The PuritanBoard - View Single Post - Monergism and Synergism

toddpedlar · #11 (**permalink**) 06-28-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panta dokimazete

I understand, Todd - the slogan is more for generating discussion and comparison than creating an exhaustive doctrinal statement.

I am thinking of this more as a tool to get to the "apex of the pyramid", then begin working deeper and broader.

To reiterate a point I made earlier - the "apex of the pyramid" can't be reached if the statement designed to get one there is misleading.

Quote:

Union with Christ is how our salvation is effectuated, right? So, the order is key: God 1. effectuates (that is completely works out the how and who), Man (the elect) participates vicariously.

But here's the key problem. Your slogan doesn't say "vicariously" or even contain the idea. It simply says "man participates". That's not sufficiently clear for a sloganized version of the message, which ought to be summed up in "God accomplishes ALL that must be done for us to be saved."

Quote:

Participation at it's root means "to take part in" and how one understands the way by which a person is engaged and enabled to "take part in" is at the core of the monergistic vs synergistic debate.

But the reformed folks that you've quoted would be using participation differently -that is, "to HAVE a part in". "Take" by its nature is active and self-actualized. Synergists, too, would be pleased to say "man takes part in salvation" or "man participates" because it can be understood to be a fully active and self-motivated verb - in fact, that's its normal connotation - which is why I would never use it as you have.