Mack

When/how do I IRC?

Dude, we should communicate soon.

There goes Verbose again, saying what I meant to say much more clearly and eloquently.

Now then, iron sharpening iron. A good proverb. I think it stands to reason that the understanding of this verse is pretty straightforward, but we have to keep in mind the players here: the two depicted in this proverb are peers. Wisdom builds wisdom when tested by the wise. In other words, we build each other up, but we have to do so with the right information. Paul wrote that we should not be captivated by the vain philosophies of the world, and that we should put on the mind of Christ. So a sharpened iron sword to be struck on rock is bound to dull, to carry the metaphor. See what I mean? Further, we can take strength from each other, and two learning about Christ together are more potent than one.

On another note, I found an interesting footnote in the Geneva Bible commentary, which supposes a different, but valid, idea about the proverb: “Proverbs 27:17 One hasty man provoketh another to anger.”

Nice choice of gif. What version of the Bible do you use when picking the week’s verse, if you don’t mind me asking?

To answer your personal questions before discussing the verse, I have had some success in my prayer life, but it still needs a lot more consistency. Being on my own in a new city has, in some ways, forced me to focus on God more for guidance, and to lean on Him for strength. However, though I’m not just tossing off my prayers as fast as possible over food or whenever, I’m still not consistently and intentionally setting aside time to pray every day. I’ve also been asking more of my friends to pray for and with me, and I think that the results of this increased prayer are evident. Not only am I receiving answer to prayer, but I am becoming more aware of God’s presence at all times, even if just a little.

As for my brother, his finals were hit and miss. one he got a B on, and got a B in the class, but his grade was so secure the final only affected 4 points on his total average (don’t ask me how). On another one he failed, but I think he passed the class. I don’t think he had any others.

The DC trip is ongoing, and will be for the next several weeks. I found a good church to attend today, so thank God for that.

WHEW.

Aside from all of that, though, I do have some prayer requests: my brother is taking his finals this week, and he’s freaking out. He’s never been that great of a student, and I’m worried sick about him, for a multitude of reasons. Also, I am preparing to leave for Washington D.C. soon to be an intern with a Congressman. Very exciting stuff, but I can’t help but be a little scared, and, comical as it may sound, I’m not very good on a plane…among other things. So yeah, that whole situation.

The most perfect, loving, holy, sovereign God. A being of infinite magnitude and unbounded perfection. He has zero tolerance for sin; that is why Christ was sent. Those whom He loves he will not allow to be left alone. That’s the essence of Calvinism: that out of a dying, ruined world, God has said “no” to our wanton wandering. He loves His own far too much to leave us alone. But what are we to do? We can’t help ourselves. We’re too sinful. So God, in His mercy, has drawn us to Himself as only He could. Not because of us, nor because of some decision we’ve made, but entirely because of Jesus, who will not be denied His own.

Well, I certainly never meant to imply that Calvinism is somehow trapped in a cold, terrified view of God. Fear of God is part of every Christian’s life, not just one theological camp or the other’s (The best description of the fear of God I can remember off the top of my head is “a healthy dread of displeasing Him”). In fact, I think being a Calvinist has magnified my understanding of God’s love. To think that God would look at a sinful, unrepentant, vile world such as ours and, to borrow a phrase from my hometown preacher, “say a strong ‘no’ to our rebellious ‘no’,” is beyond amazing. It’s beyond merciful, and beyond loving. It is the absolute greatest act in history. God isn’t feared in spite of being love, nor is He to be loved in spite of our natural fear of a being so incomprehensibly powerful. There’s not really any division among God’s attributes. He is totally perfect all at once, and He may seem “unfair” to us, or overly judgmental, or what have you, but His ways are not our ways. His comprehension is beyond our own to say the least, so I don’t think there’s some need to apologize for who God is, or to try to make Him more palatable to a postmodern audience or whatever. And along the same lines, He’s our “abba.” Our Father.

>tfw no gf

Useful: check

Entertaining: check

Response: aww crap I gotta write back soon pending

As for today’s verse: I think it demonstrates the huge gulf between God’s power and our own. Without Him, we can’t do much at all. Just sin. With Him, however, under His direction and by the power of His Spirit, we can do all things. Nothing can rob the Christian of God’s victory. And no power on Earth can stand against God. He is so overwhelmingly above all our puny minds can comprehend, and He will not be denied in His purposes. As long as we conform to His Will, we obey His commands, and trust in His Name, we are not defeated- and here’s the kicker- even if we think we are. There are times that our burdens seem overwhelming and we fall into despair. In many ways you couldn’t blame someone, even a strong Christian, for that. But what we all can take comfort in is the security of our real strength, which is hardly even ours at all. Jesus has won, and in Him we’ve been allowed into that victory.

This is all very abstract, though; the application, I guess, is here: we don’t have to be afraid anymore. Jesus told His disciples that they didn’t need to fear. Neither do we. And trust me, I suck at this. I worry more than just about anyone I know over really silly, inconsequential little things. And I think it’s because I don’t trust Jesus enough. But this verse, like so many others, demonstrates very simply that my trust couldn’t be placed in a more trustworthy person.

Ahem. I still don’t think, however, that theology is something to lose friends, split the Body of Christ, or cause division over. I have no reason to think Arminius didn’t go to heaven or anything like that. I just think he was wrong. Big deal.

You asked about my opinion: I guess I’ve already told you, but I’m a pretty standard Calvinist. I’d love to tell you more about that when I’ve got a little more time and tell you in more detail why I believe this. How about you, though? What are your thoughts on the matter?

To answer the first part of your question, I turn to a verse from Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me: and seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” Granted, this is to ancient Israel, and our High Priest is Christ who won’t be removed because of sin, but the principle here is absolutely true.

In short, I think it is critical that we find the truth about how God works and how He has saved us. So theology is vitally important. That being said, though, it is not a salvation-breaking issue. An Arminian is no less saved than I, nor any more sinful. It is an issue that absolutely deserves attention, just as eschatology deserves attention, as does justification, sanctification, etc. As the Church, we are God’s primary instrument in the world. Not out of pride, mind you; this is in spite of us, not because of us. And as that instrument, as the body and bride of Christ, the Church needs to get it right. We need to have the utmost care in examining the Scriptures to further our understanding of Him, work more effectively for Him, and praise Him all the more purely. The Church needs strong doctrine, not to oppress or lord authority over others, but to more perfectly praise God.

Dean McCoppin, from the movie The Iron Giant. He’s a beatnik junkyard owner with a thing for modern art and good coffee.

What’s been going on, man?

As a newly minted mod, perhaps you can explain something to me, my good man.

What’s the difference between a ban and a suspension? I guess it’s no secret what I’m referring to, but certain users seem to continue to post even though “suspended” is beneath their username. Those who are banned can’t post, so what am I missing here? I assume a suspension and ban are not the same, but what are their differences?

Actually, no. Many Baptists and almost all Methodists are Arminian (Wesley helped systamatize contemporary Arminianism). Though Methodists have become more liberal as the years have gone by, Baptists typically are not. And that’s not to say Baptists are not exclusively Arminian; there’s a sizable and growing movement within the Southern Baptist towards Calvinism and harder theology. Further, the most liberal denominations, the Episcopal and Lutheran churches, are neither Calvinist nor Arminian. They have their own theologies. I suppose that’s one way to think of it (in terms of the “spectrum,” if you will), but the denominations are not going to line up very well in terms of a correlation between theology and political alignment.

A good place to look for the Biblical proofs of this theology is Romans 9, for starters. There are other passages I would be more than happy to point you to if you’re interested. Also, one more thing: I know you didn’t ask, but I’ve always found that turning points for me within my faith typically come from a single phrase in the Bible. Two game-changers for me both came from Jesus Himself: the first, leading me to Calvinism: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” [The second, which led me to study eschatology (which is an entirely different can of worms): “All these things shall come to pass on this generation.”]


There are better proof verses for Calvinism, and Arminianism has its share too, but I’m a little more tired than I anticipated. Who would have thought finals would wear one out? Anyway, if you’d like to know more, you know where to find me! I love talking about this stuff.

Also, I just realized I’ve been spelling it “Armenianism” instead of “Arminianism”….Armenia is a country near Turkey, not a theology.

There goes my credibility….

Now then, on to the meat of the discussion. To reiterate, the primary concern of the two schools of thought is the role of the will. In the tiniest of nutshells, Calvinism rejects the notion of a freely autonomous, self-willed individual, whereas Armenianism in its most pure form wholeheartedly embraces it. Obviously, there’s going to be plenty of room to nuance all of these definitions, but in a word, there’s your largest point of contention.

Armenian theology, so named for Jacobus Arminius, places a high premium on the decision of the individual to reject or accept Christ. Basically he stated that every person on Earth is given the grace required to come to faith if he so chooses to do so. It is a matter of the personal decision.

Calvinism resists these ideas. And I know, that’s weird sounding and uncomfortable. If you’d like, I can go into much more detail about Calvinism and why I became convinced of it, but I can begin an overview by saying that Calvinism is not the morose theology so many assume it is. And its foundation is not on self-righteousness or condemning others, but on two basic foundational tenants: the absolute sovereignty of God and the total depravity of all mankind.

Hey, sorry I’m just getting back to you. Finals week has come and gone, however, so I have the liberty at last to sit down in front of my computer and FINALLY give you the explanation I had intended to give a while ago.

Before I do so, though, I must admit that my prayer life has seen some increase, but on the whole I still frustrate myself with my inactivity. I know you probably have a lot on your plate right now, but if you’d continue to remember me in your prayers, it would be appreciated.

Now then! On to the finer points of theology. The most recognizable difference between the Armenian camp found in the more contemporary Church and the Calvinist camp of the “reformed” movement is a question of what many would call “free will.”

Further, let me tell you up front that I’m a Calvinist. So my knowledge of Armenian theology is not nearly as detailed as my understanding of Calvinist, or “reformed” theology, but I’d imagine I have a workable definition for the former.

Message received. And appreciated, my good man.

Hey, congrats, bro.

It’s been a long time coming, in my opinion.

Word.