A forum post from my Theology class. Below is the prompt. Thanks Alasdair for playing!
Interview the "other side". Interview a convinced Calvinist (if you lean towards Arminianism) or an ardent Arminian (if you lean towards Calvinism).
First I want to qualify this response by suggesting there there need not be "sides"; or at best there need not be only two views. Much like politically we are led to believe one is either republican or democrat, so it seems we can be led to similar theological conclusions regarding soteriology. While helpful for jump starting discussion, seeing only two possibilities, possibilities derived by Western minds nonetheless, could ultimately lead to arrested spiritual and church community development. Anyway...
I suppose if I were to place myself on a continuum, historically I've leaned Arminian. And so I called up my friend, Alasdair, who just graduated from Westminster Seminary in Philly to learn more about the reformed position...
Me: "How did you come to be be reformed? What does it mean to you"
Alasdair: "The one minute answer is...I truly believe with all my heart the God is in control of everything."
The scriptures he went to here were Job 1 when Satan asks God for permission to test Job, demonstrating God's ultimate authority over evil. Further, he went to the story of Joseph in Genesis and the "you meant it for evil, God meant it for good" declaration to show God's sovereignty in all things.
Me: "What's the biggest challenge to the reformed position?"
I expected him to address the problem of evil but instead...
Alasdair: "How to explain human choice and responsibility"
Not what I expected but certainly related to soteriology. Essentially he does not agree with the "middle knowledge" position held by traditional Arminianism. Instead, we came to the conclusion that there is a level of mystery that we must come to accept: God is omniscient and works all things for good, yet our choices still are meaningful. Of course behind this is accepting a strong "Sovereignty of God" position. In the face of mystery all we can do is bow before God and ask for humble and joyful acceptance as a child would accept a parent's explanation for that which they cannot understand.
The big takeaway for me in this discussion is the idea of mystery. We CAN'T know it all, at least not now! Salvation, election, predestination...mystery. Does God want all to come to repentance? Yes. Are there both wheat and tares, some bound for heaven and some for hell? Yes. Do our choices matter? Yes. And so we have a divine mystery... a mystery that I believe can be for our benefit...that none should boast. Lord, what can we do but praise you?
Is. 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
Is. 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
No comments:
Post a Comment