Here is a brief summary of the theologians surveyed in the book:
- Pelagius believed that man was inherently able to live according to God’s law.
- Augustine said that man is incapable of living for God apart from God's grace. He prayed, asking God, "demand whatever you will, only supply what you demand."
- The Semi-Pelagians believed that while man was still sinful, he was able to cooperate with God’s grace.
- Martin Luther believed that man was in bondage to sin and could only be rescued from this bondage by God’s grace.
- John Calvin sided with Luther and Augustine and believed that man was a voluntary slave that could not choose Christ in and of himself apart from God’s grace.
- James Arminius believed that while man was sinful, he was free to believe. Arminius believed that God would not ask of man what man could not do.
- Jonathan Edwards sided with Calvin and added that man always does what he most desires.
- Charles Finney was essentially a Pelagian who believed a different gospel (that Christ’s death was not a work of atonement, but that Christ died in order to inspire us to live for God).
- Lewis Sperry Chaffer believed that mankind was capable of belief and while it was God’s work the final act of conversion was an act of an individual’s will.
For anyone who does not understand this important debate, this would be the first book I recommended.
Fanny would agree with your last remark completely. For her, this book was foundational for understanding the heart of the doctrines of grace. For me, Chosen By God by R. C. was that one. But, ironically, apart from Scripture, and besides your influence on my thinking, Norm Geisler's Chosen But Free, which was his case for synergism, was what gave me my first convictions that the doctrines of grace are the teaching of the Scriptures..not exactly what the author was intending, huh?!?
ReplyDeleteI've often thought of writing him with gratitude.
I wouldn't agree that Finney was Semi-Pelagian;
ReplyDeletethat would make him half-Orthodox, which he was
not. He believed man had the ability to follow
God's Law, by imitation of Christ, making him an out-and-out Pelagian. His 'Governmental Theory' of the atonement, that Christ died for no one, but died only as an example for us, is absolute heresy. The Semi-Pelagian that should
be inserted here, would probably be the Arminian, John Wesley, who oft-times sounds
Pelagian, himself. It is probably an affront to
Arminius to have his name associated with Wesley, as Arminius was more Orthodox. Wesley:
"We have received it as a maxim, that 'a man is to do nothing in order to justification.' Nothing can be more false. 'Whoever desires to find favor with God, should "cease from evil, and learn to do well." So God himself teaches by the prophet Isaiah. Whoever repents, should "do works meet for repentance." And if this is not in order to find favour, what does he do them for?" Works of John Wesley (8:337)
Not much room for grace in that, but Wesley's all over the map. One thing is sure; he believes man has the innate ability to follow
God's will as much as Pelagius and Finney do.
He believes it is up to man to 'cooperate'
with the Holy Spirit. All of them have a
man-centered theology, in the end. A belief
in man's ability, and a rejection of Total
Depravity.
Thanks, Refz, for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI'll say it, Refz: Finney was a heretic, an absolute heretic. And is responsable for much damage to the Church's evangelistic methods since.
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