James White to Debate Bob Enyart on Open Theism

Nang

TOL Subscriber
This is the problem we have.

We agree that God's loving kindness, His goodness and His mercy are among the things that will never change about Him.

Agreed.

We also agree that God went from pre-incarnate to being a baby in the manger who grew up and was executed and then rose and ascended -- all for our salvation. This clearly is a change.

Here is your error. The Son of God did not relinguish His divinity to become a baby; nor did the baby turn into triune God.

The Son of God remained infinite, and the child was born finite. The two natures united in Jesus the Christ. This miracle was a manifestation of the promised "Seed" of woman, provided from God, to temporally officiate as Mediator and High Priest on earth, to reconcile mankind with God Almighty.

Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully Man, apart from sin, was the only Mediator between God and men. II Timothy 2:5

However, I am termed a heretic for saying that God cannot be called immutable.

No, you are being called a heretic for failing to distinguish between the two natures that existed together, but distinctly, in Jesus the Christ.

Thinking that Christ became just a baby, or that a baby was elevated to the Godhead, is to mix the properties of both . . . which causes your error in thinking.


The word immutable is defined as "unchanging over time or unable to be changed."

From before the foundation and creation of this world, it was decreed and determined that God the Son; the Christ of God; would come into this world as Redeemer of those the Father gave Him.

Then, when Adam was created, he was made a man in the image of God; upright and without sin; morally accountable.

The Incarnation was the eventual manifestation of God the Son in His promised office of Redeemer of men.

This was the Lord from heaven and the heavenly light that came into the world, to dispel spiritual darkness and to reveal to men the Savior promised, in bodily form.

He came as a child, because those He came to save, were creatures of flesh and blood.

Hebrews 2:4-3:6 is very helpful.

Also Proverbs 30:4 reveals God as Son, ascending and descending from heaven. This is His inherent power revealed.
 

Stripe

Teenage Adaptive Ninja Turtle
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
The Son of God did not relinguish His divinity to become a baby; nor did the baby turn into triune God.
Straw men arguments are a logical fallacy. You should quit using them. :up:

No, you are being called a heretic for failing to distinguish between the two natures that existed together, but distinctly, in Jesus the Christ.Thinking that Christ became just a baby, or that a baby was elevated to the Godhead, is to mix the properties of both . . . which causes your error in thinking.
I have not spoken on this topic at all.

From before the foundation and creation of this world, it was decreed and determined that God the Son; the Christ of God; would come into this world as Redeemer of those the Father gave Him. Then, when Adam was created, he was made a man in the image of God; upright and without sin; morally accountable. The Incarnation was the eventual manifestation of God the Son in His promised office of Redeemer of men. This was the Lord from heaven and the heavenly light that came into the world, to dispel spiritual darkness and to reveal to men the Savior promised, in bodily form. He came as a child, because those He came to save, were creatures of flesh and blood. Hebrews 2:4-3:6 is very helpful. Also Proverbs 30:4 reveals God as Son, ascending and descending from heaven. This is His inherent power revealed.
None of this is in any way responsive to what I have said.
 

Nang

TOL Subscriber
Straw men arguments are a logical fallacy. You should quit using them. :up:

I have not spoken on this topic at all.


None of this is in any way responsive to what I have said.

Well, you are claiming God changes every time He interacts with His creation, but I tried to show He does so according to His inherent power and Sovereign right . . . and it is nothing new.

The Incarnation was the ultimate fulfillment of all God's covenants and promises of a Savior, that occurred in the "fulness of time," but there are many instances recorded in the O.T. of activity between God and His people . . . that never changed His decreed purposes, or cost the Almighty any portion of His infinite attributes.

Man is the only one who has changed, and changes. Man, who was created upright, changed into a totally depraved creature, but thanks be to the Immutable God who unconditionally loves His own . . that sinful man can still be changed to serve righteousness and be assured of everlasting life and glory.
 

GuySmiley

Well-known member
This is the problem we have.

We agree that God's loving kindness, His goodness and His mercy are among the things that will never change about Him.

We also agree that God went from pre-incarnate to being a baby in the manger who grew up and was executed and then rose and ascended -- all for our salvation. This clearly is a change.

However, I am termed a heretic for saying that God cannot be called immutable.

The problem is that I am a fundamentalist. I stick with the plain meaning unless the plain meaning becomes utterly untenable.

The word immutable is defined as "unchanging over time or unable to be changed."

Synonyms: unchangeable, fixed, set, rigid, inflexible, unyielding, unbending, permanent, entrenched, established, well-established, unshakeable, irremovable, indelible, ineradicable.

Now while some of this meaning could be applied to some things about God, it clearly does not apply to everything about Him. When I reject the description of God as immutable, I am not disagreeing with anything plainly taught in the bible.
This is a very clear description of the problem that anyone could understand. :thumb:


Agreed.

Here is your error. The Son of God did not relinguish His divinity to become a baby; nor did the baby turn into triune God.

The Son of God remained infinite, and the child was born finite. The two natures united in Jesus the Christ. This miracle was a manifestation of the promised "Seed" of woman, provided from God, to temporally officiate as Mediator and High Priest on earth, to reconcile mankind with God Almighty.

Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully Man, apart from sin, was the only Mediator between God and men. II Timothy 2:5

No, you are being called a heretic for failing to distinguish between the two natures that existed together, but distinctly, in Jesus the Christ.

Thinking that Christ became just a baby, or that a baby was elevated to the Godhead, is to mix the properties of both . . . which causes your error in thinking.

From before the foundation and creation of this world, it was decreed and determined that God the Son; the Christ of God; would come into this world as Redeemer of those the Father gave Him.

Then, when Adam was created, he was made a man in the image of God; upright and without sin; morally accountable.

The Incarnation was the eventual manifestation of God the Son in His promised office of Redeemer of men.

This was the Lord from heaven and the heavenly light that came into the world, to dispel spiritual darkness and to reveal to men the Savior promised, in bodily form.

He came as a child, because those He came to save, were creatures of flesh and blood.

Hebrews 2:4-3:6 is very helpful.

Also Proverbs 30:4 reveals God as Son, ascending and descending from heaven. This is His inherent power revealed.
This response has nothing to do with what was said. Its as if you just landed on earth and picked up English yesterday.
 

Nang

TOL Subscriber
It does not surprise me that you both find the language of formal Christology foreign to your ears (eyes). It is obvious neither of you have been taught much theology.

But failure to comprehend the debate, does not win the debate.
 

Stripe

Teenage Adaptive Ninja Turtle
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
It does not surprise me that you both find the language of formal Christology foreign to your ears (eyes).
I am impressed by what is written in the bible.

It is obvious neither of you have been taught much theology.
Lucky us. :thumb:

But failure to comprehend the debate, does not win the debate.

:shut:
 

GuySmiley

Well-known member
It does not surprise me that you both find the language of formal Christology foreign to your ears (eyes). It is obvious neither of you have been taught much theology.

But failure to comprehend the debate, does not win the debate.
I bet the Pharisees all got comfort from each other by saying this same thing.

Btw, I understood you . . . you did not understand Stripe.
 

Dialogos

Well-known member
I'm not here to disprove Calvinism. I'm here to agree with you about God's nature. I think we can do that. :up:
fair enough, I'm not sure we do or that we don't, but I sure do appreciate the irenic nature of the conversation.

:thumb:
 

Ask Mr. Religion

☞☞☞☞Presbyterian (PCA) &#9
Gold Subscriber
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame

Nang

TOL Subscriber
God had a plan that He would change.

What plan do you think God changed?

Jesus came into this world as the promised SEED of woman, as prophesied by God in Genesis 3:15.

Which necessitated He be born a CHILD as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah 9:6.

God the Son assumed a human nature, grew into an adult Man, and bore the same infirmities (apart from sin) as His brethren. Hebrews 2:10-11

From eternity, the Son of God carried these identities in His Person. He was and will forever carry all the names, titles, and offices that are His Being, including being the "Seed of woman," the "Child given," and the "Firstborn" from the dead.

Absolutely no changes in God the Son at all, for the Incarnation manifested Him in all His glory.
 

Ask Mr. Religion

☞☞☞☞Presbyterian (PCA) &#9
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LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
When I ask a yes-or-no question, I expect a yes-or-no answer.

When I am asked a yes or no question I only answer it when I am confident the asker and myself are speaking the same language and thus using the words similarly understood. We obviously are not on the same page with respect to theological terms. Your desire to assume I operate from the same presuppositions you do and therefore believe about my beliefs what you believe about my beliefs leaves no hope for honest discussion until the foundations are laid for clear discourse.

AMR
 

glorydaz

Well-known member
When I am asked a yes or no question I only answer it when I am confident the asker and myself are speaking the same language and thus using the words similarly understood. We obviously are not on the same page with respect to theological terms. Your desire to assume I operate from the same presuppositions you do and therefore believe about my beliefs what you believe about my beliefs leaves no hope for honest discussion until the foundations are laid for clear discourse.

AMR

Can I copy and paste this, and maybe change it ever so slightly. and then pretend like it's mine?





Never mind, I know what you're going to say. :sigh:
 

Nang

TOL Subscriber
He can change. He just can't change.
- Calvinist

If you cannot contribute to a theological debate with scripture and intelligent argument, I suggest you refrain from stupid misrepresentations of any of the views being discussed.

:down:

IOW's, this post is without credentials and thus unnecessarily distractive.

And reported.
 
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