The Prophetic Presbyterian & His Narrow Way

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.  25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  29  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  ( John 20:24–30 , ESV) The most common explanation of this text is that Thomas was skeptical about the other Disciples’ testi...

 

Does Matthew 22:1-14 disprove Calvinism?    According to some people it does.   According them, the kings servants invited many, many people, but someone was cast into outer darkness.  Therefore Calvinism is false.  This allegedly disproves Unconditional Election &/or Irresistible Grace.  As to Unconditional Election, the text states, “And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.  (Matthew 22:10, ESV)” It’s hard to see how this disproves Unconditional Election.  Those gathered are found from among both good & bad people.    The opposing position (Conditional Election) teaches that God elects those from among all walks of life who do a good thing —- exercise saving faith & repentance.   The texts emphasis is on the gathering of people.  As to Irresistible Grace, the text says tha...

6  But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.  7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8  For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9   not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israelafter those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds,and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God,and they shall be my people. 11   And they shall not t...

Pay attention to Genesis 33 & the story of Jacob & Esau.       It’s the basis of the story  of the Prodigal Son .   Jacob, at a young age, obtains his birthright (via illicit means) & winds up in sorting sheep (slopping pigs) in a far away land (Uncle Laban’s house) returns home & is met by Esau (the Prodigal’s father.     Gifts are exchanged (the ring, turban, etc), $ all is well.       Sometime later Edom (the brother who stayed behind), ie Esau’s offspring, but not Esau himself, gets angry & the LORD cuts them down to size just like the father in the story cut his angry son down to size.     How is it that we all understand the Prodigal Son’s father to be a godly man like Jethro but somehow Esau isn’t understood that way?  It’s so simple, a child can understand it. 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,  13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  14  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.  15  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;  16  that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.  17  For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.  ( Hebrews 12:12–17 , ESV) Sometimes people read this text & assume that it means that Esau never repented.  From time to time, they even say that when Esau died, he didn’t know the LORD.  Is that at all true?   No, it isn’t, & here...