Why should Calvinists Care about Evangelization?

[orange_man]

That is a traditional stereotype of Aquinas, and in my opinion is an unfair one. While he draws heavily from Aristotle, he also radically alters Aristotelian philosophy.

If you haven’t read it, I would strongly recommend Alasdair McIntyre’s Three Rival Versions of Moral Inquiry, which describes how Aquinas blends Augustinianism and Aristotelianism in such a manner as to resolve problems latent in both.

Edwin

I’ve read Summa Theologica (and studied Aristotle as an undergrad). To say Aquinas borrows from Aristotle is probably an understatement … but yes he indeed also borrows from Augustine. The problem I find with Aquinas is the same problem I find with most theological systems.

John Calvin is often misaligned (generally because of hyper-Calvinists who really do frame humanity as a bunch of puppets or robots). However, when I studied Calvin and others like Spurgeon (after being a student of men like John Wesley for many years) I simply found his approach to scripture better than all others I’ve read. Calvin didn’t try to resolve conflicts in scripture. For instance, there are numerous verses that appear to reveal human free will, while there are many others which reveal an all encompassing divine providence. In addition there are some verses that seem universalist in nature, while others are very exclusionary in nature.

Spurgeon once said (I’m paraphrasing) that divine providence / sovereignty & human will, moral accountability are like two parallel lines that will intersect in eternity. They are not inconsistent, but we (humans) simply do not have the ability to understand how they do run consistently. Paul elaborates on this at Romans 11:33-34. We cannot understand God’s judgments, we must accept certain things to be true and trust God’s judgments (even though we don’t fully understand them) as a matter of faith.

 

[orange_man]

orange_man;4962598:

We are all born with freedom to choose or reject God.

Those who are never exposed to the gospel will not be judged by the same standard as you and I.

1 Tim 4

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Luke 12

47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

You’re misconstruing the Luke 12 verse. In both the case of the servant who knows his masters will and the servant who does not (or has less knowledge) BOTH are believers (see v. 46)

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

CHESTERTONRULES;4962692:

You’re misconstruing the Luke 12 verse. In both the case of the servant who knows his masters will and the servant who does not (or has less knowledge) BOTH are believers (see v. 46)

That is an assumption on your part. I don’t think you can make that case one way or the other.

This is clear, however:

1 Tim 4

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

 

[cazayoux]

1 Tim 4

For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

CR … this is an excellent quote.
Jesus IS the savior of all men.
But … we all agree here that not all men are saved.
Are the ones not saved, not saved because of something Jesus did or did not do?
or …
are the ones not saved, not saved because of something that person did or did not do?

michel

 

[CHESTERTONRULES]

CR … this is an excellent quote.
Jesus IS the savior of all men.
But … we all agree here that not all men are saved.
Are the ones not saved, not saved because of something Jesus did or did not do?
or …
are the ones not saved, not saved because of something that person did or did not do?

michel

We are all free to accept or reject the grace of Jesus, which is available to all men.

 

[cazayoux]

CR … this is an excellent quote.
Jesus IS the savior of all men.
But … we all agree here that not all men are saved.
Are the ones not saved, not saved because of something Jesus did or did not do?
or …
are the ones not saved, not saved because of something that person did or did not do?

michel

We are all free to accept or reject the grace of Jesus, which is available to all men.

We agree. I wish for the double-predestination Calvinist to see this.
Well said.

michel