Now, its your turn! What about ?

I have attempted to answer common philosophical and exegetical questions often raised against the
Reformed doctrine of salvation. Now, I would like to ask you some questions.
From the non-Reformed perspective, please give a proper explanation from these verses and the
questions they raise:
John 6:44, 65
44 No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws them and I will raise him up on the
last day.
65 No one can come to Me unless it has been granted from the Father.
1) Who can come to the Father (be saved)?
2) What comes first: the giving by the Father or the coming of the person?
3) Are ALL drawn/given/granted? If so, will ALL be raised up on the last day?
Matthew 11:25-26
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou
didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.
26 "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.
27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the
Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to
reveal Him.
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
1. What did Jesus hide? Why would God hide matters pertaining to salvation from people,
even if they are wise?
2. According to verse 27, how do you come to know the Father and Son?
3. Is the Son selective in regards as to whom He wills to reveal the Father?
4. In verse 28, who is it that CAN come?
John 10:11, 14-16, 24-28
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my
voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the
Christ, tell us plainly."
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name
speak for me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
1. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Who does He lay His life down for?
2. Who are the other sheep that are not of this sheep pen that He is going to bring in?
3. Why did the Jews not believe? (see verse 26).
4. Did Jesus die for these nonbelieving Jews? He died for His sheep and then He says these
Jews are not His sheep. Follow the pronouns!
John 5:21
21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom
He wishes.
1. To whom does the Son give life?
2. Who determines this? The son or the person who receives life?

Acts 13:47-48
47 "For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE
GENTILES, THAT YOU SHOULD BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as
many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
1. How far is salvation to spread? Does this mean every single person will get saved?
2. When the Gentiles heard the message of the gospel, how many of them were saved? What
was the determining factor?
3. Does it do justice to this passage to make it read thusly: The Gentiles believed and entered
the category of appointed ones.
4. How does this passage fit with the simple foreknowledge view? Did God react to their belief
and then appoint them to eternal life or did God appoint them to eternal life and then they
believed?
Acts 18:9-11
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this
city."
11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
1. Why did God want Paul to keep preaching?
2. When did these people in the city belong to God? Even before they believed???
3. Why did Paul stay for 18 months if these people already belonged to God? Wouldnt they get
saved anyway if God meant what He said? Perhaps Paul realized that evangelism is still
necessary because God ordains the means to salvation as well as the end of salvation itself.
Romans 11:7-8
7 What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained
it, and the rest were hardened;
8 just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND
EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
1. Did Israel find what it was seeking? Who did?
2. What happened to those who did not receive?
3. This was done to fulfill Scripture. What happened? What did God do?
2 Thessalonians 2:10-14
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the
love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what
is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has
chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the
truth.
14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1. Again, in verse 11, we see God doing something. What did God send on these who perish?
2. Why did God send the deluding influence? Look in the last of verse 11 and first of verse 12.
3. Who does Paul give thanks for? Why? See verse 13.
4. Did God choose these Thessalonian believers for a plan, blessing or for salvation?
Colossians 2:13-14
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made
you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to
us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
1. What was the Colossians former condition? How did they come alive?
2. What else did God do?
3. What did the Colossians do in the salvation?
Philippians 1:29
29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for
His sake,
1. What was has been granted to you?
2. Do we believe that unbelievers have been granted the privilege of suffering for the sake of
Christ?
3. Do we then also believe that unbelievers have all been granted the ability to believe in Him?
Romans 9:10-13
10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our
father Isaac;
11 for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's
purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls,
12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
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One of Rebekahs sons was chosen and one was not. When did this choice occur? Had they
been born? Had they done anything good to earn favor? Had they done anything bad to lose
favor?
Why was one chosen and the other not? (V 11)
Even if the words loved and hated dont really mean loved and hated, is there not
some sense of differentiation between the level of love?
Does this make God unjust?

Romans 9:15-19
15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL
HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO
DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."
18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"
1. On whom will God show mercy and compassion? Who makes the determining choice?
2. Does this mercy depend on mans will? Mans efforts? Gods will?
3. Why did God allow Pharaoh to assume power in Egypt?
4. Does this make God unfair?
Romans 9:20-24
20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to
the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for
honorable use, and another for common use?
22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured
with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy,
which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

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What is the response given to one who dares to suggest that election is not right, fair, godly
or good?
Who is the molder and who is molded? Which one is supreme?
What can the potter do with the clay?
Out of a SINGLE lump of clay, what does the potter make?
God is willing to make his power and wrath known yet is patient? Why? (see vv 22-23).
When were the vessels of mercy prepared to receive mercy?
Who is called in verse 24? Is this not the whole world?