by Paul Sumner hebrew-streams.org The word most often used for God in the Hebrew Bible is Elohim. The word is a topic of frequent theological discussion and defining. But what is often lacking is accurate and detailed information based on the biblical contexts in which the word is found. Elohim Section A — Summary of … Continue reading Defining Elohim in the Biblical Context
By Tim WarnerCopyright © The Pristine Faith Restoration Society The Pristine Faith Restoration Society believes that the foundational philosophies for discovering God's truth of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Churches are all seriously flawed. We realize that every Christian organization and denomination claims to hold to the original Christian Faith. But, with the extensive variety … Continue reading Philosophy & Methodology for Understanding Scripture
Acts 24:21 unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, 'Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.' Many verses in Paul's epistles are often cited to prove he taught that man has an immortal soul which would depart upon the death of … Continue reading Life, Death and Resurrection in the Pauline Epistles
Christian interpreters have long been puzzled by the brief mention of Melchizedek in Genesis 14, his one-sentence mention in Psalm 110:4, and by the interpretation of those two texts by Paul in Hebrews 5&7. Most Christian commentators hold that Melchizedek was just a man and that he merely prefigured Christ, being a type or comparative … Continue reading “Melchizedek” is the Son of God
God is sovereign, but that doesn’t lead to the philosophy of St. Augustine or John Calvin. God chooses to limit His sovereignty in the case of man’s free will. He has established a framework of natural laws and spiritual laws. His natural laws include the laws of physics. Everything in the universe obeys God’s natural … Continue reading The Coexistence of Sovereignty and Free Will – Calvinism Series
We stated in the introduction that Calvinism has its roots in the views of St. Augustine. This man was also largely responsible for the acceptance of amillennialism into mainstream Christianity, and the Roman Catholic doctrine that the Catholic Church is now God’s Kingdom on earth. Prior to his conversion in the fourth century, Augustine was … Continue reading Free Will & the Early Church – Calvinism – Part 11
God’s will is that believers abstain from fornication. Paul wrote, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no … Continue reading God’s Will – Calvinism – Part 7
The idea that God gives a mystical enlightenment only to a preordained number of individuals is completely foreign to the Scriptures, and to God’s integrity. Yes, the Spirit draws people to God. But, many people resist the Spirit. The power that leads people to repentance and experiencing the grace of God, is not mystical at … Continue reading The Power of the Gospel – Calvinism Series – Part 8
Grace According to CalvinistsCalvinists do not deny that God’s grace is given to the non-elect. Everything good is from God. Jesus said that God makes the sun to shine on both the wicked and righteous. Everything good in this world is because of the grace of God. However, Calvinists distinguish between what they call “common … Continue reading Irresistible Grace – Calvinism – Part 5
It may come as a surprise to many Christians that “Eternal Security” (or once saved always saved) was completely unknown to the Church prior to the development of Calvinism during the Reformation. Even St. Augustine, whose philosophies led to the development of Calvinism, did not hold to “Eternal Security.” The Scriptures teach that the believer … Continue reading Perseverance of the Saints – Calvinism – Part 6
Living as a Christian in this World 