Jesus believed in predestined-election.
-OR-
Jesus did not think that only a few were "predestined to be elect, apart from their absolute choice".
Which is true? Please consider:
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles (works-of-power) had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, THEY would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall be cast down to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, Sodom would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." Matt11:21-24
This passage has always struck me as Jesus condemning them for REFUSING to believe. Saying, "If they had seen what you have seen, THEY would have repented/believed". Now, some say that He CHOSE the time and peoples to show His miracles; that "choosing" was "predestined". But if that's true, why would He berate them for NOT believing, if they had been chosen NOT to believe???
Look at this passage:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one convert, and when he becomes one you make him twice as much a son of Hell (firey) as yourselves." Matt23:13,15
If Jesus had believed in predestined-election, then why is He saying that "you hypocrites not only REFUSE to be saved, but you keep OTHERS from being saved, TOO!"?
1. Salvation is predestined; Jesus condemns them for FOLLOWING their own predestination, and being the instrument that keeps OTHER un-chosen from saving-belief.
2. Salvation is voluntary choice; Jesus condemns them for REFUSING to believe, and also for HINDERING OTHERS from believing!
Only one of those can be true; does #1 (predestination) make sense? Can you deny #2 (free will)?
"Woe to you, Lawyers (experts in Moaic Law)! For you have tasken away the key of knowledge; you DID not enter in yourselves, and those who WERE entering in you HINDERED!" Lk11:52
"Hindered" here, is "koluo" --- hinder, deny, prevent, forbid. It seems awfully similar to "anakopto" (beat back, check [a ship's course]) in Gal5:7, doesn't it? "You WERE running WELL, who hindered you from obeying the truth?"
If salvation is predestined, then no one can interfere with what God sovereignly decrees. Yet here is Jesus saying "you interfere and prevent them from entering in".
The only understanding that works, is "particular salvation is NOT sovereignly decreed; Jesus died that all who WILL believe, may be saved. Belief can be hindered and deceived and prevented. We are therefore commanded to spread the Gospel, that men MAY believe ("how shall they believe without preachers?" Rm10:14), and we are commanded to 'with sound doctrine refute those who contradict' (Titus1:9) so that men may NOT be deceived to UNBELIEF."
Jesus said the hypocrites "shut off the kingdom of heaven from men". Someone please show me how that can, in any tiny way, support "predestined-election".
-OR-
Jesus did not think that only a few were "predestined to be elect, apart from their absolute choice".
Which is true? Please consider:
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles (works-of-power) had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, THEY would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall be cast down to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, Sodom would have remained to this day. Nevertheless, I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." Matt11:21-24
This passage has always struck me as Jesus condemning them for REFUSING to believe. Saying, "If they had seen what you have seen, THEY would have repented/believed". Now, some say that He CHOSE the time and peoples to show His miracles; that "choosing" was "predestined". But if that's true, why would He berate them for NOT believing, if they had been chosen NOT to believe???
Look at this passage:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one convert, and when he becomes one you make him twice as much a son of Hell (firey) as yourselves." Matt23:13,15
If Jesus had believed in predestined-election, then why is He saying that "you hypocrites not only REFUSE to be saved, but you keep OTHERS from being saved, TOO!"?
1. Salvation is predestined; Jesus condemns them for FOLLOWING their own predestination, and being the instrument that keeps OTHER un-chosen from saving-belief.
2. Salvation is voluntary choice; Jesus condemns them for REFUSING to believe, and also for HINDERING OTHERS from believing!
Only one of those can be true; does #1 (predestination) make sense? Can you deny #2 (free will)?
"Woe to you, Lawyers (experts in Moaic Law)! For you have tasken away the key of knowledge; you DID not enter in yourselves, and those who WERE entering in you HINDERED!" Lk11:52
"Hindered" here, is "koluo" --- hinder, deny, prevent, forbid. It seems awfully similar to "anakopto" (beat back, check [a ship's course]) in Gal5:7, doesn't it? "You WERE running WELL, who hindered you from obeying the truth?"
If salvation is predestined, then no one can interfere with what God sovereignly decrees. Yet here is Jesus saying "you interfere and prevent them from entering in".
The only understanding that works, is "particular salvation is NOT sovereignly decreed; Jesus died that all who WILL believe, may be saved. Belief can be hindered and deceived and prevented. We are therefore commanded to spread the Gospel, that men MAY believe ("how shall they believe without preachers?" Rm10:14), and we are commanded to 'with sound doctrine refute those who contradict' (Titus1:9) so that men may NOT be deceived to UNBELIEF."
Jesus said the hypocrites "shut off the kingdom of heaven from men". Someone please show me how that can, in any tiny way, support "predestined-election".