This time the theme is a little complicated. .. .. ..
Do you know Calvin's "predestination"?
God chooses the person to be saved from the beginning, so only those who are chosen will be saved, and those who are not chosen will not be saved no matter how hard they try.
One of the typical scriptures is
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c]
through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will Ephesians 1: 4, 5
What is a predestination? Is the predestination biblical?
At the moment, I don't think so. This time, I would like to consider "two election," a bold proposal that denies Calvin's predestination.
I've been working on the predestination for several years. Originally from the Holy Spirit, I believed that faith was due to the will of each person, not the predestination. However, the ministers of the Reformed and Presbyterian churches said that the predestination was correct, so I began to look into it. If the Bible speaks it,
I want to obey the Bible. However, I strongly felt that the Holy Spirit "rejected" the predestination.
The Calvinist pastor, who advocated the predestination, logically explained the Bible's Word in many quotations. Certainly, there were many scriptures that supported the theory. On the other hand, the non- Calvinism people (Arminius) could not explain the refutation from the Bible because they did not care about the predestination.
I was confused that the Bible seemed to say a preaching theory, but I continued to consult and pray with pastors and Orthodox priests. And at some point
"The predestination is wrong! There are two choices," he said.
It is as described below. I think this is an idea I've never heard of, but I would like to introduce it. There are two elections, "salvation" and "role".
1. "Salvation" was chosen as "believers" ・ Equal selection
“God has chosen us.” Ephesians 1: 4
What kind of people are these that God has previously chosen for “salvation”?
First and foremost, all humankind are sinners. Everyone should have been "perished." This is basic . But the merciful God decided to reach out for salvation. And what kind of people to save was decided by God's sovereignty.
God thought. "What kind of people will I save?
Save all? ・ ・ ・ ・ (Relief for all) No
Save the Jews? (General Judaism) No
Save serious people? (General Japanese thinking) No
Save those who understand the Bible well? ... (knowledge only) No
Save those who believe in God's grace with their own will? ... Select these people! "
God chose the last people. I decided to invite these people to the road to heaven. So the choice of salvation is
“People who believe in God's grace with their own will” are equal choices.
"A, B, C I will save, but D, E, I will not."
It is not the kind of choice that the predestination says.
In addition, "a faith that remains in the Lord Jesus until the end even if he is born again" is necessary. It does not mean that once saved, you can go to heaven, no matter what you do, as predestination says.
2. Everyone was chosen as the "role". In a sense, inequality.
"May the potter have the authority to make one for the precious and one for the noble from the same clay?" Romans 9:21
The Bible has another choice. That is the choice of "role".
God made a plan in advance to save humanity. The magnificent plan is carried out by the role of each person. I think everyone has some sort of role. Therefore, God gives the necessary ability according to its role. This is not the only people saved. God is planning through everyone, including those who have not been saved.
The Jew is still the center of the role. They were chosen for the Bible, the Law, the birth of the Messiah, and the work of evangelism. This work is expected, loved, and specialized by God, and in a sense, it is inequality!
But many Jews are not saved.
Conversely, the villain has also been selected. The famous Egyptian Paro is. I don't think he was saved, but he did a great job of showing the glory of God. He played the role of his villain.
The important thing is to do your part with the given abilities. (Example of talent)
In this way, the choice of "role" has nothing to do with "salvation." I think many Calvin pastors confuse this choice of role with the choice of salvation. So they might have thought that God individually elected who would or would not be saved?
3. How was Calvin's faith?
Calvin seems to have come to this predestination from the famous Father Augustine. I respected Augustine. However, in Catholic and Orthodox churches that recognize Augustine as a saint
"Augustine did not say the theory," they claims.
Of course the Reformation was great. But what about other than justification of faith that "is saved by faith?" There were many unscriptural mistakes. Baptism of infants, persecution of Jews. .. .. I think the predestination is one of those mistakes.
In that sense, I would like to conclude that Calvin's predestination is unbiblical.
These are my personal thoughts. I will continue to pursue this.
It's a little troublesome, but what kind of person is God? Was an important theme!
