UWTSD, (2009), PhD Viva for Theodicy and Practical Theology (2010).
Paraphrased:
External Reviewer: 'What do you have to say to those people that are suffering under the problem of evil, and yet do not believe in Jesus Christ and are not are chosen by God under your Reformed system?'
Me: 'As a human being that suffers under the problem of evil, I can relate to human suffering. But, it is not my business which person God chooses in Jesus Christ, and which person God does not, in regard to everlasting life. (Ephesians 1-2, Romans 1-10)'.'That is between the person and God.'
---
Now of course, as a biblical Christian, I do witness and evangelize, but my Viva point stands.
From PhD text
Within Reformed theology, regeneration
is viewed as an initial one time act of the Holy Spirit in a person,[1] and
a person is therefore understood to be converted and therefore able to freely
believe.[2] My
view is that it is indeed God’s choice alone to regenerate and therefore he
alone is active in regeneration,[3] but
simultaneously as a person is regenerated they believe in Christ. Therefore
although I view God as the initiator of regeneration I reason that logically,
in order to avoid any suggestion of force or coercion,[4] as
God regenerates the saved person, he or she simultaneously believes.[5] There
is ‘no compulsion of the will in regeneration.’ states Shedd.[6] Calvin
reasons that a person is not forced or coerced to believe in the gospel.[7] I
would view conversion as taking place simultaneously with regeneration in a
person, although again I state that God alone via the Holy Spirit causes the
regeneration process.[8] This
means as God chooses to regenerate a person he simultaneously persuades one to
freely believe.[9] Murray
states that regeneration is logically antecedent to any conscious response,[10] and
I reason that God’s choice to commit the act of regeneration must be antecedent
due to the corrupt and sinful nature of persons.[11]
The work of salvation was confined to God’s part in the calling.[12] This
does not prohibit God from causing a compatibilistic human choice within
conversion at the moment that God’s initial eternal choice to regenerate[13] becomes
a divine act of regeneration.[14] As
persons were regenerated they would hear the call of salvation, repent and
believe in Christ.[15] I
would view conversion as an aspect of regeneration, which is the beginning of
the Christian experience.[16] Regeneration
was to encompass the entire divine plan of recreation from the initial change
in persons to the ultimate culmination of a new heaven and new earth.[17]
________________________________________
[4] Compatibilism
allows for limited but significant human freedom. Kierkegaard suggests that
Christianity is a religion of freedom and Christians are convinced to voluntarily
give up all contrary to Christ. Kierkegaard (1847-1848)(1955)(1966: 186). The
term convinced is a good one and I reason this is a work of the Holy Spirit.
[5] This
is my compatibilist theory which is in line with that of Feinberg and
which will be discussed later in this Chapter.
[9] This
allows for a limited but significant human freedom within the salvation process
that is not incompatibilism. Salvation remains alone a work of God. Weber
writes that God with his freedom effects both human freedom and human bondage
as he reaches out to a saved person through the Word of God. Weber
(1955)(1981: 245). This would be a work of the Spirit.
[14] Persons have via the Holy Spirit
been molded and transformed in order to freely believe. Thiessen, an
incompatibilist, states that in regeneration the human is passive and is active
in conversion. Thiessen (1956: 367). I agree concerning regeneration, and
I can agree in regard to conversion, only if by active the human being is
convinced freely via the Holy Spirit and is not assumed to have incompatibilist
free will.
[16] Franke notes that the Scripture
explains that the Holy Spirit continued to guide the earliest Christians.
Franke (2005: 132). The Spirit continues to work in regenerated/converted
believers that embrace the gospel.
BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed
Dogmatics Volume 2: God and Creation, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by
John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.
BAVINCK, HERMAN (1918)(2006) Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ, John Bolt (gen.ed.), Translated by John Vriend, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.
CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book II, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.html
CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.html
CALVIN, JOHN (1540)(1973) Romans and Thessalonians, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1550)(1978) Concerning Scandals, Translated by John W. Fraser, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1554)(1965) Genesis, Translated by John King, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (2003) What Does God Know and When Does He Know It? Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
FRANCE, R.T. (2001) Matthew,
Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.
KIERKEGAARD, SOREN
(1847-1848)(1955)(1966) On Authority and Revelation,
Translated by Walter Lowrie, New York, Harper and Row, Publishers, Incorporated.
KIERKEGAARD, SOREN
(1848-1849)(1961) Christian Discourses & The Lilies of
the Field and The Birds of the Air & Three Discourses at The Communion
on Fridays, Translated by Walter Lowrie, New York, Oxford University Press.
MURRAY, JOHN (1937-1966)(1977)
Collected Writings of John Murray, Vol. 2: Select Lectures in
Systematic Theology, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.
MURRAY, RUSSELL NORMAN (2003) The
Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives, Bangor, The University
of Bangor, Wales.
SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T.
(1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 1, Nashville,
Thomas Nelson Publishers.
SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T.
(1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, Nashville,
Thomas Nelson Publishers.
SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic
Theology, Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T.
(1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, Nashville,
Thomas Nelson Publishers.
THIESSEN, HENRY C.
(1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company.
WEBER, OTTO (1955)(1981) Foundations
of Dogmatics, Volumes 1 and 2, Translated and annotated by Darrell L.
Guder, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
