Calvinism is Gospel !
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Saul maybe but Paul was true to the faith - Maybe Calvinism can be compare to Saul - thinking they are doing Gods work but not
The Apostle Paul did not officially change his name from Saul. He had both names
from birth, which was a common custom in the first century. "Saul" was his Hebrew
name, and "Paul" was his Roman name because he was born a Roman citizen.
But FWers love lying about Calvin and then defending Paul who did essentially the same thing.
Of course we know why the FWers slander and lie about Calvin. They hope to
increase the weight of their smear campaign with the use of logical fallacies.
Logical fallacies are flaws in reasoning that weaken arguments and often totally invalidate conclusions.
But FWers don't care. They haven't much else.
it does speak of the age/end times ( the king destroyed their cities) , but yes its about the selection of who will be chosen at the end, Here is the meaning step by step for this Parable of the wedding feast.
The king
The king represents God the Father.
The king's son
The son is Jesus Christ. The wedding feast celebrates the Son and His kingdom.
The wedding feast
The feast represents the joy and blessing of entering God's Kingdom and sharing eternal life with Christ. Throughout Scripture, God's Kingdom is often pictured as a great banquet.
Jesus also said: But I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 8:11)
The invited guests
The first guests were those who had already received God's promises, especially the leaders and people of Israel.
When the king sent servants to announce that everything was ready, they refused to come.
This reflects how many rejected Jesus even though the prophets had prepared them for His coming.
Jesus had already lamented:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often I wanted to gather your children together... but you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37)
The servants
The servants are God's messengers, including the prophets and later Jesus' disciples, who called people to repent and receive the Kingdom.
Some of the servants were mocked and killed, just as many prophets were rejected.
Jesus said:
"Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem." (Luke 13:33)
The destruction of their city
Jesus says the king destroyed the murderers and burned their city.
This points to God's judgment, which many understand was fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 after its rejection of God's Messiah.
The invitation to everyone
After the first guests refused, the king told his servants:
"Go therefore into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding." (Matthew 22:9)
Now the invitation goes to everyone, both Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, good and bad. God's invitation is open to all.
Jesus said:
"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14)
He also said:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
The wedding garment
This is the most important part of the parable.
One man accepted the invitation but entered without a wedding garment. He was removed from the feast.
The garment represents the changed life God requires of those who enter His Kingdom. It is not enough simply to accept the invitation with words.
Jesus consistently taught that true disciples obey Him.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
The garment symbolizes a life of repentance, faithfulness, and obedience to God. The man wanted the blessings of the kingdom without allowing God to change him.
Many are called, but few are chosen
This final statement summarizes the entire parable.
God's invitation goes out to many.
Not everyone accepts it.
Some reject it completely.
Others accept outwardly but do not truly follow Christ and wont do what he says.
Only those who respond with genuine faith and continue in His ways are found ready.
Jesus taught this repeatedly:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)
"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed." (John 8:31)
The Wedding Feast is about God's invitation into His Kingdom through His Son, Jesus Christ. Many who first received the invitation rejected it, so the invitation was extended to all people. But entering the Kingdom requires more than accepting an invitation. Those who come must be properly prepared by living in faithful obedience to God. As Jesus taught, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21). The parable ends with the warning, "For many are called, but few are chosen."(Matthew 22:14). This shows that while God's invitation is offered widely, only those who truly respond to Him and remain faithful will share in the wedding feast of the Son.
Unfortunately many will be lost all those who proclaim Jesus name but wont do what he says will not make it. this is the great apostasy
knowing God and Jesus yes but most of all do what God and Jesus says, otherwise its all for nothing.
Wow - you come across as a very paranoid conspiracy theorist - and the only slander I see comes from you
You weren't created to obey rules. You were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Thank you for elaborating, I thought perhaps you were giving the parable the TULIP exclusivity treatment.
Many parables by Jesus, were about those to whom He came, not accepting Him as Messiah and the invitation going forward to all the other nations.
So its unlearned to say from dust we came and to dust we go ? Its a fact that we all die.
easy;
Walk according to the Spirit
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)
Paul gives this as a command. "Walk in the Spirit" implies an active choice to live according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.
Be led by the Spirit
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
Being "led" suggests yielding to God's guidance instead of following one's own desires.
Set your mind on the Spirit
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit... For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."(Romans 8:5-6)
Paul contrasts two ways of thinking: the natural (carnal) mind and the mind directed by the Spirit.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." (Ephesians 4:30)
This implies believers can resist or ignore the Spirit through sinful conduct and are called instead to live in a way that pleases Him.
Do not quench the Spirit
"Do not quench the Spirit." (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
The image is of extinguishing a fire. Paul urges believers not to suppress the Spirit's work.
Be transformed by renewing your mind
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2)
Although the Holy Spirit is not named in this verse, the renewal of the mind is part of the Spirit's work in the believer.
Put off the old man and put on the new
"Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man... and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and... put on the new man..." (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Paul calls believers to leave behind their former way of thinking and living.
Does Paul use the expression "natural mind"?
Not exactly.Paul speaks of the "natural man" in 1 Corinthians 2:14:
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him..."
He also contrasts the carnal (fleshly) mind with the mind set on the Spirit in Romans 8:5-7.
From Jesus' teaching
Jesus Himself taught the same principle.Jesus said:
"Abide in Me, and I in you... He who abides in Me... bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)
"If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)
"If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine..." (John 7:17)
Jesus also promised the Holy Spirit would guide His disciples:
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13)
believers are called to continue in Christ, obey Him, and yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than return to living according to the flesh.
You have lied about me more than once. But your type of blindness and slander is not new.
It is not paranoia to speak truth. But gaslighting is one of the tactics you use in your smear campaign.
So again? Nothing new. You haven't much else.
I agree with you but I am cautious to avoid leaving the wrong impression because some groups hold doctrines that teach "abundant life" that is not according to Jesus. I would defend the idea that walking with Jesus improves our attitudes and behaviors, but I don't defend the idea that Christ came to make my life better. He never promised me a good wife, or good and obedient children, a good school, a parking place, or what have you. Some people say that if you come to Christ, he will make your life better. When, in fact, he makes your life get worse at times.
Abundant life is not primarily about material prosperity, social status, or constant happiness, but about spiritual richness, eternal life, and transformation through Christ. Abundant life is characterized by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This relationship produces righteousness, peace, and joy, as described in Romans 14:17, and manifests in the fruits of the Spirit such as love, patience, and kindness. It involves a transformation of the believer’s character, priorities, and daily living, aligning them with God’s will and kingdom values.
The idea that Christ came to make my earthly life go better—better marriage, better job, better finances—is not the gospel Paul preached. It replaces life in the Spirit with a baptized version of self‑improvement. Scripture never promises that following Jesus will produce material success or circumstantial ease; in fact, it promises suffering, perseverance, and conformity to Christ’s death as the pathway to glory. When churches teach that Christianity “isn’t working” because someone lacks faith, they turn the cross into a lever for personal outcomes and place crushing spiritual blame on people whose lives are hard. This is not only false—it is pastorally dangerous. By tying God’s favor to visible success, this doctrine leaves struggling believers convinced that God is against them, that their faith is defective, or that their suffering is proof of spiritual failure. Many have been driven into despair under that weight. The true gospel is not that Jesus came to make life easier, but that He came to make us new—raising the dead heart to life, producing the fruit of the Spirit, and anchoring our hope in the resurrection rather than in improved circumstances.
Sorry for the long post. I realize you aren't teaching the prosperity gospel, but this subject is so important that I felt it deserved a bit more time. Thanks for listening.
The believer does have a warfare with the flesh, but they are never anymore the natural man of 1 Cir 2:14 because they have the Spirit, they are not or no longer in the flesh Rom 8:9
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
The believers warfare with the flesh is permanent while in sinful bodies, final deliverance is when final salvific change comes Rom 7:23-25
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 ;O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The believer also understands that their acceptance with God and righteousness is a Gift of imputed righteousness 1 Cor 1:30
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
However I know you dot understand these things since you reject the Gospel !
Where can I read more about this please? I am interested as I am a son of these barbarians
But do not limit Jesus in your life. Your life can get better when you are transformed into being more like Jesus. You become more ethical, smarter, and more loving. Your attitude becomes more positive and that can unlock many good things to come into your life.
I told God I needed a wife, and I met her when I was given the role of a Sunday school teacher, with a wonderful woman assigned to be my assistant.
The fact that Jesus went around healing people proves that Jesus cares about our problems and He delights in solving them.
The prosperity gospel is just a materialistic exaggeration of the truth of God blessing our lives.
I hear and understand your critique and normally I would agree with you, but my statements about how the passage reads is not the same thing as saying how it feels. These are not the same thing. The way a passage "reads" takes into account grammar, but also immediate and larger context.
Look at it this way. Suppose the passage under review is like a river and you are standing on a bridge. From your perspective, you can see the river flow under the bridge and out the other side. Studying a passage of scripture is like that. When you stand on the bridge, you see the water coming from somewhere and going somewhere; it has continuity, direction, and movement. Sound interpretation should read the same. If my reading of a verse doesn’t flow naturally from what came before it or doesn’t lead coherently into what follows, then I’m not tracing the river—I’m forcing it to jump banks. A non‑sequitur interpretation is a warning sign that I’ve imposed something on the text rather than letting the author’s argument carry me downstream. Good exegesis respects the movement of the passage, the logic of the paragraph, and the direction of the book’s argument.
Paul says unbelievers “walked” according to the course of this world and “followed” the prince of the power of the air. Those verbs matter. They are verbs of active participation, not coercion. Nothing in the passage suggests they lacked the capacity to seek God; rather, they were morally and spiritually inclined toward the deceiver because his fog suited their desires. They were not dragged; they were drawn. They were not chained; they were comfortable in the haze that hid the destructive nature of their path. Paul’s point is that their condition was hopeless without God’s intervention, not that they were metaphysically unable to respond. The deceiver leads by obscuring truth, flattering desires, and shaping a world‑system that feels natural to the sinner. In other words, they followed him because his lies aligned with what they wanted—not because they lacked the ability to choose differently.
I don't need to show an idea from the text that he and his readers shared. Everyone knows that they have free will. Paul wouldn't need to say so if everyone already agreed on that. I understand your critique about using wording that Paul didn't use, but surely you realize that when someone explains a passage, they don't simply repeat the passage verbatim. I am forced to use different wording. The power of a passage isn't in the wording per se; it's in the ideas they convey. So if the words I chose didn't convey Paul's meaning then I stand corrected. And you shouldn't believe me. But if my wording conveys Paul's meaning then you should listen to what I say.
Well, that's my point exactly. In my view, the passage is not talking about a carcass. Apparently you disagree. This is why I turned our attention to what Paul says about life and living, which seems to stand as a comparison with his point about being dead in Christ. Being dead in sins seems to be the opposite of being alive in Christ. What is the main idea that ties them together?
Yes, I am claiming that sinners are misled and walking in a haze, but if you recall, I also said that they walked according to the course of this world because the deceiver appealed to their desires. They wanted to be misled as crazy as that may seem. These are not people who were unable to believe; they are people who prefer not to believe. There is a difference.
Again, we contrast and compare what Paul said about being dead with what he said about being alive, because it appears that Paul wants his readers to understand that framework.
I understand why we might consider that we have Eternal Life to a lesser degree now, but I wonder if that is really Biblical. Jesus talks about giving us abundant life now and I can see how that might be experienced in degrees, but I think we underestimate the kind of life that we will experience in the next age. It would be a worthy study to review all the places where Jesus compares this age with the coming age to see the differences. If Jesus teaches that we experience eternal life in degrees, I am okay with that. I believe whatever Jesus says. But sometimes we settle when we shouldn't.
Tulip in Eph 2 by Larry Phillips. 8 minute message
Ephesians 2, TULIP
Ephesians 2:7 "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." King Jame...- Status