Arminianism: Reviewing a Theological Discussion

Eric and Drew talk about Arminianism as Arminians and Calvinists interact with Provisionist claims about depravity and grace. Two Arminians Lucas of Method Ministries and Dan Chapa recently took on challengers to their position and highlighted how they differ from Provisionists. Eric and Drew discuss the presuppositions that each brings to the table and how we can improve theological dialogue among free will theists.

[HoytRoberson]

Repentance and faith are gifts from God in the sense that God allows the space and time for you to come home. Neither is 'energy' that is projected into the person.

[HoytRoberson]

Olson's concern is avoiding a label applied by Calvinists. That is a poor reason for an argument.

[Apollos.]

I think the Bible Brodown did an episode that lack of information would be true inability....
But since everyone knows Rom 1, Psalm 19 everyone is able.

Therefore everyone is without excuse.
But I agree, the Gospel is much more than just mere information!

[HoytRoberson]

The only inability that the Bible supports is the human inability to force their way into Heaven. Humans do in fact naturally have the ability to seek God, to find God, and to return to God.

Arminianism and Calvinism deny those abilities and they are wrong.

[pontificusmaximus]

27:15 Calvinist trance broken! Great job here! "Internal / External", and similar Augustinian categories, are not from the Bible--they are Platonic concepts. You really have to discipline yourself not to respond to their false presuppositions, and instead stop, step back, and ask, "Where are you getting this from?", because it's surely not from Scripture.

[NateWardawg]

It seems to me that those who hold to Augustinian anthropology think the gospel is a ghost or something that's floating around and flies into some people when the good news is presented, rather than the good news itself being the thing that has the power.

[HoytRoberson]

All information is information. No information requires a 'spiritual' force to make it intelligible.

[amber_m_OT_nerd]

Drew is correct. Hard shells are not tacos. 😊

[HoytRoberson]

Conversion isn't supernatural or miraculous because there is nothing that needs to be miraculously changed.

[meyo]

I didn’t agree with LF’s answer either on whether or not conversion is a supernatural work of God. Being regenerated/born again is definitely a miracle.

[Dizerner]

@1:20:00 1. Preceding Grace would be experiencing spiritual life, there is no doubt about that. It would not be permanent but temporary, a provisional eternal life for the purpose of enabling, which some call partial regeneration, a term I would be comfortable with.
@1:22:00 2. I can acknowledge you claim to believe it, like Calvinists claim to believe in free will, and then object I think you are using the terms inconsistently and contradictory with other beliefs you claim to hold. I completely reject that "all information is spiritual."

[janetdavis]

Arminius was a Calvinist. There’s not much difference between the two systems.

[HoytRoberson]

Prevenient Grace by definition is individually specific for the purpose of making the gospel intelligible/accessible to that specific person. It is not true.

[VeryBasicBible]

Peg Leg, like a pirate. Peg Legian! We only got one theological leg to stand on.

[matt_the_prodigal]

Drew and Eric, I have been following you guys on this channel for a few months now and I have a question. What does Paul mean when he says we are dead in trespasses and sin? If you have a video that you guys have made, I'd be glad to watch it (just need to be directed to the actual video you made).

[HoytRoberson]

Flowers confused the discussion by attempting to redefine established theological sense. 'The Revelation of God' is not 'Prevenient Grace' and Flowers needs to quit pretending it might be.

[rosapederson]

"You can draw a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". Of course I believe God draws men to Himself (scripture says so) but I also believe that once we are drawn, we can receive or reject Him. The Bible constantly tells us to choose God or life etc. Been studying the Bible over 50 years and never read that we don't have the ability to choose Him. Please don't quote that we're "dead in our sins". The prodigal son was said to be "dead" and he humbled himself and choose to go back to his father. Paul also says the tongue is a fire. Is it really fire? No. The Bible is replete with word pictures that aren't always literal.

[jacobcolson]

So God knows who will ultimately reject Him, but he created them anyway?

[HoytRoberson]

These are not nuances. The two positions are clearly different and mutually exclusive.

[MrTimotheousWard]

This thumbnail is problematic. But muy delicioso.