Understanding God’s election

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studier

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Apr 18, 2024
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I'd like your answer to both.
Re: the 3,000, asked and answered. Apart from Scripture I have no way of knowing how many heard and accepted Peter other than the 3,000 that's stated.

Re: your second question, I've told you I'm not certain I understand it, so please restate it or clarify it if you'd like an answer.
 

Cameron143

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Re: the 3,000, asked and answered. Apart from Scripture I have no way of knowing how many heard and accepted Peter other than the 3,000 that's stated.

Re: your second question, I've told you I'm not certain I understand it, so please restate it or clarify it if you'd like an answer.
It's a simple question: did anyone who did not gladly receive the sermon get baptized? The text says that those who gladly received were baptized. We know that the total number saved was 3,000. Out of the 3,000, were any other than those who gladly received and were baptized? In other words, were there some who did not gladly receive and did not get baptized who are part of the 3,000 who were saved?
 
Jul 3, 2015
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It's a simple question:
It's an odd and awkward question. The better question is, were there only 3k there?

It is an obvious assumption either way, to say yes or no.

But also seems unrealistic to say everyone there came to belief.

Not that it is not possible.

Just as it seems unrealistic to assume that God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven only numbered 3k.
 

Cameron143

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It's an odd and awkward question. The better question is, were there only 3k there?

It is an obvious assumption either way, to say yes or no.

But also seems unrealistic to say everyone there came to belief.

Not that it is not possible.

Just as it seems unrealistic to assume that God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven only numbered 3k.
The plain meaning of verse 41 is that the ones who gladly received and were baptized are the same the 3,000. But clearly the city would have been filled with hundreds of thousands of Jews the day of Pentecost.
 
Jul 3, 2015
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The plain meaning of verse 41 is that the ones who gladly received and were baptized are the same the 3,000. But clearly the city would have been filled with hundreds of thousands of Jews the day of Pentecost.
I agree with sentence number one. Number two I know not the answer to how many were present. But an AI Overview says

During Pentecost in Jerusalem, an estimated 900,000 Jews from across the Roman Empire and Middle East gathered
for the celebration. These pilgrims, along with Jerusalem's local population of 100,000, made up the large crowd.


Clearly, then, not all who were present came to believe. That's definitely believable.

Who can do the math? 3k out of almost a million is what percentage? LOL

AI to the rescue again = is approximately 0.3%
 

studier

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Apr 18, 2024
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It's a simple question: did anyone who did not gladly receive the sermon get baptized? The text says that those who gladly received were baptized. We know that the total number saved was 3,000. Out of the 3,000, were any other than those who gladly received and were baptized? In other words, were there some who did not gladly receive and did not get baptized who are part of the 3,000 who were saved?
Simple answer: looks like it all clearly flows together, literally: the [men] who accepted his word/message were baptized and added in that day about 3,000 souls.

About 3,000 accepted, were baptized, were added that day. That's what we're told. That's my answer.
 

Cameron143

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Simple answer: looks like it all clearly flows together, literally: the [men] who accepted his word/message were baptized and added in that day about 3,000 souls.

About 3,000 accepted, were baptized, were added that day. That's what we're told. That's my answer.
Good. 3,000 were good soil. Were there any others in Jerusalem who heard the sermon but responded differently?
 

studier

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The plain meaning of verse 41 is that the ones who gladly received and were baptized are the same the 3,000. But clearly the city would have been filled with hundreds of thousands of Jews the day of Pentecost.
Clear to you maybe and even possible, but all are estimates and speculations and such are discussed as estimations. And then there are other things we can throw at the Text and never get answered - how did 3,000 hear Peter? - were 100,000 (some say 250k, some say 30k, etc.) there where Peter was at the time? - how many at the snack bars and Jerusalem porta-johns and missed the best scene? - etc...

Speculate all you want and as wildly as you want or don't want. Join the crowd who do various estimations using various factors and call each other stupid for their estimations. The Text says what it says, and your argument is from silence.
 

studier

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Good. 3,000 were good soil. Were there any others in Jerusalem who heard the sermon but responded differently?
Make your case using Scripture.

If your point is that there were other soils in Jerusalem at any given time, yes, of course, but Acts2 again says what it says.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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So, what is your conclusion - what is the harmonized explanation? God is impartial and He hardens hearts. Where does this leave us in your view?
My view is that Matthew's version of Isaiah 6:9 in Matt. 13:14-15 is the harmonization:

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused..."
 

studier

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My view is that Matthew's version of Isaiah 6:9 in Matt. 13:14-15 is the harmonization:

"You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused..."
So, we're dealing with happened with people ultimately of their own accord and it is not based in the work of an impartial judge?
 

Cameron143

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Mar 1, 2022
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Clear to you maybe and even possible, but all are estimates and speculations and such are discussed as estimations. And then there are other things we can throw at the Text and never get answered - how did 3,000 hear Peter? - were 100,000 (some say 250k, some say 30k, etc.) there where Peter was at the time? - how many at the snack bars and Jerusalem porta-johns and missed the best scene? - etc...

Speculate all you want and as wildly as you want or don't want. Join the crowd who do various estimations using various factors and call each other stupid for their estimations. The Text says what it says, and your argument is from silence.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Grace and peace.
 
Jul 3, 2015
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I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Grace and peace.
If we started counting the arguments from silence studier makes, I wonder how astronomical the figure would be.

They love to twist and turn Scripture to their presups... while they reject what is plainly spoken.
 
Oct 19, 2024
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So, we're dealing with happened with people ultimately of their own accord and it is not based in the work of an impartial judge?
GRFS (Deut. 30:19, Acts 16:31) is the work of God, who judges fairly based on the opportunity souls had to cooperate/be saved,
indicated by the Parable of the Talents, in which the one talent may signify general revelation, five talents the OT and ten the NT.
 

Rufus

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Feb 17, 2024
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We've already discussed this also and shown you how the hardening of Pharoah is described.
"Described"? Don't you know that the hearts of kings are like channels of water in God's hands and He turns those hearts any way He desires? But you think that Pharaoh's ways were all within himself, don't you?
 

Rufus

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