Gospel Meals: October 2024

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Is Limited Atonement Biblical? Lecture by James White

As I've recently pointed out in my new blogpost HERE I'm no longer as confident the doctrine of [Owenian] Limited Atonement as I used to be, despite continuing to be a Calvinist. Here's Calvinist popularizer James White's lecture in defense of Limited Atonement. I've appreciated Dr. White's ministry since the 1990s, so his defense has some weight in my opinion.

Is Limited Atonement Biblical? w/Dr. James White (Part 4)
https://youtu.be/N57nbTLTCWE

See also James White's most recent debate on the topic:

DEBATE: The Reformed Doctrine of Atonement is Biblical and Important |
James White vs. Jason Breda
https://youtu.be/6Yg2cIpfyeg

Cyprian's Letter to Christians Sent to Mines and their Response

In one of James White's Dividing Line broadcasts he mentioned the letter of Cyprian to persecuted Christians sent to mines in the following video starting at around 23 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMSTYKcOh9U&t=1380s

This article discusses the episode and topic:
https://crossencountersmin.com/featured-article/cyprian-letter-mineworkers/

The sources of the letters:
https://biblehub.com/library/cyprian/the_epistles_of_cyprian/epistle_lxxvi_cyprian_to_nemesianus.htm
https://biblehub.com/library/cyprian/the_epistles_of_cyprian/epistle_lxxvii_the_reply_of.htm

The Christian Classics Ethereal Library's version of the letters:
https://ccel.org/ccel/cyprian/epistles/anf05.iv.iv.lxxvi.html
https://ccel.org/ccel/cyprian/epistles/anf05.iv.iv.lxxvii.html

John Calvin's view of Limited Atonement - by Dr. Roger Nicole

I'm not dogmatic on the extent of the atonement. Here's an articles on John Calvin's view on Limited Atonement. I'm not convinced. I think Calvin was inconsistent and that he generally seemed to affirm universal atonement. My default position is Owenian Limited Atonement that teaches that both the extent and intent of the atonement was particular. But I'm also very open to the mediating position whereby the Extent of the atonement was universal, while the Intent of the atonement was particular.

John Calvin's view of Limited Atonement - by Dr. Roger Nicole
https://www.apuritansmind.com/arminianism/john-calvins-view-of-limited-atonement/

See also:
John Calvin's Position by Paul Helm
https://www.the-highway.com/articleJuly02.html

CONFESSIO FIDEI GALLICANA. The French Confession of Faith. A.D. 1559

CONFESSIO FIDEI GALLICANA. The French Confession of Faith. A.D. 1559
https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds3.iv.vii.html

AND HERE TOO
https://web.archive.org/web/20180303005840/http://www.creeds.net/reformed/frconf.htm

Vaughan's translation of Martin Luther's The Bondage of the Will

There are a number of translations of Luther's "Bondage." Here's one freely online that's translated by Vaughan.

The Bondage of the Will by Luther translated by VAUGHAN
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/luther/Bondage%20of%20the%20Will%20-%20Martin%20Luther.pdf

OR

https://www.onthewing.org/user/Luther%20-%20Bondage%20of%20the%20Will%20-%20Vaughan%201823.pdf

Charles Spurgeon's Eschatological Views

I'm now a Postmillennialist, but I used to be a Premillennialist. As many are fans of Charles Spurgeon [as I am], it would be interesting to know Spurgeon's views on eschatology. Here are some articles on the topic.

Charles H. Spurgeon and Eschatology: Did He Have a Discernible Millennial Position? by Dennis Michael Swanson
http://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/eschat.htm

THE MILLENNIAL POSITION OF SPURGEON by Dennis M. Swanson
https://tms.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/tmsj7g.pdf

Spurgeon's Millennial View
https://www.reformedreader.org/spurgeon/mview.htm

See also my partially tongue-in-cheek and partially serious proposal of "St. Spurgeon's Day" HERE

Audio Bibles FREELY Online

My favorite Audio Bibles FREELY Online

Bob Souer's reading of the NKJV isn't free, but his reading of the BSB *IS* FREELY online:
Bob Souer reading the BSB
https://biblehub.com/audio/souer/genesis/1.htm
[[[[[to DOWNLOAD all mp3s of the OT & NT go to:
https://openbible.com/audio/souer_books/ ]]]]]

NKJV read by Simon Bubb [Again, I prefer Souer's reading of the NKJV]
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/bubb/nkjv/Gen.1

ESV read by David Cochran Heath
https://www.biblestudytools.com/audio-bible/esv/genesis/

CSB read by Jon Mohr
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/audio/csb/Gen.1

ASV read by Ron Altman
https://librivox.org/holy-bible-complete-american-standard-version/

NASB (1995 not the 1977 or 2020) read by Dale McConachie
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mcconachie/nasb1995/Gen.1

KJV [various readers]
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mims/kjv/Gen.1
https://audiobible.com/bible/bible.html
https://www.biblestudytools.com/audio-bible/kjv/

NLT read by Stephen Johnston [[[A very loose translation that's more of a paraphrase, so I limit reading/listening to it mostly from the wisdom literature in the Bible like Job; Ps.; Prov.; Eccl.; James]]]
https://www.biblestudytools.com/audio-bible/nlt/

Recommended Bible Apps

A great New Year's Resolution is to read more of God's Word, the Bible. The following are my favorite FREE Cell Phone Bible Apps

YouVersion is my favorite Bible app. There are OVER 45 translations JUST IN ENGLISH. Plus others in other languages. Though, the latest Android release has some issues and they're working on fixing them.

The last app I've listed below is one I just discovered today. Verse Locker helps you memorize Bible verses in different translations and employs different techniques [which you can choose] to help you memorize them.

YouVersion:
https://www.youversion.com/
DOWNLOAD PAGE:
https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/

Literal Word [includes 4 literal translations: KJV; NASB95; LSB, ESV]:
https://nasb.literalword.com/
DOWNLOAD PAGE:
https://nasb.literalword.com/mobile/index.html

ESV [English Standard Version] app:
Apple:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/esv-bible/id361797273
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.esv&gl=US

CSB [Christian Standard Bible] app:
Apple Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-csb-study-app/id1292422254
Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tecarta.CSBStudyBible&hl=en

LSB [Legacy Standard Bible] app:
https://lsbible.org/
DOWNLOAD PAGE:
https://lsbible.org/faq/will-the-lsb-be-available-on-mobile-apps-bible-software-platforms-and-online/

The LSB can be FREELY downloaded on at least 3 phone apps like 1. YouVersion, 2. Literal Word, 3. Accordance LSB app. I recommend getting it on all three apps.
TO DOWNLOAD the Accordance app [which I highly recommend] go to this link:
https://www.accordancebible.com/product/legacy-standard-bible-with-strongs-numbering/?goal=0_757a05a0e9-02203d2c1c-149293341

Other Bible apps or websites for the LSB (and other translations)
https://lsbible.org/faq/will-the-lsb-be-available-on-mobile-apps-bible-software-platforms-and-online/
https://scripturememory.com/verselocker/app/index.php
https://thebible.org/gt/index
https://lifebible.com/bible

Above I've already linked to the Literal Word & YouVersion apps which also have the LSB.

VerseLocker:
https://scripturememory.com/verselocker/app/index.php
DOWNLOAD PAGE:
https://scripturememory.com/verselocker/mobile/install

"Honor the Son" A documentary in defense of Christendom

The specifics of Eschatology are an in-house debate among Christians. It's a secondary issue, and not a central one. Nevertheless, I'm a Postmillennialist and reconstructionist and a tentative theonomist.

This following is video argues for why Christians ought to promote some kind of Christendom and Christian Reconstructionism. It doesn't go delve into the differences and distinctions of of theonomy vs. Christian Nationalism and the alleged pros and cons of each. But it does a good job of introducing to Christians why a quiet publicly uninvolved Christianity is unbiblical.

I myself lean toward General Equity Theonomy, which is a bottom up approach that isn't imposed but constructed as a voluntarily grassroots movement by the citizens based on Scripture. Rather than imposed from the top down using natural law and Thomistic theology and philosophy. There's also, unfortunately, a some hints of racism or racialism, kinism and White Supremacy by some proponents of Christian Nationalism.

Honor The Son | a film by Nathan Anderson
https://youtu.be/yGLThab4clw