(This is a re-post from September, 2017) If you know a few things about Martin Luther, you probably know that he wrote Bondage of the Will in response to Erasmus' book about the freedom of the will (Discussion Concerning Free Will). Luther argued from Scripture that man, since Adam's fall, is born in sin, dead …
Our Wills: Created and Corrupted (Owen)
In Reformed theology, following Augustine and ultimately Paul/Scripture, we deny the Arminian position that all people have free will which gives them the power and innate ability to believe in Christ as they wish. John Owen brilliantly countered this Arminian position of free will in his book, A Display of Arminianism. Below is a section of chapter …
He Inclines Their Wills (Augustine)
In 1 Kings 12 Solomon's son Rehoboam had just become Israel's new king. Israel begged him to lighten the yoke of hard service. To make a longer story short, Rehoboam flatly refused and told them that he'd instead add to the hard service (1 Ki 12:11, 14). Scripture gives us this insight in the middle …
Luther on the Term “Free Will”
If you know a few things about Martin Luther, you probably know that he wrote Bondage of the Will in response to Erasmus' book about the freedom of the will (Discussion Concerning Free Will). Luther argued from Scripture that man, since Adam's fall, is born in sin, dead in sin, and in bondage to sin. …
Free Will or Free Grace? (Toplady)
In 1773, Augustus Toplady wrote to a friend about his dialogue with an Arminian, Mr. Oliver. It's a longer discourse, but here's a section where Toplady, who himself was an Arminian when young, recounted his own story: When I was a lad of 15 or 16 years old, I was haranguing, in company, on the …
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