R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 By Dave Hunt
Calvin's Inconsistency
In his discussions of Total Depravity, Calvin sometimes seemed confused and
unable to articulate his ideas well. He theorized that totally depraved man
naturally loves truth, but not enough; still he has great gifts from his Cre
ator, and everyone should know that whatever truth he has comes from God - y
et he cannot fully know the truth and thus be saved.
One is left to wonder about the exact meaning of this terminology and where
it is stated in Scripture. At other times Calvin further contradicts himself
concerning this key doctrine and in some places even indicates that "total"
doesn't really mean total. For example, Calvin engaged in the following con
fusing speculation which seems to teeter on the brink of Total Depravity, fa
ll over the edge at times, then recover itself:
The human mind ... is naturally influenced by the love of truth [but] this l
ove of truth fails before it reaches the goal [yet] man's efforts are not al
ways so utterly fruitless as not to lead to some result . . . and intelligen
ce naturally implanted ... should lead every individual for himself to recog
nize it as a special gift of God ....
Therefore ... the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its ori
ginal integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its
Creator. If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth
, we will be careful, as we would avoid offering insult to him, not to rejec
t or contemn truth wherever it appears. In despising the gifts, we insult th
e Giver ....
He ... by the virtue of the Spirit ... has been pleased to assist us ... wit
h great talents for the investigation of truth [but] not based on a solid fo
undation of truth .... The Lord has bestowed on [philosophers] some slight p
erception of his Godhead, that they might not plead ignorance as an excuse f
or their impiety, and has, at times, instigated them to deliver some truths,
the confession of which should be their own condemnation .... Their discern
ment was not such as to direct them to the truth, far less to enable them to
attain it, but resembled that of the bewildered traveler ....
An Apostle declares, "When the Gentiles ... do by nature the things containe
d in the law, these ... shew the work of the law written in their hearts . .
. " (Romans 2:14-15) [so] we certainly cannot say that they are altogether
blind. ... Nothing, indeed, is more common, than for man to be sufficiently
instructed in a right course of conduct by natural law .... The end of the n
atural law, therefore, is to render man inexcusable . . . . 29
Confusion and contradictions reign here. Is man totally depraved or isn't he
? And if he is, exactly what does that mean? That the natural man doesn't un
derstand the things of God unless they are revealed to him by God cannot be
denied - the Bible says so. That is true of everything we have; it all comes
from God:
... he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things ... for in him we live
, and move, and have our being .... (Acts 17:25, 28)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from t
he Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning
. (James 1:17)
But without biblical warrant, Calvin introduces the idea of degrees: All men
by nature receive much truth from God, but in varying degrees. Most of them
just don't receive enough - such grace is only for the elect. Unregenerate
man can see, yet he is blind, but not totally blind. What exactly does Calvi
n mean? We are left to wonder. | s***u
发帖数: 1911 | 2 要接受基督教，必须得承认人的罪大恶极，人的堕落，看看那些犯罪率，看看自己的一
些阴暗心理，想想世界上各个时代的伟人都有自私自利的时候，没有一个完美的人啊！
不完美了，就要下地狱永刑，这是“上帝”的公义。
可是这世界上好人好事也挺多，不信教的人也会做好事。但一个人不可能一辈子做好事
，所以还是得下地狱。
但既然人还能做好事，那人就没有“完全”堕落，比如版上任何一个“堕落”的艾迪都
会孝敬父母，有谁把父母赶出家门的？所以，人没有“完全”堕落
基督教的特点是，实体上无法说明，就从精神上说明，既然实际上一个人不可能“完全
”堕落，那精神上一个人就是“完全”堕落的，精神上的堕落就是“一个人不可能一辈
子做好事”
改革宗的把这种精神上的“完全”堕落直接推到对福音的接受能力上，一个精神上“完
全”堕落的人，听了福音，也不会信的，看看这里的“反基”就知道，不是吗？而听了
福音能信的人，必然是上帝“预定”他们“信”的，看看这里的Mr.Huo, seeketernal，
他们不像是上帝在创世前就“预定”要上天堂的宝贝吗？
and
man
Cre
y
where
himself
total"
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: By Dave Hunt
: Calvin's Inconsistency
: In his discussions of Total Depravity, Calvin sometimes seemed confused and
: unable to articulate his ideas well. He theorized that totally depraved man
: naturally loves truth, but not enough; still he has great gifts from his Cre
: ator, and everyone should know that whatever truth he has comes from God - y
: et he cannot fully know the truth and thus be saved.
: One is left to wonder about the exact meaning of this terminology and where
: it is stated in Scripture. At other times Calvin further contradicts himself
: concerning this key doctrine and in some places even indicates that "total"
|
|
