AN EXPOSITION OF ROMANS 9:1-7 The life of Paul, as presented in Scripture, suggests that he was a very emotional personality. There is pathos, there is energy to the apostle that surges through the Divine narrative, as the record of his life is revealed. The emotional intensity that characterized the man also characterized his writings. … Continue reading Paul’s Pastoral Heart
Curtis Hudson vs. Calvinism: Part 3 Limited Atonement (Definite Redemption)
III. Limited Atonement By limited atonement, Calvin meant that Christ died only for the elect, for those He planned and ordained to go to Heaven: He did not die for those He planned and ordained to go to Hell. Again, I say, such language is not in the Bible, and the doctrine wholly contradicts many, … Continue reading Curtis Hudson vs. Calvinism: Part 3 Limited Atonement (Definite Redemption)
Curtis Hudson vs. Calvinism: Part I Total Depravity (Inability)
The Bible says that, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9). A small amount of controversy can disrupt the whole fellowship in a congregation. As a young pastor of a small church in the hills of Pennsylvania during the late 1980s, I witnessed this biblical truth when a disgruntled deacon secretly distributed to … Continue reading Curtis Hudson vs. Calvinism: Part I Total Depravity (Inability)
Predestination: The Big Question
There is no doctrine which generates more emotion, and more debate, in Christendom, than the Biblical Doctrine of Predestination. For any serious student of the Bible, it is impossible to avoid the discussion, for the concept of predestination is clearly set forth in Holy Scripture. Writing to the church in Ephesus, Paul says, “In whom … Continue reading Predestination: The Big Question
Good Works and Justification
Good works are indispensable to justification. James explains. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso … Continue reading Good Works and Justification
Sola Fide: The Rallying Cry of the Reformation
The rallying cry of the Reformation was Sola Fide, meaning justification by faith, alone. The challenge for the average Evangelical Christian is to articulate what this means, and here is where the Church should be concerned. Despite being in a local religious assembly for many years, multitudes of professing believers are still at a basic … Continue reading Sola Fide: The Rallying Cry of the Reformation
Is God’s Unconditional Love A Dangerous Message?
While keeping in mind the Hebraism of comparative affection, there are passages in the Bible that do present the hatred of God, not as something less, in comparison, but as an active manifestation of His hatred for sin, and thus the sinner. The two cannot be separated in the day of ultimate judgment. God will … Continue reading Is God’s Unconditional Love A Dangerous Message?
