Again two example of Predestinarian Twisting of Scriptures. Calvinists love to play with the verb "call", etc., hiding the context where it is clear that the call is to everyone, therefore the one who answer "are called". When God prepared something in advance, is for the ones who chose to answer to His call. The law prepared for you a fine if you pass with the car the red light. If you chose to do so, it is clear that "you have been called by the state to pay the fine".
First we'll give a look to the concept of "elect" in the Bible:
".........The good news, however, is that “election, elect, chosen” (and the derivatives) are terms that have nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny. Scripture does speak at length of “the elect” and “the chosen” but these terms are devoid of the Calvinistic sense of someone who has been chosen to receive eternal life. The term elect and its derivatives therefore are not salvific in meaning but simply refer to persons or things that are chosen for a particular purpose and the purpose has nothing to do with eternal life. Once the definition of the word is established biblically, the foundation of Calvinism will be undermined and will collapse and arguing the tenants of TULIP will become inapplicable. The word elect (Greek verb: eklegomai ἐκλέγομαι; Hebrew verb: bakharבָּחַר) means to choose, select. The elect or chosen (as nouns or adjectives) are those people or things that have been elected, selected, or chosen for a particular purpose by someone. Scripture bears witness that elect and its derivatives have nothing to do with someone being chosen specifically to eternal life."
Calvinists that hold to God’s exhaustive determinitive decree of everything that comes to pass and all the causes thereof tend to ignore these three explicit verses of Scripture:Taken from:
Jeremiah 7:30-31King James Version (KJV)
30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jeremiah 19:4-5King James Version (KJV)
4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
Jeremiah 32:35King James Version (KJV)
35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
God himself denies that he pre-determined these sinful acts but Calvin would say that He did. I say we believe God. Let God be true and every man a liar, as the Prophet David says.
Why God Did Not Elect Calvinists: The Biblical Concept of Election Never Means Predestined to Salvation and Commonly is a Reference to Israel
http://www.douglashamp.com/why-god-did-not-elect-calvinists-the-biblical-concept-of-election-never-means-predestined-to-salvation-and-commonly-is-a-reference-to-israel/
Election is not synonymous of Salvation. The story of the Hebrews in the OT speaks that loudly.
The following, involving the concept of "election", is a reference to Acts 13:48
On Predestination - Acts 13:48
Another scripture Calvinists use to “prove” Unconditional Election - some prefer the term, “particular redemption” - is Acts 13:48 – “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.” The participle translated "had been appointed to" (tetagmenoi) is the middle-passive voice form of “tasso”. In Greek, the same form is used to designate both the middle voice and the passive voice. Almost all English Bibles translate it in the passive voice (the subject receives the action). However, if it is translated in the middle voice (the subject initiates the action), the passage would read something like, “ . . .as many as agreed with eternal life believed."
The issue is:
1) Is there anything in the Greek grammar itself that demands a passive or a middle voice rendering?Concerning the Greek grammar: What is middle voice? Unlike English, Greek has a middle voice that represents actions or conditions that are self-imposed. An example of English renderings of middle and passive voice phrases would be,
2) Is there anything in the immediate context that would indicate which voice Luke intended?
a) I am helping myself - middle voice(...............)
b) I am being helped (by another) - passive voice.
Concerning the context: What Dr. White doesn’t see is that the message in which Paul quoted Isaiah is not intended to proclaim that the Gentiles can receive the blessings of the gospel. The Gentiles had NOT “just heard” that the gospel was coming to them. They had ALREADY heard the gospel the previous Sabbath, and they had believed it. The belief in verse 48 is NOT the belief in the death and resurrection of Christ. The point of Paul’s message in verses 46 and 47, where he quoted Isaiah, was that God was REJECTING the Jews because (“…since you repudiate it…”) they had not believed in Christ the week before and so He (God) was turning to the Gentiles. And the Gentiles who HAD believed in Christ the previous Sabbath believed THAT message also. ....".
Continue for yourself, at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ab8/hobbes/acts13-48.html
But even if we don't involve Greek grammar, there's a plain sense in that verse:
Note that the text simply says that “as many as were destined for eternal life became believers.” Other than suggesting it was prior to their believing, the verse does not tell us when these people were destined. Nor does it suggest that they were destined simply because God unconditionally chose them. Calvinists assume that this destiny was given to the elect before the world began by sheer divine fiat, but the text simply does not say this. To be sure, there are several other texts which do say that we were predestined before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4–5; 2 Tim. 1:9) but the “we” of these verses is a corporate “we.” These verses do not support individual election to salvation (see How do you respond to 2 Timothy 1:9-10?).This was no announcement of doctrine, but a plain speaking. Those who had a good heart, were considered destined to eternal life. It is even more clear:
Acts 13:48 simply tells us that by the time Paul and Barnabas preached to these Gentiles, some of them had been destined to eternal life. No mentioned is made of a mysterious eternal decree by which some were chosen for salvation and others left to damnation. Just as Judas was destined for perdition when his heart became irrevocably hardened toward God (see How do you respond to John 13:18-19, 17:12?), so these individuals were “destined for eternal life” when their hearts were by grace opened to God.
- See more at: http://reknew.org/2008/01/how-do-you-respond-to-acts-1348/
Scripture teaches us that prior to a person’s conscious decision to put their faith in Jesus Christ, the Father is “drawing” them and the Holy Spirit is working on them to break down walls of resistance and make the soil of their soul fertile (John 6:44, 65; 1 Cor. 12:3). This is why the Lord could tell Paul, “there are many in this city (Corinth) who are my people” (Acts 18:10), though Paul had not yet preached there and there were as yet no believers. So too, Scripture says that the Lord had opened Lydia’s heart, which is why she listened intently to the preaching of the disciples (Acts 16:14). The Father is always looking for people whose hearts may be pliable in his hand (viz. through the Spirit) so he may “destine them to eternal life” by opening up their heart to receive the GospelGod respect the image of Himself in us but doesn't respect what our body of sins attached to it. God respect the free will He gave to us in order to be His image, and in order to be adopted by Him, He works in order we can go near Him through our free will. Otherwise God should adopt also ants, monkeys, birds and trees forcing them with "irresistible grace".
Now, scripture makes it clear that this sovereign work of God can be resisted, for we are free agents even when the God of the universe is knocking on our hearts (Isa. 63:10; Acts 7:51; Heb. 3:8, 15; 4:7, cf. Eph. 4:30). When we persist in our rebellion, our eyes remain blind and our hearts remain dark (2 Cor. 4:4–6). We will not accept the truth of the Gospel. But when our resistance is broken down, our destiny to become believers is settled.
Note
that the text simply says that “as many as were destined for eternal
life became believers.” Other than suggesting it was prior to their
believing, the verse does not tell us when these people were
destined. Nor does it suggest that they were destined simply because God
unconditionally chose them. Calvinists assume that this destiny was
given to the elect before the world began by sheer divine fiat, but the
text simply does not say this. To be sure, there are several other texts
which do say that we were predestined before the foundation of the
world (Eph. 1:4–5; 2 Tim. 1:9) but the “we” of these verses is a corporate “we.” These verses do not support individual election to salvation (see How do you respond to 2 Timothy 1:9-10?).
Acts 13:48
simply tells us that by the time Paul and Barnabas preached to these
Gentiles, some of them had been destined to eternal life. No mentioned
is made of a mysterious eternal decree by which some were chosen for
salvation and others left to damnation. Just as Judas was destined for
perdition when his heart became irrevocably hardened toward God (see How do you respond to John 13:18-19, 17:12?), so these individuals were “destined for eternal life” when their hearts were by grace opened to God.
- See more at: http://reknew.org/2008/01/how-do-you-respond-to-acts-1348/#sthash.HNgehp32.dpufHe who twists the Scripture is destined to eternal damnation.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Son, I decreed thy saved before the foundation of the world, ....
http://spirithismouth.blogspot.it/2017/01/son-i-decreed-thy-saved-before.html
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