Tag Archives: Original sin

“A Church That Fits”

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“A Church That Fits” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:51pm HERE’S A RECENT REQUEST: I’d like your comments on the following: “Find a church that fits. Do not go into Christ’s Church and expect to change it to fit you. People of faith need others of like faith to worship with in order to grow and seek a relationship with God. Find a church that fits, so together you can better seek God’s purpose for your life.” This was written in a church’s newsletter, and it has caused quite an uproar. MY REPLY: This statement … Continue reading →

More on the Christological Fallacy

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More on the Christological Fallacy by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 3:10pm I. HERE ARE REFERENCES to the Christological fallacy taken from my systematic theology, “The Faith Once for All.” The first is from the section on “The Normative Source for Theology” (pp. 24-25): The WHOLE Bible is our norm for theology, and not just the life and teachings of Jesus. It was never Jesus’ purpose simply to be a source and norm for truth, knowledge, ethics, or theology. The main purpose of Christ’s incarnation and work was to redeem mankind from sin through the atonement … Continue reading →

The Christological Fallacy

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The Christological Fallacy by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 2:27pm QUESTION: What is the “Christological fallacy”? REPLY: One of the most serious threats to sound doctrine is something I call “the Christological fallacy.” It is a fallacy because it places Jesus in a role he was never intended to fill. How does it do this? It makes Jesus the SOURCE and/or NORM for all doctrine. Why is this a serious threat to sound doctrine? Because trying to look at everything through Christological lenses distorts our understanding of some if not all of the most crucial truths … Continue reading →

Recommendations for Studying Greek

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Recommendations for Studying Greek by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 10:57am A RECENT REQUEST: I could use some help regarding resources for studying Greek. I have noticed that some texts reflect some rather liberal views of the Word of God. Someone recommended Walter Bauer’s “A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature,” University of Chicago Press, 1979. Is this one OK? Can you recommend a Greek NT, and any other basic resources that might be essential? MY REPLY: I am not an expert on Greek, so I passed this request along to … Continue reading →

What is the Age of Accountability?

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What is the Age of Accountability? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 12:21pm QUERY: How can we tell when a child reaches the “age of accountability”? ANSWER: The word “accountability” raises two questions: a) Accountable FOR WHAT? and, b) Accountable TO WHOM? The obvious answers are: accountable FOR SIN, and accountable TO GOD. Thus the age of accountability is that point when a child comes to the understanding that he or she is a sinner before God and faces the penalty of eternal punishment. The key word is “understanding.” For there to be sin, four things … Continue reading →

Was Noah Unconditionally Predestined to Salvation?

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Was Noah Unconditionally Predestined to Salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:56pm QUESTION: What is your perspective on the “election” of Noah as it relates to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate? According to the Arminian view it would seem that there was only one man (Noah) on the face of the earth with the faith for God to foreknow and choose for salvation. I suppose the Calvinist would say that God unconditionally chose one person from the mass of all people who were totally unable to come to faith. Both views seem to have serious … Continue reading →

Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation?

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Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:54pm QUESTION: What is your perspective on the “election” of Noah as it relates to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate? According to the Arminian view it would seem that there was only one man (Noah) on the face of the earth with the faith for God to foreknow and choose for salvation. I suppose the Calvinist would say that God unconditionally chose one person from the mass of all people who were totally unable to come to faith. Both views seem to have serious … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →