Yearly Archives: 2009

Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both?

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Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:56pm A RECENT QUESTION: “I’m going through ‘The Holy Spirit’ with a church group right now. I realize that not all of the Word is given to us through special revelation. Would it be fair to say, however, that technically all of Scripture is revealed since revelation is both specific and general?” MY REPLY: First let me refer you to my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit” (College Press, 2007, 506pp.), which has a long chapter … Continue reading →

Women Preachers

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Women Preachers by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:20pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have a question about women preaching. I have always been taught that this is the man’s job. I guess what I do not understand is how some people feel so strongly one way about this issue, and others feel so strongly another way, but both feel that they are doing God’s will? Where do you draw the line?” MY REPLY: I draw the line where Paul draws it in 1 Timothy 2:12 – “But I do not allow a woman to teach or … Continue reading →

“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13

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“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:18pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have been debating a Calvinist over necessary perseverance, and I was wondering your view on Luke 8:13. Do you believe this describes a true believer or a false believer? The Calvinist is arguing that Jesus shows that if someone falls away from the faith, they were never saved to begin with. He believes that his arguments for eternal security rise and fall based on the four soils of Jesus’ parable. If you could offer any advice or input, … Continue reading →

Is God Really Our Lord?

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Is God Really Our Lord? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 11:09am Here is a challenging quote from Kierkegaard that is making the rounds of the blogosphere: “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do … Continue reading →

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All?

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Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm A QUESTIONER ASKS, what Scriptures disqualify (I take this to mean disprove) Total Depravity in human beings? And if Total Depravity is ruled out, does that mean we are PARTIALLY depraved? MY REPLY: Depravity as such has to do with the sinfulness of our human nature, i.e., having a nature that has been infected with sin like the body can be infected with disease. It means having a sinful, evil, spiritually diseased or dead nature. The first issue is WHETHER a sinner’s … Continue reading →

The Difference between the Authority & the Applicability of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16)

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The Difference between the Authority & the Applicability of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 9:43am ONE OF MY READERS sent the following (edited) query: In your book, “Set Free: What the Bible Says About Grace,” you say that Paul’s assertion that “we are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14-15) means that we are not under the law SYSTEM of salvation. It does NOT mean, however, that we are no longer under a law CODE, i.e., a list of commandments we are obligated to obey. You say that everyone is … Continue reading →

Is Biblical Inspiration a Proof of Calvinism?

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Is Biblical Inspiration a Proof of Calvinism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 2:26pm SOMEONE HAS WRITTEN about a “Calvinist challenge,” thus: “I wanted to pass along a challenge a Calvinist has thrown down. My answer, thus far, has been that Scripture is silent on the ‘mode’ of inspiration, leaving the Calvinist with the same conundrum. I wondered if you might have a further thought on the following challenge:” “How is it that God inspired the Scriptures in such a way that every word—indeed, every jot and tittle—was what He determined? Every standard evangelical definition of … Continue reading →

Forgiveness in the Old Testament

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Forgiveness in the Old Testament by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 1:32pm HERE’S A QUESTION ABOUT FORGIVENESS: In your Romans commentary (Vol. I, p. 264) you say that the sins of OT saints were not just “rolled back” until Jesus’ crucifixion, but that the certainty of Jesus’ propitiatory sacrifice enabled God to forgive the sins of OT saints even during the OT era. What, then, is Isaiah referring to when he says in 22:14: “Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for.” What is the sin? Why was it not forgiven during their … Continue reading →

Are We Arminian , Pelagian, or Whatever?

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Are We Arminian , Pelagian, or Whatever? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 12:45pm HERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION: How does the Restoration Movement compare with Calvinism and Augustinianism? I am assuming that we are of an Arminian persuasion, but I would flatly deny the doctrine of total depravity and original sin, which many Arminians claim to believe. So, does that make me a Pelagian or semi-pelagian? HERE IS MY ANSWER: Not all Arminians affirm total depravity and original sin. Even those who say they do (mostly Wesleyan Arminians) have a device called “prevenient grace” that nullifies … Continue reading →