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Was Jeremiah saved before He was born? (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

By Jeremy Myers
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Was Jeremiah saved before He was born? (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

JeremiahThere are several texts throughout Scripture which seem to indicate that God has specifically chosen or elected certain individuals before they were ever born. One of these is Jeremiah 1:4-5, which says this:

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,
โ€œBefore I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nationsโ€ (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

Though this text does not use the words โ€œchooseโ€ or โ€œelect,โ€ it is plain to see why it is a favorite verse for those who want to defend the Calvinistic understanding of Unconditional Election. Clearly, before Jeremiah was even born, God โ€œknewโ€ him, โ€œsanctifiedโ€ him, and โ€œordainedโ€ him.

Jeremiah 1:4-5 is not teaching Unconditional Election

Several things about this text, however, indicate that something else is being taught in this text than the Calvinistic doctrine of Unconditional Election. The first and most important thing to notice about this text is that even if God did elect or foreordain Jeremiah, it was not to eternal life, but rather, to be โ€œa prophet to the nations.โ€

In other words, if election is being taught in Jeremiah 1:4-5, it follows the same theme of election we have seen in the other posts on election.ย Jeremiahโ€™s election was not an election to receive eternal life, but an election to perform a specific service.

Once we recognize this, the rest of what God says to Jeremiah become clear. When God says that He โ€œknewโ€ Jeremiah before he was born, it means that God understood everything about Jeremiah. This is a text which teaches about the foreknowledge of God as being comprehensive and complete. God knew everything there was to know about Jeremiah, and on the basis of this foreknowledge, selected Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations.

This is what the word โ€œsanctifiedโ€ means as well.

Though we often think of the word โ€œsanctifiedโ€ as a reference to the โ€œsecond stageโ€ of salvation, so that after a person is justified, they then become sanctified, we must remember that the most basic meaning of the word โ€œsanctifiedโ€ is โ€œto set apart.โ€ When believers who have been justified then go on to sanctification, they are being set apart from the world of sin so that they can better serve God.

So also with Jeremiah. It is not that he was becoming more holy before he was even bornโ€”that makes no sense. Instead, God had โ€œset apartโ€ Jeremiah by choosing him to be a prophet to the nations. He was a special man with a special message.

Finally, the context of Jeremiah 1:4-5 make it abundantly clear why God is saying these things to Jeremiah at the outset of his prophetic ministry.

After God says that He has known, set apart, and ordained Jeremiah to serve as a prophet, Jeremiah basically says, โ€œBut God, I am not a good speaker! I am too young!โ€ (Jeremiah 1:6). God knew of Jeremiahโ€™s doubts about his own ability to serve as a prophet, and so indicated to Jeremiah that God knew him better than Jeremiah knew himself (Marston and Forster, Godโ€™s Strategy in Human History, 232).

So while foreknowledge and election are certainly taught in Jeremiah 1:4-5, it is not an election to eternal life, but an election to service.

God, knowing what kind of man Jeremiah would be, set him apart from his motherโ€™s womb, and ordained him to be a prophet to the nations.

If you want to read more about Calvinism, check out other posts in this blog series: Words of Calvinism and the Word of God.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Calvinism, Jeremiah 1:4-5, sanctification, Theology of Salvation, TULIP, Unconditional Election

Trial by Combat? Yes, Please!

By Jeremy Myers
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Trial by Combat? Yes, Please!

This is awesome. I think we should reinstate trial by combat, but the combat should be combat juggling.

Maybe this is how governments could solve their problems too… Ha!

And as long as we are talking about juggling skill… this is crazy amazing:

Ok, ok… YouTube is addicting. After I watched that previous video, I saw this one, and decided to share it also. (Really, I’m done now!)

Can I just say that the human mind is amazing!?

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: creation, Discipleship, humans, humor, laugh

What is your experience with study bibles?

By Jeremy Myers
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What is your experience with study bibles?

Evangelism Study BibleI am not a huge fan of study Bibles. I have used several throughout my life, however. I began with the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, then moved to the Life Application Bible, and spent some time with the Ryrie Study Bible, before finally using the Nelsonโ€™s Study Bible for several years. Today I use an unmarked wide-margin Bible for most of my Bible reading and Bible study.

I don’t use Study Bible’s Any Longer

There are two reasons I don’t have much interest in study Bibles any longer.

First, I have had too many encounters with Christians who cannot seem to differentiate between what the Bible says and what is written in the notes of their preferred study Bible. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to point out to people that the notes in their study Bible are just someoneโ€™s interpretation or understanding of what the Bible means, are not actually โ€œGodโ€™s infallible Word.โ€ This common experience has soured me from recommending Study Bibles.

The second reason I have stopped recommending or using study Bibles is related to the first. I firmly believe that God wants to teach each one of us how to read and understand the Bible. I believe the one of the primary ways the Holy Spirit speaks to us is through Scripture. But I also believe that we stifle Godโ€™s whisperings to us by turning too quickly to Bible commentaries, Bible studies from other Christians, and the notes in our study Bibles.

When we study a difficult (or โ€œeasyโ€ โ€“ though is there truly such a thing?) text in Scripture and want to know what it means, we too quickly turn to what others have written about this passage, thereby short-circuiting anything that God might have wanted to teach us through the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.

The Proper Place for Study Bibles

This does not mean there is no place for Study Bibles. There is. I still use them.

But I think the notes and study aids that are contained in Study Bibles should be used near the end of the Bible study process, rather than at the beginning. If you use a Study Bible as your main Bible, it is too easy, when wrestling with a troublesome text, to simply look down at the notes on the bottom of the page, and in so doing, miss out on the absolute thrill of the โ€œself-discoveryโ€ that comes by sweating through the text and praying for understanding.

The Evangelism Study Bible

So it was with some trepidation that I sat down to read through a lot of the notes in the recently-released โ€œEvangelism Study Bibleโ€ by Larry Moyer and EvanTell.

EvanTell Larry Moyer

And as expected, I am still not a big fan of Study Bibles.

However, IF you are engaged in a lot of personal evangelism or crusade evangelism, I do highly recommend the notes in this study Bible to help you understand the free offer of eternal life in the Bible.

I respect Larry Moyer and his emphasis on the freeness and clarity of the Gospel message about eternal life. I respect his stance on eternal security. I like how he emphasizes that eternal life is the free gift of God to all who believe in Jesus for it.

I wish the notes would have been more clear about the biblical definitions of โ€œsalvationโ€ (it rarely refers to eternal life in the Bible), and โ€œrepentanceโ€ (the notes take the change of mind view; cf. p. 1157).

Overall, the notes in the Evangelism Study Bible are decent, and it contains numerous sidebar studies on various concepts, ideas, and strategies related to evangelism and witnessing. I was not too surprised to see that the notes in the Old Testament were quite sparse. After all, very rarely do evangelists appeal to Old Testament texts, unless it is to Genesis 3 to talk about the sinful condition of humanity.

I also examined several hotly debated gospel and evangelism texts. I was pleased to see that in the notes on Matthew 7:16-20, the reader is informed that the bad fruit in question is the false doctrine of the false teachers. The notes and sidebar section on Hebrews 6 were excellent, as it laid out the various options for how to understand this tricky text (p. 1346), and concluded that however we understand Hebrews 6, it is not talking about someone losing their eternal life.

I was not at all impressed with how the Study Bible dealt with texts like John 15:2 (not a single note whatsoever), James 2 (a terribly weak discussion; almost non-existent), and Matthew 12:31-32. On this last text, the only note was โ€œSee Mark 3:28-30.โ€ I went and checked the Mark parallel, and while the explanation was decent, it was much too short to be very helpful for most people who struggle with questions about the unpardonable sin.

Evangelism Study BibleBy going here, you can get the notes on Ephesians for free.

So do I recommend the Evangelism Study Bible? Well, if you are looking for a Study Bible that will help you dig deep into the Word of God and understand itโ€™s message, themes, and overall trajectory, this probably isnโ€™t the Study Bible for you.

But if you engage in lots of one-on-one evangelism and large-group evangelism, the Evangelism Study Bible might help provide some clarity to your invitations. If you are trying to understand what the Bible says about the free gift of eternal life, this Study Bible might help you with that as well.

Anyway, what is your experience with study Bibles? Do you love them? Hate them? If you have used them, which ones, what do you recommend, and why?

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Bible Study, Bible study, Books I'm Reading, Discipleship, evangelism, gospel, repentance, salvation, witnessing

God Loves it When you Argue with Him (Exodus 33:19)

By Jeremy Myers
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God Loves it When you Argue with Him (Exodus 33:19)

Exodus 33:19 mercy and compassion

When discussing Calvinism with Calvinists, there are two texts that are almost always brought up in defense of Godโ€™s right to do anything He wants with people, even if it means deciding from all eternity to send billions of them to everlasting punishment in hell. These texts are Exodus 33:19 and Romans 9:20. Romans 9:20 will be considered in more detail when we look at Romans 9:10-24, but both texts are quoted here:

I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion (Exodus 33:19).

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, โ€œWhy have you made me like this?โ€ (Romans 9:20).

When quoted in the course of a discussion about Calvinism, these texts are intended to silence all opposition. Calvinists believe that their understanding of the biblical text is the only proper understanding, and if people disagree, it is because they donโ€™t want to submit to Godโ€™s revelation of Himself in Scripture.

So when the Calvinist states what he believes the Bible teaches, and you disagree, he quotes Exodus 33:19 and Romans 9:20, implying that if you disagree with Calvinism, you disagree with God.

In other words, God has the right to do whatever He wants, and if He wants to elect some to eternal life while condemning others to eternal damnation, who are we to talk back to God?

The Calvinist is right: God is God and He can do what He likes. If God is as the Calvinist insists, then they are right: we mere humans cannot question Godโ€™s judgment or challenge His choices from eternity past to choose some for redemption and others for reprobation. For as God says in Exodus 33:19, He will be gracious to whomever He desires, and will show compassion to whomever He wants. And if this is the way God is, then, as Romans 9:20 says, who are we to argue?

Well, … I, for one, will argue.

There is a Difference between the Bible and our Understanding of the Bible

The problem, of course, is that when non-Calvinists disagree with Calvinism, they are not arguing against God; they are arguing against the Calvinistic understanding of God. The two are very different.

We must all be aware that there is a difference between what God is really like, and what we believe God is really like.

There is a difference between what the Scripture really says about God, and what we think the Scripture says about God.

No person (or system of theology) is 100% correct in their thinking about God or in their grasp of all the Bible teaches about God.

Like the Calvinist, the non-Calvinist also believes that his or her understanding of God is accurately derived from Scripture and what God has revealed about Himself on its pages and through Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the non-Calvinist has just as much right to say โ€œWho are you, O man, to argue against God?โ€ as does the Calvinist. And how much right is that? None at all.

The debate between Calvinism and non-Calvinism is not a debate about whether or not we believe what the Bible says, for we all believe it. No, the debate is about what it is exactly that the Bible says.

In such a debate, it is unhelpful for one side to claim that the other side doesnโ€™t believe the Bible.

So what is God saying Exodus 33:19?

So what then is God saying about Himself in Exodus 33:19?

First, it is important to note that in the surrounding context, there is nothing anywhere about some sovereign decree of God regarding whom He has chosen from eternity past to redeem and reconcile to Himself in eternity future. Peopleโ€™s eternal destinies are not the subject of Godโ€™s statement in Exodus 33:19.

In the context, God has become frustrated with the sinful and rebellious ways of His people, Israel. While Moses is on Mount Sinai with God, the people have made for themselves a golden calf to worship (Exodus 32:1-6). This event sets off a minor debate between God and Moses about what God should do to the people of Israel in response to their idolatry.

Initially, God proposes that He will destroy all the people of Israel and start over with Moses (Exodus 32:9-10). But Moses disagrees and tells God that such an action will bring shame upon Godโ€™s name (Exodus 32:11-13). God agrees with what Moses says, and decides to not destroy the Israelites (Exodus 32:14).

Following this exchange, Moses returns the people of Israel, and rebukes them for their behavior (Exodus 32:15-29). They repent, and so Moses returns to speak with God and plead with Him to forgive the people (Exodus 32:30-32). God says He will forgive them, but that He will not go with them to the Promised Land because His holiness would consume them in their sin (Exodus 32:33โ€“33:6).

show me your gloryMoses, however, continued to intercede with God for the people of Israel. He tells God that if God does not go with them to the Promised Land, then they should not go at all (Exodus 33:12-16). Finally, God agrees to go with the Israelites to the Promised Land, as Moses has requested (Exodus 33:17).

In response, Moses asks to see the glory of God, and when Godโ€™s glory passes in front of Moses, it is then that Moses hears Godโ€™s statement that He will be gracious to whom He wants and will show compassion upon whom He desires (Exodus 33:18-19).

Moses Argued with God!

It is extremely ironic that a verse which Calvinists use to tell people not to disagree with God is found in a context in which Moses is doing exactly that.

Furthermore, Moses is praised and blessed for doing so! Far from being a text which tells people not to talk back to God, Exodus 33:19 is a text which invites people to enter into genuine dialogue with God about His character, actions, and behavior.

Yes, God exerts His right to be gracious and compassionate to whom He wants, but He is not talking about determining peopleโ€™s eternal destinies; He is talking His right to bestow blessings and favor upon certain people for certain reasons. In this case, God decided, as a result of His friendship with Moses, to bless Moses with a special revelation of Himself.

The whole context of these words, then, is not one of some despotic puppeteer, who predetermines everything and applies โ€œmight is rightโ€ principles. It is of a loving personal God, interacting with and answering the prayer of a person in faith-relationship with him, but reminding the person that God knows best how and to whom to distribute blessingย (Marston and Forster, Godโ€™s Strategy in Human History, 60).

God is not a God who wants to rule with an iron fist and quell all dissent so that His people are mindless drones who do whatever He wants out of fear for the repercussions if they donโ€™t.

Yes, God wants obedience, but He also loves it when His people engage Him in reasonable discussion and dialogue about His actions and decisions. Moses did this with God, and far from proving that Moses was a rebellious idolater who didnโ€™t want God to be God, such intimate dialogue with God made Moses more of a friend to God.

So, far from being a God who does not want to dialogue with us about His plans and purposes, God is a God who loves to reason with us, debate with us, and even “argue” with us about how He is running the world and what decisions He is making. Exodus 33:19 does not teach us that we should not question God’s actions because “God is God and He can do what He wants.”

Far from it! Exodus 33:19 teaches exactly the opposite. It is stated at the end of a very long debate between God and Moses about God’s plans for the people of Israel. At the end of this discussion, God shows Moses that He has no desire to kill and destroy His people, for His character is centered on mercy and compassion.

God is not a deity who rules with an iron fist. He rules with mercy and compassion, and always takes into considering the input and needs of His people. This is the God revealed to Moses. This is the God revealed in Jesus. This is the God of the Bible.

If you want to read more about Calvinism, check out other posts in this blog series: Words of Calvinism and the Word of God.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Calvinism, election, Exodus 33:19, Romans 9:20, Theology of Salvation, TULIP, Unconditional Election

Would Jesus agree with Obama about Immigration Reform?

By Jeremy Myers
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Would Jesus agree with Obama about Immigration Reform?

Immigration is a huge issue right now.

One groupย wants all illegal immigrants to return to wherever they came from. Another side says, “No, we’re a nation of immigrants; let them stay.” Some from bothย groups want the government to secure the borders, and then figure out what to do with those who are in the United States illegally. Many from each groupย wonder about what millions of new immigrants will do our economy, our schools, our hospitals, and our welfare system.

All sides of the debate seem to have “God” on their sides, and all have their favorite Bible verses to quote.

This is one of those times that I wish Jesus was still around so that we could post the question to Him.

Jesus and Immigration reform

Of course, even if we did ask Jesus, I wonder if we would get a “helpful”ย answer. Jesus always had a way of sidestepping the big debate points, and focusing instead on what was really at stake.

Jesus would probably do the same with immigration reform and amnesty. Jesus would come up with an approach thatย looksย like Him. That is, a way that somehow both abides by the lawย and provides jobs andย care to those who need it.

So as I try to figure out what my stance on immigration and amnesty should be, I find myself trying to find an approach that looks the most like Jesus. Below is my attempt (please provide your OWN input in the comment section below).

Jesus and the Constitution

Jesus probably wouldn’t care too much about issues related to the constitutionality of amnesty for immigrants.

Frankly, according to the constitution, Obama had no legal right to do what he did. Everybody know this, as he himself has previously stated.

But Jesus likely wouldn’t comment on this. Remember, Jesus lived in an era when two Caesars in a row had effectively “wiped their arses” with the Roman constitution by removing all power from the Roman Senate and consolidating that power in themselves. The first was Julius Caesar and the second was Caesar Augustus.

It appears that Jesus pretty much just shrugged His shoulders and lived within the new order that had resulted from this fundamental transformation of the Roman Empire. I suspect He would do the same today were He an American citizen living under the reign of a “Constitutional Scholar” who ignores much of the Constitution.

You can probably see where my feelings lie, but we’ll put that aside…

What about the issue of money and the economy? What will happen if we add 5 million new workers to the system?

Jesus and the Economy

Again, one side of the debate says it will be good to have 5 million new tax-paying people. Right now they are working and not getting taxed. If we add them, then we can tax them. The other side of the debate says, “Tax them!? They won’t be taxed. Most of these immigrants have low-wage jobs. They won’t be making enough to get taxed. Therefore, instead of paying into the system, they will drain it. They will get the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, Social Security benefits, Medicare, and Welfare.”

If Jesus were asked, He would probably say something like “Give to Obama what is Obama’s and give to God what is God’s.” People would shake their heads and say, “Whatever that means…”

The point is that Jesus would probably not weigh in on the tax benefits or tax liability of granting amnesty to immigrants. Jesus’ basic approach to taxes seemed to be this: “It’s just money. What matters most is what you do with your life.”

He likely would not have cared too much that adding millions of low-payed workers to the citizenry would do very little to add tax revenue to the governmental coffers while at the same time, adding great expense and cost to the education, health, medicaid, medicare, social security, and welfare systems.

He would likely point out that these were all bankrupt anyway, and we shouldn’t put our trust in government programs.

Maybe He would wonder why new immigrants were only getting low-paying jobs. But when the “Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour!” crowd starts cheering, Jesus would not side with them either, pointing out that requiring businesses to pay their workers more only puts more workers out of work.

Probably, Jesus would call on business owners and CEO’s of companies to become more generous with their money, for you cannot legislate generosity.

But the real question then comes back around to immigration reform…

Jesus and Immigration Reform

What would Jesus do about immigration reform?

I suspect that if asked, Jesus would bring out an family of illegal immigrants and say, “I forgive you.”

The liberals in the crowd would huff and puff and say, “He forgives them? What audacity! They haven’t done anything wrong! They are only here because they want a better life and our country has abused and misused them for far too long! Forgive them indeed! They should be forgiving us!”

The conservatives in the crowd would also be indignant. “Forgive them? You can’t forgive them. You have no right to forgive them. They have broken federal laws, which cannot be simply forgiven by some religious teacher. We can either enforce the laws or change the laws, but we cannot simply forgive people who break the laws!”

Then Jesus would turn and say to those on the left, “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. You believe they have a right to be here, to get jobs, and to feed their families. That is well and good. So you give them something to eat. You provide for their needs. Do not force others to take care of their needs; you take care of them yourself.”

And just as those on the right were starting to smile smugly to themselves, Jesus would turn to them and simply say, “Let him who is without sin take this family back across the border.” Then Jesus would pull out his iPad and start scrolling through Facebook messages and Twitter feeds of those who were standing by. He would load up items they had purchased on Amazon, and webpages they had visited. One by one, the conservatives in the crowd would melt away until none were left. Then Jesus would turn to the family of immigrants who stood nearby and say to them, “Are there none here to escort you back across the border? Then neither will I escort you. Go and live according to the law.”

immigration reform

What’s the point?

The point is this: Immigrants are already here. It is neither wise nor possible to round up all illegal immigrants and send them back across the border.

The liberals are right that these immigrants should be taken care of. But they are wrong in trying to force all people to take care of them. Jesus affirms their feelings about immigrants, but tells them to practice it themselves rather than force their feelings on everyone else.

The conservatives are right that the immigrants have broken the law. By the letter of the law, they should be rounded up and deported. But they are wrong in thinking that the law trumps love. It doesn’t. Jesus affirms their feelings about the necessity of obeying the law, but puts the law of love above the law of of man.

Jesus wouldn’t even speak about the constitution or the economy. These things change and shift all the time. But the love of God is eternal. Money comes and goes, as do rules, laws, and governments. But the love of God is eternal.

This is why Jesus would focus on love.

What to Focus on with Immigration and Amnesty

Will amnesty hurt our economy? Maybe. Maybe not.

Will amnesty cause unemployment to rise? Maybe. Maybe not.

Will amnesty create millions of new Democratic voters? Maybe. Maybe not.

Jesus does not ever address these sorts of issues, because Jesus doesn’t care about hypothetical “what ifs” about the future.

Jesus always and only cares about one thing: the person in need who is standing right in front of him.

However you feel about immigration reform and amnesty, Jesus invites you to do one thing: Keep your eyes open for immigrants in your community, and then look for ways to love them. Whether the government decides to legalize them or deport them, your only responsibility is love.

Immigrants arriving on our shores (whether legally or not) don’t need screaming crowds and waving signs (from either perspective). They need love, just like the rest of us. This is how immigration reform and amnesty look like Jesus.

Agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Let’s hear it in the comments below!

God is z Bible & Theology Topics: alien, Discipleship, immigration, looks like Jesus

You might have missed my 60% off Black Friday Book Sale

By Jeremy Myers
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You might have missed my 60% off Black Friday Book Sale

Last week I ran a “Black Friday” sale on all of my books, both the digital eBook versions and the Paperback versions. Those who bought all my eBooks in one group could get them at 60% off. Those whoย wanted individual eBooks or paperback copies, could get themย at 30% off.

This 30% off deal was good for all books from Redeeming Press, including the books by Maxine Armstrong, Taylor Murray, Dr. Earl Radmacher, and yes, even the new book edited by Eric Carpenter.

Dying to Religion and EmpireThe book sale ended yesterday.ย 

Why am I telling you now? Because I want to invite you to learn about such sales in the future, and more than that, to get any FREE BOOKS I give away in the future.

Only those who were on my private email newsletter listย were told about the sale.ย 

Furthermore, only those who are on this email list receive free eBooks from me whenever I publish a new book.

And guess what? My newest book will be out before Christmas! If you want to get a digital copy of this book for free, you must subscribe now!

As you can see, I finally decided on a title. Thanks to all of you who provided input. My next book will be called “Dying to Religion and Empire” with the subtitle “Giving up our Religious Rites and Legal Rights.”

The cover is there on the right. What do you think?

This book will be out in a couple of weeks, but free digital copies will only be made available to those who want to receive them by getting on my free email newsletter list.

Just for subscribing, you will be given a free digital copy of my bookย Skeleton Church.

Also, within a few weeks of subscribing, I will send you three other eBooks by three other authors for free as well.

So if you subscribe now, that means you get 5 free eBooks by Christmas! Two of mine, and three from other authors. Plus, if you keep your subscription active and regularly check your email, you will get all future eBooks I send out for free, as well as any sales or special opportunities on my other books.

Here is the form. Just enter your name and email, and click the red button. You will receive an email which ask you to click a link confirming your email address, and once you’ve done that, you are good to go! You will get access to Skeleton Church immediately, and the other four books will be along soon.

And hey, if you are already on my free email newsletter list, could you please use the sharing buttons below to invite others to sign up and get free eBooks? Thanks!

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Blogging, Books by Jeremy Myers, dying to religion and empire, ebooks, email newsletter

Simple Church is Now Available!

By Jeremy Myers
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Simple Church is Now Available!

Simple Church Unity

I contributed two chapters to this book and am really thrilled to see it finally in print.

Far too often, those who are no longer part of the “Institutional Church” are only known for what they are against. Simple Churchย contains 26 thing we are FOR.

Simple Church is about what we all have in common

But it is not just what simple church practitioners have in common (in fact, we may not all even identify with that title), but what every form of church has in common with each other.

In my opinion, this is a ground-breaking book which will help build unity to all forms of Christ’s church upon the world. I am thrilled to be part of this project.

Here is the list of contributors, many of whom you might recognize. Nearly all of them are bloggers or authors.

  • Bobby Auner
  • Edwin Aldrich
  • Chris Jefferies
  • Steve Scott
  • Chuck McKnight
  • Sam Riviera
  • Eric Carpenter
  • Arthur Sido
  • Travis Klassen
  • Stephanie Bennett
  • Kathleen Ward
  • Alice Carpenter
  • Brian Swan
  • Will Rochow
  • Alan Knox
  • Guy Muse
  • Keith Giles
  • Bonar Crump
  • Steve Sensenig
  • J. Michael Jones
  • Kathy Escobar
  • Jeremy Myers
  • Christopher Dryden
  • Miguel Labrador

And of course, there is a Foreword by Wayne Jacobsen.

If you are part of a traditional church and have wondered how to grow in unity, or if you just want to know what church unity is all about, or if you are part of a house church, missional church, simple church, or something that doesn’t look like church at all but is still connected to Jesus, then this book will invite you to grow in unity with other brothers and sisters who might follow Jesus a bit differently than you.

Simple Church UnityHere is what some people are already saying about Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity:

From Miguel Labrador:

I tend not to like compilation books, but this one is very different. Granted, I am one of the authors, but after reading it I was shaken to find a unity within it that exceeded my expectations. It flowed well. I am on my second pass through the book and I was thinking that to mistake this book for another house church, simple church, or even organic church book would be A MISTAKE. There’s much more to this collaborative canon than meets the eye.

From Chuck McKnight:

I just skimmed through the contributor bios in the back of Simple Church. Looks like almost half of us are either foreign missionaries or missionary kids (myself included in the latter).

The book is available now on Amazon. Go order a copy today and let me know how it changes your interaction with other believers.ย 

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Books I'm Reading, church unity, simple church, Theology of the Church

Jesus Isn’t Always the Answer

By Jeremy Myers
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Jesus Isn’t Always the Answer

Jesus isnt always the answer

God is z Bible & Theology Topics: Discipleship, humor, Jesus

Some Surprising Truths about God’s So-Called “Election” of Abram in Genesis 12:1-3

By Jeremy Myers
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Some Surprising Truths about God’s So-Called “Election” of Abram in Genesis 12:1-3

Call of Abraham Genesis 12Though Genesis 12:1-3 does not contain the words โ€œelectโ€ or โ€œchosen,โ€ this passage is often cited as a defense of Godโ€™s Unconditional Election of some individuals for eternal life. In this text, God informs Abram that he will become the father of many nations so that through him, all people on earth might be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said to Abram: โ€œGet out of your country, from your family and from your fatherโ€™s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessedโ€ (Genesis 12:1-3).

In referencing this texts, Calvinists often remind the reader that Terah, Abramโ€™s father, was an idol-worshiper (Josh 24:2), and that if God had not unconditionally intervened in Abramsโ€™ life, Abram would have been an idol-worshiper as well.

John Calvin on Genesis 12:1-3

In fact, Abram may have been an idol-worshipper when God called him. Here, for example, is what John Calvin wrote about Genesis 12:1-3:

This calling of Abram is a signal instance of the gratuitous mercy of God. Had Abram been beforehand with God by any merit of works? Had Abram come to him, or conciliated his favor? Nay, we must ever recall to mind, (which I have before adduced from the passage in Joshua,) that he was plunged into the filth of idolatry; and now God freely stretches forth his hand to bring back the wanderer. He deigns to open his sacred mouth, that he may show to one, deceived by Satanโ€™s wiles, the way of salvation (Calvin, Calvinโ€™s Commentaries, I:343).

God’s “choice” of Abraham in Genesis 18:17-19

In referencing Genesis 12:1-3, Calvinists often point to Genesis 18:17-19 as proof that Abraham was divinely chosen by God because. The NIV translation of Genesis 18:17-19 says this:

Then the Lord said, โ€œShall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised himโ€ (Genesis 18:17-19, NIV).

Several things can be said about the Calvinistic interpretation of Genesis 12:1-3 and 18:17-19.

First, there is no specific reference to calling or election in these texts. Such theological concepts must be read into them. This is exactly what the NIV translators have done. Though the original Hebrew simply states that God has โ€œknownโ€ Abraham, the NIV changes the word to โ€œchosen.โ€

The NIV, following its usual theological bias, doesnโ€™t even bother with a footnote to tell its unwary readers that it has altered โ€œknownโ€ to โ€œchosenโ€ (Marston and Forster, Godโ€™s Strategy in Human History, 230).

Abraham Genesis 12

The surrounding context of Genesis 18:18-19 reveals what it means for God to have โ€œknownโ€ Abraham. It does not mean that from before the foundations of the world, God chose or elected Abraham. This idea is not found anywhere in the text. To the contrary, the context reveals that as a result of God calling Abram in Genesis 12, God and Abraham have become friends, so that now, in Genesis 18, God wants to consult with Abraham about what is going to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah.

The statement โ€œI have known himโ€ means that God has made Abraham His friend (cf. Amos 3:2; Hos 13:5; Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23).

No one, of course, would deny that God did choose Abraham, or that his friendship with Abraham was a result of his own free choice. But it is one thing to say that Godโ€™s โ€œknowledgeโ€ of Abraham was a result of his โ€œchoiceโ€ of him; it is quite another thing to say that his knowledge of him was equivalent to his choice. It is the friendship itself, and not the choice prior to the friendship, that is the ground for Godโ€™s confiding in him (Marston and Forster, Godโ€™s Strategy in Human History, 231).

Nevertheless, despite the fact that Abram is not specifically said to be โ€œelectโ€ or โ€œchosen,โ€ the overall trajectory of the biblical account is clear: God did specifically call out Abram from all the people of the world.

Why Did God Call Abram?

Of course, notice carefully what Abram was called by God for.

Nowhere does the Bible ever say that Abram was called by God to receive eternal life. Quite to the contrary, the text explicitly says that Abram was called by God to be a blessing to the world (Genesis 12:2-3). So this is the second argument against the Calvinistic interpretation of Genesis 12:1-3. God did not โ€œelectโ€ Abram to give him eternal life; God elected Abram so he could serve Godโ€™s purpose of being a blessing to the world.

In support of this is the fact that Abram did not actually receive eternal life from God until many years after He was called by God to be a blessing. In the case of Abraham, his regeneration followed his election by many years (cf. Genesis 12:4; 16:16; 17:1).

God first spoke to Abram in Genesis 12, but it was not until Genesis 15 that Abram believed God. According to Paul in Romans 4:3, Abraham was justified when He believed God, which occurs in Genesis 15:6.

The so-called Unconditional Election of Abram in Genesis 15 did not immediately result in Abram receiving eternal life. This shows, even more interestingly, that Abram, as an unregenerate person, is able to hear God (Genesis 12:1-3; 13:14), see God (Genesis 12:7), respond to God (Genesis 12:4; 13:18), and teach others about God (Genesis 13:3-4).

And even though Abram made many mistakes before he was a believer, he made many of the exact same mistakes afterward (cf. Genesis 12:10-20 with 20:1-18). The entire record of Abrahamโ€™s life in Genesis disproves the Calvinistic system of theology in many ways.

Call of Abraham in Genesis 12There is one final point to take note of from Genesis 12. Some Calvinists argue that if God had not specially intervened in the life of Abram, Abram would have ended up as an idol worshipper, just like His father. But this is far from obvious in the text.

In fact, it is just as likely that Godโ€™s call of Abram was a response to Abramโ€™s response to what he learned about God through general revelation. As we saw in the previous chapter about Total Depravity, the Bible teaches that God has revealed Himself to all people in numerous ways, such as through conscience and creation.

Furthermore, we saw that when people respond to this general revelation of God, God obligates Himself to provide them with further revelation. Maybe Godโ€™s special revelation of Himself to Abram is one such example in Scripture. This is speculation, of course, but so also is the Calvinist assertion that Abram knew nothing about God prior to Godโ€™s calling of him in Genesis 12.

Ultimately, the point of Godโ€™s calling of Abram in Genesis 12 and 15 has nothing whatsoever do with the election or predestination of some to receive eternal life.

Instead, Godโ€™s calling of Abram was so that he would be a blessing to the world.

God did call Abram. But it was not necessarily unconditional, nor did it have to do with Abramโ€™s eternal life. The calling of Abram was a calling to service.

God selected Abram to be a blessing to the world.

If you want to read more about Calvinism, check out other posts in this blog series: Words of Calvinism and the Word of God.

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Books by Jeremy Myers, Calvinism, election, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 18:17-19, Theology of Salvation, TULIP, Unconditional Election

23 Thanksgiving Food Facts to Smarten Your Brain While you Stuff Your Belly

By Jeremy Myers
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23 Thanksgiving Food Facts to Smarten Your Brain While you Stuff Your Belly

What’s this video about? Just read that REALLY long title.

Enjoy! (Both the video AND your food today)

God is Uncategorized Bible & Theology Topics: Discipleship, humor, thanksgiving

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