The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Does a denial of the gospel's free offer = Hyper...?

To assert that the ultimate cause of one's damnation due to their rejection of the Gospel is God's you then make God the "Author of sin" as well as relieve all responsibility from the individual. God chose to NOT save the majority of Adam's fallen race, which decision is just. If God were obligated to save anyone, then it would not be of grace. It was God's design to appoint Adam as the Federal Head of the human race and to establish corporate solidarity. Due to Adam's transgression the entire human race was punished (made sinners). The penalty of Adam's transgression was two-fold: 1) ALL would have Adam's guilt imputed to them and 2) ALL would be born like unto Adam, i.e., with a corrupt nature. Thus by virtue of being human, ALL are under the just condemnation of God.

Now, if you choose to reject the biblical teaching of "imputation", you of necessity eliminate the work of Christ and the salvation merited by Him. For, it is by the "imputation" of righteousness that sinners are reconciled with God. This truth is indisputably set forth in Rom 5:12-18 and I Cor 15:21, 22. What you are left with is some form of synergism and the atonement reduces to nothing more than an example, e.g., Finney ended up with his bankrupt Governmental Theory of the atonement which provides no actual salvation at all.

For all intents and purposes, any other reasons underlying proposed are moot.

Robertson's Word Pictures is not a Greek Lexicon but a commentary, if that. Thus it has no salient use to the discussion. If you would consult a recognized Greek Lexicon you would see that the word does indeed mean "to appoint", etc.

tas'-so

a prolonged form of a primary verb (which latter appears only in certain tenses); to arrange in an orderly manner, i.e. assign or dispose (to a certain position or lot):--addict, appoint, determine, ordain, set.

Personally, I have far more trust in my understanding of Koine Greek that yours. Thus the text does say, "as many as were appointed, ordained, determined (to salvation; understood) believed. The proximate cause of their believe was their being ordained to do so. (cf. Eph 1:4-11) You are deliberately ignoring the grammatical order and reversing what the text actually says; "those who believed were ordained" rather than "those who were ordained, believed". To be "ordained to eternal life" is the same as being ordained to be united with Christ by faith, salvation, et al, since eternal life only belongs to those who believe on Christ. And those who believe on Christ only do so IF God the Spirit sovereignly enlivens them; aka: born from above, born again, made alive, etc.

In His grace,