User:David Schroder/Conditional Election
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Introduction
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[edit] Relevant Quotes from Theology Scholars
Regarding grace and atonement, Ashby states:
- "God could have sovereignly chosen to remedy humanity's situation differently than by the particularistic, cause-and-effect means proposed by Calvinism. In other words, when God saw his fallen human race in as bad a condition as it could possibly be in - 'dead in sins' and 'unable to do the least spiritual good' - logically, nothing would have precluded him from sovereignly choosing to reach out to all people with enabling grace (often referred to as prevenient grace). In fact, the Apostle Paul says that 'the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men' (Titus 2:11).
- "The Calvinist recoils and says, 'if all are enabled and all are drawn, then universalism must surely result - all would be saved.' To which I would say, 'Yes, if God's grace were irresistable grace.' Once again, however, God can sovereignly choose that his salvation is not going to proceed along the lines of a deterministic, cause-and-effect relationship. Rather, he is going to allow the sinner to resist the offer of grace, which grace he has sovereignly enabled the sinner to accept."
Jerry Dongell uses an illustration of a terrorist prison camp, with the sinner securely tied, blindfolded, gagged, and drugged and contrasts the two versions of Divine rescue offered:
- "The Calvinist view of the divine invasion is simple. God invades the camp, carries the prisoner out, strips the prisoner of her shackles and blinders, and injects "faith" into the prisoner's veins. The former prisoner, having already been rescued from prison and positioned outside the walls, now trusts the Deliverer because of the potency of the administered faith serum. God has been the lone actor throughout, in the sense that the human response of faith is directly and irresistibly caused by God...
- "The classical Arminian believes that God steals into the prison and makes it to the bedside of the victim. God injects a serum that begins to clear the prisoner's mind of delusions and quell her hostile reactions. God removes the gag from the prisoner's mouth and shines a flashlight around the pitch-black room. The prisoner remains mute as the Rescuer's voice whispers "Do you know where you are? Let me tell you! Do you know who you are? Let me show you!" And the wooing begins, divine truth begins to dawn on the prisoner's heart and mind; the Savior holds up a small mirror to show the prisoner her sunken eyes and frail body. "Do you see what they've done to you, and do you see how you've given yourself to them?" Even in the dim light, the prisoner's weakened eyes are beginning to focus. The rescuer continues "Do you know who I am, and that I want you for myself?" Perhaps the prisoner makes no obvious advance but does not turn away. The questions keep coming: "Can I show you pictues of who you once were and the wondrous plans I have for you in the years to come?" The prisoner's heartbeat quickens as the Savior presses on: "I know that part of you suspects that I have come to harm you. But let me show you something - my hands, they're a bit bloody. I crawled through the awful tangle of barbed wire to get you." Now here in this newly created sacred space, in this moment of new possibility, the Savior whispers "I want to carry you out of here right now! Give me your heart! Trust me!"
Regarding election and perseverance, Pawson comments:
- "The Arminian position is accurately portrayed by someone throwing a lifeline to a drowning man and saying 'grab hold of this and keep holding on tightly until I pull you to safety.' I would maintain that no one rescued in this way would dream that he had saved himself or even made a 'contribution' which merited his rescue. He would be filled with gratitude towards his rescuer."
[edit] History
- Main article: History of Calvinist-Arminian Debate
[edit] Doctrine
- Summary of overall view
- Show the necessity of conditionality on faith in all views
[edit] Election & predestination
- Summary of three views
- Define election & predestination
[edit] Traditional view
- Main theme: God elects believers - as individuals
- Expanded theme: When God, looking through the corridors of human history, decides to save some people, he does not choose arbitrarily and does not choose according to some hidden motive undiscernable to humans; but instead, he chooses all individuals that have faith in Jesus and sovereignly decides to save those and those alone. The first choice is "which group" he will save; the second choice is "which individuals are in that group".
- Proponents: Arminius, Picirilli, Ashby
[edit] Corporate view
- Main theme: God elects a people, of whom Christ is the head
- Expanded theme: In the Old Testament, election was of the Jews and was corporate. Paul redefines this election as not based on nationality, but based on faith. Therefore in the New Testament, this corporate people of God is expanded to include Gentiles, but election does not become individual. Only those who are "in Christ", by faith, can enter in and participate in His election
- Proponents: Robert Shank, William Klein, Brian Abasciano, David Pawson
[edit] Comparison of views
- Chart with fields (Title / Who Is the Elect? / How Were They Chosen? / Corporate vs. Individual)
- Judaism / Jews / Geneology (Gentiles allowed to convert) / Corporate
- Calvinism / Believers / Unconditionally determined by God / Individual
- Traditional Arminianism / Believers / Conditional on faith / Individual
- Corporate Arminianism / Believers / Conditional on faith / Corporate
[edit] Foreknowledge
- Outline of various views
- Highlight the rejection of Calvinistic determinism
[edit] Simple foreknowledge
- Summarize, list proponents
[edit] Molinism
- Summarize
[edit] Open theism
- Summarize, list proponents
[edit] Systematics
- Discussion of how Conditional election logically relates to Arminianism as a whole
[edit] Biblical support
All quotes from the NKJV unless otherwise noted, emphasis added:
[edit] Scriptures used to support
These are Scriptures commonly used by those who support Conditional election:
[edit] Scriptures that must be reconciled
These are Scriptures commonly used by those who support Conditional election:
