing, but he is the author of evil, Satan no less, who provides insufficient grace for all to have the opportunity to be saved. What love is this?

In Rom. 5:15 Paul changes the object of his discussion to BELIEVERS, for what saith the Scriptures (Rom. 5:15-19)?

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto MANY. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more THEY WHICH RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS."

Through Adam all have sinned. Through Christ the free "gift came upon all men unto justification of life": God's grace was sufficient for all. Many are made righteous because many receiving God's saving grace.

How do the Scriptures, a JEWISH Book, define the term "all men" in Rom. 5:18 and I Tim. 2:4? How do they define "all" in I Tim. 2:6? What saith the Scriptures?

Acts 9:15: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before THE GENTILES, and KINGS, and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."

Acts 22:15: "For thou shalt be his witness unto ALL MEN of what thou hast seen and heard."

Rom. 2:9-11: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of THE GENTILE; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to THE GENTILE: For there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS with God."

Rom. 10:12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the GREEK: for the same Lord over ALL is rich unto all that call upon him."

I Tim. 2:1-7: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN; For KINGS, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME. WHEREUNTO I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not a teacher of THE GENTILES in faith and verity."

Choosing Israel doesn't not mean they are irresistibly saved, for they still must individually believe in God to be saved. God chose the nation of Israel because she had a heart to listen among the nations for she was enslaved for 430 years.

Who repents and believes? What saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

God provides the gift of repentance, but in no way implies that it is irresistibly imposed. Why read into the text that which is not there?

Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Acts 13:48b is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

"And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13.48). This verse does not say how they were ordained whether by God foreknowing their free choice or by evilly being irresistibly imposed upon, but the context of the whole chapter clearly tells us that it was by God foreknowing our free choice. There is nothing passive about "believed". It is a free choice. Context is what matters.

You continue to try to understand God completely, to deny reprobation because it makes no sense to the carnal mind, your mind. What saith the Scripture (Isa. 55:9)? "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

I believe in reprobation. The carnal mind can't understand how God is so loving and powerful that He can provide sufficient grace to us all to give us all the opportunity to be saved, without which is a false reprobation and a false salvation.

You wrote, "I am glad I don't have to spend eternity in the New City with any Calvinists. That would be Hell." Again, be careful what you wish for, Arminian; God may give it to you.

You won't be able to drag me to Hell with you. He told me by the Holy Spirit and His word, I won't have to spend one second with any Calvinists in the New City because there are no Calvinists there. Thank you God. But I would go to Hell for you to save you, because where you are going I wish upon no man.

The Greek word in Heb. 10:39 is ὑποστολή, a different word than is used in John chapter 6. You wrote, "All that are given in verse 37 do come, but it doesn't say all that are drawn come." You are WRONG, your logic is faulty; ALL those who COME are DRAWN by God irresistibly, and they are ELECT, SAVED, for what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:37: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and HIM THAT COMETH (ἔρχομαι) to me I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT."

Jn. 6:44: "No man can COME (ἔρχομαι) to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him: and I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY."

All those who come (ἔρχομαι) are drawn (ἕλκω), and they all are raised up at the last day, SAVED, ELECT.

Different words are good. God likes variety. Sometimes the same word is used in two different contexts like with Lydia who believed in God and worshiped Him, willingly heard us, while others worship in vain.

Certainly all that come to God are drawn for nobody can come to God without being drawn, but sadly many "draw back unto perdition" (Heb. 10.39) especially Calvinists such as yourself. All that the Father gives come and must be drawn but are never drawn irresistibly for that would be evil. Don't assume irresistibly drawing, for God does His part and man must respond to His drawing for a relationship to develop and flourish. Otherwise, it is just a world of robots. God is not a god of robots! How dull that would be despite the many Calvinists who want to be that way, like Hitler's Aryan race irresistibly selected.

I am not a King James Only advocate, I merely pointed out that both ᾅδης and γέεννα are translated as "hell" in the King James Bible. They are both places of TORMENT (Lk. 16:23, Mk. 9:43) for the reprobate, and one day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα (Rev. 20:14).

Hades is never translated as Hell, that was a mistake of the late text the KJV was built on, which is why none of the later versions agree with the KJV. This error was fixed. There is only one Hell, not two Hells. Get use to this fact! Hades is thrown into Hell. Be "not doubletongued" (1 Tim. 3.8). You can't throw a dishwasher into a dishwasher. Dishes go in a dishwasher. You should repent of your false teaching.

No, sir, that IS the issue. The Greek has shown your Arminian FALSE DOCTRINE to be the HERESY that it is; THAT is why you downplay it. You never responded to the Berry, Young, and Comfort translations of Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65, because they prove total inability.

Since you can't show these verses point to any Total inability, nor by various writers you cite, then why assume into the text? What in heavens makes you think I downplay Arminian for it is 100% true? Jacob Arminius got it right in response to the evil of Calvinism he was faced with. God predestinates by foreknowing our free-choice: a conditional election, unlimited atonement, resistible grace, for preservation of the saints. Amen.

Since God only saves one way, as agreed to by OSAS Arminian, and you refuse to repent and believe in Christ to be regenerated, you are not born-again. God will not receive you selfishly by assuming regeneration without having had to repent and believe in Him by grace through faith. How sad for you. You know not what you do.

No, sir, you are NOT an apostle; for you to claim that sacred office is proud, arrogant, and UNSCRIPTURAL. Paul was a legitimate apostle, He was God's replacement for Judas, "the apostle of the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13), chosen by God Himself (Acts 9:1-15). And no, no woman ever was an apostle, for it is written (I Cor. 14:34), "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law," and it is written again (I Tim. 2:11-12), "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." The Apostle Paul said He had seen Christ (I Cor. 9:1). Have you seen Him? If you say you have, you're a liar, for it is written (I Pet. 1:8), "Whom having not seen, ye love." Yes, Rev. 2:2 indeed does say, "Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." John must have had YOU in mind.

You said "Paul...was God's replacement for Judas." Matthias was the replacement of Judas in Acts 1, not Paul. You need to get you facts straight. Just as Paul was an Apostle and Matthias was an Apostle, so were Junias and "all the Apostles" not just the "12 Apostles" for the Apostles are for today (Eph. 4.11).

Since you are not born-again, naturally you attack the Apostles. I can understand your hostility in your cult of Calvinism. It is perfectly reasonable given the heresies you cling to. Your abusiveness towards women takes 1 Tim. 2.11-12 out of context. Since there is a woman Apostle, you must reconcile this verse by realizing that women can be emotional and need to humble themselves. Don't try to legalize this verse out of context and miss the spirit of the message. You don't need to see Jesus in Person to be an Apostle, for many Apostles have never seen Jesus, even Apostles in the first century. John had all Apostles in mind throughout all the centuries, myself included.

You are not a child of God, but a child of perdition, a false Christian. That's why Jesus says you are "condemned already" (John 3.18). Sure you may say to Jesus, Lord, Lord, didn't you work in His name? to which Jesus replies with much conviction, He never knew you. How sad for you.

[briancook007]

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Your point is invalid. Again, in both Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 Christ is quoting Isa. 29:13. Your argument is predicated on Lydia's having been saved before Acts 16:14, that because she worshiped (σέβω) God, that that proves she was a believer. That is NOT SO, for what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 29:13: ""Wherefore THE LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near ME with their mouth, and with their lips do honour ME, but have removed their heart far from ME, and their fear toward ME is taught by the precept of men."

Mat. 15:9: "But IN VAIN they do worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Mk. 7:7: "Howbeit IN VAIN do they worship (σέβω) ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

Acts 16:14: " And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) GOD, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

Jn. 8:43, 47: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot HEAR (ἀκούω) my word. He that is of God HEARETH (ἀκούω) God's words: ye therefore HEAR (ἀκούω) them not, because ye are not of God."

Jn. 1:13: "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God."

II Cor. 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new CREATURE (κτίσις, "CREATION"): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Acts 13:48: "And when the Gentiles HEARD THIS (ἀκούω), they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Mk. 4:9: "And he said unto them, He that hath ears TO HEAR (ἀκούω), LET HIM HEAR (ἀκούω)."

Jn. 6:44-45: "No man CAN (δύναμαι) come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore THAT HATH HEARD (ἀκούω), and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."

Acts 16:14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped (σέβω) God, HEARD (ἀκούω) us: whose heart THE LORD opened (διανοίγω, "to open thoroughly"), THAT SHE ATTENDED (προσέχω) unto the things which were spoken of Paul."

God opened (διανοίγω) her heart, He regenerated her, thus producing the effectual response (προσέχω) to the Gospel, faith and repentance. Lydia was baptized immediately, showing that this was her salvation experience, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his salvation experience (Acts 16:30-33).

Your ignorance of the Book of Acts is showing; people were baptized on the same day they were saved (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:12-13, Acts 10:47-48, Acts 18:8). Are you accusing the REAL Apostles, not FALSE apostles like YOU, of "imposing constricting and invasive rules"?

And no, Paul didn't say anything there at all as far as his being the writer. Luke wrote the Book of Acts; your comment made it appear as if Paul wrote it.

You wrote, "What an evil tyrant your god is, very much like Hitler who sends the Jews to the gas chambers from birth without recourse." You also wrote, "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes." Boy, isn't that "the pot calling the kettle 'black'". I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

And no, again, Calvinism does NOT say that man must assume he is regenerated before he repents and believes. It says that the ONLY way he does that is by God's sovereign, efficacious, certain, unconquerable, irresistible grace in regeneration, which PRECEDES faith and repentance, for what saith the Scriptures?

Eze. 36:26-27: "A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the STONY HEART out of your flesh, and I will give you an HEART OF FLESH. And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

Acts 13:48: "And AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED to eternal life BELIEVED."

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Acts 13:48b is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

Again, the Greek word δύναμαι, "to be able", is found in Jn. 3:27, Jn. 6:44, and Jn. 6:65. What saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 3:27 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "A man IS ABLE to receive NOTHING unless it be GIVEN to him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Young's Literal Translation): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING, if it may not have been GIVEN him from the heaven."

Jn. 3:27 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "A man IS NOT ABLE to receive ANYTHING unless it has been GIVEN to him from Heaven."

Jn. 6:44 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me UNLESSthe Father who sent me DRAW him, and I will raise up him at the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if the Father who sent me may not DRAW him, and I will raise him up in the last day."

Jn. 6:44 (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me UNLESS the Father having sent me should DRAW him, and I will raise up him in the last day."

Jn. 6:65 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it be GIVEN to him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65 (Young's Literal Translation): "NO one IS ABLE to come unto me, if it may not have been GIVEN him from my Father."

Jn. 6:65: (Philip W. Comfort New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament): "NO one IS ABLE to come to me unless it has been GIVEN to him from the Father."

Those verses DO show total inability, total depravity, regardless of your feeble attempts to explain them away. Again, what saith the Scriptures?

Jer. 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? THEN MAY YE ALSO DO GOOD, that are accustomed to do evil."

Jer. 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately WICKED: who can know it?"

Psa. 9:17: "The wicked shall be turned into HELL...."

Psa. 10:4: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in ALL HIS THOUGHTS."

Psa. 58:3: "The wicked are estranged FROM THE WOMB: they go astray AS SOON AS THEY BE BORN, speaking lies."

Eph. 2:1-3: "And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the children of wrath, even as others."

Job 15:16: "How much more ABOMINABLE and FILTHY is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?"

Isa. 1:5-6: "The WHOLE head is sick, and the WHOLE heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is NO soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Rom. 3:10-11: "As it is written, There is NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE: There is NONE that understandeth (συνίημι), there is NONE THAT SEEKETH AFTER GOD."

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 6:44: "NO man CAN come to me, EXCEPT the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω) him."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

These verses DO show total depravity, and there is NOTHING you can say to change that, for it is written (Rom. 3:4), "Let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

"What love is this?", you ask? What saith the Scriptures?

Rom. 9:16-22: "So then IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH, NOR OF HIM THAT RUNNETH, BUT OF GOD THAT SHEWETH MERCY. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore HATH HE MERCY ON WHOM HE WILL HAVE MERCY, and WHOM HE WILL HE HARDENETH. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O MAN, WHO ART THOU THAT REPLIEST AGAINST GOD? SHALL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM THAT FORMED IT, WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. You can deny the Greek of this verse all you please, but that doesn't change its truth.

Once again, John Piper is NOT the authority; the Scriptures are. NEVER ONCE in the Exodus narrative is it said that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened apart from GOD'S hardening it. As the Hebrew shows, He hardened it by LEAVING IT IN ITS NATURAL STATE, that of a wicked, evil, totally depraved sinner, for what saith the Scriptures?

Isa. 14:24: "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely AS I HAVE THOUGHT, SO SHALL IT COME TO PASS; and AS I HAVE PURPOSED, SO SHALL IT STAND."

Dan. 4:35: "And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as NOTHING: and HE DOETH ACCORDING TO HIS WILL in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and NONE CAN STAY HIS HAND, or say unto him, What doest thou?"

Eph. 1:11: "...the PURPOSE of him who worketh ALL THINGSafter the counsel of his OWN will..."

Prov. 16:9: "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."

Prov. 20:24: "Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?"

Jer. 10:23: " O LORD, I know that THE WAY OF MAN IS NOT IN HIMSELF: IT IS NOT IN MAN THAT WALKETH TO DIRECT HIS STEPS."

Ex. 3:19: "And I AM SURE that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand."

Ex. 4:21: "And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I WILL HARDEN HIS HEART, that he shall not let the people go."

Ex. 9:17: "And in very deed FOR THIS CAUSE have I raised thee up, for TO SHEW IN THEE MY POWER; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth."

Rom. 9:22: "What if God, WILLING TO SHEW HIS WRATH, AND TO MAKE HIS POWER KNOWN, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath FITTED TO DESTRUCTION."

Ex. 7:14: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is HARDENED (Heb. "kabed") he refuseth to let the people go."

Ex. 17:12: "But Moses' hands were HEAVY (Heb. "kabed")."

Ex. 18:18: "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for thee."

Num. 11:14: "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") for me."

I Kgs. 12:4: "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee."

Psa. 38:4: "For mine INIQUITIES are gone over mine head: as an HEAVY (Heb. "kabed") burden they are too heavy for me."

Isa. 1:4: "Ah sinful nation, a people LADEN (Heb. "kabed") WITH INIQUITY..."

You still dare to question God's holiness and justice in His sovereign foreordination of sin? What saith the Scriptures?

I Jn. 1:5: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

Gen. 50:20: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, TO BRING TO PASS, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Jos. 11:20: "For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses."

I Sam. 16:23: " And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

II Sam. 16:8-11: "The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him."

I Kgs. 22:23: "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee."

II Kgs. 24:2-3: "And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets. Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did."

II Chr. 33:11: "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

II Chr. 36:16-17: "But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand."

Isa. 5:25-29: "Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it."

Isa. 10:5-7, 15: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

Isa. 29:16: "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?"

Jer. 25:9-12: "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations."

Lam. 1:17: "Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them."

Amos 9:9: "For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."

Isa. 53:4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

Lk. 22:22: "And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!"

Acts 2:23: "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

Acts 3:18: "But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."

Acts 4:27-28: "For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."

Acts 19:9: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus."

I Pet. 2:8: "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

Rev. 17:17: "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

You still deny total depravity? What saith the Scriptures?

Prov. 21:10: "The soul of the wicked DESIRETH EVIL."

Isa. 64:6: "But we are ALL as an UNCLEAN THING, and ALL our RIGHTEOUSNESSES are as FILTHY RAGS."

Tit. 1:15-16: "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is NOTHING pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK REPROBATE."

Tit. 1:15-16 (George Ricker Berry Interlinear Greek-English New Testament translation): "All things [are] pure to the pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving NOTHING [is] pure; but are defiled both their mind and [their] conscience. God they profess to know, but in works deny [him], being abominable and disobedient, and as TO EVERY GOOD WORK FOUND WORTHLESS."

Once again, the "filthy rags" in Isa. 64:6 are MENSTRUAL RAGS, what we would call today a SOILED TAMPON. That's the BEST man can do apart from God's grace!

Jesus died for the elect only, securing our salvation at Calvary. "All" in II Cor. 5:14-18 refers to God's elect, for what saith the Scriptures?

Rom. 8:29-34: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for US ALL, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of GOD'S ELECT? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."

Rom. 6:6-13: "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. LIKEWISE reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

I Pet. 2:24-25: "Who his own self bare OUR sins in his own body on the tree, that WE, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes YE were healed. For YE were as SHEEP going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

II Cor. 5:14-18: "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one DIED FOR ALL (πᾶς), then were ALL (πᾶς) dead: And that he DIED FOR ALL (πᾶς), that THEY WHICH LIVE should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which DIED FOR THEM, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know WE no man after the flesh: yea, though WE have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know WE him no more. Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW CREATURE (κτίσις): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled US to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to US the ministry of reconciliation."

I Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

Col. 2:11-14: "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."

Col. 3:9-12: "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that CREATED (κτίζω, verb form of κτίσις) him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in ALL (πᾶς). Put on therefore, as the ELECT OF GOD..."

Isa. 53:6: "All we like SHEEP have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of US ALL."

Jn. 10:11, 15: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for THE SHEEP. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for THE SHEEP."

Eph. 5:25-28: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved THE CHURCH, and gave himself for IT; That HE MIGHT SANCTIFY (ἁγιάζω) and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Heb. 2:9-17: ""But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many SONS unto glory, to make the captain of THEIR salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and THEY WHO ARE SANCTIFIED(ἁγιάζω) are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them BRETHREN, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my BRETHREN, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the CHILDREN which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the CHILDREN are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people."

Heb. 10:14: "For by one offering HE HATH PERFECTED (τελειόω) for ever THEM THAT ARE SANCTIFIED (ἁγιάζω)."

I Pet. 1:2: "ELECT according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through SANCTIFICATION (ἁγιασμός) of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

Again, in Rom. 5:15 Paul changes the object of his discussion to BELIEVERS, for what saith the Scriptures (Rom. 5:15-19)?

"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto MANY. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more THEY WHICH RECEIVE ABUNDANCE OF GRACE AND OF THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be MADE RIGHTEOUS."

How do the Scriptures, a JEWISH Book, define the term "all men" in Rom. 5:18 and I Tim. 2:4? How do they define "all" in I Tim. 2:6? What saith the Scriptures?

Acts 9:15: "But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before THE GENTILES, and KINGS, and THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."

Acts 22:15: "For thou shalt be his witness unto ALL MEN of what thou hast seen and heard."

Rom. 2:9-11: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of THE GENTILE; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to THE GENTILE: For there is NO RESPECT OF PERSONS with God."

Rom. 10:12: "For there is no difference between the Jew and the GREEK: for the same Lord over ALL is rich unto all that call upon him."

I Tim. 2:1-7: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for ALL MEN; For KINGS, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for ALL, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME. WHEREUNTO I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of THE GENTILES in faith and verity."

Yes, Jn. 1:29, Jn. 4:42, I Jn. 4:14, and Jn. 3:16-17 all use the term "world" (κόσμος); what saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 12:19-20: "The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the WORLD (κόσμος) is gone after him. And there were certain GREEKS among them that came up to worship at the feast."

Rom. 11:12: "Now if the fall of them be the riches of the WORLD (κόσμος), and the diminishing of them the riches of the GENTILES."

Regarding I Jn. 2:2, what saith the Scriptures?

Gal. 2:9: "And when James, Cephas, and JOHN, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they UNTO THE CIRCUMCISION."

I Jn. 2:2: "And he is the propitiation for OUR sins: and NOT FOR OURS ONLY, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

Jn. 11:51b-52: "Being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for THAT NATION (ἔθνος); And NOT FOR THAT NATION (ἔθνος) ONLY, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad."

Rom. 1:5, 8: "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among ALL NATIONS (ἔθνος), for his name: First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the WHOLE WORLD (κόσμος)."

You wrote, "God chose the nation of Israel because she had a heart to listen among the nations for she was enslaved for 430 years." Are you serious? Now you're really groping. What saith the Scriptures?

Deut. 7:6-8: "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

Deut. 32:9-12: "For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. HE found HIM in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; HE led HIM about, HE instructed HIM, HE kept HIM as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD ALONE did lead him, and there was no strange god with him."

God does not provide the possibility to repent, as Arminianism teaches falsely, He provides ACTUAL repentance, for what saith the Scriptures?

Mat. 16:16-17: "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, BUT MY FATHER which is in heaven."

Jn. 3:27: "A man can receive NOTHING, except it be GIVEN (δίδωμι) him from heaven."

Jn. 6:65: "NO MAN can come unto me, except it were GIVEN (δίδωμι) unto him of my Father."

Acts 11:18: "Then HATH GOD...GRANTED (δίδωμι) REPENTANCE unto life."

II Tim. 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if GOD...WILL GIVE (δίδωμι)...REPENTANCE to the acknowledging of the truth."

You are NOT a Greek scholar, you are NOT qualified to give a Greek grammatical opinion. Again, Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that Acts 13:48b is in the PASSIVE VOICE, which means that the subject is being ACTED UPON, and has NOTHING to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it.

Again, you are NOT a Greek scholar, you are NOT qualified to give a Greek grammatical opinion; the Greek word in Heb. 10:39 is ὑποστολή, a different word than is used in John chapter 6. You say the elect are not drawn IRRESISTIBLY? What saith the Scriptures?

Jn. 6:44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me DRAW (ἕλκω)him."

Jn. 12:32: " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL DRAW (ἕλκω) all men unto me."

Jn. 18:10: "Then Simon Peter having a sword DREW (ἕλκω) it...."

Jn. 21:6: "They cast therefore, and now they were not able TO DRAW (ἕλκω) it for the multitude of fishes."

Jn. 21:11: "Simon Peter went up, and DREW (ἕλκω) the net to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken."

Acts 16:19: "And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and DREW (ἕλκω) them into the marketplace unto the rulers."

Acts 21:30: "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and DREW (ἕλκω) him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut."

James 2:6: "But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and DRAW (ἕλκω) you before the judgment seats?"

παράδεισος is translated as "paradise" in the KJV in reference to both "Abraham's bosom" (Lk. 16:22) and Heaven (II Cor. 12:4, Rev. 2:7); both were places of COMFORT for the elect. Both ᾅδης and γέεννα are translated as "hell" in the KJV, and they both may be considered as such, for they are both places of TORMENT (Lk. 16:23, Mk. 9:43) for the reprobate. One day ᾅδης will be thrown into γέεννα (Rev. 20:14), which is designated as the Lake of Fire; ᾅδης never is designated as such.

No, Matthias was not a legitimate apostle; PAUL was the legitimate twelfth apostle. The folks in Acts chapter 1 were wrong, they acted carnally.

No, there are no women apostles, for what saith the Scriptures?

I Cor. 14:34: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law."

I Tim. 2:11-12: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."

John indeed did have YOU in mind, you FALSE APOSTLE, when he wrote (Rev. 2:2), "Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them LIARS."

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[Churchwork]

Did you ever get a chance to read Dave Hunt's, Final Word to Calvinists?

A Final Word to Calvinists
What Love is This? by Dave Hunt, p. 533

MY HEART HAS BEEN BROKEN by Calvinism's misrepresentation of the God the Bible, whom I love with all my heart, and for the excuse this has given atheists not to believe in Him. My sincere and earnest desire...has been to defend God's character against the libel that denies His love for all and insist that He does not make salvation available to all because He does not want all to be saved. It is my prayer...recognize Christian authors and leaders, ancient or modern and no matter how well respected, are all fallible and that God's Word is our only authority.

God's Word declares that the gospel, which is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1.16), is "good tidings of great joy," not just to certain elect, but "to all people" (Luke 2.10). Sadly, the insistence that only a select group have been elected to salvation is not "good tidings of great joy to all people"! How can such a doctrine be biblical?

It is my prayer that Calvinist readers who may have gotten...far have been fully persuaded to misrepresent no longer the God of love as having predestinated multitudes to eternal doom while withholding from them any opportunity to understand and believe the gospel. How many unbelievers have rejected God because of this deplorable distortion I do not know-but may that excuse be denied...! And may believers, in confidence that the gospel is indeed glad tidings for all people, take God's good news to the whole world!