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Featured Is Pelagius Teaching On The Rise?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Earth Wind and Fire, Feb 24, 2013.

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  1. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Pelagius argued for the existence of free will. He could not see how we can be responsible for something if we do not have free will in that matter. His premise was that the will, rather than being bound by sin, is actually neutral---so that at any moment or in any given situation, it is free to choose either good or evil.

    From what Im reading & hearing this is the view of most people today....including Christians.

    Is there in fact a broad spectrum of people embracing this as their operating doctrine today? Do you see it & who are they? Could you be one? Is this theology on the rise?
     
  2. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    Free will was the view of the church until Augustine. All of the early church fathers believed in free will. Here is a page with numerous quotes from ECF on free will;

    http://www.biblequery.org/Doctrine/Predestination/EarlyChristiansNotCalvinists.htm

    Most Baptists believe in free will and have from the beginning.
     
  3. Monster

    Monster New Member

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  4. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    I am surprised that Calvinists did not know this.

     
  5. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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  6. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    The mischaracterization of Pelagianism in the OP taints the rest of the conversation. Pelagianism promoted more than just free will theology. The error of Pelagian was not in understanding free will, but that his view of original sin and Jesus' atonement are not biblical.

    However, you simply cannot identify anything that isn't Reformed theology as Pelagianism. That only goes to reinforce the observation that you're attempting to show a partial argument.
     
  7. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    Pelagianism is simply a word used to smear folks by association. Because the RCC labeled Pelagius a heretic, folks use that to smear anyone who believes in free will.

    If you were to study Pelagius you would find that when he was present to defend himself he was not found to be a heretic. Only when he was not able to defend himself was he finally called a heretic.

    All of the Early Church Fathers believed in free will. It was Augustine who introduced something new to the church.

    None of the ECF who spoke Greek saw Calvinism in the scriptures. It was Augustine who relied on a flawed Latin text that introduced Original Sin and Calvinistic doctrines. This is historical fact whether you like it or not.

    If anything, Baptist churches that hold to free will agree with the early church.
     
  8. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Then there are baptists that dont agree with free will.....how do you explain that?
     
  9. Thomas Helwys

    Thomas Helwys New Member

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    I do not follow Pelagius or Augustine. They are the opposite extremes.
     
  10. Thomas Helwys

    Thomas Helwys New Member

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    All of that is true.
     
  11. Thomas Helwys

    Thomas Helwys New Member

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    Simple. They are following Calvin. :)
     
  12. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    So you are saying Free Will Baptists are in effect Pelagians. There is no Original Sin belief system. Is that correct?
     
  13. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    I don't know much about Free Will Baptists, so I cannot comment on them.

    I also do not understand your question about Original Sin, but this doctrine is credited most to Augustine, although a few ECF expressed a type of OS in some statements. Most of the ECF were completely silent on Original Sin from what I have studied. It simply wasn't an issue with them, or they simply failed to address the matter.
     
  14. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    No...I'm merely trying to understand it so here you are jumping to conclusions. Here is my original question.

    Is there in fact a broad spectrum of people embracing this as their operating doctrine today? Do you see it & who are they? Could you be one? Is this theology on the rise?
     
    #14 Earth Wind and Fire, Feb 24, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 24, 2013
  15. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Only Presbyterians & Dutch Reformed follow Calvin.
     
    #15 Earth Wind and Fire, Feb 24, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 24, 2013
  16. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    if i am understanding you guys correctly, ---what ultimately determines whether a person will be saved is not the supernatural working of God thru the HS....but rather the persons will, which either receives or rejects the savior. This gives mere human beings glory that ought to go to God.
     
  17. Iconoclast

    Iconoclast Well-Known Member
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    Calvinists know that anyone who believes we can lose salvation, does not understand salvation to begin with.:thumbs:
     
  18. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    That is nonsense. No man can regenerate himself, no man can give himself eternal life, only God can bestow this gift. And God only gives this gift to those who submit to and obey the gospel. If you get saved, you have to do it God's way, you must confess you are a sinner worthy of death, and you must believe that Jesus was the perfect Son of God who lived a sinless life and died for our sins. You must give up the idea that you can save yourself in any way and completely trust your soul to Jesus Christ.

    Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
    4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

    Folks who are trying to earn salvation are those who seek to glorify themselves. Those that trust Christ must confess they are lost sinners without any hope of saving themselves through their own merit and must completely depend on Jesus alone to save them. This is complete submission to God.
     
  19. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Well.... I dont think any Reformed types truly conserns themselves with people who dont concede that salvation is entirely of God. If thats the case then Gods honor would be diminished & human beings would be able to boast in heaven.... I would imagine a Calvinist or any DoG believer would stand by:

    Ephesians 2:8-9

    King James Version (KJV)

    8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

    9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
     
  20. Earth Wind and Fire

    Earth Wind and Fire Well-Known Member
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    Are you thick.....I said that regeneration is determined by the supernational workings of God.
     
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