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Such a thing as will exists. Is there any such thing as a will that isn't free?

No, but he's the exception to the rule. A special case.

Israel is predestined. The church is predestined. The Body of Christ is predestined. God has issued an invitation to join that group. We therefore have a choice, one that God in His sovereignty has placed there. Our will isn't entirely free, but it operates within the constraints that God...

None of these quotes seem to deal with a rapture, at least not in the way that modern Pentecostal and Evangelical churches teach it. There is no ascending to heaven here. A few of these include a gathering, but in all cases, the living are gathered to Christ at his descent. Most simply...

Interesting I chalk it up to laziness. Most people would rather lean on someone else's understanding of Scripture than do the work to understand it for themselves. I sometimes wonder why those people come on message boards like this. If nothing is actually open for debate or critical...

Sovereignty is the power of self-governance. To be sovereign is to have to ability to declare a thing and the proclamation has the force of law or the power to cause what is commanded. It's the authority typically associated with an absolute ruler. Well, at least that's what they taught in...

"The word of God" is an epithet for the Bible in every modern church. However, in the actual Bible, the phrase "the Word of God" (or the Word of the LORD) seems to refer to Someone rather than something. He is the Lord who was incarnated in the person of Jesus Christ: John 1:14 And the Word...

I disagree. Civil debate advances the cause What opposition? @St. SteVen is neither against Christ nor the Bible. Only the mis-use thereof

But are you familiar with the concept of "the loyal opposition?"

Probably not? Minor character deaths in stories are often plot devices to establish that the situation is in fact serious, and let the reader know that characters can in fact die in this book. Major character deaths in stories are usually calculated pieces central to the story. Those are...

Poor communication on my part. We agree that ἄγγελος means messenger. My question was supposed to be whether it also meant "semi-divine being" in the 1st century. I don't find that meaning in New Testament times. The word seems to have acquired that meaning later - like 5th century AD-ish.

Perhaps you should review the meaning of 'directly?' If one sends a messenger, or a letter, that would be 'indirectly.'

The dictionary is correct for its time. It was published in the 20th century. Did the word have that meaning in the 1st century, though? I don't think so, but if you can prove otherwise, that would be a benefit to me.

My understanding is thus: God, being sovereign, has destined a certain group for salvation. In the New Testament we call it the Body of Christ or the Church. In the Old Testament, it was called Israel (but that turns out to be confusing because of all the people claiming to be Israel, who...

That all seems pretty reasonable to me? A little skeptical, but no lies detected

Not the original post - that was about mis-use of Scripture and lack of knowledge about the history of the Bible. Could be me? Pretty sure I said somewhere in there that I put the prophets above the other books.

Are you perhaps speaking of sovereignty, rather than free will? God is sovereign. People are not. I have found that debates on predestination and free will are usually all wrong-headed.

We have many Williams in my family. Here it means, "I'm a hillbilly, too."