I didn’t realize that the TALMUD was a christian source???? Additionally, thank you for demonstrating humility in your reply, it’s always nice when a REAL christian brother accuses me of pride and then to put me in my place calls me a “dumb sh*t.” Is that how you demonstrate humility and brotherly Christian love? Was it the scripture I quoted that Paul wrote to answer your original question that offended you? It is interesting that he anticipated the very question and objection to election that you have with God. You were right, it really is a problem you have with worshiping God.

You said, “At Judgement such a one may ask God “why did you make me if You knew I was not one Your Holy Spirit would ‘call’ “, what should God answer ? ” Because it was my good pleasure ? ” ! Who wants to worship this kind of God ?”

It’s sad that you would not want to worship the God who has already clearly answered this question.

Romans 9:19You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For(Z) who can resist his will?” 20But who are you, O man,(AA) to answer back to God?(AB) Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21(AC) Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump(AD) one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience(AE) vessels of wrath(AF) prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known(AG) the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he(AH) has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he(AI) has called,(AJ) not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

I find it amazing that you insist that a balance must be found in the word of God and then go through such bizarre lengths to quote non-Christian sources. It also seems you do not understand the position of Calvinism or Arminianism. If you think it’s our job to find a balance between two contradictory concepts in scripture then I would respectfully suggest that you don’t understand scripture.

On the other hand, no one who is saved will be able to take any of the credit. Our salvation, from start to finish, is 100% God’s work, and is based entirely on the finished work of the Cross. We were dead in trespasses and sins, destined for hell, when God in His grace, drew us to Himself, convinced us of our sin and our need for a Savior, and gave us the authority to call Yeshua ADONAI. Is this grace, this wooing, irresistible? No, we have free will and we can resist, even to the damnation of our souls, but God does everything short of making us puppets to draw us into His family.

Moreover the concept of a limited atonement, that Yeshua only died for the elect, and not for the sins of all people, is clearly unbiblical. The Bible is crystal clear that Yeshua’s death on the cross was for all people, and that there is sufficient power in His blood to cleanse away every sin. “Whosoever will may come” is meaningless if man has no free will and no ability to choose God.

So just what is Hebrews 6:1-6 teaching? Without attempting to fall into either ditch dug by these two theologies, here goes Rabbi Ariel’s opinion:

It is imperative to remember that both Calvinism and Arminianism are systems of theology devised by godly, devout, Bible-believing men in the 1600’s. Both systems are based on the Word of God, and both contain essential elements of truth, but neither can be substituted for reading and believing the Word of God. The Apostolic church knew nothing of either system; they simply believed what HaShem had revealed. The difficulty arises when it seems that some of what God has revealed contradicts something else He revealed. How can man be absolutely free and God absolutely sovereign and directive simultaneously? How can salvation be entirely God’s work, yet require the cooperation of mere men simultaneously? These are unanswerable questions ultimately. The Torah teaches both the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. It teaches what appears to be unconditional perseverance in some places and conditional perseverance in others. These things can never be intellectually reconciled because God is simply too big for us to understand. Both systems of theology emphasize one set of Scriptures while either ignoring or drastically twisting and explaining away others.

We are not called to fully understand God, only to believe Him. I am a free moral agent, responsible for my own sin, hopelessly lost. Yeshua not only died for me, He drew me to Himself with bands of loving-kindness and grace, convicted me of my sin, gave me the power to call Him LORD, and will one day present me faultless before His presence with great joy. I am, by His grace, His child. And yet, I am still free to walk with Him or not to walk with Him. And what applies to me, applies to every human being. Messiah died for all of us and desires fellowship with all of us. Whosoever will may come and receive of His forgiveness and grace and salvation. Innocent babies who die are safe in heaven. God’s election excludes no one; Messiah’s atonement includes everyone. As has been pointed out, we are looking at two sides of the same coin. Election is God’s side, free will is our side. Someone once said that as we enter life, we see emblazoned over the gateway the words “Whosoever will may come;” then as we enter and look back at the backside of the same gateway, we see inscribed with the words “Elect from the foundation of the earth.” Election is God’s side of the coin we call salvation, human responsibility is our side.

A famous Talmudic rabbi adequately described the typical Judaic view: “All is foreseen yet free will is given.”

Rather than interpreting the Bible based on any theological or philosophical structure, it behooves us to simply read and believe the Torah of ADONAI. As we teach the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, verse by verse, in context, we will at times sound like staunch Calvinists, preaching those passages which emphasize God’s sovereignty, while at other times we will seem like devout Arminians, as we preach those passages which emphasize man’s responsibility. The key to successful ministry is balance – to stay focused on the Torah, and not become distracted by the doctrines of men.

Torah Teacher Ariel ben-Lyman HaNaviy

Why do you think these verses of scripture are opposed to reformed theology? We simply hold that the reason anyone does call upon the name of Jesus is because the Holy Spirit draws him.