Epistles, Romans & Church Fathers

Encountering p. 257

ELWELL, WALTER AND YARBROUGH, ROBERT W., Third Edition (2013) Encountering The New Testament, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic.

Although I can appreciate dividing Pauline texts from non-Pauline texts; chronological listings with authors is more useful in my opinion than what is presented (257). I provide an archived link below.

Chronology/Authorship March 19 2013

The more useful second graphic (258) historically connects the New Testament era Book of Romans to the Church Fathers era.

Encountering p. 258 

Very Brief on Repentance (PhD Edit)

Parma: Facebook/Google+

For clarity and openness, I realize that within my PhD focus on the problem of evil and theodicy, my reviews of Reformed, Evangelical, Liberal and Critical perspectives meant that concepts of regeneration were dealt with more than concepts of repentance. But in review, I did mention human repentance in the context of human regeneration via God as primary cause.

If compatibilism did actually equate with hard determinism, as some incompatibilists claim in error (And some hard determinists, perhaps claim in error), and not soft determinism, why would God as primary cause will for a human secondary cause in Jesus Christ to embrace, for example, repentance? Again, a regenerated person in Christ, does not just wake up one morning accepting the atoning and resurrection, gospel work for self, justification and sanctification and having no understanding why that is the case. Repentance is a continual process in a believer's life, as in confessing sin in 1 John.

I have discussed repentance within this website’s archives.

PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010

As persons were regenerated they would hear the call of salvation, repent and believe in Christ.[1]  I would view conversion as an aspect of regeneration, which is the beginning of the Christian experience.[2]  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.[3]

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.

FRANKE, JOHN R. (2005)  The Character of Theology, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids.

MURRAY, JOHN (1937-1966)(1977) Collected Writings of John Murray, Vol. 2:  Select Lectures in Systematic Theology, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust. 

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[1] Bavinck (1918)(2006: 53).

[2] 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.

[3] Bavinck (1918)(2006: 53).

Philosophy: Deny being comic art nerd, but watch the animated and drama series

DC

I have a small but impressive comic book collection (see Kingpinned website). I have never been significantly interested in the stories or character development.

I have never followed monthly stories.

In agreement with my good friend and friendly neighbor, Walter Thomas Franklin, I mainly buy these books for interesting, vibrant covers, often with intriguing super-hero and/or super-villain battles.

Sort of like if I was a trillionaire, I would attempt to purchase painting works of the master's, such as Bob Ross.

I have some friends, that due to age and work, state they are past collecting the comic art. And yet while in discussion they know far more about the modern storylines than I do because they watch routinely, the latest animated series and/or the drama series like the Flash and Gotham, for example.

So, philosophically, which kind of interested person is the bigger nerd?

a) The one that collects for the covers?
b) The one that is concerned about the drama?

Hmmmm...what would be true?

Regeneration: Free Will v. Sovereignty (PhD Edit)

NASA photo?

Regeneration: Free Will v Sovereignty (PhD Edit)

Both free will and sovereignty perspectives accept the Biblical idea of the culminated Kingdom, but free will places much more emphasis on the individual freely deciding that this is for him/her, rather than being determined in any way to do so. Free will advocates will understand the process as God making an offer and over time convincing persons to believe it. A devotion to God can only be a good thing when persons freely accept it.

Sovereignty perspectives reason that God alone makes the choice to begin a regeneration process that leads to salvation in a human being. F.F. Bruce (1996) explains that because of the universal fact of human sin, there is no way to be accepted by God by human means. This divinely guided change in a person must occur in order for salvation to ever take place within a human being with a corrupted nature.

This is not to presume that all Christians will develop character in a similar mature fashion. I admit that, in some cases, Christians may live relatively disobedient lives, but I am confident in finalized regeneration through the resurrection.

October 7, 2017

A person cannot predestine self in Jesus Christ as in Ephesians 1, Romans 8. A person cannot make one self, born again as in John 3. Rather these can be embraced as secondary human causes. It is not by libertarian free will as in incompatibilism and it is not by divine force or coercion, that is hard determinism. It is by soft determinism/compatibilism.

PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology.

AUGUSTINE (388-395)(1964) On Free Choice of the Will, Translated by Anna S.Benjamin and L.H. Hackstaff, Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice Hall.

AUGUSTINE (398-399)(1992) Confessions, Translated by Henry Chadwick, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

AUGUSTINE (400-416)(1987)(2004) On the Trinity, Translated by Reverend Arthur West Haddan, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series One, Volume 3, Denver, The Catholic Encyclopedia.

AUGUSTINE (421)(1998) Enchiridion, Translated by J.F. Shaw, Denver, The Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.knight.org/advent

AUGUSTINE (426)(1958) The City of God, Translated by Gerald G. Walsh, Garden City, New York, Image Books.

AUGUSTINE (427)(1997) On Christian Doctrine, Translated by D.W. Robertson Jr., Upper Saddle River, N.J., Prentice Hall.

AUGUSTINE (427b)(1997) On Christian Teaching, Translated by R.P.H. Green, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

BROWING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

BRUCE, F.F. (1985)(1996) Romans, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

FOULKES, FRANCIS (1989) Ephesians, Grand Rapids, Inter-Varsity Press.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1975) Philosophy of Religion, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1978) The Roots of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1996) ‘Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

GEISLER, NORMAN, L (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.

MCCANN, HUGH J. (2001) ‘Sovereignty and Freedom: A Reply to Rowe’, in Faith and Philosophy, Volume 18, Number 1, January, pp. 110-116. Wilmore, Kentucky, Asbury College.