Three Views on Predestination

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摘自Greg Johnson – Predestination (God’s sovereignty in Salvation)
Http://www.christianstudy.org/

American Sacred Cattle
Sacred Cow # 1 Human Goodness 人的良善
Sacred Cow # 2 Democracy 民主
Sacred Cow # 3 Individual choice 個人的選擇

'Christian' Version 基督徒的版本
1. We have the moral ability to choose God. 我們有"道德能力"來選擇上帝.
2. God is trying his best to save everybody he can. 上帝儘量盡衪的能力來救祂的能力
3. God can’t change your heart unless you let him. 上帝無法改變你的心志,除非你讓衪改變.

以上版本已讓基督徒越來越遠離真理.

• 約400 AD, Augustine 和 Pelagius 為此教義爭辯 , Pelagius 甚至被責為異端.在Council of Orange in 529 AD, Free Will 不被認同.



• Again in 855, the Council of Valence affirmed a double predestination.




• 十六世紀Protestant Reformation, 馬丁路德 稱此預定論的教義為教會的心臟.Martin Luther called the doctrine of predestination the cor ecclesia, the heart of the Church. 此預定論教義雖稱為Calvinism,但馬丁路德寫有關預定論的文章多過加爾文. Luther wrote more about predestination than did John Calvin, even though the term .Calvinism was unfortunately applied to the doctrine.

In Ephesians 1:5-6, for example, Scripture tells us when this choice took place before creation, in eternity. And the Bible tells us what this predestination is unto adoption through Jesus, to be holy and blameless before God. And it tells us here why God chose us so that his glory could be praised.

以弗所書第一章4.就如神從創立世界以前，在基督裡揀選了我們，使我們在他面前成為聖潔，無有瑕疵；5.又因愛我們，就按著自己意旨所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分，6.使他榮耀的恩典得著稱讚；這恩典是他在愛子裡所賜給我們的。

Three Views on Predestination預定論三個觀點

問題不在基督徒信不信預定論,真正的問題在: 神揀選誰?(或更重要的是)為什麼祂揀選此人? The real question is this: whom did God predestine to eternal life, and (even more importantly) why did God choose those He predestined?

1. The optimistic view: 樂觀派認為

神揀選每個人,但人有veto-power. 此觀點和聖經不符. The Bible doesn’t say that everyone is predestined, but only those who will eventually believe and enjoy eternal life.

Christians are frequently called the elect and are said to be the chosen ones (see Rom 8:33; 11:7; 1 Cor 1:27-29; Col 3:12; 2 Tim 2:10; Tit 1:1; 1 Pe 2:8-9). God hasn’t chosen everyone. He’s chosen some for eternal life and not others. But on what basis has God chosen some?

基督徒稱自己為被揀選的.見:

Rom 8:33誰能控告神所揀選的人呢﹖有神稱他們為義了（或作：是稱他們為義的神嗎）

林前1:27.神卻揀選了世上愚拙的，叫有智慧的羞愧；又揀選了世上軟弱的，叫那強壯的羞愧。28.神也揀選了世上卑賤的，被人厭惡的，以及那無有的，為要廢掉那有的。29.使一切有血氣的，在神面前一個也不能自誇。

Tit 1:1神的僕人，耶穌基督的使徒保羅，憑著神選民的信心與敬虔真理的知識，

2. The Arminian view: 愛米念派的觀念

神揀選了一些人,因祂預知這些人會和聖靈合作.神給每個人同樣的恩典,那些和聖靈合作就被得救,神揀選我們因祂知道我們會選祂. God has predestined some to eternal life because He saw in advance that such persons would cooperate with the Holy Spirit and believe by their own free will. God gives everyone an equal amount of grace, and those willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit are saved. God chose us because we were going to choose Him.

3. The Reformed (Calvinist) view: 歸正的觀念

神揀選了一些人, 不是因祂預知這些人會信祂,是神祂自己的奧秘. 神揀選我們既使我們會拒絕祂, 不是我們會合作. 神揀選我們, 祂改變我們的心, 祂一直保守到祂揀選的都不失落.God predestined some to eternal life, not because He saw that they would have believed on their own (They wouldn’t have!), but because of His own secret purpose. God chose us despite our rejection of Him, not because we would be cooperative. God chose to change our hearts, and he has done so and will continue to do so until all of his elect are gathered to him.

Can Or May

JOH 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Can 不是 May

學生問道 : Can I sharpen my pencil?

老師會說 : I am sure that you can. You also may sharpen you pencil.

經文在這里的can是 something has to do with ability(能力), not permission(允許).

耶穌不是說—“No one is allowed to come to me….”
耶穌是說—“No one is able to come to me….”

耶穌是說你有那個“ability” come unto Jesus是父的恩賜(gift)

經文unless or except 是一個necessary condition.

人沒那個“ability”,是神先動工 God must do something first.

Question : Does God give the ability to come to Jesus to all men?

歸正的觀點是NO

Man cannot do it on his own steam without some kind of help from God.

JOH 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
若不是差我來的父吸引人，就沒有能到我這裡來的；到我這裡來的，在末日我要叫他復活。

Key word : draw “吸引”

一說到吸引,有個woo 或 entice

人是否可拒絕這woo 或 entice ?

有一種比較哲學的說法是 => 神是necessary condition but not sufficient condition

白話一點的說法 ---- 我們若少了那個”吸引”是不能到神來,但那吸引不保證我們會到耶穌那. 這說法看來好很對,我也被說服了,但卻是錯的.

在這里的draw 是 helko (希臘文)
是 irressitable superiority
是to compel
To compel 是 force 多過 woo

這 draw 在James 2:6 ; Act 16:9 的”拉”是同一字.

如電腦的Drag and drop, 你 drag, 就要drop.

John 3:3 耶穌向尼哥底母論重生
John 3:5 又重覆

這里又遇到一個字unless.

歸正的看法是人在接受基督之前,他的心要改變.他必需重生.

Fallen man 是屬肉体的,在肉体他不能做任何事來喜悅神.保羅在羅馬書說:羅8:7原來體貼肉體的，就是與神為仇；因為不服神的律法，也是不能服，8而且屬肉體的人不能得神的喜歡。
誰是屬肉体?
羅8:9.如果神的靈住在你們心裡，你們就不屬肉體，乃屬聖靈了。人若沒有基督的靈，就不是屬基督的。
若 = if

這里有一個邏輯.

神命令我們信耶穌,祂喜歡那些信耶穌的人.如果沒重生的人可選耶穌,那他至少可以做一件事來取悅神.

那就不是如保羅所說的不能得神喜悅.

那保羅是錯的,他堅持屬肉体的人不能得神喜悅.

Conclusion:

我們結論是fallen man 還是有依他的desire來選擇的自由,但他的desire(欲望)是wicked.他缺少moral ability 來到基督.
只要是屬肉体,還沒重生(unregenerate),他將不會選耶穌基督.
事實上,他無法選基督,因他無法違反他自已的意志(will).
He cannot choose Christ precisely because he cannot act against his won will.

罪人無法渴望基督,他無法選,因他沒有那渴望.
人的墮落是大的,大到只有神的有效思典(effectual grace of God)在他心中動工才能带給他信心(faith).

Predestination Vs Free Will

何謂Free Will?

一般定義為Free will is the ability to make choices without any prior prejudice, inclination, or disposition.

表面是沒有coercion(強迫,威壓), free will 看來該是如此.

但如此解釋(定義)會有兩個潛在問題.

1) 若我們的選擇是不偏不倚,是中立,是neutral.
是沒理由的,是without rhyme or reason的,是一個pop out.

可能嗎?

答案是:不可能.

2) 如果沒有偏心,欲望或是motivation,完全沒有選擇的理由,那麼選擇是如何決定?

例: Alice in wonderland

Alice在十字路口如何走.





例: neutral-willed mule

一邊放 oats ; 一邊放 wheat. 如果兩邊的東西對mule來說, 欲望同等.
Mule 肯定會starve餓死or paralyzed (僵化).

所以沒有"決定"是不可能有"選擇".

So we must reject the neutral-will theory not only because it is irrational but because, as we shall see, it is radically unbiblical.

選擇一定有經過思維,一定有決定(determine)

Another definition of free will is “the ability to choose what we want.”

Jonathan Edwards 的經典著作– "On the freedom of the will".

Edwards’s law of choice is => “The will always chooses according to its strongest inclination at the moment.”

Natural ability Vs Moral ability

整個predestination的debate在此：
Does fallen man, in and of himself have a desire for GOD.

答案是：NO
Edwards 是emphatic “NO”

Augustine 謂fallen man有free will 但沒有liberty
Fallen man被捆綁,沒有moral ability追求基督的自由.

Original Sin – 指的是對First Sin 的Punishment.

原罪不是“罪”的某一個行為（Specific act）is a condition of sin.