SEMESTER 4
156 – Terminology – Part 5 (Cont.)
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: THEOLOGY IV LESSON # 56
WORDS AND TERMS DESCRIBING THE SAVING ACTIVITIES OF GOD
TRADUCIANISM:
The doctrine that the soul is not created by God, but is rather transferred through the reproduction of the parents, as truly as is the body, thus traducing, (leading along or across). They deny that the individual soul is a direct creation of God. Conversely, They affirm that the whole man, soul and body is begotten by the parents.
CREATIONISM:
This doctrine, contrary to traducianism, denies that the soul is reproduced by man. It rather insists that each individual life or soul is immediately created by God. That is to say that all men can generate in the reproduction process is the body, but that without the immediate act of God, the soul, or the living creature status of man, could not exist.
ELECTION:
The activity of God in choosing out of Adam’s fallen and depraved race certain individuals to eternal salvation and glory. Election is held to be by different motivations and processes by different religious philosophies.
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION:
This is the doctrinal position that divine election is absolutely sovereign, and is based upon no revealed condition or human activity, either past, present or foreseen. That is to say, nothing which is revealed to us in the Scripture is the basis of God’s election, more or less, than His sovereign love and grace. There is no seen or foreseen goodness, either in action or nobility of character, which justifies the objects of His choice being chosen.
REPROBATION:
The state of man in his fallen condition and, in it’s final and ultimate stage, the effect of him being, by God, justly left to himself, and in that final condition (beyond design or possibility of help or salvation).
PREDESTINATION:
The eternal (pre-time) activities of God, designed to unfailingly bring the objects of His sovereign choice to the conformity to the image of Christ. It includes all things necessary to bring His saving purpose to complete fruition. Keep in mind that this English word is not used in Scripture in relationship to damnation or eternal judgment.
PRETERITION:
The non-activity or passiveness of God, by which He, according only to His sovereign will, passes over those who are not elected unto salvation, leaving them in their unregenerate and condemned state.
FOREKNOWLEDGE:
(Greek prog-no-sis) Foreordination or the eternal loving knowledge or intent, according to which God purposes to bring His elect into the glory of His Son.
PREVENIENT GRACE:
Originally an Arminian (Semi-Pelagian) doctrine claiming a grace bestowed upon every man’s depraved natures, which allowed him to cooperate with God in his salvation. Its claimants held that such a grace was demanded by divine justice. Wesley modified the theory, attempting to remove some of the Pelagian philosophy, yet it remained heresy, only slightly improved. This term is sometimes used today, perhaps unwisely because of past connotation, but in a good and biblical sense, intended to describe the restraining or preventing portions of God’s activity in predestination, such as in the case of Abimelech, (Gen. 20:4-6
), and the many actions of divine grace that prevent a man from certain evils, preceding his calling to salvation, as well as after he is saved.