Election

Question 1

Question: What is limited election?

Answer 1

Answer: Limited election teaches that only a select few individuals, chosen by God before birth, receive salvation and enter heaven.

Question 2

Question: What is unlimited election?

Answer 2

Answer: Unlimited election posits that while salvation is available to all, not everyone chooses to be good, resulting in some individuals not attaining heaven. The potential for salvation is open to all.

Question 3

Question: What is universalism?

Answer 3

Answer: Universalism is the belief that ultimately, every person will be saved and enter heaven, regardless of their beliefs or actions during their lifetime.

Question 4

Question: What does Augustine’s exclusivism emphasize about human nature?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 4

Answer: Augustine’s exclusivism teaches that humans are so corrupted by original sin that genuine faith in Jesus is only possible with God’s gift of grace.

Question 5

Question: According to Augustine, what role does grace play in salvation?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 5

Answer: Grace is essential for salvation according to Augustine; it is God’s unearned and undeserved favor that saves humans and allows them into heaven.

Question 6

Question: How does Augustine define election?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 6

Answer: Election refers to God’s choosing to grant grace to certain individuals, predestining them to have and keep faith in Christ and thereby be saved.

Question 7

Answer: Election refers to God’s choosing to grant grace to certain individuals, predestining them to have and keep faith in Christ and thereby be saved.

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 7

Answer: Ephesians 2:8 describes grace as a gift from God that humans cannot earn or merit on their own.

Question 8

Question: Why does Augustine argue that humans cannot achieve salvation on their own?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 8

Answer: Augustine believes that humans are so corrupted by original sin that they cannot be good enough to deserve salvation without God’s grace.

Question 9

Question: What does Augustine’s doctrine of predestination assert?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 9

Answer: Augustine’s doctrine of predestination holds that God has already determined before birth whether individuals will be saved (elected) or not.

Question 10

Question: In Romans 8, what does St. Paul suggest about predestination?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 10

Answer: In Romans 8, St. Paul indicates that God has predetermined the fate of individuals regarding their eternal destiny (heaven or hell).

Question 11

Question: How does Augustine reconcile predestination with God’s justice?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 11

Answer: Augustine argues that predestination follows logically from original sin and God’s grace; it ensures that salvation is solely based on God’s mercy, not human merit.

Question 12

Question: What is double predestination according to Augustine?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 12

Answer: Double predestination is the belief that God has predestined some individuals to heaven (election) and others to hell, based on His sovereign will.

Question 13

Question: How does Augustine’s view of election relate to human free will?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 13

Answer: Augustine’s view suggests that while God predestines individuals, humans still act according to their nature, which is corrupted by original sin.

Question 14

Question: What theological concept underlies Augustine’s doctrine of grace?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 14

Answer: The concept of grace underscores Augustine’s belief in the absolute necessity of God’s initiative and mercy for human salvation.

Question 15

Question: Why does Augustine’s view of election and predestination sometimes provoke controversy?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 15

Answer: Augustine’s doctrines of election and predestination challenge notions of human autonomy and raise questions about God’s fairness and justice.

Question 16

Question: According to Augustine, what is the connection between original sin and human inability to achieve salvation?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 16

Answer: Augustine argues that original sin has so thoroughly corrupted human nature that only God’s grace can overcome this and lead to salvation.

Question 17

Question: How does Augustine’s theology of grace influence his understanding of the Christian life?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 17

Answer: Augustine emphasizes that the Christian life is sustained by God’s grace, which empowers believers to persevere in faith and righteousness.

Question 18

Question: What biblical and theological foundations support Augustine’s teachings on grace and predestination?

Augustine: Exclusivism, Grace, Predestination & Limited election

Answer 18

Answer: Augustine draws support from passages like Ephesians 2:8 and Romans 8, as well as from theological reflections on human sinfulness and divine sovereignty.

Question 19

Question: What did Pelagius argue about predestination and punishment?

Pelagius: predestination makes punishment unjust.

Answer 19

Answer: Pelagius contended that if humans are inherently unable to avoid sin due to original sin, it would be unjust for God to punish them for their sinful behavior.

Question 20

Question: According to Pelagius, why is it unethical to blame all humanity for the actions of Adam and Eve?

Pelagius: predestination makes punishment unjust.

Answer 20

Answer: Pelagius argued that blaming all humanity for the actions of Adam and Eve undermines moral responsibility, as individuals cannot be held accountable for actions committed before their birth.

Question 21

Question: What did Pelagius suggest was necessary to uphold moral responsibility?

Pelagius: predestination makes punishment unjust.

Answer 21

Answer: Pelagius suggested that humans must have free will, uncoerced by original sin, to make sense of God’s judgment and punishment as described in the Bible.

Question 22

Question: According to Augustine, why did all humanity inherit original sin from Adam?

Punishment is just for sinful beings:

Answer 22

Answer: Augustine explains that all humanity inherited original sin as a factual consequence of Adam’s sin, not as a direct punishment imposed by God Himself.

Question 23

Question: How does Augustine justify predestination as just?

Punishment is just for sinful beings:

Answer 23

Answer: Augustine argues that predestination is just because humans are corrupted by original sin; therefore, if someone goes to hell, it is considered deserved based on their sinful nature.

Question 24

Question: What does Augustine attribute the fairness of predestination to?

Punishment is just for sinful beings:

Answer 24

Answer: Augustine attributes the fairness of predestination to the “secret yet just judgement of God,” which is beyond human understanding but is believed to be inherently just.

Question 25

Question: What biblical passage does Augustine reference to support God’s justice?

Punishment is just for sinful beings:

Answer 25

Answer: Augustine refers to Psalm 25:10, which states, “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,” to argue that God’s grace is not unjust and His justice is not cruel.

Question 26

Question: How does Augustine reconcile God’s mercy and justice in relation to predestination?

Punishment is just for sinful beings:

Answer 26

Answer: Augustine asserts that God’s mercy and justice are perfectly balanced; His grace is always just and His justice is always merciful, even if His ways are inscrutable to human understanding.

Question 27

Question: According to the objection raised, why does it seem unfair to suggest that humans deserve punishment for original sin?

It’s not our fault that we have original sin,

Answer 27

Answer: It seems unfair because humans inherit original sin involuntarily, and it raises questions about God’s omnibenevolence if He allows suffering like childhood cancer as a consequence.

Question 28

Question: How does Augustine address the issue of suffering and God’s justice in the context of original sin?

It’s not our fault that we have original sin,

Answer 28

Answer: Augustine would argue that despite the existence of suffering and the inheritance of original sin, God’s justice is upheld in ways that are inscrutable to human understanding, while maintaining His omnibenevolence.

Question 29

Augustine could be defended

Answer 29

Augustine could be defended on the grounds that it would only seem a contradiction to those who have a 21st century hippie interpretation of love.

Alternatively, Augustine insists that God’s reasons and justice are beyond our understanding. We should not try to use our limited human minds to judge God.