Amazing how the centuries old argument over Eph 2:8 continues. Calvinists insist faith is “the” gift and Arminians insist salvation is the gift.

Both sides have their theology in view and interpret accordingly. Problem with the latter is salvation is a verb, not a noun...... not a possession and the word "Salvation" is not even present in the verse for “the gift of God” to point to.

Problem with the former is no where in the NT is faith stated to be a gift but grace is.

Instead, I'm of the opinion that biblical faith is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) which is the life of Christ and part and parcel of the gift of grace. Furthermore, faith is not given; rather it buds and blossoms(Isa. 27:6) into life (the just shall live by faith) in the heart of those who hear (ears to hear) or read (with eyes to see and a heart to perceive) the word of God.

what's all over the place?

I had said "The Deliverer" was mentioned all over the place in Scripture yet I should have just mentioned you seek out Isa. 59:20 as Paul cited it in Rom 11:26 which means Isa 59:20
And context should be consulted in order to understand what Paul is speaking about in Rom 11:26. If you do so, I think you will find your point that your hammering away at is null and void.

I was saying its all over the place in Scripture yet your continued focus on this forced stuff and an unhealthy angst for something that isn't even mentioned in the bible aka Calvinism is what keeps you from testing all things through Scriptural means alone.

How? Grace.

1 Tim 1:14 is the only text I am aware of which clearly tells us what grace is; faith and love and that (faith and love) is in Christ Jesus. It's His to give to whom He calls.

As for sinners putting their faith in Christ: Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit; faith justifies(Rom. 5:1); faith is righteousness(Rom.5:9).
A sinner has none of this to offer Christ. It all has to come from Him as an unmerited gift. The misunderstanding regarding faith likely comes from an age old misconception that biblical faith simply means man's innate ability, through logic, to believe something that makes sense. It's a definition that has no basis in scripture and, quite frankly, has given multitudes a false sense of security.

John for JESUS wrote:
Just a fact some won’t admit too. Only believers are ordained to eternal life. There isn’t a soul alive who is ordained to eternal life prior to believing.

I personally do not think that is true based upon what I have learned from Scripture. Hence my reply and one example of what I'm referring to.

They don't admit to it simply due to places in Scripture that says otherwise j4j.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

John for JESUS wrote:
James Thomas...
No, being forced to believe like Calvinism teaches, is not found in scripture. Now comes the denials. However, if a person who doesn’t want to believe is made willing to believe against their previous desires, then that is forced and really a contrived faith. God doesn’t need or want that kind of “faith”.

John for JESUS wrote:
Just a fact some won’t admit too. Only believers are ordained to eternal life. There isn’t a soul alive who is ordained to eternal life prior to believing.

John UK wrote:
St James, are you serious? Show me how you go about interpreting the following verse of scripture.
Revelation 13:18 KJV
(18)  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
So far, I have that six hundred threescore and six is the number of a man who is also a beast. I can't seem to get past that, bro.

John UK wrote:
St James, different men can study only the scriptures and come up with different interpretations. What happens then?

My entire point to that post was to show how your opinions on what I say are being articulated along with your correlations and then you present them as if they are all proven facts.

You have provided another example of this in your last post in your implying that I have elevated myself above past theologians. That is your perceived opinion and nothing more. The truth is, I don't elevate myself above them John; I just recognize them as men just like me who are fallible and because of that John is why I advocate using Scripture as the measuring stick and not ANY theologian.

That's it.

I am of the opinion that just because a popular theologian has said it and many people believed it does not make it a fact and should not be the validation of any truth. What saith the LORD should hold that title.

John UK wrote:
1. ... trying to convince others you are the only one worth reading?

2. Seeing as you haven't studied the writings of other men like yourself...

1. Where have I tried to convince others that I'm the only one worth reading?

Please provide my post where you thought that to be the case!

John UK wrote:
St James,
Seeing as you haven't studied the writings of other men like yourself, let me assure you that theologians do actually do that.

Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

I think your right QC.

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

The biblical boasting spoken of is correlated to deeds of the law in Romans 3 by Paul.

I am not aware of a biblical example where this same pride, boasting, etc. are used outside of the context of the works of self righteousness Paul described.

Mike wrote:
The Lord saw fit to let me find a 200 year old Bible in the attic of a house we bought, led me to read some of it, and led me to believe what it said. No coincidence.

Thank you for your post. I was thinking of the modern day preachers more so than the ones like you provided by Gill when I made that comment. At least Gill made an attempt to provide some light in Isa. 25 by mentioning 1 Cor 15. Can't say I agree with his conclusion, but that's another conversation which I'm not inclined to enter into right now.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfmCriteria=wipe+away+tears&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Why not read the Chapter found in Isaiah for counsel and also for that matter Paul's citation of it in 1st Corinthians? All are within the context of the exact same event.

1 Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Would you agree then that Isaiah and Paul can teach us a more accurate portrayal on what God said in the Revelation than ANY theologian's guesses since they do speak to the same exact event?

That wraps it up.

To ward off these private interpretations, His Word must be THE lamp to our feet so that the Revelation can treated as an integral part of the organic whole of the bible as opposed to a stand alone and furthermore interpreted in that light of the OT and NT citations which eliminates the guess work reaching out post 96 AD in secular history for anything that may seem to fit.  But by reaching back into Scripture to define the mysterious figures of the Revelation rather that reaching forward, we can then be guided by the only reliable source we have been given by God to do so.