Arminians & Infant Salvation

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I haven't read the posts above because this has been previously discussed ad nauseum. However, the question in relation to Arminian doctrine has been admirably addressed in John L. Girardeau, Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism, Sprinkle, 1984, p. 196-207. As I recall, Girardeau shows how Arminian answers tend to butcher the doctrines of original sin, the atonement, imputation, and/or justification.

I have Girardeau on my website here.
 
To answer somewhat differently and a little more prolix than Tim did just now, the issue is not personal involvement. You and I and every other human being ARE personally involved in Adam's sin. Our personal involvement is a covenantal involvement. We ALL sinned in him, as the text in Romans 5 says. We sinned in him because we are covered by him covenantally. We also personally are held in God's eyes to be righteous as Christ is righteous IF we are in Christ, as our covenant head. What is Christ's, righteousness and holiness, is accounted to us. Our personal involvement there, too, is a covenantal involvement. Those who are covenantally united to Christ are saved, and judged righteous just as those who are covenantally united to Adam are under the curse and judged unrighteous.

As I've said to many when discussing covenant ideas, if "not being involved directly in Adam's unrighteousness" means you don't like the judgment against you (but want to be held accountable for your own sin) then, that's fine - you'd better be equally unhappy with having the judgment of Christ's righteousness applied to your account, and should be asking that God judge you based on your own righteousness. Nobody ever takes me up on that offer, though.

No disagreement here. I was just promoting discussion from the standpoint of the infant/salvation issue.
I like your last paragraph. I don't imagine you get any takers on it.
 
I haven't read the posts above because this has been previously discussed ad nauseum. However, the question in relation to Arminian doctrine has been admirably addressed in John L. Girardeau, Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism, Sprinkle, 1984, p. 196-207. As I recall, Girardeau shows how Arminian answers tend to butcher the doctrines of original sin, the atonement, imputation, and/or justification.

I have Girardeau on my website here.

The pertinent section regarding issues on infant salvation is found in Part II, Section II. Just "find" occurrences of the word infant.
 
Jason -

...it has to be said that most if not all of them are misapplied, and do not speak to your claim at all. (e.g. Ezekiel 16:21 isn't dealing with pagan children, Romans 1:20 isnt' dealing with the question in any way, and the Jeremiah 19 verses don't imply innocence with respect to sin in any way at all)... I don't believe the Scriptures you cite make the case that you're trying to make.

I did say there are no EXPLICIT verses but rather this view comes off of these implicit reference. Not all of those references were in response to the question you asked about how God deals differently with infants of pagan parents (some examples were infants of pagan parents others of rebellious Jews and others of Christians). Sorry if I didn't make that clear, I was trying to show those examples and give the overall view at the same time.
 
I haven't read the posts above because this has been previously discussed ad nauseum. However, the question in relation to Arminian doctrine has been admirably addressed in John L. Girardeau, Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism, Sprinkle, 1984, p. 196-207. As I recall, Girardeau shows how Arminian answers tend to butcher the doctrines of original sin, the atonement, imputation, and/or justification.

Thank you very much Jim. Girardeau seems to be what I was looking for - to try to understand how Arminians might rationalize all those doctrines in relation to infant salvation. I will most certainly check out this book.
 
I haven't read the posts above because this has been previously discussed ad nauseum. However, the question in relation to Arminian doctrine has been admirably addressed in John L. Girardeau, Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism, Sprinkle, 1984, p. 196-207. As I recall, Girardeau shows how Arminian answers tend to butcher the doctrines of original sin, the atonement, imputation, and/or justification.

Thank you very much Jim. Girardeau seems to be what I was looking for - to try to understand how Arminians might rationalize all those doctrines in relation to infant salvation. I will most certainly check out this book.

Girardeau is good, but he is dealing with Arminianism from a broader perspective (though he deals with oft neglected consequences of Arminianism, such as being squishy on doctrines like justification). If you want something dealing specifically with Arminians and infant salvation, check out Warfield in the link I posted above (# 10).
 
The traditional Anabaptist strain of Arminianism holds that infants are innocent until they are old enough to be accountable for their actions(the age of accountability).
 
The traditional Anabaptist strain of Arminianism holds that infants are innocent until they are old enough to be accountable for their actions(the age of accountability).

If infants are insulated from original sin, how do they explain why infants die?
 
The traditional Anabaptist strain of Arminianism holds that infants are innocent until they are old enough to be accountable for their actions(the age of accountability).

If infants are insulated from original sin, how do they explain why infants die?

Great question! I actually used that exact question to convince an Arminian friend that infants to have original sin. He simply replied, "I never thought of that!" :lol:
 
Hi, I believe I can speak with somewhat authority with regards to certain arminians. (See my sig)

Pastor Phillips nailed it with the false dichotomy of Adam's sinful nature (which they believe we inherit) but not Adam's guilt. Age of accountability is quite a common argument too.

Personally I avoid this topic as it can easily become personal for some. :(
 
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