Table of Contents
Introduction 1
What Is the Gospel? 1
Biblical Doctrine Foundational 2
A Crisis in Theology 3
How to Be Sure to Get It Right 4
Defective Interpretive Methodologies 7
Distorted Perspectives & Attitudes 9
Testing Theology 9
My Personal Theological Pilgrimage 10
The Importance of Details 11
Major Exegetical Discoveries 11
Unique Features of this Book 12
1 What Is a Mediate Theology of Salvation? 13
The polarized views in general 14
What are the specific views? 15
Evaluation of general views 16
An Overview of a Mediate Soteriology 17
The Resultant Plan of Salvation 23
Part I The Foundations of Salvation Established 25
2 What Is Meant by God's Sovereignty? 27
God Before the Foundation of the World 28
The Meaning of God's Sovereignty 30
A Mediate Theological View 35
Excursus: Ray Ortlund Article on Sovereignty 37
3 Whatever Happened to God's Image in Humanity? 40
God's Awesome Creation 40
Humanity's Created Nobility 42
The Impact of Humanity's Fall 45
Excursus: Trichotomy 51
4 How Did World Redemption Dawn before Christ? 54
Early Anticipation of the Gospel 54
The Call of The Patriarchs 56
Israel's Redemption out of Egypt 60
The Giving of the Mosaic Law 63
Humanity's Record of Depravity 64
Israel's Davidic Dynasty 65
Prophecies of the Coming Messiah 65
5 Is Christ's Passion More than an Atonement? 69
Old Testament Atonement 69
The Uniqueness of the One Sacrificed 70
A Substitutionary, Expiatory Sacrifice 72
A Propitiation for Sin 75
Two Dimensions of Redemption 76
Reconciliation with God 79
Objective/Subjective Diagram 81
Part II The Terms of Salvation Clarified 83
6 Why Must Proclamation Be on God's Terms? 84
The Bedrock, Christ Himself 85
Building the Church 90
The Gates of Hades 90
The Keys of the Kingdom 91
Proclamation on God's Terms 93
Conclusions and Implications 94
Excursus: Hebrew/Aramaic Words for Rock 95
7 What Must I Do to Be Saved? 97
John's starting point 98
Repentance and faith 98
The message of repentance 99
The appeal to believe 100
Conversion the result 102
The centrality of the passion 102
The gospel in His final orders 103
The gospel in apostolic preaching 103
Clarifying other issues 108
Excursus: Repentance & Conversion 110
8 How Can the Dead Believe? 111
The Determining Scriptures 112
Its Historical Actualization 117
The Extent of Conviction 120
The Nature of Conviction 121
Pre-Pentecost Conversion 121
9 How Can Salvation Be Instantaneous? 123
Justification defined 124
Based on faith alone 126
The harmony of grace and faith 128
The gracious nature of salvation 128
Instantaneous new birth by faith 130
Justification & sanctification 130
Repentance, faith, & conversion 132
The compromises of faith alone 133
10 Are We Saved by Discipleship? 136
Christ's Discipleship Teachings 137
Christ's Salvation Witness 141
The Issues of Discipleship Salvation 146
Comparison of Discipleship Discourses 148
11 Is Baptism Essential for Salvation? 149
The Inductive Biblical Development 150
The Doctrinal Crystallization 158
12 Is Christ the Only Way of Salvation? 160
The Uniqueness of Christ and His Gospel 161
Are the Unevangelized Really Lost? 164
A Critique of Inclusivism 169
Part III Eternal Salvation Assured 173
13 Can We Really Have Full Assurance? 175
Are all real Christians assured? 176
What misunderstandings hinder assurance? 177
What is the basis of assurance? 178
Life factors undermining assurance 181
Doctrinal errors undermining assurance 184
Why so many struggle with assurance? 186
14 Why the Struggle with Eternal Security? 188
Clarification of the Doctrine 189
The Positive Biblical Basis 192
15 Is the Bible Ambiguous about Eternal Security? 200
Two Foundational Parables 201
The Real Thrust of Hebrews 203
Wamings 205
16 Can Security Problems Be Resolved? 214
Issues Relating to True Believers 214
Issues Relating to Apostates & Counterfeits 220
Individualizing Corporate Entities 224
Passages Pulled out of Context 224
17 Why Not Believe in Security? 227
False Presuppositions of Denial 227
Can Sin Negate Salvation? 228
Can Failure of Faith Negate Salvation? 233
Why Believe It? 236
18 What Other Errors Has Arminianism Spawned? 239
Denial of Substitution in the Cross 239
Wesleyan Entire Sanctification 240
The Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements 243
The Prosperity Gospel Heresy 243
Open Theism 244
Openness to Liberalism 249
Part IV Calvinism Inductively Examined 251
19 Does the New Birth Really Precede Faith? 253
Faith Prior to the New Birth 253
What Is the Source of Faith? 259
20 Does Depravity Really Imply Total Inability? 267
The Fall and Human Depravity 269
Prooftexts for Total Inability 272
Other Problems with Inability 277
Excursus: Critique of R. C. Sproul, Willing to Believe 280
21 Did Christ Really Die for Every Sinner? 282
What about Limited Atonement? 282
Key Scriptures Exegeted 283
Serious Implications of a Limited View 291
Excursus: Calvin Quotes on General Redemption 296
22 Is Foreknowledge Really Selective? 298
Outstanding Questions 299
The Meaning of Foreknowledge 299
Complete New Testament Usage 302
Excursus: Word Studies of yada' & ginoskein 309
23 Are We Chosen to Salvation or Appointed to Service? 314
The Commissioning of the Patriarchs 314
A Word Study of eklegomai and Cognates 315
Other Considerations 327
24 Is Predestination Really in the Bible? 330
A Word Study of proorizein and Cognates 330
Theologically Significant Usage 334
God's Open Secret 339
The Corporate Nature of God's Plan 341
25 Has God Really Determined Each Person's Destiny? 345
God's Sovereignty in Salvation 345
Problems with All-Inclusive Decrees 352
Excursus: Critique of John Piper's The Justification of God 358
26 Is God's Calling Really Irresistible? 361
A Word Study of Calling 361
Presuppositions of Irresistible Grace 364
Prooftexts Examined 366
Passages Refuting Irresistibility 371
Problems of Coherence 373
Part V A Middle Way Confirmed 377
27 Were There Really Middle Ways in History? 378
Augustine, the First Predestinarian 379
The Medieval Scene 384
The Reformers and their Successors 384
The Reformation Spread and Modified 387
Modern Mediate Theologians 393
Excursus: Review of Peter Thuesen, Predestination 395
28 Which Theology Really Supports Global Witness? 399
Evangelism and Missions Axiomatic 399
Obstacles to Global Witness 402
Theological Basis of Modern Missions 404
Theological Lineage Chart of Personalities 406
Determinism Inconsistent with Evangelism 415
29 Is a Middle Way Really Cogent? 419
Philosophy's Historical Hegemony 420
Attempts at Logical Resolution 424
Determinism as a Massive Extrapolation 429
30 Does It Really Matter? 432
The Impact on the Christian Life 432
The Impact on God's Truth 435
The Impact on Preaching 439
The Impact on Apologetics 439
Resorting to Philosophical Sophistries 440
Missing the Heart of God's Great Plan 441
Appendix A How Does This Relate to Dispensational Premillennialism? 443
Appendix B Does the Character of Theologians Matter? 446
Glossary 449
Indices 453
Bibliography 462
Table of Charts and Diagrams
Two Models of Divine Sovereignty 39
Balancing the Attributes of God 44
The Objective vs. Subjective Dimensions of Salvation 81
The Sequence of Salvation 122
Comparison of Christ's Discipleship Discourses 148
The Diverse Warnings to Hebrews 205
The Theological Lineage Connecting Key Missions Personalities 406
