No, sir, your logic is faulty. Acts 16:14 does NOT say Lydia was a believer, it says she worshiped God. The Greek word translated "worshipped" there is σέβω. Your argument is predicated upon the idea that because Lydia worshiped God, that that automatically means that she was saved. What saith the Scriptures?
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."
Your arguments are the only things that are failing, Arminian; Mat. 15:9 and Mk. 7:7 are Christ's quoting Isaiah 29:13, which is not a reference to any false god, but to Jehovah. Your assertion that these two statements by Christ refer to a false god show just how hard-pressed you are to defend your untenable position. Maybe that's why you don't produce the Scriptures to back your heretical position; instead of that, you do your best to distort and to pervert the Scriptures that I've given. It won't work, for it is written, "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." I claim this promise now in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ by His grace, in my efforts to defend the truth of His sovereign election, of Calvinism. Your anger also is evident; perhaps it reveals your desperation, for the Word of God has defeated your Arminian heresy all through this debate, whether or not you'll admit it.
The burden does not remain on me, this was Lydia's salvation experience; she was baptized immediately, just as the Philippian jailor was baptized immediately upon his faith (Acts 16:30-33). The passage does show irresistible grace, despite your attempts to sidestep the issue, 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 (διανοίγω, "to open thoroughly"), 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, 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..."
Acts 16:14 says that God opened her heart to the effect that she responded to Paul's message, regardless of your attempts to explain it away.
Saving faithisa work, not in the sense of man's performing it to merit salvation, but in the sense of it being an action on his part, 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 in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
You Arminians hold that man contributes to regeneration, supplying faith and repentance apart from God's grace; that's heresy. 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."
"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]." Rev. 22:17c & d are in the imperative mood, which means those statements are commands, not invitations.
You said, "I have noticed you are always wrong in everything you say." 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."
Regarding salvation and God's two wills, what saith the Scriptures?
Acts 17:30: "God...commandeth all men every where to repent."
Acts 11:18: "Then hath God...granted repentance unto life."
Acts 16:31: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...."
Acts 13:48: "and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Acts 13:48b (καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅσοι ἦσαν τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον) is in the passive voice; again, meaning that the subject is being acted upon, and has nothing to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. Regarding this, what saith the Scriptures?
Rom. 8:29-30: " 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."
Eph. 1:4-5, 11: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."
II Thes. 2:13: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
The Arminian assertion that Rom. 8:29 indicates God's foreseeing who would believe and then His predestinating them on that basis is heretical. It's not what He foreknew, it's whom He foreknew. "Foreknew" (προγινώσκω) in that Scripture means "foreloved", carrying the same meaning that γινώσκω carries in Mat. 1:25. You Arminians explain Eph. 1:4 the same way, for it says that God chose us in Christ; your view is heretical. The meaning there is that the only way God ever could have chosen anyone to salvation was with Christ and His redeeming work in view; apart from Him, there is no hope. II Thes. 2:13 doesn't show how the elect are chosen, it shows how we're saved, "throughsanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth".
I have proven total depravity, 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."
These Scriptures prove total depravity, for it is written (Lk. 15:24), "For this my son was dead...." The Prodigal Son had no communication with his father while he was dead, separated (cf. Isa. 59:2, Jn. 9:31a) from him. The Greek word translated "dead" in Lk. 15:24 is νεκρός, the same word as is found in the following, where it is written:
Eph. 2:1, 5: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Even when we were dead in sins...".
Col. 2:12-13: "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."
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, "they who are sanctified" (vs. 11). Deut. 30:19 indicates God's desire that Israel follow His preceptive will; however, there are instances recorded in the Scriptures where God foreordains sin, brings it to pass for His own glory, as was the case with the Crucifixion. The finite mind cannot understand that fully, for it is written (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."
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."
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!
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."
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. What saith the Scriptures?
Prov. 16:9: "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps."
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."
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."
Eph. 1:11: "...the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will..."
No, Paul was on his way to persecute God's people, he had an evil nature. God moved upon him irresistibly, changing his nature, regenerating him, because He was a chosen vessel to Him (Acts 9:15).
Yes, Ex. 4:21, not Ex. 4:12. Again, John Piper is not the authority; the Scriptures are. And again, in Rom. 9:22 "fitted to destruction" is in the passive voice in the Greek, 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. Pharaoh was a vessel of wrath, performing the function that God had ordered from eternity. Pharaoh refused to release the Hebrews, but the narrative never once says Pharaoh's heart was hardened apart from it being said that God would harden it. Again, a careful examination of the Hebrew shows that God hardened his heart by leaving it in its natural state, that of a totally depraved, vile, wicked, evil, wretched sinner. That's what every single member of the human race, save Christ, is at the moment of his/her own conception (Psa. 51:5), and God simply left Pharaoh's heart in its natural state.
Don't you dare lecture me about idolatry, Arminian. If anyone is committing idolatry here it is you, sir, presenting God erroneously, saying that He loves every single member of the human race. 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, sir, you are wrong. The hypothetical person arguing against reprobation in Rom. 9:19-22 is accusing God of injustice because He saves whom He will and passes by others, daring to question His holiness in this, daring to question His justice, as you are doing. You said, "That God fits for destruction is not without the person's choice in the matter." Did you even read what I wrote? Dr. A.T. Robertson, the greatest Koine Greek scholar of modern times, says that "fitted to destruction" is in the passive voice, again, meaning that the subject is being acted upon and has nothing to do with the action, other than being on the receiving end of it. That this is the case, that Rom. 9:19-22 says this, makes no sense to the carnal mind, which is why you Arminians reject it. One other point. You people never accuse God of injustice for having left the Gentiles out of His salvation plan for centuries, passing them by, having dealt exclusively with Israel, but yet you all say that reprobation is unjust. No, Col. 2:12-13 does not say "you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God", as you've asserted. The baptism there refers to regeneration, for it is written:
I Cor. 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized (βαπτίζω) 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. 2:12-13: "Buried with him in baptism (βάπτισμα), 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."
No, sir, there's no frustration on my part, and your willingness to divert your own frustration and irritation upon me shows just how desperate you really are. You still don't produce the Scriptures to defend your position, as I've done to defend mine, because you can't; the Word of God reveals your Arminian heresy to be the false doctrine that it is. Your only method of argumentation is to try to distort and to pervert the Scriptures, just like the Devil who's motivating you.
No, sir, you Arminians believe that man makes the ultimate decision, that he provides repentance and faith in and of himself, that if he becomes a believer that he was smart enough to make the right decision apart from God's grace, as you've admitted, regardless of your feeble attempts to explain it away. Arminianism is proud, arrogant, and carnal, for it worships and serves "the creature more than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25), glorifying man's will above God's will.
How many times do I have to say it? Calvinists do not assume regeneration before repentance and faith, we say that man must do both those things this very day, this very moment. We say that the only way man does that is by God's sovereign, irresistible, efficacious grace, which is what the Scriptures say.
No, sir, that is the point before us. You Arminians do not believe in man's depravity, you say that, ultimately, he saves himself by having the smarts to do it. What did you say? "God has made us all smart enough to make the right decision...." That is proud, arrogant, carnal, wicked, and evil. Man has no hope apart from God's grace, he is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1); His only hope is in a merciful God who chooses to save whom He will, for what saith the Scripture (Acts 2:39)? "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
No, Job 15:16 says, "How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?" Unregenerate man's thirst is satiated already with his own sin, which is why he has no desire to take "the water of life" (Rev. 22:17).
Yes, Jn. 3:16 does say, "For God so loved the world (κόσμος), that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus made this statement to a Jewish rabbi; He was telling him that salvation was for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews, for what saith the Scripture (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; how much more their fullness?"
I Chr. 21:1 and II Sam. 24:1 show that Satan did what he did by God's sovereign foreordination, even though it was contrary to His preceptive will. There is another scriptural instance where God foreordained sin (Job. 1:21): "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away." This shows that the people who attacked Job did so by God's sovereign foreordination, even though their acts were sinful. You've accused God falsely of double-talk in this; I really wouldn't want to be in your shoes when you answer for that.
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 J.N. Darby and George Ricker Berry as well.
No, sir, you are not an apostle; those twelve men have accomplished their unique work. You call yourself an apostle? Thatis proud, arrogant, and unscriptural.
No, sir, those Pharisees are in Hell now, ᾅδης exists now (Lk. 16:23, Rev. 20:14).
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).
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