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Category: Howard Snyder

Jerry Walls ~ The Sovereignty of God

The sovereignty of God is a vitally important truth Wesleyans badly need to recover. This is not only because it is crucial for understanding the biblical drama, but also because many Wesleyans have tended to neglect it because Calvinists often give the impression that it is one of their distinctive doctrines. But the sovereignty of God is not a Calvinist doctrine, it is a biblical doctrine, and no one who wants to be faithful to Scripture can afford to ignore or downplay this great truth.

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The End of History

Jesus Christ is the source and goal of history. He is the pivot; the meaning of history; the one on whom all else turns. He is the primary actor and orderer of history, as God;

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What Does Election Have to do with Salvation?

What does election have to do with salvation? In this video, Ben Witherington reminds us that the two are not the same thing. While in the Old Testament election was considered “in Israel,” in the New Testament it is for those “in Christ.” This means that it’s always a corporate matter, not about which individuals are saved and which ones are not.

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Calvin vs. Wesley (Book Review)

When Wesleyan ideas are put to the test, the theory makes for good logic and even better practice than Calvinism. Read Brian LePort’s review of Calvin vs. Wesley, a recent book which generously compares these two compelling, and in some ways, competing traditions.

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Seedbed - Seven Minute Seminary

Does Romans 9-11 Teach Calvinist Predestination?

Does Romans 9-11 teach Calvinist predestination? In this Seven Minute Seminary, Ben Witherington explains that Paul’s aim is to refute the idea that God now favored the Romans, or Gentiles, rather than the Jews. In the process, he explains how the terms predestination, election, and salvation relate—or don’t relate—to one another.

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Jerry Walls ~ I Wish More Arminians were More Like Calvinists

In short, we need more Arminians with an edge. These are Arminians who understand that the claims of Calvinism and Arminianism are mutually exclusive, and they cannot both be right. They understand that there are important issues at stake and that there are large practical implications. Not the least of these is the very character and love of God. Does God truly love all persons, and do we have a gospel of good news for all persons?

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What is Arminianism? Get Your Free FAQ Ebook by Roger Olson

We are pleased to team up with Roger E. Olson to offer you this free ebook: Arminianism FAQ: Everything You Always Wanted to Know. Roger is a leading voice on the issues surrounding the biblical understanding of salvation and has spent the last few years of his life bringing clarity to this discussion.

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Seedbed - Seven Minute Seminary

Does Romans 7 Teach that Christians Will Continue Sinning?

Some point to Romans 7 as the proof-text for the saint-sinner paradox, suggesting that if even the apostle Paul struggled with his unrelenting flesh, Christians must face defeat in certain areas of their Christian life. On the contrary, Ben Witherington suggests that ancient rhetoric illuminates the passage in a way that eliminates Paul as the subject of this passage and paints a more optimistic picture of God’s sanctifying grace.

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Resurrection Body: Physical or Spiritual?

Was Jesus’ resurrection body physical or spiritual? Or don’t those categories apply to what remains, after all, a mystery? In Salvation Means Creation Healed I argue for the literal physicality of Jesus’ resurrection body. My

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The Unfinished Work of Christ

“When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit” (John 19:30). Four other times in Scripture we find this phrase or fact of

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