Does the Bible Teach Total Inability in Mark 4 & Acts 28? 🧐

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, briefly walks through Mark 4 and Acts 28 to show that the #Calvinistic understanding of parabolic language and total inability does not compute with the plain reading of #scripture.

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[DelicueMusic]

I need to study it, but this concept of Judicial Hardening really seems compelling and really makes sense of many of the things Jesus said and did, as opposed to Calvinism either appealing to mystery or appealing to a schizophrenic “Two Wills.”

[HeavenGuy]

"Assume the best about this person." Good on ya mate.

[AlexanderosD]

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because... God predetermined them to and then gets upset that they aren't accepting His light because....for His glory I guess?...I dunno, I'm winging it here, work with me."
- John Calvin probably

[richocat]

Dr. Flowers, I’m guest teaching on Mark 4 this weekend…thank you!

[hleigh]

You explain these verses very well! Thank you for taking your time to share the Gospel truth with us! God bless you Dr. Flowers!

[nathanhellrung]

The distinction that needs to be made is that in Calvinism those who are hardened so as to not believe were so by birth whereas Provisionism says that those that are hardened are so after they were able to believe but rejected the Father. So in one camp you have zero chance ever for a person to be saved and in the other you have a chance to be saved but man rejecting that salvation. Also, in Provisionism those who are hardened are not permanently hardened. As Romans 11 says they can be grafted back in. The blinding the Jews were given was temporary, for a purpose. There is no such thing in Calvinism.

[bigdogboos]

to think like a calvinist you literally believe that you are 100% pure evil from birth, and CANNOT do anything good, and CANNOT believe or discern anything spiritual IF that were the case, God would never need to harden anyone so they wouldn't believe, or speak in parables lest they believe. It makes no sense if they cannot believe in the first place.

[TKK]

Next time I hear a calvinist say “Well we just weren’t born as bad as we could have been” as a response to this, I’m going to call them pelagian and tell them they must think we’re born basically good

[Myrdden]

I'm having total deja vu...I'd swear that I've seen this video already, but it was posted today. Still, thank you, Dr. Flowers!

[tdawg]

These episode of late have been great. Teachers in 101 classes make their content so good that nobody wants leave and go to 102.

[KISStheSON...]

THAT "peoples" hearts have become calloused because their fathers walked away from God and gave their hearts to Baal.
They closed their eyes to the things of God and set their sight on Baal.
Their ears will not hear God because they gave their ears to the voice of Baal.
The fathers TAUGHT their children that Baal's voice is the voice of God.
After generations had come and gone, God KNEW that Israel had grown so far from the truth that THEY WOULD accuse Jesus of blasphemy and cry crucified.
Now, THAT is God's perfect timing....no sooner or later than that time, knowing what they would do, and through their rebellion, God BLESSED ALL nations...God kept them blinded for a time by speaking to them in parables because had they known, they would not have crucified Him.
That WAS hidden wisdom...BUT NOW it has been MADE KNOWN so that every man can GET IT and with all of their getting they may get understanding which gives the faith in Christ Jesus!

1 Corinthians 2
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Listen please:
The Spirit of God is working mightly by using chosen vessels to make God known to every man.
The gospel reveals God's love for the UNGODLY by the preaching of the cross.
God didn't give this wisdom until after Jesus was crucified...now that He GAVE it we are able to GET it! 😁

Proverbs 2:6
“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Colossians 1
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching EVERY MAN IN ALL WISDOM; that we may present EVERY MAN perfect in Christ Jesus:
29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

We preach the HOPE OF GLORY to the ungodly to GIVE them the hope of glory THROUGH the faith of Christ Jesus...COME THROUGH the faith of Christ Jesus and RECIEVE the hope of glory because only IN HIM can the ungodly be presented PERFECT before God because HE is perfect!

Let me tell ya...the TIMES of IGNORANCE are over because God RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD and REVEALED Himself resurrected to over 500 eyewitnesses of whom several were chosen to write their accounts to make us able to GET the knowledge of the truth that sets us free from sin and death
If God gave us the knowledge that means we are in THE TIME of no excuses.
Ignorance is the lack of knowledge and if you are lacking the knowledge of God that is because you WILL NOT GET it and FILL your vessel with it for whatever excuse or reason you may have...and all of them are inexcusable.

Colossians 4:5
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming THE TIME.”

Let me tell you what time it is.
It's the time of "BUT NOW"...Acts 17 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; BUT NOW commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath GIVEN ASSURANCE UNTO ALL MEN, in that he hath RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD.

Leighton is absolutely correct:
Had they NOT closed their eyes and ears their hearts would not have become hardened.
God's word SOFTENS our hearts and if you will not LET THEM IN they can't work on our hearts to soften them...it takes time to soften a hardened heart that's why Paul stayed so long persuading them OU OF THE SCRIPTURES which is living WATER.
Water softens hardened clay!
Let it in your vessel.
Simple.

[TKK]

More TD nonsense from them, the same nonsense you will have to deal with Monday debating John 6.

If "draw" actually means to effectually drag, then in what sense does a person also need "to come"? Calvinists point to how Paul and Silas were helkuo into court. OK, so if the same "drag" meaning is in John 6:44, in what way did Paul and Silas also need "to come" to court? Obviously they didn't, because the context provides the use of "drag". John 6:44 however has the coming on the part of the subject, but it makes no sense to say "can come" if they are actually just effectually dragged to Christ. Why would Jesus even mention coming if the dragging accomplishes everything? If the dragging doesn't accomplish everything, then it cannot be understood like Paul and Silas being drug into court.

[johndisalvo]

Leighton, you’re way too gracious with these heretics! But… I can see the Lord’s wisdom in how you deal with these false teachers, and can see Christ in you as you do. You’re a much more Christlike man than me brother. We all have different gifting by the Holy Spirit, and you seem to have a very good balance of them all. God bless you brother.

[monkizaki]

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!!... Can watch it every week.

[GoldStandard]

Wish I could have liked this one twice.

[thm]

Hey Leighton when can you do a live debate with Guillaume Bignon? He speaks English, the debate would be very interesting... at least I don't see him being arrogant like James White. If you agree, press like.

[archam]

Why would He have to even speak in parables in the first place if it was literally impossible for them to "hear" Him??

[MichaelJohnson-cmwp]

As a Very Freewill, non Calvinist, I know for certain that I will never rob a bank or stick up a liquor store..I am totally sure that will never happen..

But as a Calvinist, that thought and act could enter into the mind of a Calvinist at any time..A sovereign God at anytime may have before the foundation of the world was ever built, will cause you to do that act..And since you don't have any free will, it will happen ..
You have no idea what will happen next..
As a freewill person, I know for certain that today, tomorrow or for the rest of my life, that I will never rob a bank..

A Calvinist is not sure..That thought and act of robbing a bank could happen at any moment..After all, your thought and actions are not your own..

[scottthong]

The same crowd temporarily blinded by Jesus' use of parables so that they would crucify Him, later turns are are saved according to Acts 2. Where is the Reprobation unto Damnation there? Romans 11:11 concurs!

[joshuabecker]

Hi Leighton. I really appreciate your work and ministry. I have a question that's been really bothering me for some time now. I may be missing it as I've not been studying this nearly as long as you. But how is the connection made from TULIP to determinism? In other words; if a person believes in TULIP do they necessarily believe in determinism? Thanks in advance for your reply.