Dear Brother
Faull,
I do not understand why so
many people do not come to
Christ and be saved…Do you?

ANSWER:
Yes, I do, because I have been informed in Scriptures
why men reject God and His Son Jesus and the truth.
1. They do not like to retain God in their knowledge
and God has given them over to a reprobate
mind.
Romans 1:28, “And even as they did not like to
retain God in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient;”
2. They do not want to change their lifestyle and so
they hate the light.
John 3:19-21, “19 And this is the condemnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they
are wrought in God.”
3. They do not understand because they are like
their father, the devil.
John 8:43-44, “43 Why do ye not understand my
speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of
your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there
is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of
it.”
4. They do not love truth
II Thessalonians 2:10, “And with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved.”
5. They have been deluded because they love
unrighteousness.
II Thessalonians 2:11-12, “11 And for this cause
God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.”
6. They will not repent.
Matthew 21:32, “For John came unto you in the way
of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the
publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when
ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye
might believe him.”
7. They love the praises of men more than the
approval of God.
John 12:42-43, “42 Nevertheless among the chief
rulers also many believed on him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should
be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the
praise of men more than the praise of God.”
These are just a few verses that come to my mind, but
there are many more. Remember that if a man does not
believe, he cannot be saved. One does not have to do
anything to be lost. It is not necessary to burn churches,
destroy Bibles, kill missionaries, curse God, or blaspheme
Christ. In fact, you do not have to do anything to be lost.
He that believeth not is condemned already.
Men are lost because they feel no need, the cost is too
great, and they have no confidence in the one who offers.
That is why you do not buy the insurance policy, the
house, or the car. No need of a Saviour. The cost of
following Jesus is too high and they have no confidence in
Christ. We must establish the need of Christ, show that
they cannot afford to not follow Christ, and not interfere
with people’s confidence in the Saviour by our own

behavior.

THE PHARISAICAL MYTH   BY STEVE FINNELL

Are the modern day Pharisees those who believe that you have to follow God's doctrine in order to be saved? The example.

FAITH (John 3:16

REPENTANCE (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)

CONFESSION ((Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37)

WATER BAPTISM (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21)

Are the contemporary Pharisees those who teach that Christians, who make sin a lifestyle, will not enter the kingdom of God? (1 Corinthians 6:6-11, Galatians 5:19-20)

Was the problem with the Pharisees that they kept God's law to the letter and forced others to do the same? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The Pharisees were keeping their man-made traditions, they were not keeping God's law to the letter.

Jesus did not condemn the Pharisees for keeping the laws of God to the letter. It was the exact opposite.

Mark 7:1-9 The Pharisees.....7 'But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men! 8 Neglecting the command of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 9. He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandments of God in order to keep your traditions.

Jesus made it very clear that the Pharisees did not keep God's laws to the letter. The problem with the Pharisees were they were keeping their man-made traditions!

Matthew 23:23 "Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Jesus was not rebuking the Pharisees for following God's law to the letter, He was admonishing them for neglecting the law.

Matthew 5:20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus did not question the righteousness of the Pharisees because they were living in strict obedience to God's law. They were not even close to following God's laws.

Matthew 16:6-12 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.".......12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and and Sadducees.

Jesus was not warning of the teaching of the Pharisees because they were advocating strict adherence to the Scriptures. They were teaching from their man-made creed books.


Matthew 23:13-33....33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

Jesus did not refer to the Pharisees as serpents and ask them how they would escape hell, because they were following the Scriptures to the letter of the law. THEY WERE NOT KEEPING GOD'S LAWS!

The problem with the Pharisees was they were following their man-made creed books. They were not living in strict obedience to the Scriptures, they were not even close.

John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

JESUS DID NOT ADMONISH, REBUKE, LECTURE, NOR REPRIMAND THE PHARISEES FOR KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS NOR GOD'S COMMANDMENTS TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW. IT WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE!

TEACHING THE BIBLICAL TERMS FOR PARDON ACCORDING THE BIBLE IS NOT BEING PHARISAICAL!

THE MAN-MADE CREED BOOKS OF TODAY ARE NO MORE GOD'S WORD THAN THE CREED BOOKS OF THE PHARISEES.

IF THE DOCTRINE YOU FOLLOW CONTRADICTS SCRIPTURE, THEN, IT IS MAN-MADE TRADITION!

Dear Brother
Faull,
I had a Bible College student call
me today with a question. He was
in a class dealing with the book of
Acts. He said the professor really
didn't look at the following verse.
He felt like the professor skipped
over it so he called me. It is dealing
with Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles
heard this, they began rejoicing
and glorifying the word of the Lord;
and as many as had been appointed to eternal life
believed. (NASB 95) The question was if this supports
pre-destination or the elect. I looked at the word
"appointed"(5021) in context and some of its other uses.
The best answer I came up with that Jesus came first for
the Jew then the Gentile (Romans 1:16). My thought was
they where initially "appointed" or "ordained (KJV)" behind
the Jews. I wanted to get your thoughts on the subject
before I responded to this young man. Thanks for your
time!
ANSWER:
Those who had been appointed or ordained to eternal life
are those mentioned in John 1:12." But as many as
received him to them gave He the authority or power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his
name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man but God."
How are we elected? "Seeing you have purified you souls
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a
pure heart fervently, being born again, not of corruptible
seed but of incorruptible, BY THE WORD OF GOD, which
liveth and abiteth forever.1 Peter 1:22-23. When did this
occur? "Then they that gladly received the word were
baptized; and the same day there were added unto them
about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41 "God chose us IN
HIM before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before Him in love, having
PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF
CHILDREN by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His Glory of His
grace, WHEREIN HE HAS MADE US ACCEPTED IN
THE BELOVED. Ephesians 1:4-6
So before the foundation of the world God chose to save
and accept whoever would believe in His Son. Those that
believe have the authority to become His Sons and be
added to the elect. It is not that we are elected to believe
but we believe and were baptized into Christ who makes
us accepted to God’s glory. Imagine a schoolteacher
laying out her plans for a speaker at the PTA meeting.
Who shall I let speak on behalf of the students? She
decides on a plan that no one knows but her. She says,”I
will have the kids number off from 1 to 4. Then I will have
all the 1’s be on one team, 2's on another etc.” Then she
tells each of the four teams to pick a captain. Then she
has team 1 play team 4 and team 2 to play team 3 in a
game. Then there is a playoff of the 2 winners of the first
round and team 4 wins the championship. She then tells
the captain of that team, Billy Jones, that he has been
chosen or elected or appointed or selected or ordained to
speak at the PTA.
Why? Because she had decided the night before that the
captain of the winning team in the tourney would do the
speaking. Did she handpick Billy? No. Was he the Elect?
Yes. She had foreordained the captain of the winning
team was to speak. It happened to be Billy.
Did God choose George Faull? Is He a part of the elect?
Was He ordained to eternal life? Yes. Why? Because I
heard the word of truth, I gladly received it. I was baptized
into Christ. Therefore, I was given the authority to become
His son. He has made me accepted in Christ by His
grace. All the promises of God are in Christ. I am in Him
so there is no condemnation. I am in Him and so I am a
new creature. I am one of the elect.
I was not made so by who is my blood father, or by man’s
will, nor by being born of the flesh but I was born of the
Spirit. That happened when I purified my soul by obeying
the truth through the Spirit. I was born again, not of man
but by the Word of God that beget me. The Word of God
is the seed, or semen, of God and hearing the Word
produces faith for faith cometh by hearing the Word of
God. When that faith is active and obedient He gives me
His Spirit. Acts 5:32 If a man does not have the Spirit of

God he is none of His. Read Romans 8:14-17

THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS   BY STEVE FINNELL

Are the writings of the early church fathers equal to the Scriptures?

Are the writings of Tertullian 140-230, Cyprain 200-258, Chrysostom 344-407, Augustine 354-430 the literal , God breathed, word from God the Father? No they are not, if their writings were the inerrant word of God then they would be included in the 66 books of the Bible.

The writing of the early church fathers are no more the inerrant word of God then are the writings of John Calvin, Martin Luther, Max Lucado, Robert Schuller, Billy Graham, John Knox, Benny Hinn, Joseph Smith, Alexander Campbell, or Mary Baker Eddy.

The only way Scripture is found in the writings of the early church fathers or any other writers, is if their writing were copied directly from Scripture, were repeated verbatim from the Bible, or if their doctrinal positions are synonymous with Scripture.

There are many who accept the writings of the early church fathers as being accurate, authoritative, and Biblically sound doctrine.

If you believe the early church fathers to have been pillars of the church, dependable in their preaching and writings, then, why do you not believe what they wrote?

Tertullian 140-230 A.D. " Baptism itself is a corporal act by which we are plunged into the water, while its effect is spiritual, in that we are freed from our sin."

Are men plunged into water to be sprinkled? Baptism is by immersion and it frees men from sin.

The Epistle of Barnabas 70-100 A.D. "Blessed are they who, placing their trust in the cross, have gone down into the water,indeed descended into the water full of sins and defilement!

Barnabas believed baptism was by immersion. He also taught that men were still in their sins before they were baptized. Barnabas did not teach "faith only" salvation.

Ireneus of Lyons 190 A.D. For we are lepers in sin, we are made clean, by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord, from our old transgressions, being spiritually regenerated as new-born babes, even as the Lord has declared: Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."

Ireneus did not believe in the false doctrine of original sin. He believe new-born babes were without sin. Why do you not believe that?

Theophilus of Antioch 181 A.D. "Moreover, those things which were created from the waters were blessed by God, so that this might also be a sign that men would at a future time receive repentance and remission of sins through water and the bath of regeneration all who proceed to the truth and are born again and receive a blessing from God.

Why do you not trust the church fathers when they say remission of sins is through water?

Cyprain 200-258 A.D. "For he has been sanctified, his sins being put away in baptism, and has been spiritually reformed into a new man, has become fitted for receiving the Holy Spirit; since the apostle says, As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.!

Cyprain says sins are forgiven in baptism making us able to receive the Holy Spirit. It you believe the early church fathers are reliable, why do you not believe that?

Terullian 203 A.D. "Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life... [But] a viper of the [Gnostic] Cainite  heresy, lately conversant in this quarter, has carried away a great number with her most venomous doctrine, making it her first aim to destroy baptism... 

It you trust Terullian, why do you not believe him when he said some men want to to destroy water baptism and its purpose?

REMEMBER SATAN WANTS YOU DRY OR HE WANTS YOU TO DENY WATER IMMERSION IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. HE WANTS YOU TO SPRINKLE NON-BELIEVING INFANTS FOR  NON-EXISTENT ORIGINAL SIN.

When, what the early church fathers said was in agreement with God's written word, it was true.

If you believe what the early church fathers wrote was authoritative, factual, trustworthy, and reliable, then, why not believe what they said even if it is at odds with your denominational catechisms and creed books?

THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ALONE SHOULD BE YOUR STANDARD FOR THE TRUTH!        

     

Baptism
a Work? by George L. Faull


The
denominational
world informs us
that baptism is a
work and then quotes us Scriptures that we are not saved
by works. They love to quote Ephesians 2 to prove their
theory. Amazingly, the average person buys into that
much too quickly.
Let’s see if it makes sense. If baptism is a "work", then:
Jesus did a work to fulfill all righteousness.
Matthew 3:13-15, “13 Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be
baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And
Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then
he suffered him.”
John preached a work was necessary for
remission of sins.
Mark 1:4, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and
preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of
sins.”
Doing a work justifies God and one rejects the
counsel of God if he does not do this work.
Luke 7:29-30, “29 And all the people that heard him,
and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with
the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and
lawyers rejected the counsel of God against
themselves, being not baptized of him.”
Peter told the Jews to do a work for the remission
of their sins and to receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
When a person gladly did a work he was added to
the church.
Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls.”
Since Paul asked what he must do, and he was
told go to Damascus and he would be told what
he must do (Acts 9:6). The only thing that
Annanias told him to do was to be baptized. But
the theory says that baptism is a work.
Paul washed away his sins by doing a work.
Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.”
When Phillip preached to the Eunuch "Jesus," he
must have preached a gospel of works, for the
Eunuch asked what hindered him to be baptized.
Acts 8:35-36, “35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and
began at the same scripture, and preached unto him
Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came
unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here
is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
In the great commission Jesus commands us to
go and get people to do a work.
Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
He that believeth and does a work shall be saved.
Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
When Peter preached words whereby Cornelius
might be saved he commanded him to do a work.
Acts 11:14, Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved.”
Acts 10:48, “And he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they
him to tarry certain days.”
Peter says that a work is the answer of a good
conscience.
"From the cowardice that shrinks from
new truth, from the laziness that is content
with half truths, from the arrogance that
thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth,
deliver us."2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED January 2011
I Peter 3:21, “The like figure whereunto even baptism
doth also now save us (not the putting away of the
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
Paul says we are buried with him by doing a work
since a work is required for one to be raised to a
new life.
Romans 6:3-4, “Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism
into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life.”
To get into Christ, we must do a work.
Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
All these verses show that baptism was to be done to be
saved. So since Paul says we are not saved by
works, it must be obvious to any logical mind that
baptism is not a work and has nothing to do with
what Paul is talking about in Ephesians 2 when it
says we are not saved by works.
In regards to not being saved by works, Paul speaks often
in many other Scriptures that we are not saved by the
works of the Law.
Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.
Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you,
Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?”
Acts 13:38-39, “38 Be it known unto you
therefore, men and brethren, that through this
man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be
justified by the law of Moses.”
Romans 3:20, 28, “20 Therefore by the deeds
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is
justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
The Ephesians 2 passage, which is so badly abused by
"faith only" advocates, does not say what they imagine it
says.
Ephesians 2:5-10, “5 Even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are
saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the
ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 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. 10 For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Considering the above verses we know that Paul speaks
often about "works salvation". But remember that grace
is always contrasted to Law keeping.
Faith is always contrasted to the works of the law. It
is salvation that is the gift of God, not faith.
Salvation is because of God’s giving us what is
unmerited, not because we earned it or deserve it by
good works we have done.
We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
Good works is not the cause of our salvation but the
purpose of our salvation.
We do good works because we are saved, not to be
saved.
Question:
Did He save us to do the work of baptism? Of course
not.
He saved us to do good works to bless others. It is
obvious that baptism is not the works of which He
speaks in this Ephesians passage.
We are not saved by the good works of the Law or of
our own initiative. We are saved by Gods grace and
salvation is received when we appropriate to
ourselves by faith in what Jesus did, not by things we
have done.
Suppose you are lost in a snowstorm in the Northwest.
Finally you find a cabin. You go in it and a note is on the
table. It says, "to whoever is in need of the things in this
cabin, greetings. Feel free to use the firewood, food,
coats, and blankets that are in this cabin to keep yourself
warm in the event that you get snowbound. Signed, the
owner.”
Now that was an act of grace on his part, wouldn't you
say? The owner did not decide who was going to come to
the cabin but he stocked those things necessary to save a
freezing and hungry man. Would you be saved by
works if you built a fire, put on the coats, or snuggled
under the blankets?
In other words, when you appropriated to your use that
which was provided by grace by the host, would youJanuary 2011 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED 3
go and tell people you were saved by your own
ingenuity and works, or would you say you were
saved by the owners’ grace in providing you the
things that you need for your salvation from the
storm?
I am amazed, in fact I marvel, at the stupidity of those who
equate grace with doing nothing at all. Noah was saved
by faith when he obeyed God and built an ark. It plainly
says Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Lot was
saved from Sodom, because he obeyed and fled the city.
Was Rahab not saved by faith when she hung the scarlet
thread out the window of her house? James says she
was. Wasn't that grace?
Yes... Each of these was saved by grace, through
obedient faith. Like wise Paul received grace by the
obedience to the faith.
Romans 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and
apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all
nations, for his name:”
And so the “Gospel" is made known to all nations for the
obedience of faith." Romans 16:26, “But now is made
manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according
to the commandment of the everlasting God, made
known to all nations for the obedience of faith:”
In the New Testament we are told plainly that the grace of
God that bringeth salvation teaches us to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and
godly in this present age. Titus 2:11-12.
Grace is not a sin permit. Grace is not a license to sin.
The grace of God allows us to appropriate the salvation
that He offers. This is done by coming into Christ and
accepting His forgiveness and His Spirit. He give His
Spirit unto those who obey Him.
Acts 5:32, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them
that obey him.”
Baptism is not a work of salvation. It is the means of
laying hold of His offer of getting into Him. A man given
a coat must put it on to enjoy its benefits. Likewise,
we are baptized into Christ.
Also, when we were baptized we dramatized personally
the Gospel. We died with Him. We were buried with Him
and were raised with Him to a new life. When one is
baptized one is playing the role of a dead man!!! See
Romans 6:3-6, 15-18.
How much work does a dead man do? It is not a work
of righteousness or obedience to the Law of Moses that
saves us, nor our faith in baptism.
Our faith is what God did when we were buried with Christ
in baptism.
Read it for yourself.
Colossians 2:12-13, “Buried with him in baptism,
wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of
the operation of God, who hath raised him from the
dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
(made alive) together with him, having forgiven you
all trespasses;”
Who did the work at your baptism? Was it you or was it
God?
Is it faith in what we have done, or faith in what He has
done that saves us?
God did the work!!! In our baptism, we appropriated the
merits of Jesus’ death by dying with Him, being buried
with Him and letting Him raise us to a new life in Christ.
Glory to God, great things HE HATH DONE

Dear Brother
Faull:
What about Romans 9
and Pre-destination?
ANSWER:
Romans 9 does not teach what Calvinists think it
teaches.
God is no respecter of persons. He does not elect one to
salvation and another to damnation.
HE DOES ELECT PERSONS FOR SERVICE AND NOT
ANOTHER. He did in the past and He does today in the
Church. He elected the nation of Israel to be His people
for service.
He chose Shem to be the race, Abraham to be the nation
of that race, Judah to be the tribe of that nation, Jesse to
be the family of that tribe, David to be the house of that
family, and Mary to be the individual of that house through
whom Messiah would come and BLESS ALL NATIONS.
He did not choose Shem to be saved and Ham and
Japheth to be lost.
He did not choose Abraham to be saved and Nahor lost.
He did not choose Judah to be saved and his 11 brothers
lost.
He did not choose to save Jesse and damn his brothers,
nor did He choose David to salvation and his brothers to
be lost.
He did not choose to save Mary and her siblings lost.
HE CHOSE THEM FOR SERVICE, NOT SALVATION!!!
It was through them that the Messiah would come. It was
through them that the Incarnate Word would be given.
What advantage hath the Jew? Much every way, chiefly
that unto them were committed the oracles of God, to
whom pertaineth the adoption, the glory, the covenant,
the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the
promises. Romans 3:2 and Romans 9:4
Not all of Abraham’s seed were chosen for service. The
election was Isaac, not Ishmael nor his second wives’
children.
Likewise, Jacob was not chosen for salvation over Esau.
Jacob was chosen for service. It was not of him that wills
or runneth that God gives the privilege of being the
chosen vessels of service. He chooses whomsoever He
wills to be the one through whom He works.
Sometimes, due to His foreknowledge, He would raise up
a particular man to earthly honor and elevate him to be
King as he did the Pharaoh of the Exodus. He knew that
man. He knew he would resist Him and God would be
able to display His power over all the gods of the
Egyptians because of their stubbornness.
He did not want to raise up some weak milquetoast at that
time that would obey Moses. He raised up this Pharaoh
whom God knew would harden his heart and rebel
against Him so God could show His power to Israel and
the world.
Notice that the first few times it says, “Pharaoh hardened
his heart”. Then after a few more times when he was
really in rebellion, God is said to harden his heart. God
provoked him to wrath by His miracles as each one made
him more hardened.
It is like a son who is rebellious and hard-hearted already,
but when the father puts more on him the father is said to
harden the son’s heart. God did not have to do anything
to him to harden his heart initially. He raised up that
particular man because He knew him and that each
plague would harden him that much more. He was
chosen to be the king so that God could show His power.
Romans 9:17, Exodus 9:16-17
We have no right to complain that He uses one lump of
clay to glory and another lump to dishonor. God, in His
mercy, has made us both Jews and Gentiles, to His glory.
How? “As many as receive him to them gave he power
"From the cowardice that shrinks from
new truth, from the laziness that is content
with half truths, from the arrogance that
thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth,
deliver us."2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED July 2010
(the authority) to become the Sons of God, even those
who believe on his name.” John 1:12
Gentiles can, like Abraham, attain unto the righteousness
of faith. The Jews continue to try to be saved by law. They
do not seek righteousness by faith, as our father Abraham
did, but go about to establish their own righteousness.
Romans 10: 3
Let me illustrate a Biblical election to service:
A sodbuster in 1888 had five kids. He said to his oldest
son," Lets go into town and get some supplies. " "But Dad
I wanted to go hunting," said the boy. "Well, bring your
gun along and we’re bound to see something on the way
back," said the father.
All the kids wanted to go to the town overnight with them
to get the supplies. The father laughed and said, "If I took
the whole family there would be no room for the supplies.
We will bring back some goodies for all of you. This trip is
for all of the family." So they left.
Once they got to town it was evening, as it was a long
way to town. The boy was excited because there was a
circus in town. He got to see a lot of strange sites, a
shooting display, the fat lady, the midget, the elephants
and lions and even a ventriloquist. He got to sleep in the
hotel and eat in a restaurant. Dad even let him try some of
the new fangled ice cream.
The next morning they went to the general store and the
boy got to eat some new candy as he helped load the
wagon. He had a lot of privileges that the other 4 kids did
not have, but Dad had chosen him, not because he loved
him more, but he was the strongest. He could help load
the wagon and watch for trouble on the way home. He got
to shoot a deer on the way home and he and his father
lifted the heavy carcass into the wagon.
When they got home, the other kids came running and
were given some goodies. The whole family was blessed
for the winter because they had gone. Now the older son
was chosen for service. It was not that he was the favorite
even though he had special opportunities. The whole
family was blessed as the father intended them to be all
along.
Now note Abraham. “I am going to bless you, make you a
great nation, and in thy Seed (Singular, Christ) ALL the
nations of the earth will be blessed.” He was told, “You
shall be a blessing.” God blessed Abraham and used him
to bless all men. When Jesus was born it was said, "Fear
not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which
shall be to ALL people." (Not just an elect few that God
chose to save.)
What a damnable, ugly doctrine Calvinism is. God is no
respecter of persons. The offer is to whosoever will.
Come unto me All ye that labor and heavy laden and I will
give you rest.
The secret of understanding the Bible is not to use the
difficult passage that seems to contradict the simple ones.
The thing to do is to take the simple ones that are plain
and try to understand the difficult one. Calvinism likes to
use Romans 9 with their blasphemous doctrine of TULIP
and make John 3:16, Mark 16:15-16, and the great
commission and a zillion more that promises salvation to
any believer, untrue.
Remember that God chooses specific men and women
for service, not salvation. “He’s not willing that any should
perish but all should come to repentance.” II Peter 3:9
“He wills all men to be saved.” I Timothy 2:4

ARE SINS FORGIVEN BEFORE BELIEVING?  by steve finnell

 Is it possible to have sins forgiven before believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Christ, that God raised Him from the grave? The answer is no, no, and no.

John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."(NKJV)

Jesus said if you do not believe that He is the Son of God you will die in your sins. Does that mean that unbelieving infants and young children who die without believing will die in their sins? Of course not, infants and young children have no concept of sin nor have they committed sin. They are not guilty of Adam's sin nor any of their ancestors sins. Guilt from so-called original sin is a man-made doctrine.

 Men do not inherit sin from others.

Acts 16:30-34 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs , what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.".......34....having believed in God with all his household.(NKJV)

The jailer and "all" of his household had to believed in order to be saved. There were no unbelievers, including infants, who were baptized for their sin so they could be saved. No unbelievers were saved that night.

Acts 2:36-38 .... God made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ......38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(NKJV)

The three thousand on the Day of Pentecost had to first believe, then repent and be immersed in water in order to have their sin forgiven. There were no unbelieving infants baptized for their sins nor for the sin Adam committed. 

Unbelievers cannot be forgiven of sins.

Infants do not need forgiveness. Adults who cannot understand the concept of sin, due to no fault of their own, do not need forgiveness.

Even if the doctrine of original sin was true, unbelievers could not be forgiven by being baptized at birth.

Sins are not forgiven before believing, nor are sins forgiven before being baptized. Belief precedes immersion in water.

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(NKJV)

Can unrepentant atheists have their sins forgiven by being immersed in water? Of course not

Can can men be baptized by proxy for their unbelieving relatives? Of course not.

Are unbelieving infants sins forgiven because they are baptized? No, because they have no sins that need to be forgiven. Even if babies were guilty of Adam's sins, they could not be forgiven without believing.

Men will not go to hell because of Adam's sin. If men spend eternity in hell, it will be because of their "own" unforgiven sin.     


        

Will the Temple Be Rebuilt?

by David Vaughn Elliott

Peace in the Middle East is elusive. A major obstacle is the status of Jerusalem. Especially the status of the Old City, which is all the Jerusalem there was in Jesus' day. And in the Old City, especially the Temple Mount, where in 70 A.D. the Romans left not one stone upon another, as Jesus had prophesied.  

The current ten weeks of bloodshed in Israel [written Dec, 2000] was sparked late in September when a leading Israeli politician, Ariel Sharon, paid a visit to the Temple Mount. Behind these tensions are the hopes of some Israelis and the fears of some Palestinians that the Jews will attempt to build a Third Temple on the Temple Mount. For thirteen centuries, the Islamic Dome of the Rock has stood where once stood the magnificent temples of Solomon and Herod. 

Only God knows if, in fact, some Jews will one day succeed in rebuilding the temple. Even if they do, it will not be in fulfillment of any prophecy of Scripture. None exists. Nor will it meet with any approval from God. On the contrary, it will be in direct defiance of the very God who destroyed the temple in 70 A.D. 

When Jesus the Messiah died on Calvary, the old temple worship ceased to have validity. God tore the temple veil in two from top to bottom. The book of Hebrews proclaims: "Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands... by his own blood he entered in once into the [heavenly] holy place... For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins... We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (9:11,12; 10:4,10).  

If the Jews do rebuild the temple and again offer bulls and goats, it will be an absolute insult to Messiah Jesus, the One who offered Himself as the "once for all" sacrifice for Jew and Gentile alike.  

INCONSEQUENTIAL ACTS OF OBEDIENCE?  BY STEVE FINNELL

When men obey God, is it just an inconsequential act or does it  produce a result?

Does obeying Jesus result in a positive outcome?

Hebrews 5:8-9 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation. (NASB)

If you disobey Jesus, then obviously He is not your source for salvation.

Faith only proponents say water baptism is act of obedience, but that baptism is unnecessary to receiving salvation.

Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.(NASB)

If obedience to God was not essential to salvation, then Jesus would have said you are saved, now obey by believing and being baptized in water. Believing is an act of obedience, just as is water baptism.

Acts 16:31 They said "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...(NASB)

Believing is an act of obedience. Men are saved as a result of believing. Salvation does not precede obeying God.  Salvation follows obedience to God.

Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord who has believed our report?"(NKJV)

Believing the gospel is an act of obedience.

Not believing the gospel is an act of disobedience.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)
2 Thessalonians 1:8 bringing judgement on those who do not wish to know God, and who refuses to accept his plan to save themthrough our Lord Jesus Christ. (The Living Bible---Paraphrased)

Refusing to accept God's plan of salvation brings vengeance.

HOW DO MEN OBEY THE GOSPEL?

1. They obey by believing. (John 3:16) Believing is an act of obedience.
2. They obey by repenting. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) Repentance is an act of obedience.
3. They obey by confession. (Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37) Confession is an act of obedience.
4. They obey by being immersed in water. (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 22:16) Being baptized in an act of obedience.

Salvation is subsequent to obeying the gospel.
Salvation follows being obedient to God's terms for pardon.
Salvation occurs after submitting yourself to the New Covenant terms of forgiveness from sins.

SALVATION DOES NOT OCCUR PRIOR TO BEING OBEDIENT TO THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION.

Being obedient to the gospel is not keeping the Law of Moses.

Being obedient to the gospel is not a good deed.

Being obedient to the gospel is not a meritorious act.

Being obedient to the gospel is not earning salvation.

Being obedient to the gospel does not mean that we are not saved because of God's grace. 

OBEDIENCE IS ESSENTIAL TO BECOMING SAVED!  

A Fool of
Fools by George L. Faull


The environmentalists
are all worried about an
alleged global warming
and what they call “A
man’s carbon footprint.”
Me thinks they should be concerned about the
global warming that Peter spoke about and the
moral footprints he addresses.
II Peter 3:10-12: “10 But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens
will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the
works that are in it will be burned up. 11
Therefore, since all these things will be
dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to
be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for
and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be dissolved,
being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent
heat?”
Now there is no doubt that God has placed man on
the earth to care for it. Psalms 8:4-8: “4 What is
man that You are mindful of him, And the son of
man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a
little lower than the angels, And You have crowned
him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to
have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet, 7 All
sheep and oxen-Even the beasts of the field, 8
The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That
pass through the paths of the seas.”
The worry we should share is not global warming
caused by man but rather the problems the global
warming fanatics produce for man while trying to
manipulate us to their stupid, manmade contortions
to allegedly protect the earth from mankind.
Think for yourself. Which is more important to God?
Man or the world that God made for man? Which
does God love?
The treaties and bans and ideas proposed at
Copenhagen last year are alarming!!! Think!!!
They want to tell you:
• How many children you should have.
• At what temperature your house should be.
• What kind of car you should own (Little death
traps)
• How many animals or pets you can own.
• What you can and cannot eat.
• What fuel can be used, how much, and how
often.
Personal liberty, free enterprise, choice of life and
health will become dictated by the government. Of
course, that is the real goal of these totalitarians.
Can you imagine:
• The price tag on such an agenda?
• The control they would have?
• The loss of profits to enterprises and small
businesses?
• The loss of jobs of both skilled and unskilled
labor?
How will the poor pay for this increase in fuel, food,
healthcare, or transportation in an anxiety ridden
environmental whack-o world with all of the
prohibitions and foolish legislation? And who will
make the profit on this agenda?
Big government will have to pay. This means a
totalitarian government with high taxes. This means
that the number of poor people will increase and
need provision by big government.
"From the cowardice that shrinks from
new truth, from the laziness that is content
with half truths, from the arrogance that
thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth,
deliver us."2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED April 2010
The government of a few elitists will become the lord
of God’s creation instead of all mankind. Psalms 8
speaks to all men, not an elite bunch of lords over
His world.
What utter arrogance it is to think that mankind living
a moral normal life is going to affect the quality of
God’s world. The truth is, God is much more likely
to chasten mankind for man’s immoral lifestyle than
man can affect it by living normal Godly lives.
It sure was hot around Sodom and Gomorrah for its
immoral footprint and their abuse of each other than
their abuse of the environment. The Bible says that
Sodom was like the Garden of Eden before He
destroyed it.
Genesis 13:10: “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all
the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the
land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.”
God has shown that He casts out His tenets for
immorality and abuse of people but never for his
abuse of the environment.
What an insult to the wisdom, providence, and
sovereignty of God to think His whole creation could
be brought to worthlessness by the caretaker He
placed over His world. Is God going to allow His
tenant to annihilate that which He owns? To think
so is just plain “gory”.
A fool says in his heart, “there is no God”. It is a
bigger fool who says that there is a God but He
could not design His world to accommodate the
billions of people whom He chose to place on His
earth.
Color such men “unbelievers” for as Scriptures says
in Isaiah 45:18: “For thus says the LORD, Who
created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the
earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did
not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited:
"I am the LORD, and there is no other.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONTEMPORARY EVANGELISM by Steve Finnell

The modern evangelist's philosophy is rooted in the saying "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

The apostle Peter preach the first gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost 33A.D.. Did the three thousand converts shut up their ears until they knew how much Peter cared?

Peter preached Jesus as a miracle worker. (Acts 2:22)

 Peter preached Jesus crucified and put to death. (Acts 2:23)

Peter preached Jesus resurrected from the grave. (Acts 2:24)

Peter preached Jesus ascended into heaven. (Acts 2:33-34)

Peter told the three thousand that they had crucified Jesus. (Acts 2:36) Is that when the three thousand understood how much Peter cared and started to believe his preaching?

What was their reaction? (Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles. "Men and brethren, what shall we Do?)(NKJV)  Were they cut to the heart because they realized how much Peter cared or were they cut to the heart because the apostle Peter was preaching the gospel truth?

What was Peter's answer? (Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus for there mission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.) (NKJV)

Peter preached the complete gospel on the Day of Pentecost. FAITH John 3:16 CONFESSION Romans 10:9 REPENTANCE AND WATER BAPTISM Acts 2:38.

Simply showing how much you care is not TANTAMOUNT TO PREACHING THE GOSPEL TRUTH.

Men who preach men are saved if they sincerely believe a lie are showing they care, but they are not preaching a gospel that saves.

Men who preach you can have your sins forgiven without being baptized in water, care, however, that preaching cannot save anyone.

Men who preach salvation apart from believing in Jesus, care, but that preaching cannot save anyone.      

    

   

PETER WAS NOT THE FIRST POPE BECAUSE........   BY STEVE FINNELL

Peter was not the first Pope because he did not believe that unrepentant atheists were redeemed.

Acts 3:19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (NASB)
Acts 3:19 Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord.(The Living Bible---Paraphrased)

Peter did not believe in universal salvation. Peter believed Jesus was the only way. 

Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio), Quoted May 22, 2013, "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone!"Father , the atheists?" Even the atheists. Everyone!......"But I don't believe, Father, I am an atheist! But do good: We will meet one another there."
  

The apostle Peter was not the first Pope because he never referred to himself as the Chief Shepherd. 

1 Peter 5:1-4 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder.....4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Peter said he was a fellow elder. Peter never claimed to be the head of the elders. He cited Jesus as the Chief Shepherd. Peter did not believe that he, himself, was the great Shepherd. Jesus was and is the great Shepherd.

Peter was not the first Pope because he refused to be worshiped. He did not have men kiss his ring nor let them bow down in acts of worship.

Acts 10:25-26 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am just a man."

Peter considered himself to be a man. He did not think he was another God on earth.

Peter was not the first Pope because he had a mother-in-law.

Matthew 8-14 When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 1 Corinthians 9:5 Don't we have the right to take a believing wife alone with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?(John 1:42 Cephas=Peter).

Peter was not the first Pope because he did not credit himself as being the Holy See.

Ephesians 1:20-23 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right in heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church....

God the Father placed Jesus as head of the church. Peter was never nor will he ever be head of the church. Peter was not the Holy See.

Peter was not the first Pope because he was not infallible. Peter had to be rebuked by the apostle Paul.

Galatians 2:11-21But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned........14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?............

Paul had to rebuke Peter for perverting the gospel, because Peter was agreeing with the Judaizers. Peter was not Paul's superior. 

Peter was not the first Pope because he never claimed to be Lord God the Pope.

Peter was not the first Pope because never said that no man could receive salvation unless they were in subjection to him.

Peter was not the first Pope because he never assigned the title of the Most Holy to himself.

Peter was not the first Pope because never designated himself as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Peter was not the first Pope because he never indicated that he was the Chief Pastor.

Peter was not the first Pope because he did not believe he had the authority to delete Scriptures.

Peter was not the first Pope because he never thought that he was the head of the church of Christ.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH!

Colossians 1:13-19 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.......18 He is also head of the body, the church..........

God placed Jesus Christ as the head of the church. Peter was never the head of the body of Christ. No man has been, nor is any man head of the church of Christ.

PETER WAS NOT THE FIRST POPE BECAUSE---There is no office of Pope mentioned in the Bible.

(All Scripture quotes from NASB unless noted) 

95% OF ALL BAPTISTS ARE CALVINISTS!  by steve finnell

Yes, 95%, more or less, of all Baptists are Calvinists, however, many of them do not realize that fact or simply deny it.

Some tenets of Calvinism.

1. Once in grace always in grace aka know as eternal security and perseverance of the saints. [NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

2. The doctrine of original sin. That being, that because Adam sinned all men have inherited Adam's guilt and a sin nature at birth. [NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

3. Unconditional Election. God selects a certain few for salvation and selects all other to burn in hell. [NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

4. God imputes faith so the elect can believe and be saved.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

5. Limited Atonement. Jesus died only for the elect.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

6. Irresistible Grace. God selects His chosen few and they cannot resist His calling.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

7. Total Depravity. Men are born unable to keep from sinning. Men are not able to believe the gospel unless God forces them to believe.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

8. Men are saved by grace alone. Men have no responsibility to believe and be saved.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

9. Men are saved by faith only. Immersion in water is not essential in order to be saved. [NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

10. The minute a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God and confesses Him as Lord his sins are forgiven. Men's sins are forgiven and then they are baptized in water as a testimony of their faith.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

11. God predestined some individuals to be saved and predestined all others to be lost.[NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE]

If you believe like a Calvinists. If you teach doctrine like a  Calvinist. You are a Calvinist. 









  

  

A Controversial Newsletter “The Printed Voice of Summit Theological Seminary” ~ All articles are written by George L. Faull, Rel. D. unless otherwise stated ~ Vol. 28 No. 4 October 2015 George L. Faull, Editor

 The Irrationality of Calvinism --By Terry Carter

 The following quotes are from the book The Five Points of Calvinism by Edwin H. Palmer. Edwin Palmer was the Executive Secretary of the NIV and General Editor of the NIV Study Bible. He was a very strong Calvinist. The following quotes from his book demonstrate that as a strong defender of Calvinism, he was honest enough to admit that it is an irrational and contradictory belief system. His statements speak for themselves.

 “By way of anticipation, it should be pointed out that the Calvinist keeps both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility, even though he cannot rationally reconcile the two.” (Page 35)

 “Contrary to what most people think, the Calvinist teaches that man is free – one hundred percent free – free to do exactly what he wants…And just because man is free, man is a slave…In other words, the Christian does not have free will.” (Pages 35-36)

 “Here we stand before a fundamental mystery. On the one hand, the Bible teaches that God intends that salvation will be for only certain people. On the other hand, the Bible unequivocally declares that God freely and sincerely offers salvation to everyone…Peter writes with unmistakable clarity that the Lord is ‘Longsuffering toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance’ (II Peter 3:9)…Here we come again to that fundamental problem of God…To man it seems impossible to reconcile both truths. They seem to contradict each other.” (Page 51)

 “Although it is true that none would be saved were it not for the irresistible grace of God, no one may ever fall into the rationalistic trap of saying that he has nothing to do…The Bible never allows that. It comes with only one command: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…So believe. God commands you to. But if you do, thank God for causing you to do so.” (Page 66)

 “It is even Biblical to say that God has foreordained sin. If sin was outside the plan of God, then not a single important affair of life would be ruled by God.” (Page 82)

 “In other words, God made it absolutely certain that Joseph’s brothers would sin; yet He did it in such a way that the brothers and not God are to blame…In other words, sin is ordained by God.” (Page 83)

 “But if anyone has really been thinking, he has probably raised a serious objection many times…For, where is God’s holiness? If He ordained the sin of Joseph’s brothers and the sin of Judas, how can any rational person say that God is holy? Isn’t God to blame?” (Pages 83-84)

 “He correctly sees the problem: reconciling the two opposing forces of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility…He reasons that he cannot logically reconcile these two apparently contradictory facts. So he holds to one set of facts and denies the other. He holds to man’s freedom and restricts God’s sovereignty. In this way, he has no rational problem. The contradiction dissolves.” (Page 84)

 “…the Calvinists accept both sides of the antimony. He realizes that what he advocates is ridiculous. It is simply impossible for man to harmonize these two sets of data. To say on one hand that God has made certain all that ever happens, and yet to say that man is responsible for what he does? Nonsense! It must be one or the other, but not both. To say that God foreordains the sin of Judas, and yet Judas is to blame? Foolishness! Logically the author of The Predestined Thief was right. God cannot foreordain the theft and then blame the thief. And the Calvinist freely admits that his position is illogical, ridiculous, nonsensical, and foolish…The Calvinist holds to two apparently contradictory positions. He says on one hand, God has ordained all things. Then he turns around and says to every man, ‘Your salvation is up to you. You must believe. It is your duty and responsibility. And if you don’t, you cannot blame God. You must only blame yourself’”. (Page 85)

 “In the face of all logic, the Calvinist says that if a man does anything good, God gets all the glory; and if man does anything bad, man gets all the blame. Man can’t win. To many people such a position seems foolish. It seems unreasonable…he [the Calvinist] accepts this paradox of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. "From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with halftruths, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth, deliver us." 2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED October 2015 He cannot reconcile the two; but…he accepts both.” (Pages 85-86)

 “…although sanctification is a gift of God, and it is God who works in us to do good things, nevertheless, it is our responsibility to use the means of grace, and not wait for God to move us.” (Page 87)

 “It’s up to you. But if you do believe, than (sic) thank God for making you want to believe.” (Page 93)

 “Many Christians…cannot bear to think that God has ordained sin. It sounds nonsensical, especially… [since] …God is holy and the antithesis of sin…This does not make sense…” (Page 97)

 “To say it another way, God willingly permits sin…In the final analysis, we cannot really understand…We may not be able to reconcile these two theses.” (Page 99)

 “Although all things – unbelief and sin included – proceed from God’s eternal decree, man is still to blame for his sins. He is guilty; it is his fault, not God’s.” (Page 106)

 “As Calvin said, ‘Although God and the devil will the same thing, they do so in an entirely different manner.’” (Page 106)

 “How [says the non-Calvinist] can you read it other than as a total contradiction, a yes and no on the same point? The question that is being asked is not: What does the Bible say? But rather: What can my finite reason understand? What is contradictory and what is not?” (Page 107)

 “John Murray takes the same humble [I, Terry, say irrational] attitude…even though to his mind there is a contradiction…’it cannot be gainsaid that God decretively [ultimately] forbids what he perceptively [directly] commands…If I am not mistaken, it is at this point that the sovereignty of God makes the human mind reel as it does nowhere else in connection with this topic.’” (Pages 108-109)

 Now consider some statements by Robert A. Peterson and Michael D. Williams from their book, “Why I am not an Arminian”.

 “Notice that sovereignty and freedom don’t cancel each other out…Rather, in a way that we cannot fully comprehend, God is absolutely in control, and we are genuinely responsible.” (Page 64)

 “God does not save all sinners, for ultimately he does not intend to save all of them. The gift of faith is necessary for salvation, yet for reasons beyond our ken, the gift of faith has not been given to all.” (Page 128)

 “Yet people cannot be saved without God’s powerful work in them. God wants all to hear the gospel, but he intends to save only some. Why that is the case, we do not know.” (Page 129)

 “Scripture constrains us to say that God is not the cause of sin, yet somehow, in ways we cannot fathom, His sovereign plan includes the sinful acts of human beings. ‘To put it bluntly,” writes Carson, ‘God stands behind evil in such a way that not even evil takes place outside the bounds of his sovereignty, yet evil is not morally chargeable to him.’ Exactly how God relates to the sinful behaviors of human beings we do not know…We do not know how it is that God sovereignly directs and ordains our freely chosen paths and, yes, our sinful acts as well as the good that we do.” (Pages 160-161)

 “For reasons known only to God, He has not chosen to save all human beings.” (Page 190)

 “But John 3:16-17 teaches that God loves all sinners, a truth unfortunately not endorsed by all Calvinists…When asked how we reconcile these passages with those that teach God’s special love for the elect, we admit that our theology contains rough edges. But we would rather have an imperfect theology and be faithful to the whole witness of Scripture than to mute the voice of some texts as Calvinists have sometimes done…Furthermore, we do not regard this problem as insoluble for the mind of God…But we admit that our present state of knowledge prohibits us from explaining how God can love all persons savingly in the one sense and only love some savingly in another sense.” (Pages 211-213)

 “We also affirmed that the Bible teaches two seemingly contradictory, but ultimately complementary truths (1) God loves a sinful world, and (2) he has a special effective love only for the elect. Only by affirming these two truths simultaneously do we do justice to scriptural teaching.” (Page 214)

 Interestingly, Palmer has the following, somewhat inconsistent, things to say about logic and the Bible. “And sometimes logic – to the dismay of some Biblicists - has to be used. But there is nothing wrong with using logic if we do it properly.” (Page 109)

 “The temptation is to accept only what our logic approves rather than what the Bible teaches.” (Page 111)

 Palmer repeatedly presents a false dichotomy as though we must choose between what is logical and rational or what the Bible teaches. This, in reality, is a claim that the Bible is irrational, illogical, and contradictory. At the same time it is an admission that Calvinism is illogical, irrational, and contradictory. Yet, Peterson and Williams admit that a doctrine needs to pass the logic test as well as the Biblical test.

 “To be true, a doctrine must pass not only a test of logical coherence but also a test of empirical fit with the Bible’s data.” (Page 202)

 The real choice is not between logic and Scripture, but between an irrational theology and the truth of what the Bible teaches.

 God is not irrational, illogical, or contradictory, nor is He the author of confusion.

 “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” --I Corinthians 14:33

A Look at
Acts 2:39 by George L. Faull


I thought it might
be well for me to
comment on a
verse-Acts 2:39.
Though we often
refer to verse 38
of Peter’s sermon on Pentecost, we would do well to read
the context. Verse 39 is abused by many. Let’s look at
verses 37-41.
“37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,
Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said
unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise
is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And
with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then
they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the
same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.”
The 39th verse is an abused text by four major religious
factions to prove their particular heresy.
THE PENTECOSTALS use the verse to prove that the
Holy Spirit’s miraculous power is available to all men
today. They consider “the Promise” to refer back to
verses 16-21.
These verses are a quote of a prophecy of Joel, which
states that wonders will be done in the last days by those
of “all ages”, old and young, “all genders”, sons and
daughters, “all social status”, my servants and
handmaidens, and “all nations”, all flesh.
They ignore a sermon had been completed and Christ
was shown to be both Lord and Christ and they had killed
Him. The listeners asked the question, “Men and
brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s answer in verse 38
shows the question was not what shall we do to get these
miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Rather, what do we do
to be forgiven for our killing our Messiah? It was a
specific question about salvation and not about speaking
in tongues or the wonders and signs of Joel’s prophecy.
The question preceded the offer of salvation and the gift
of the Spirit. Acts 2:39
THE ROMANISTS who favor infant baptism make their
emphasis on the inclusion of children receiving the
promise offered by Peter. On the contrary, it is a promise
to the descendants of the listeners who could enjoy the
promise of salvation and the Holy Spirit if they too repent
and are baptized.
It is ludicrous to get out of this text that there is grace
bestowed in baptizing unbelieving babies who need no
repentance. There is no water regeneration taught in
verses 38 – 39. There is no merit or dispensing of grace
by baptizing infants who can neither believe nor in need of
repentance.
Even Albert Barnes, who advocated infant baptism,
rebukes those who try to use this verse to advocate infant
baptism. “It does not refer to children as children, and
should not be adduced to establish the propriety of infant
baptism, or as applicable particularly to infants. It is a
promise, indeed, to parents, that the blessings of salvation
shall not be confined to parents, but shall be extended
also to their posterity. Under this promise parents may be
encouraged to train up their children for God; to devote
them to his service; believing that it is the gracious
purpose of God to perpetuate the blessings of salvation
from age to age.”
THE CALVINISTS are the third group that abuses this
text. They take their clue from the expression, “even as
many as the Lord our God shall call.” The word, “call”, is
the trigger word for a Calvinist. Their doctrine is that God
calls specific persons to salvation to the exclusion of
others.
When they hear the word “call”, it conjures up in their
mind the whole theory of election, predestination, and
eternal security. They like to point out the last phase of
verse 39 is in the middle voice and this means God is
doing the calling.
In Robertson Word Study (he is a Calvinist) writes, “It is a
first aorist middle subjunction with ‘an’ in an indefinite
relative clause, a perfectly regular construction. The Lord
"From the cowardice that shrinks from
new truth, from the laziness that is content
with half truths, from the arrogance that
thinks it knows all truth, O, God of Truth,
deliver us."2 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED April 2010
calls men of every nation, anywhere, whether Jew or
Gentile.” We have never read the verse any other way
than the Lord is calling men to Himself.
THE BEREAN BIBLE SOCIETY is the fourth group that
abuses the text and are the successors of E. W. Bullinger,
Corneluis Stam, and J. C. Ohair. They teach that the
Gospel invitation offered here by Peter was for Jews only.
They are hyper or ultra-dispensationalists in that they
believe this offer by Peter was for a Jewish millennial
kingdom.
They believe baptism is a Jewish ordinance and has been
phased out for today and not a requirement for this
dispensation.
They ignore that those who are “afar off”, in verse 39, are
the Gentiles as Ephesians 2:12-16 plainly affirms.
They pretend that the gospel of Peter and Paul differ and
that Paul, as the apostle to the Gentiles, revealed a
different Gospel than Peter.
Such alleged scholars wrest this Scripture as they do all
the Scriptures.
II Peter 3:15-16: “15 And account that the longsuffering of
our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul
also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written
unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them
of these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.”
The listeners and their children and those who were “afar
off” (Gentiles) are all made the promise of the remission of
sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit when they repent and
are immersed. This agrees perfectly with other Bible
passages.
1. The Gospel call is for the Jew first, also to the
Greek.
Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek.”
2. Those who are “afar off” are the Gentiles.
Ephesians 2:12-13: “12 That at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope, and
without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ
Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ.”
3. The Lord calls men to Himself by the Gospel.
Listen how it is done.
II Thessalonians 2:13-14: “13 But we are bound
to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the
obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
4. Why does God send out this call? He wants
all men to come to repentance and not perish.
II Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.”
5. The call to the Father is offered to “whosoever
will”.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.”
Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride
say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely.”
So our Pentecostal, Romanist, Calvinist, and Berean
friends have twisted or perverted this text. It is very
simple to understand the meaning.
In verse 37 a question is asked, “Men and brethren, what
shall we do?” (Since we killed the Christ.)
In verse 38 an answer is given. There are two
commands, “Repent and be baptized” and two results
promised “the remission of sins and the Gift of the Holy
Spirit.”
In verse 39 we are told who can repent and be baptized
and enjoy the promise of salvation. “For the promise is
unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
In verse 40 an offer was made, “Save yourselves (it is
passive) from this untoward (perverted) generation.”
In verse 41 we are told the response to the offer that
Peter made in his sermon, “Then they that gladly received
his word were baptized: and the same day there were
added …about three thousand souls.”
Do not be misled by the theologies of men. A text out of
context becomes a pretext.
Those who responded had heard the call of God and they
came to Him and obeyed the offer.
God does the saving if we do not refuse His call.April 2010 THE GOSPEL UNASHAMED 3
Joel had said, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever
shall call on the name of the LORD shall be
delivered:….” Joel 2:32a
Paul was told, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be
baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16
God has called you by the Good News of the Gospel and
now you need to call upon Him. God has always planned
that Abraham’s seed, which is Christ, be a blessing to all
nations, not just the Jews. The promise to all was made
in Peter’s sermon on Pentecost in verse 39.
What says the Scripture? Galatians 3:8: “And the
scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen
through faith, preached before the gospel unto
Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
Galatians 3:27-29: “27 For as many of you as have
been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Won’t you, like the 3,000 on Pentecost, gladly receive the
Word and be baptized and let the Lord add you to His
Church?
He will keep His promise. That has been His desire for all
men from the foundation of the world.