Wes Widner on August 27th, 2010

Here is an exchange I had recently with a brother in Christ on the topic of presuppositionalism and it’s possible pitfalls when it comes to being a basis for apologetics and evangelization: They: when the presuppositionalist claims there is no common ground, how duz the classical apologist respond? Because one of my seminary buddies (he’s [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about On presuppositionalism

Wes Widner on August 4th, 2010

Here’s a gem I ran across recently while reading the excellent book, Whosoever Will. And indeed our Lord Jesus was offered to the world. For it is not speaking of three or four when it says: “God so loved the world, that He spared not His only Son.” But yet we must notice what the [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about John Calvin on John 3:16

Wes Widner on August 2nd, 2010

Maël from “The Adventures of Maël & Cindy” blog recently wrote a piece titled “Waffle House Systems“. Here’s a portion of it: My friend and advisor is know for describing what some systematic theologians do with a Waffle House analogy. If you have ever been to a Waffle House restaurant and have ever observed the [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Maël on theological systems

Wes Widner on July 26th, 2010

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 World is not merely nations in this text. Such a distinction, while required in order to prop up the doctrine of limited atonement, is simply not found in [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about A brief exposition of John 3:16

Wes Widner on July 7th, 2010

What it means Greek πᾶς Transliteration/Pronunciation pas/pä’s Strong’s G3956 Definition The primary definition is: each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything The secondary definition is: some of all types This word is hotly debated by the Reformed crowd when it comes to doctrines such as particular election, limited atonement, and irresistible grace. The claim by most [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Wordy Wednesday: pas

Wes Widner on June 23rd, 2010

Here is a follow-up to the exchange I posted on earlier wherein I received and answered a question from someone interested in learning more about the Biblical doctrine of Molinism/Middle Knowledge. “Now, I may be incorrectly understanding Craig’s explanation of how middle knowledge is supposed to have worked, but I believe he detailed a scenario in which [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Another primer on Molinism/Middle Knowledge 2 of 2

Wes Widner on June 21st, 2010

I recently received the following via a Facebook message (reposed with permission): Wes Pardon the unsolicited message–and I see that with your 3K+ friends, your ability to reply may be limited–but I’m a long-suffering “anti-Calvinist” who’s only now beginning to study Molinism. I noticed through Facebook’s VERY unprivate data search mechanisms that you are a [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Another primer on Molinism/Middle Knowledge 1 of 2

Wes Widner on June 18th, 2010

One of the unfortunate side effects of reformed theology is that the view that prayer is actually able to induce change (from God of course) is often sacrificed due to a poor understanding of predestination. Often prayer is portrayed in reformed theology as something we do in order to “get attuned to God” and it [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Prayer changes things

Wes Widner on June 11th, 2010

A Calvinist friend of mine recently asked me the difference between “unwilling” and “unable” and why I consider the two to be mutually exclusive when talking about mankind’s ability to sin or not. Here’s my reply If I am unable I cannot be unwilling because my inability precludes my willingness either way. I know you tire of [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about Unable or unwilling?

Here are some additional thoughts from a conversation that ensued following my previous post on this subject: God does not create states of affairs and thus such we are under no compulsion to claim such states of affairs as having to have some sort of “greater good”. I think the greatest difference here is in [...]

  • Share/Bookmark

Continue reading about More thoughts on the problems with the greater good theodicy