Here is the introduction to the paper I am sending out to all those who requested my 8 part examination of Dr Farleys criticism of Universalism. All are and will be OK – My Reply to Dr Andrew Farley Santo Calarco Overview: Dr Farley is a gentle, godly and likeable young man. I really sensed his heart was in his presentation. He genuinely loves people. Having said that, however, he does make a few assumptions about Universalism. First of all he thinks that all Universalists are the same. He keeps talking about the necessity of faith. Not all Universalists negate the role and necessity of faith. This means that much of his argument is invalid in regards to what I believe about Universal Salvation. I totally agree with him that all must come to faith in Jesus. What he has not yet seen is that all will come to faith and that the bible says that this can be done after death! So much of his argument is moot. I believe in the necessity of faith. Where Farley fails I believe is in his lack of understanding in the OBJECTIVE WORK of Jesus on the Cross and the Subjective application of that work when a person comes to faith. Salvation is both objective and subjective! He quotes many passages from the New Testament about people needing to come to Jesus by placing faith in Jesus. And he makes it clear that the work is not finished until this takes place. What he fails to see and refer to is all the passages that talk about the completed work of Jesus on behalf of humanity. When Jesus came to earth he came as the last Adam! First Adam as representative of planet earth was displaced and replaced by Jesus. Jesus had absorbed the whole human race within himself, took it to the grave, resurrected it and then took it to heaven at his ascension. Many passages in the bible make this objective truth very plain. No faith is required here! But the Bible also speaks about the necessity of accepting this objective truth into ones heart through faith subjectively! Farley quotes all these verses but has ignored all the others. Basically his thesis is incomplete. He has failed to see the relationship between what is already completed by Jesus without human response and then the necessary human faith response. What I believe is this: Jesus included the whole human race into himself: “if one day for all then all died … the lamb of God took away the sin of the world … and whilst we were dead in our sins he raised us to life and took us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus … God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself on the Cross … through the sin of one man came death through the righteous act of one man came justification and life … in adam all die in Christ all will be made alive etc”. 2 Cor 5:14; John 1:29; Ephes 2:5-6; 2 Cor 5:19; Rom 5:18; 1 Cor 15:21-22 This all focuses and happened at the Cross and resurrection. It is objective completed! It is finished. It requires no faith at all in order for this to be true, full and complete! Farley omitted to deal with these passages. Instead he focussed on passages that speak of the human response. Every single passage he quoted did not refer to what Jesus had already objectively done. Instead he focussed on when a person comes to faith and accepts what is already theirs! He needs to do some in depth study on the difference between objective and subjective truth. The latter receives the former through faith. The bible says all eventually will – in this life or the next! So now let’s unpack Farley’s presentation. If you have already said you want the paper it is coming shortly. If you havent done so yet then write a comment here like send me pdf or send me a WORD document.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 19:05:33 +0000
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