total depravity and the adequacy of language

Post by **_Anonymous** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 2:34 pm

Hi Steve,
Great format. My first post, (Kelli says hi).
two questions:
If man is totally depraved and all of his conventions by implication, and especially when it comes to God. How can God communitcate to us through common everyday language,(Hebrew, Koine Greek). It would be depraved and nothing could be said about God because of that depravity.

Also,
You indicated when going through chapter 2 and 3 of Revelation in the Friday study, that the epoch or period of history view of those chapters was common amoung pre-trib rapture theorist. I heard a Calvary Chapel pastor teaching the view a few days later. Is this something that CC have held consistently over the years?

Post by **_Steve** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:24 pm

Hi Don (and Kelli),

Well, your first question is, I think, rhetorical and not something requiring an answer—at least not from my position. Your point would seem to be that there is no sense in speaking to an unbeliever about the Gospel, if everything about his ability to comprehend (including his native language) was so affected by sin that there was no hope of getting through to him. And if human language (including those languages in which the Bible was written) is so corrupt as to be an inadequate means of communicating spiritual truths to people's minds, there would seem to be no value in God using those languages to give us the Scriptures.

As for the Calvary Chapel movement's way of looking at the seven letters to the seven churches, yes, you will find it pretty standardized throughout the movement. Chuck Smith teaches that the seven letters correspond with seven segments of church history, and you will seldom find a lesser-ranking Calvary pastor (all Calvary pastors are lesser-ranking than Chuck) who has the chutzpah to disagree with Chuck's interpretations—especially on the Book of Revelation. You will, however, find some dispensationalists (e.g., John Walvoord) who do not agree with this interpretation. Those dispensationalists who insist on "literal" interpretations can hardly claim that the identification of seven contemporary churches in ancient Asia Minor with the whole church at seven different times in history jibes with this hermeneutic commitment!

Post by **_Anonymous** » Sun Apr 25, 2004 2:46 am

Total Depravity doesn't mean that language is broken, or that the information contained in the gospel cannot be transmitted by verbal/written communication, or that the divinity of God is not clearly displayed in nature.

What is does mean is that unregenerate man is blind & deaf to the message of the gospel unless God opens his eyes and ears. In all of his parts - thought, will, & emotion, he is incapable of apprehending the excellencies of God.

This should not be surprising. Why is it that only Christians understand the Bible? It is because the HS illuminates the text .

Post by **_Iwavvnv644** » Fri May 21, 2004 10:44 am

i.e. grace is given to believers and not unbelievers.