"...contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."- Jude 1:3
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salvation. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

God, Theories of Time, and Salvation: A Conversation Between William Lane Craig & Emily Qureshi-Hurst

 


God, Theories of Time, and Salvation: A Conversation Between William Lane Craig & Emily Qureshi-Hurst

https://youtu.be/QSDxd9RpBQw?si=X9urFj2Nj9YA-p4K

OR HERE

https://youtu.be/QSDxd9RpBQw?si=mZRa2JCMOw389dwI





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Monday, September 20, 2021

Do the Seven go to Heaven? An Investigation into the History of the Noachide Laws by Tim Hegg

 

It's common for some Jews to teach that salvation is available for non-Jews who observe an alleged list of laws given to Noah and thus to all non-Jews. The following excellent article explores the concept of the Noachide Laws. Whether they originate with Noah or are a later novelty. The article successfully demonstrates it's the latter.


Do the Seven go to Heaven? An Investigation into the History of the Noachide Laws by Tim Hegg
https://torahresource.com/do-the-seven-go-to-heaven/

OR HERE:

https://web.archive.org/web/20231004141511/https://torahresource.com/do-the-seven-go-to-heaven/

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Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Is Evangelizing the Unevangelized Pointless?

 

I encountered this meme in a Facebook group. Below was my quick response to the meme. On Facebook you have to be succinct. So, the response isn't as nuanced as it could be, but it suffices as an answer that rebuts the claim that evangelism is pointless.


My response:

These are ignorant objections.

//1. if god figured everything out already, evangelism is pointless since you can't change his mind.//

I'm a Calvinist so I do believe in high predestination. The problem with this statement is that under a strong/high view of predestination God ordains both the ends AND THE MEANS. Meaning, not only what will happen, but HOW they will happen. In which case, God ordains the salvation of the elect THROUGH the means of evangelism. Because God ordains the WHOLE causal nexus.

Regarding #2, not all Christians believe that God has made clear His existence to everyone. But even if He did, that doesn't mean that God has also given the knowledge of salvation through the same means. For example, most Christian theologians distinguish between General Revelation and Special Revelation. General Revelation is what we find in the external world we live in [i.e. the universe, earth, stars etc.] plus an internal sensus divinitatis and/or implanted innate knowledge. However, many of the same Christian theologians also believe that the knowledge of Salvation is only found in Special Revelation, not in General Revelation. Special Revelation is only found in places like the Bible [or when the Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles were alive and preached]. Therefore, the Special Revelation still needs to get to the unevangelized by evangelizing them with the Gospel message.

Regarding #3, most Christians deny that those who never heard of God or of the message of salvation "get a free pass". And even those who think some do, don't think it's automatic. There may be other mitigating circumstances or simply the mere Sovereignty of God [etc.] that accounts for why some of those who never heard the message of salvation can sometimes be saved. In which case, all things being equal, it's better to evangelize the unevangelized than not to. Since, the probability goes up that the unevangelized will be saved. Given, for example, that God ordains both ends AND MEANS. Or because God's normative means of saving the lost is by having them heard and respond to the Gospel.




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Saturday, November 5, 2016

The Atonement Studies by William Lane Craig


The Evangelical doctrine of Penal Substitution has always had detractors. Since the beginning of the 21st century the attacks have been more pronounced and sophisticated. The following are some brief lectures by William Lane Craig on the topic of the atonement where he goes through various theories and then defends the Evangelical doctrine of Penal Substitution.

I'm currently adding links to the videos as they are being posted. I'm not sure how many videos in total there will eventually be.

[[UPDATE: 
1. There are Lectures on the Atonement by Craig at the bottom of this blogpost.
2. There is also Craig's weekly Sunday School class Defenders where he addresses the doctrine of the Atonement. See THIS LINK or the link at the bottom of this blogpost.
3. For the meantime Craig's book "The Atonement" is freely available in pdf HERE or html HERE. ]]



Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part  11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part  16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 22



Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

Part 29

Part 30
(https://youtu.be/lQ0aoMRvZkk)

Part 31
(https://youtu.be/w6sa8fWaOtU)

Part 32
(https://youtu.be/9o2vxlH7TvY)

Part 33
(https://youtu.be/tp9sWfBvCgA)

Part 34
(https://youtu.be/qzaesa19bx8)

Part 35
(https://youtu.be/IKgAwhKTzuI)

Part 36
(https://youtu.be/HZO8hjD7CIs)

Part 37
(https://youtu.be/6rINAE6m7z0)

Part 38
(https://youtu.be/5-KA8etPFy0)

Philosophical Objections to the Atonement




Philosophical Issues in the Atonement:
The Coherence of Penal Substitution | Queen's University
(https://youtu.be/IoC-UTNh_6Q)





Divine Forgiveness & Legal Pardon | Houston Baptist University - October 2017
(https://youtu.be/pmGsrmu2yEo)





Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories Today |
Craig, Moo, Seifrid, Porter - EPS at AAR/SBL 2017
(https://youtu.be/eHBF29W0NyU)





Q&A: Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories Today | Craig, Moo, Seifrid, Porter - EPS 2017
https://youtu.be/ccxhK-kyE7c





Does Penal Substitution Satisfy Divine Justice - Toronto 2018
https://youtu.be/pDYNoRQqNVE





Is Penal Substitution Biblical? | Harding University - February 2018
https://youtu.be/yNtZfaDUzIg





Is Penal Substitution Unjust? | Harding University - February 2018
https://youtu.be/G0g1IlCpiHc




Is Christ's Penal Substitution Incoherent? | Azusa Pacific University - September 2018
https://youtu.be/y3Q3KTpAmzg




Is Christ's Penal Substitution Unjust? | Azusa Pacific University - September 2018
https://youtu.be/63fMR3t4t9A





WLC on Eleonore Stump’s Critique of Reformation Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theories
(https://youtu.be/1FylkutYePk)





In Defense of Penal Substitution | EPS Plenary Lecture - November 2018
https://youtu.be/QsNqBOAU1_s



Craig also addresses the Doctrine of the Atonement in his Defenders Sunday school class. See part 8 of the Doctrine of Christ at the following link:

William Lane Craig's Introductory Lectures on the Trinity


Refusing to Soften the Atonement
(Reasonable Faith Podcast)


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Monday, October 17, 2016

Should We Pray for the Devil?



I saw the following meme on Facebook



The following was my response (with possible future typo corrections and additions):

1. It must be remembered that Satan sinned against greater light (i.e. knowledge) than all human beings, and probably than all other angels. He was probably one of the chief angels of God (if not THE chief; cf. Isa. 14 & Ezek. 28). He's the most guilty of all both in terms of greater light and in terms of being the greatest instigator of sin in others via temptation and lies down through the centuries. Satan probably led the angels in their falling away just as he instigated the Fall of Adam and Eve. Satan might also be the most gifted, powerful and intelligent of all creatures ever created (with the likely exception of resurrected and glorified human beings). So, Satan also sinned with greater accountability because of his superior intellect and powers.

2. It must also be remembered that grace (i.e. unmerited favor) and mercy are, by definition, not obligated. God didn't have to provide salvation for fallen creatures (whether human or angels). God would be righteous and just in never having provided salvation for either humans or angels.

3. Historic Christianity affirms God's exhaustive foreknowledge of the Future (whether Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Arminian, Lutheran, Molinist, Calvinist etc.). The Bible predicts and prophesies that the devil will not repent and has been destined for ultimate and final judgment (cf. Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10; Gen. 3:14-15; Rom. 16:20). To pray for the devil's salvation would contradict God's revelation of the future and is therefore sinful because you're denying God's foreknowledge (and if a high view of predestination is true, like in Calvinism, then also denying God's foreordination).

4. For Protestants Christ died to redeem human beings. In the context of redemption and atonement the author of Hebrews states in Heb. 2:16, " For surely it is ***NOT ANGELS*** that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham."  There's no indication of Christ dying for angels. Yes, there's a sense in which Christ's redemption has a universal effect on all creation and so in that sense Christ redeemed it by His death on the cross. But in terms of penal substitution, Jesus only died for human beings. Additionally, Calvinists generally believe Jesus only died for the elect. I'm a Calvinist and I lean toward the Calvinistic doctrine of Limited Atonement, but I'm not dogmatic on it. I still think it could be false.

5. For Protestants, we interpret the Bible to teach that sinners (whether human or angelic) by nature cannot freely come to God in repentance and faith. That's because sinners are in bondage to sin (contrary to Pelagianism). It takes God's initiating/enabling grace to touch a person for them to be delivered from bondage to sin and to be able to now freely come to God (contrary to Semi-Pelagianism which says that sometimes man can self-initiate an application of grace). Catholics and Arminians are among those who believe this. If Calvinism is true, then God's grace is not merely initiating and enabling, but it's also sufficient and efficacious. Either way, God's grace is revealed in Christ's atonement, and that atonement also graciously makes possible the redemption of sinners. But as has been noted in #4 Christ died for humans and (in all probability) not for fallen angels.
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