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NASB | 1 Timothy 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Timothy 3:1 This is a faithful and trustworthy saying: if any man [eagerly] seeks the office of overseer (bishop, superintendent), he desires an excellent task. |
Subject: Did Jesus die _only_ for the elect |
Bible Note: HANK: Note: bjanko, in view of your statement on election, please look again at John 3:16. The text says "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." BJANKO: Thank you. I'm glad you brought this verse up as it supports the view of limited atonement very powerfully. HANK: It does not say that Christ is not able to save, it does not diminish the power of God or elevate man's will. It simply stipulates in clear and unequivocal language the fact that, even though the offer of salvation is universal, the sine qua non is belief in Jesus Christ, i.e., the offer must be met with acceptance. BJANKO: Yes, it describes in very plain terms that whoever believes in Him will be saved. However, it nowhere says that just anyone at all is able to believe in Him! HANK: Belief, in the biblical sense, involves more than mere intellectual affirmation that Jesus is the Son of God. BJANKO: True, but doesn't seem to be releveant here. HANK: All are not saved, that is perfectly true. But all are by no means willing to surrender their lives to Christ either. BJANKO: I would not only agree with this but go further and assert, with the Scripture, that there are none willing to submit their lives to Christ: "As it is written, 'THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.' (Rom. 3:10-11). When the God draws His elect to Himself, however, (see John 6:34), then those people become willing to surrender; this is evidence of their election. So, you are quite right to put forth John 3:16 as a prooftext of limited atonement. "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This is a perfect description of those whom the Father has chosen to give to the Son for salvation: The ones the Father regenerates by His Spirit are the ones (whosoever's) who will believe. And those "whosoever's" will be saved, as God has predetermined. This puts all will and decision in the hands of God, thus glorifying Him, rather than in the hands of man, thus glorifying man, the creature. One is orthodox Christian; the other is semi-Pelagian and is false doctrine. |