Home » Uncategorized » Keswick’s History: Keswick Theology’s Rise and Development in an Analysis and Critique of So Great Salvation by Stephen Barabas, part 2 of 5
The content of this post is now available at the link viewable by clicking here. It combines all the parts of this series of blog posts in one file. Please view the material at that link. This part covesr from the words: “Barabas also recognizes Asa Mahan, leader of the Oberlin perfectionism, as a Keswick antecedent. …Sadly, Stephen Barabas, with criminal neglect, suppresses, fails to warn of, and breathes not a whisper about the heresies of Keswick antecedents such as Thomas Upham and Asa Mahan, just as he entirely ignores the heresies, false gospel, and demonism associated with Hannah and Robert P. Smith.”
Thanks for the info, Thomas. It is always interesting to read what the "heroes of the faith" actually believed. We heard much about men in Bible college, had them held up as "what we need now to turn this country around".
Frankly, I did not understand the 2nd footnote. Any chance you could summarize the a proper view of the Human will & the Holy Spirit? Am I correct that Finney's view would be like a free will Baptist – We have freedom to reject salvation by not living right?
Thanks for the comment. Also, you are to be commended for reading the footnotes.
I would say that Phlippians 2:13 teaches that God works in the believer to will and to do, while we still freely will and do, which is a form of what is called compatibalism versus what is called indeterminism. Basically, we are free because nobody forces us to work contrary to our inclination, but God works in the believer to incline him toward righteousness, so the believer not acting just like a heathen is certain while the will is still free. Freedom of the will does not require uncertainty about what a person will do. The saints in heaven have free wills, but they will never choose to rebel against God. The sinner on earth who has committed the unpardonable sin has a free will, but he will never choose to trust in Christ. During His earthly ministry Christ had a free will as part of His true and complete human nature (which He still possesses, of course, and will possess eternally), but there was no possibility of Him choosing evil.
Thank you, this ongoing work is shedding light on where this error crept in…and why political & manipulative men seeking to use Christianity….such as David Barton and Green etc promote Finney so much. I live in Ohio and had also wondered about Oberlin as the Lord faithfully led us in, through & then out of ministries, denominations and 'churches' one by one by the word revealing error & discomforting conviction, with many failings and many scars. It is good to hear sound voices. Just read 1 Kings 19 this morning—-encouraging.
This also fits with the fake soul-science & the impure antinomian crowd, human goodness & ability, excuse for sin that isn't really sin (we just misunderstood the Hebrew and the Greek! 😉 —I suppose that is Pelagianism by philosophical label, as well as a slice of misinterpreted 'election' and Augustinian Calvinism. Amazing how Luciferian this tempting men in to sin through deceit and opportunism, & abandonment of honest preaching and teaching —-then turning to sniff & accuse the fallen really is: doctrines of Jezebel and Balaam.
So much for 'either-or' dialectic categorizing being sufficient! versus 1 Thess 5 and 1 John 4 test all things and every spirit (inspiration!). —– No wonder independent & non-certified, unsteered & un-managed study is so demonized and discouraged! One would think this nicolaitan order & Jesuitical subtilty had a guiding order & spirit behind it or something….Ephesians 6, 2 Cor 11, 1 John 4…& was purpose driven to some end goal….Daniel 3 & 11, Revelation 13-19……… Oh, yeah.
Thanks for the info, Thomas. It is always interesting to read what the "heroes of the faith" actually believed. We heard much about men in Bible college, had them held up as "what we need now to turn this country around".
Frankly, I did not understand the 2nd footnote. Any chance you could summarize the a proper view of the Human will & the Holy Spirit? Am I correct that Finney's view would be like a free will Baptist – We have freedom to reject salvation by not living right?
Dear Bro Camp,
Thanks for the comment. Also, you are to be commended for reading the footnotes.
I would say that Phlippians 2:13 teaches that God works in the believer to will and to do, while we still freely will and do, which is a form of what is called compatibalism versus what is called indeterminism. Basically, we are free because nobody forces us to work contrary to our inclination, but God works in the believer to incline him toward righteousness, so the believer not acting just like a heathen is certain while the will is still free. Freedom of the will does not require uncertainty about what a person will do. The saints in heaven have free wills, but they will never choose to rebel against God. The sinner on earth who has committed the unpardonable sin has a free will, but he will never choose to trust in Christ. During His earthly ministry Christ had a free will as part of His true and complete human nature (which He still possesses, of course, and will possess eternally), but there was no possibility of Him choosing evil.
Thanks again.
Thank you, this ongoing work is shedding light on where this error crept in…and why political & manipulative men seeking to use Christianity….such as David Barton and Green etc promote Finney so much. I live in Ohio and had also wondered about Oberlin as the Lord faithfully led us in, through & then out of ministries, denominations and 'churches' one by one by the word revealing error & discomforting conviction, with many failings and many scars. It is good to hear sound voices. Just read 1 Kings 19 this morning—-encouraging.
This also fits with the fake soul-science & the impure antinomian crowd, human goodness & ability, excuse for sin that isn't really sin (we just misunderstood the Hebrew and the Greek! 😉 —I suppose that is Pelagianism by philosophical label, as well as a slice of misinterpreted 'election' and Augustinian Calvinism. Amazing how Luciferian this tempting men in to sin through deceit and opportunism, & abandonment of honest preaching and teaching —-then turning to sniff & accuse the fallen really is: doctrines of Jezebel and Balaam.
So much for 'either-or' dialectic categorizing being sufficient! versus 1 Thess 5 and 1 John 4 test all things and every spirit (inspiration!). —– No wonder independent & non-certified, unsteered & un-managed study is so demonized and discouraged! One would think this nicolaitan order & Jesuitical subtilty had a guiding order & spirit behind it or something….Ephesians 6, 2 Cor 11, 1 John 4…& was purpose driven to some end goal….Daniel 3 & 11, Revelation 13-19……… Oh, yeah.