Post by Dr James Ach on Aug 13, 2013 13:13:53 GMT 3
This is not an actual article but some comments from another forum that I am posting here so I have access to them before the other board deletes them. I am preparing a response to James White's video (Could Lazarus Have Said No?)about using Lazarus to convey that grace is irresistible.
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The entire problem with comparing Lazarus physical death and PHYSICAL resurrection to spiritual death is that the PHYSICAL resurrection was NOT MEANT to convey the raising of a SPIRITUALLY DEAD person to everlasting life, but:
1. To show Christ's power over death and to symbolizing His own physical resurrection from the dead (John 11:25, John 2:19, Acts 2:24)
2. To show to future resurrection of those who DIE IN CHRIST (John 6:40, Matt 22:30, Phil 3:11, 2 Tim 2:18, Rev 20:5-6).
Lazarus was ALREADY SAVED when Christ raised him PHYSICALLY from the dead, so it is an erroneous analogy for the Calvinist to use the example of a SAVED DEAD PERSON as analogous to how Christ "quickens" a SPIRITUALLY DEAD person to life everlasting.
This then would force the Calvinist to conclude (as some have) that Lazarus was not saved until Christ raised him from the dead. This presents 2 problems with Calvinist theology. First of all, it conflicts with Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment". It would have Christ saving someone after they have died in their sinful state. Secondly, the Calvinists always affirm that God only loves His, but if Lazarus was not saved until he was raised from the dead, then John 11:36 presents a problem for the Calvinist here: "Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!". Christ loved Lazarus BEFORE He raised him from the dead.
Thus either the Calvinist has to admit that Lazarus was saved, or they must admit to a flaw in their theology about who Christ actually loves in addition to attempting to reconcile Christ bringing a spiritually dead person to everlasting life after he died in his sin. If Lazarus was saved, however, the Calvinist must deal with the erroneous analogy of Christ quickening an ALREADY SAVED person to life physically, to justify their theology of God quickening a spiritually dead person in his LOST state PRIOR to him actually being saved.
Any attempt to use Lazarus as an example of God quickening a person who supposedly has the inability to respond to or hear the gospel fails in light of Lazarus' condition, and to add such a bogus private interpretation is an insult to the purpose behind Christ raising Lazarus from the dead:
"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:" 1 Cor 15:36
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The entire problem with comparing Lazarus physical death and PHYSICAL resurrection to spiritual death is that the PHYSICAL resurrection was NOT MEANT to convey the raising of a SPIRITUALLY DEAD person to everlasting life, but:
1. To show Christ's power over death and to symbolizing His own physical resurrection from the dead (John 11:25, John 2:19, Acts 2:24)
2. To show to future resurrection of those who DIE IN CHRIST (John 6:40, Matt 22:30, Phil 3:11, 2 Tim 2:18, Rev 20:5-6).
Lazarus was ALREADY SAVED when Christ raised him PHYSICALLY from the dead, so it is an erroneous analogy for the Calvinist to use the example of a SAVED DEAD PERSON as analogous to how Christ "quickens" a SPIRITUALLY DEAD person to life everlasting.
This then would force the Calvinist to conclude (as some have) that Lazarus was not saved until Christ raised him from the dead. This presents 2 problems with Calvinist theology. First of all, it conflicts with Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment". It would have Christ saving someone after they have died in their sinful state. Secondly, the Calvinists always affirm that God only loves His, but if Lazarus was not saved until he was raised from the dead, then John 11:36 presents a problem for the Calvinist here: "Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!". Christ loved Lazarus BEFORE He raised him from the dead.
Thus either the Calvinist has to admit that Lazarus was saved, or they must admit to a flaw in their theology about who Christ actually loves in addition to attempting to reconcile Christ bringing a spiritually dead person to everlasting life after he died in his sin. If Lazarus was saved, however, the Calvinist must deal with the erroneous analogy of Christ quickening an ALREADY SAVED person to life physically, to justify their theology of God quickening a spiritually dead person in his LOST state PRIOR to him actually being saved.
Any attempt to use Lazarus as an example of God quickening a person who supposedly has the inability to respond to or hear the gospel fails in light of Lazarus' condition, and to add such a bogus private interpretation is an insult to the purpose behind Christ raising Lazarus from the dead:
"Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:" 1 Cor 15:36