The roles in Evangelism

Different styles.
Here is one of Paul’s...
Acts 13:9-11 NKJV
[9] Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? [11] And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

I hope it is recognized the 2 Timothy 2 passage is not about conversion from unbelief to belief. It is not about regeneration.

AND IT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A TEXT ARGUING THAT POINT OF SOTERIOLOGY!

The text itself explicitly stipulates, "the Lord's servant..." The people about whom Paul is referring are God's servants. They are already saved from sin and wrath. They are not non-believing people. Therefore the mention of repentance and escape from the devi;'s snares is not about soteriological conversion.

2 Timothy 2 has very little to do with Acts 26:14.

And I hope both Sproul and Piper noted that.

nt

BBAS 64 said:

Good Day, Josheb

Have you watched both parts of the Look at the book by Piper...?

Click to expand...

Yes. I have also read and heard a great many of the books and teachings from both Sproul and Piper.

BBAS 64 said:

Edited to add a piece of a devotional I found at Ligoneer about the the text in question seeing that Sproul was mentioned:

The Rooster's Crow

Fountains of Repentant T Tears: https://www.spurgeongems.org/sermon/chs2735.pdf

Click to expand...

Please don't ignore what I posted an add more and more and more and more references in avoidance of what I brought to bear on this op. That's not only avoidant and dismissive; it is rude and disrespectful.


In Part 1 it cannot be argued "they lack knowledge of the truth," is a reference to non-believers. The 2 Timothy verse in question occurs in a passage that begins, "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor..." What "house" is it Paul is referencing? Is it it not the house of the Lord? Similarly, who is it that pursues, "righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart"? Is it pagan non-believers, or is it the redeemed and regenerate? Again I point out Paul explicitly states "The Lord's bondservant..."!

Paul is writing to the redeemed and regenerate about the redeemed and regenerate.

There is the appearance of evangelism here because of the mention of "opponents," but this is an in-house opponent! not an opponent outside the house of God.





Now..... that being said.... there is warrant in principle to make this applicable to soteriolgical evangelism and conversion but the text is not specifically about either.

Yes, God and God alone brings repentance. The sinfully dead and enslaved will does not regenerate its own soteriological repentance unaided by God. Augustine, Luther, Calving, Arminius and Wesley all agreed on this point.

That has nothing to do with the 2 Timothy 2 text.

Yes, those sinfully dead and enslaved sinners who do not already know God salvifically have no understanding of soteriological truth and yes, God-granted repentance does bring one to the knowledge of truth, a knowledge that is not possible in the sinfully dead state.

That has nothing to do with the 2 Timothy 2 text.

One point I might argue with is the premise all unbelievers are enslaved to the sin-enslaved devil. The dichotomy typically asserted by Paul is that of either enslavement to sin or enslavement to righteousness (Romans 8). There's no third option of unenslaved autonomy or enslavement to the flesh or enslavement to the devil outside the slavery to sin. A proper understanding of satan necessarily understands he too is dead and enslaved to sin - he sinned! and according to Jude he and all the others who gave up their proper abode have been held in bondage until the day of judgment.

But that digresses from the 2 Timothy 2 text.



And I write this to you, Bill, because one of the things I hope you are learning as you mature in Christ and unity in the body is to be discerning with everyone you read and hear (me included) because even people as wise and experienced as Piper and Sproul, both of whom I respect (although I do not think the former can hold a candle to the latter) sometimes err handling God's word. In this case liberties are being taken with the specified context given in the passage. Nothing I have posted should in any way be construed to say I think Piper or Sproul false teachers. If and when you and your friend discuss these books you might apply proper exegesis of your own to the texts the examine so as to measure their exegesis and thereby the veracity of their teaching. It's a good and fruitful endeavor and skill set to develop.