Presupposition of Biblical Theology

"The presuppositions we must make in doing biblical theology are those of Christian theism. The alternative to this is to accept the presuppositions of some form of humanism. Either we work on the basis of a sovereign, self-proving God who speaks to us by a word that we accept as true simply because it is his word, or we work on the basis that man is the final judge of all truth. The Christian position, to be consistent, accepts that the Bible is God's Word, and that it says what God wants it to say in exactly the way he wants to say it. Thus, when the biblical theologian sets out to describe the theology that is in the Bible, he must understand the presuppositions that he accepts as the basis of his method... Even if we start with truth Christian presuppositions it is difficult to remain totally consistent with them in our thinking about the Bible. Biblical theology should be done with a constant self-conscious effort to be consistent with biblical presuppositions" (Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan, pp.44-45).

The New Middle Road?

Source: sermonindex

Today's Version of Popular Arminianism is Unbiblical

Though I classify myself as Reformed (Calvinist) in my theology, I can respect the Classical Arminian position, especially when they care to point out the errors of what is known today as "Arminianism," which is more Pelagian than anything. For instance..

"In many respects, where classical, Reformation Arminianism differs with modern 'Arminianism,' it also, for other theologial reasons, differs greatly from Calvinism. And while Calvinism and classical, Reformation Arminianism, in my opinion, are both viable, biblical theologies, modern 'Arminianism' is not. When one's doctrine of human depravity is softened, that person is on a slippery slope towards the playground of heresy. If a person is basically good, then why can he or she not be good enough or do good enough to earn God's favor? And why would a 'good' person need a Savior? Good people don't need a Savior, sinners do."

Source: Society of Evangelical Arminians

New Heart Leads to New Life

"Notice that in order for obedience to take place the Lord must first cleanse our hearts, put a new spirit in us and remove our hardened uncircumcised heart. No one believes and obeys while their heart is still stone. Our blind eyes must be opened, our deaf ears unstopped, and our corrupt nature supernaturally changed by the Holy Spirit, before we can begin to have any good thoughts about Christ. The Bible likens the new birth, or regeneration, to the first creation (2 Cor. 5:17). God let light shine into what was darkness. And God breathed life into lifeless man and then man, because of the new principle of life now within him, breathed and walked. Likewise regeneration can be likened to God's first breath in man, and faith, to Adam's first breath. The former is monergistic and the later, while it springs from the principle of grace that now exists within, is participatory. Both the creation and the maintaining are all of grace, but only God's breathing life into us (ex nihilo) is monergistic (that is, it is the work of God alone). When God brings forth something out of nothing, it is monergistic, but when we breathe (or have faith) as a result of God's act, we are now participating, so by definition this is not monergistic, but all springs forth from God's initial monergistic act of giving life from nothing."

-John Hendryx, "Jesus Teaches Monergistic Regeneration" (monergism.com)