Bill Pratt | June 14, 2010
Post Author: Bill Pratt I have written on this, one of the most popular questions posed to Christians, in a few different posts and in comments. Having said that, I have never answered the question in a systematic and thorough manner. Recently I ran across the best, the most thorough answer to this question I’ve [...]
Bill Pratt | April 2, 2010
Post Author: Bill Pratt This question first came to a dramatic head in the church in the fifth and sixth centuries. There were four main protagonists. Augustine of Hippo argued that salvation is totally and causatively of God’s grace. A contemporary of Augustine, Pelagius, argued that salvation is totally and causatively of man’s free will. [...]
Bill Pratt | November 20, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt One of the most remarkable lectures I ever heard at an apologetics conference was a Friday morning session with Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College. Kreeft is a highly respected Catholic scholar who has taught at BC for many years and written more than 60 books. Kreeft’s lecture focused [...]
Bill Pratt | October 17, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt I’ve touched on this topic before, but it continues to interest me, so I thought I would cover some new ground on this important section of the New Testament. Context, when reading any passage of the Bible, is crucial to understanding it. When we look at the context of Romans 9-11, [...]
Bill Pratt | July 9, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt Once a person is justified (saved), can they lose their salvation? This seems like an important question, but there are differing views within Christendom. Calvinists, both moderate and 5-point, affirm eternal security. Eternal security is the idea that once a person is truly saved, he can never lose his salvation. Calvinists [...]
Bill Pratt | May 31, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt There are two difficult passages in 1 Peter (3:19 and 4:6) that seem to indicate that this may be possible. I have read a number of interpretations of these verses, but there seems to be no consensus. However, almost every commentator I read agrees that these verses are not teaching that [...]
Bill Pratt | May 25, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt Many Christians are shocked when they read Romans 9:13: “Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” Since when does the God of love hate people? This verse, coupled with the rest of Romans 9, has led many to believe that God does not love all people, [...]
Bill Pratt | April 18, 2009
Post Author: Bill Pratt No. The Bible seems to clearly teach that God must call on man before man will respond. Original sin has caused man to reject God without God’s intervention. Jesus said, ““This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (John 6:65). [...]
Bill Pratt | April 10, 2009
The Bible unequivocally teaches that faith in God is what saves. So the question before us is whether speaking a “sinner’s prayer” constitutes saving faith. All people possess intellect, will, and emotions – the ability to think, choose, and feel. When the Bible refers to faith, it seems to teach that faith involves all aspects of a [...]
