Banquet, is this free will?

You don't even understand English very well.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, compel means:

1. To force, drive, or constrain
2. To necessitate or pressure by force; exact
3. To exert a strong, irresistible force on

The Greek word for compel is anagkadzo which means "force, compel, urge, insist." It hardly means to draw or invite.

So, the NIV is accurate when it says "force." This is exactly what the Calvinists claim. </font>[/QUOTE]Oh you got me! I repent of all my attacks on cal....errr wait a minute. just kidding.
I read where even J. MacArhur says it means not by voilence or force, but earnest pleading. Man here we go again. I am qouting a calvinist who explains away irrs. grace. So men can compel others to Christ. Know what calvi, instead of always trying to insult your debater why not spend some of that energy in honest study! </font>[/QUOTE]I'm sorry if you, or anyone else felt insulted. It was not my intent. Sometimes I have a little too much fun with sarcasm. However, my point was that you questioned the use of the English word in the text quoted. You then said that the way the word "compel" was used was incorrect. My sarcasm was meant to point out that you didn't even look the word up to see if you were right. It only took me 10 seconds to go to Dictionary.com to see what it meant. I figure if someone is going to make the meaning of a word a major point of their debate, they would at least take the time to see if they were right before posting.

Odd that you would say I don't spend my energy in honest study when I gave you the meaning of both the English word used in most translations and the Greek word used in the Greek text. That is what some would call honest study.

 

I would agree that none of these things are inerrant. However, to reject them because they are not the Bible is silly. If that was the case, we would never listen to preaching, read Christian books, or interact with anything anyone says on this wonderful bulletin bored!

 

BTW, I got my Calvinism straight from Romans 9. I became a Calvinist before I knew what it meant. I hadn't read Calvin, the Westminster Confession, the Institutes, the Synod or Dordt, or any other Calvinistic writing.

It was Romans 9 that convinced me.

 

CalviBaptist,

I have preached many a sermon using only the Bible. No commentaries. I am sure many many others have as well. It can be done if one truly wants to receive of the Lord.

 

I hardly ever use a commentary when preparing a sermon. I go to the commentaries only after I have written my sermon to see what the Holy Spirit has revealed to other saints throughout history. I see nothing wrong with listening to the voices of the past.