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Theodicy Soteriology, Hermeneutics

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SOTERIOLOGY : M. M. NINAN<br />

the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and<br />

learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from<br />

God; only he has seen the Father.67I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting<br />

life.<br />

John 6:44 must be understood in the light of verse 45: "It is written in the Prophets, 'They will<br />

all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me."<br />

All will be taught by God. Who listens to the Father and learns will come. Who believes whas<br />

eternal life. Here there is no draging concept at all. The evident concept is draw or attract.<br />

Every teaching has a drawing or dragging through reason and persuation. Every philosophy<br />

is taught by dragging in a way. In that sense there is nothing new in this passages to suggest<br />

an efficacious grace to give life so that they can understand. Aren’t all knowledge imparted<br />

like this. In fact that is one of main principles of teaching. Make the subject interesting and<br />

they will learn by themselves. No one learns anything good or evil unless God drags him into<br />

it. This grace then is universal applying to everything from alphabet to spiritual matters.<br />

These passages do not refer to total inability or total depravity.<br />

It is through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God that people come to the<br />

knowledge of salvation.<br />

This is confirmed by Peter :<br />

1 Pet.1: 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have<br />

sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been<br />

born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word<br />

of God.<br />

James 1: 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the<br />

heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth<br />

through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.<br />

and Paul:<br />

Rom 10: 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all<br />

and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord<br />

will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can<br />

they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without<br />

someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent?<br />

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