This post is part of our ongoing series examining Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. Many context scholars emphasize the importance of remembering Paul’s Jewish-worldview[1] in reading and interpreting Romans.[2] Bruce Malina and John Pilch argue in their Social-Science Commentary on the Letters of Paul, that each of his letters would have been, to some degree, “pre-read”Continue reading “Predestination and Freewill: Modern Scholars on Romans 7-9, Part II”
Tag Archives: Predestination
Predestination and Freewill: Modern Scholars on Romans 7-9, Part I
This post is part of our ongoing series examining Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. Having now viewed Luther and Erasmus’ perspectives on soteriological material in Romans, we turn to a survey of modern Biblical studies concerning the proper interpretation and meaning of Paul’s Letter to the Church at Rome. Here we must note the plethora ofContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: Modern Scholars on Romans 7-9, Part I”
Predestination and Freewill: On the Bondage of the Will, Part II
This post is part of our ongoing series on Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. In The Bondage of the Will, Luther also argues that if the potter and clay in Romans 9 do not refer to God and man in salvation, “Paul’s whole argument in defense of grace is meaningless. For the whole purpose of hisContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: On the Bondage of the Will, Part II”
Predestination and Freewill: On the Bondage of the Will, Part I
This post is part of our ongoing series on Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. We now turn to Martin Luther’s response to Erasmus in his De Servo Arbitrio (Or On the Bondage of the Will).[1] In addition to responding, Luther also outlined his own fully developed soteriological theology concerning the roles of human will and GodContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: On the Bondage of the Will, Part I”
Predestination and Freewill: On the Freedom of the Will, Part II
This post is part of our ongoing series examining Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. In addressing the relationship between divine foreknowledge and human will, Erasmus concludes that while Paul does not adequately address the question,[1] “the will of God, since it is the principle cause of all that takes place, seems to impose necessarily on ourContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: On the Freedom of the Will, Part II”
Predestination and Freewill: On the Freedom of the Will, Part I
This post is part of our ongoing series on Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. Erasmus wrote Freedom of the Will, at least in part, as a response to Luther’s response to the Papal Bull of Leo X in his Assertio.[1] In Freedom of the Will, Erasmus took issue with Luther writing that “I was wrong inContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: On the Freedom of the Will, Part I”
Predestination and Freewill: Context and Early Erasmus
This post is part of our ongoing series on Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. Before moving to fully Luther and Erasmus, we must note a similarity between the early and late-medieval interpreters of scripture. Augustine, Pelagius, Luther, and Erasmus each writes in manner that takes a ‘proof-text’ approach to concepts and ideas that can be foundContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: Context and Early Erasmus”
Predestination and Freewill: Augustine and Pelagius
This post is part of our ongoing series examining Romans, Predestination, and Freewill. The use of Romans in the construction of soteriological concerns has a long and varied history. Perhaps the most important discourse concerning the will involved St. Augustine of Hippo and the English monk Pelagius, both of whom relied upon Pauline thought inContinue reading “Predestination and Freewill: Augustine and Pelagius”
Romans, Predestination, and Freewill
For the next three weeks, Pursuing Veritas will be running a series examining Romans, Predestination, and Freewill through the lens of Martin Luther and Erasmus of Rotterdam’s famous Reformation era debate and contemporary Biblical scholarship. Since the beginnings of the Jesus movement countless people, in response to the Good News of God, have asked theContinue reading “Romans, Predestination, and Freewill”
Luther and Erasmus: Conclusions
This is the final post in our series comparing Martin Luther and Erasmus of Rotterdam’s perspectives on scripture, canon, and authority during the Age of Theological Reformations. Having examined Luther and Erasmus’ perspectives on scripture, canon, and authority, especially within the context of their debate concerning the relationship of the divine and human wills, weContinue reading “Luther and Erasmus: Conclusions”
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