neo-Calvinism vs the Bible - worksheet 18
Lost man can reason
Matthew 16:7 says 7They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Unregenerated people can reason, when they hear from the Gospel.
Matthew 21:23-27 says 23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
In verse 25 the English word “discussed” is used, which in the original Greek was διελογίζοντοο dielogizontoi, the word for “reasoning”. the presupposition “die” refers to :high intensity. The word “dielogizontomai” is used for both believers and unbelievers.
If, according to Calvinist doctrine, unregenerated people are unable to see spiritual things, why is Satan all the time trying to blind people? As 2 Corinthians 4:4 says The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Passages where unbelieving people became believers, without being part of the elect, but just based on free will:
Abraham trusted in the evidence of the stars that God showed him (Genesis 15:6), before he believed nor God did a miracle, nor he was one of the elect. The verse didn’t say that God gave Abraham the faith, what Calvinists would require.
Q1 In Matthew 8:10 it says about the Gentile centurion When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. Jesus was amazed about the centurion’s great faith. Would the Jewish Jesus say this easily about a Gentile, and compare it with all people in Israel? Is there any indication that the centurion was one of the elect? If there was any elect, why would Jesus give the compliment of great faith?
Q2 In verse 13 Jesus said to the centurion Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would. And his servant was healed at that moment. It says “you believed”, not “God made you believe”. Do you see the difference?
John 7:37-38 says 37On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Jesus said “anyone”, not only “the elect”.
John 9:35-38 says 35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. The blind man who was just healed by Jesus, and the Farisees through him out of the synagogue. Then he asked Jesus who he was. And the man daid “Tell me so that I may believe in him”. Then, Jesus did not say “Oh, stupid man, put your theology right. You are like a rock, unable to believe”. No, Jesus said “you have just seen the Messiah”. Then, the unbelieving man said that he just started to believe.
Revelation 22:17 says “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. Who can take of the free gift of the water of life? Everyone who responds to the Gospel, not only the elect.
Lost people have the ability to exercize faith.
Q3 Do you see in John 3:16 anyone excluded?
Q4 Acts 16:30-31 says 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Do we need to do something to be saved? Anyone excluded from salvation? What’s needed?
John 1:12 says Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Why did John write 21 chapters about Jesus?
Read this: John 20:30-31 says 30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. and John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Q5 Is it God who is imparting belief? Or is it you who believes, based on conviction and evidence?
Acts 17:30-34 says 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
This passage shows that repenting and believing belong together. Believing (trusting in God) goes together with repenting (no longer trusting in yourself).
Notice in verse 30, Paul speaks about people everywhere. So, not only the elect.
See list by Dr JB Hixson.
Q6 Calvinists claim that man is not able to believe, because they are dead as a rock. God needs to give them faith upfront, and only if they are part of the elect.
Question: How can God hold people accountable for what they are not able to do?
Q7 John 3:18 says Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Stands an unbeliever already condemned? And why?
Q8 John 3:36 says Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. So, does the fate of one’s destiny depend on’s own faith choice? Or is God responsible for it? Do you support the Calvinist theology to blame God in case a person rejects Jesus?
Q9 In John 5:39-40 Jesus says 39You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life. The Pharizees thought they could earn eternal life by studying the Scriptures, that testifies about Christ. But they refused to come to Christ. Did they have the free choice to believe? What does that mean in light of Calvinistic doctrine?
Q10 Read Hebrews 6:4-6. People who fall away from the faith after they received the Holy Spirit will face a terrible consequence (of their suppression). What consequence? And why?
Acts 28:25-28 says 25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26“‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 28“Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”
Revelation 20:12-13 says 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.
In Revelation 20:12-13, during the final judgment, several books (record of sins) and the Book of Life are mentioned. The unbelievers will be resurrected and reconnected to their bodies, standing before the throne and will be judged, based on what they have done and what is recorded in the books and based on the fact that they are not mentioned on the Book of Life.
Q11 Why would God make all the efford to determine the records of sins of people who (in the Calvinist thought) have never had the ability or to believe? Are they really doomed from the womb (double pre-destination cf. John Calvin)?
This was the last session on Total Depravity, T of TULIP.
Close in prayer.