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Recent content by chadMiddleMan

  1. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Thanks for interacting with my article! :oldthumbsup: Actually, it's not advocating part conditional, part unconditional election; nor is it half Arminian and part Calvinist. Baxter's view is an unconditional election, which is a concurrent election. He sovereignly and eternally decided His...
  2. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Thanks for your comments I agree that all five points of Calvinism as they stand are problematic. I believe Baxter had a more coherent reconciliation of Biblical passages than Arminius did, and he retained the sovereignty of God, the true free-will of God, and the true independence of God from...
  3. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Not at all. You should have read some other things that have already been clarified.
  4. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Agree, but the fact that we are all on here right now talking about this means that we aren't on our knees doing 1 Tim 2:1-4. Yes we need to do that too, and yes I did that this morning, but that certainly doesn't preclude theological discussion, especially over matters that tend to bring out...
  5. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Thanks, I appreciate the advice and encouragement.
  6. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Perhaps I didn't make it clear. It's definitely the second thing -- discarding the false elements in the two POV's. But often the third view is true in such a way that some focus, emphasis, or points of the other two views are true in the new system, or are true in a nuanced way. This type of...
  7. chadMiddleMan

    A Middle Ground

    A Christian Universalist would claim that this is the logical conclusion of Arminianism as well. Does God "love" the little children who grow up and don't choose him? Does God love the idea of letting them choose more than he loves them? Would you love your child enough to tackle them and...
  8. chadMiddleMan

    A Middle Ground

    LOL... I like your sense of humor :clap: I address that question near the end of my article. If you want to engage in discussion, you're welcome to go to that section and read it. Anyhow, my short answer is "Yes". But the as with any A vs Non-A discussion, "A" has to be defined, and many...
  9. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    I agree. Either one or both of them are wholistically wrong from the get-go, because they didn't consider the proper nuances in their cherry-picked Bible verses. In the example you mentioned, perhaps the nuance is "what kind of faith saves?"... "a faith that will work". So that truth may share...
  10. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Agree Albion, there isn't a middle ground in every instance. But the most controversial theological topics through the ages were often driven by sets of Bible verses that, taken at face value, could seemingly contradict another set of verses taken at face value. Hence two factions formed, and...
  11. chadMiddleMan

    A Middle Ground

    Tra Phull... You're exactly right, but we're dealing with systems of theology with several A's, B's, C's, etc.... Not just one simple A or Non-A. For example, if one system is "1=1 and Tom=Harry", and another system is "1=1 and Jim=Harry", both systems are false as a whole, but both systems...
  12. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    A Middle Ground doesn't mean a compromise.. It means a 3rd option where the truth really lies. And it just so happens that the truth often has some common ground with points from each side ... For example, a man and woman getting a divorce each have their sides of the story, which are filled...
  13. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Dave, you're exactly right. Typically both sides on a debate have a mix of truth and error in their assumptions and exegesis. The Middle Ground is typically finding the truth which they are both missing.
  14. chadMiddleMan

    Middle Ground Theology on the Big 5

    Hi Everyone! This is Chad from the Middle Ground. I've dedicated the past couple of decades to reading, researching, pondering, and writing about proposed Middle Ground positions for several major theological categories, Old Earth vs Young Earth, Arminianism vs Calvinism, Credobaptist vs...
  15. chadMiddleMan

    A Middle Ground

    For a long time I was a staunch Arminian. My Calvinist buddy and I would debate back and forth, each holding forth the “obvious” scriptures which supported our positions, and then doing as many hermeneutical gymnastics as we could to explain the opposing side’s scriptures. Although these...