The Arminian Engineereth, Speaketh

Quite of bit of controversy (or at least online traffic) has stirred since Wes called in to AOmin’s Dividing Line Webcast a couple weeks ago. He was promoting molinism, or “middle knowledge,” as he continues to do on his website ReasontoStand.org. Wes has recently decided to switch gears and take aim at Reformed theology. He says on his blog:

…the question rather is whether everyone has within their power (given, obviously by God) the ability to choose Christ in the first place. In that respect I think that the entire third chapter of John should suffice to show us that God does indeed will that no man should perish (2 Peter 3:9) but that the decision to accept the grace freely offered has indeed been given by a sovereign God to his creatures in the interests of love.

I want to invite Wes to a public moderated debate via Skype with a moderator (to be announced), archived and publicly hosted (as mp3) by RealApologetics.org, on one of the following questions (or all of them, each in a separate debate):

1. Does the New Testament teach that God has equally given everyone (without exception) the ability to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior?

2. Does the New Testament teach that God regenerates everyone (without exception), so that they have the ability to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior?

3. Does II Peter 3 teach that God has the same desire for all human beings (without exception) to be saved?

4. Does God “draw” all men equally to salvation in light of John chapter 6?

5. Did Christ die for everyone (without exception)?

Should Wes accept, I will obviously be taking the negative side on each of these questions, and at least 2 weeks of preparation time will be necessary after accepting the invitation. The format for a debate will be 12 min openings, 5 min rebuttals, 10 min cross-examinations, and 5 minute closings in that order, unless correspondence takes place between Wes and myself and we edit the format. But, as always, I’m not interested in any discussions without a period of cross examination. Enough monologue and lecturing has taken place over these issues in the past four centuries.

Calvinists believe that God’s glory is at stake when we grant human beings a false notion of freewill. Human beings are slaves to sin and cannot move in a Godward direction without God’s specific, regenerating grace. For that reason, the topic of God’s regenerating and specific grace are vital for the Christian faith, and worth discussing in the public square. Perhaps Wes feels the same, and will accept this simple invitation.