Clint
At the moment, I don't think I want to tackle the questions you brought up. I am sure that others will.
The reason why I am responding however is the following part of your post.
He sees it as a mis-understanding of the text and that because so many will agree with TULIP before doing their own in depth interpretations, (true interp in which one digs and picks at the text to understand original meaning) and because they have decided that Reformed theology is true before all this, the text will always speak to this and it naturally becomes true because they want it to be true....
I came to believe in TULIP not because I wanted to, but because (at least this is how I saw it at the time) after studying for quite a long time, I could not deny that it is what the Word of God teaches.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I did not really want it to be true. Most of my family and friends are or were Arminian in their theology. There were many sleepless nights back then, because my mind couldn't wrap itself around some of the connotations of the doctrines.
I now understand that some of that was caused because unknowingly to me and most Arminians, they look at the Word of God through the eyes of what seems fair and right in their own eyes, instead of through the eyes of our Lord.
When one does the former, a passage like Romans 9 doesn't seem fair, until one takes their eyes off of themselves and reads the passage through the eyes of God.
Unfortunately, if you read an Arminian commentary on Romans 9, you will notice that what I said about their interpretation depends on their own sense of fairness rather than letting God be God.
I am not sure when this occurred, but I now am comforted by looking at the Word through the eyes of God. Among other things, I have the realization that nothing can happen to me that is outside of God’s sovereign will for my life (Rom.8:28). Yes I still need reminding of that fact sometimes, but it is comforting never the less.
Tom
