Mr. Ratliff will tell us that either you believe in Original Sin or you believe in no sin at all. But there's more than two alternatives.
I’m the enemy, ’cause I like to think; I like to read. I’m into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I’m the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, “Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?” ...Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? -Edgar Friendly, character in Demolition Man (1993).
Disclaimer: Some postings contain other author's material. All such material is used here for fair use and discussion purposes.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
The Orthodox Christian view of sin - by Mike Ratliff
Mr. Ratliff will tell us that either you believe in Original Sin or you believe in no sin at all. But there's more than two alternatives.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Christian faith and hope - by Mike Ratliff
The Greek word for "faith" is pistis, which means:
From peitho; persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself -- assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Word Origin: [from a primary elpo "to anticipate, usually with pleasure"]
1. expectation
2. (abstractly or concretely) confidence
expectation of what is sure (certain); hope.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Friendship With the World is Enmity with God - by Mike Ratliff
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The author attempts to explain James 4:4, but doesn't get around to it until the second to the last paragraph. After hundreds of words devoted to tangents, he supplies us but a single line of explanation:
It is doing whatever it takes to imitate worldly ways of thinking and worldly activities.
He goes on to provide a very appropriate remedy, thankfully, but does not explain how the remedy works out practically. This is really what he should have written about.
Friday, June 6, 2025
Is there Injustice on God’s Part? - by Mike Ratliff
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The author didn't write this article to teach about the Bible, he wrote it to teach about his Calvinism. He thinks it is critical to understand the Calvinistic doctrine of election, but he doesn't tell us why it is important. But in actual fact, it isn't important. Whether we are saved by His sovereign choice or if we are saved because we responded to His invitation, it doesn't make any difference at all in our lives or Christian walk.
Monday, June 2, 2025
For by grace you have been saved through faith - by Mike Ratliff
We think Mr. Ratliff misunderstands Jesus' teaching on the narrow door (gate). His misunderstanding is a common thing among Christians, likely arising from Reformed doctrine/Calvinism. The belief is connected to the that there won't be many saved, based partly on the idea that there will be a last days apostasy with a lot of phony Christians who are not true followers. The narrow door/gate fits right in with this idea.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Mt. 7:13-14 (NIV)
Some translations convey the meaning better:
ESV For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
NKJV Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
NLT: "But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
CSB: "How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it."
Lk. 13:23-23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, `Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, `I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, `We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, `I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” NIV
We can say with certainty that this question was not about gentiles. Jews considered the salvation of God to be for Israel only. So the question is a Jewish question. "Jesus, you have been preaching a new way, and we don't understand. Please explain. Are you really saying only a few of us going to be saved?"
The questioner was probably catching on to the idea that this gospel Jesus was preaching meant that not every Jew was going to be saved. This would be a startling revelation to the typical Jew, who would consider himself to be part of the chosen nation as a son of Abraham.
Jesus answered him, that the door is narrow, and many will try and fail to enter. Who are these that fail to enter? Jesus tells them directly: We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. He was talking to and about Jews. They would consider themselves brothers, but they are the ones Jesus never knew.
Jesus' countrymen will be told that He did not know them.
Jn. 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
"His own" are the Jews. They did not recognize Him or receive Him. Paul explained why:
Ro. 9:6 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
At this very time Jesus was speaking there were not many Jews who accepting His message, they were not entering in the narrow door. It's narrow because only a few of God's chosen people were entering this "new and living way" (He. 10:20).
Jesus speaks something that must have surprised His hearers: The most righteous-seeming Jews they knew of would not enter the Kingdom.
Mt. 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.So this was a teaching specifically aimed at the Jews, who would largely reject Him and have their house left to them desolate (Mt. 23:38).
Jesus was speaking to His contemporaries, He is addressing His audience; they are the ones who only a few were choosing the difficult road. The "few" are those Jews who received the Gospel, while the rest will be shut out. Therefore, we would say that Matt. 7:13-14 and Lk. 13:23-3 teach different aspects of the same idea - - and it has nothing to do with just a few being saved.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus - by Mike Ratliff
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This is a truly perplexing presentation. Even with the plain text in front of him Mr. Ratliff keeps to his narrative. He correctly notes what a particular verse is explaining, then inexplicably tacks on in his Reformed/Calvinist doctrines as if we should blindly accept them.
Monday, April 14, 2025
Repent or Perish - by Mike Ratliff
What if God is indeed totally sovereign, and yet in His sovereignty He simply chooses not to always intervene in His creation? Doesn't God get to decide His own sovereignty?
1Co. 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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Friday, March 21, 2025
The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith - by Mike Ratliff
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The author get a great deal correct here, but makes a couple of key errors, largely because of his reformist/Calvinist viewpoint.
Friday, January 24, 2025
Mercy - by Mike Ratliff
The author cannot see past his doctrines, even when he manages to properly define the word "mercy."
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Chosen - by Mike Ratliff
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Friday, October 11, 2024
Christ’s Blood and the Atonement - by Mike Ratliff
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Chosen Before the Foundation of the World - By Mike Ratliff - comments exchanged
- He smokescreens behind elaborate explanations and an irrelevant story
- He appeals to his credentials
- He essentially denies that the quoted verses mean what they say, because of his superior (and secret) knowledge of the Greek
Friday, August 16, 2024
All in Christ are so according to the Sovereign Grace of God - by Mike Ratliff
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The author wrestles with the supposed tension between God's total sovereignty and man's free will. He is unable to cite any relevant Bible verse about this, however.
This is key: Calvinism requires God to use His sovereignty. So in their view, if God is not using His sovereignty then He is not sovereign, and other parties (like man) are impinging on God's sovereignty when they exercise their free will.