The Invitation To Heaven

[ICHTHUS]

The Invitation To Heaven

Matthew 22: And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Luke 14 : 15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

These two accounts are a clear presentation of the Gospel to the entire human race, without exception. It is also clear from this, that the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “election to salvation”, is unbiblical.

Firstly, we see that that sinners are INVITED to ACCEPT the Gospel OFFER, which clearly is UNIVERSAL.

Secondly, those who are INVITED are able to ACCEPT or REJECT this OFFER, showing that ALL sinners must possess the God-given ABILITY to CHOOSE.

Thirdly, those who are originally INVITED and made EXCUSES not to ACCEPT the OFFER, were REJECTED by the Lord, which shows that the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “Irresistible Grace”, cannot be correct.

Fourthly, we can see from Matthew’s account, that the Gospel OFFER is NOT for only the ELECT, as it very clearly says, that both the GOOD and BAD are to be INVITED to Heaven. This cannot mean only the ELECT, and must also include what is known as the NON ELECT, that is, the ENTIRE HUMAN RACE.

Fifthly, in Luke’s account, we read that ALL sinners are COMPELLED, the Greek is ἀναγκάζω, which means, “to necessitate, compel, by persuasion, entreaties”. Again, against the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “Irresistible Grace” and of “election to salvation”. As no “elect” person would ever have to be “persuaded or entreated” to ACCEPT the Gospel for their salvation!

Sixthly, Jesus Christ is The ONLY Way to get to Heaven, as seen from the UNINVITED person, who thought there was another “way”.

Seventh, much of the so called Five Points of Calvinism, are destroyed by these two passages, and they are clerarly shown to be UNBIBLICAL.

 

[Arial]

These two accounts are a clear presentation of the Gospel to the entire human race, without exception. It is also clear from this, that the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “election to salvation”, is unbiblical.

No, it only shows how you interpret those scriptures. First of all it is a parable. A parable is a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. Therefore not all aspects of the parable are to be taken literally, but rather one must glean what point is being made or pointed out. They are not intended as doctrinal instruction and should not be used to establish doctrine. Otherwise we would all be cutting off our arms and gouging out our eyes. Let's break it down.

Jesus is telling them what the kingdom of heaven is like. He is speaking to Jews, who in the OT were referred to as the bride of God. He was their husband. (Which btw, is a direct correlation of the created order of mankind in regards to human marital and family relationships. It mirrors what our relationship is intended to be with God.) So when He says 3. and sent out his servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner--- Come to the wedding." And those invited refused, Jesus is pointing out and saying that when He came to Israel, their Messiah, they rejected Him, and even would kill Him. And the king says, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited (Israel) were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways and invite all you see. This is the gospel going to the Gentiles. "Both bad and good." Irrespective of who they are as to anything. They were given wedding garments which they wore, all but one. He tried to come in on His own.

So the parable does not even refer to what you are trying to make it say.

Firstly, we see that that sinners are INVITED to ACCEPT the Gospel OFFER, which clearly is UNIVERSAL.

It says nothing about sinners. It says all people good and bad. And Calvinism does not teach that the gospel is not universal anyway. It teaches that it is. In Reformed theology it is phrased as the outward call---the gospel is available to all, and the inward call, the call that is effective.

Secondly, those who are INVITED are able to ACCEPT or REJECT this OFFER, showing that ALL sinners must possess the God-given ABILITY to CHOOSE.

The parable is talking about Israel and their rejection of Christ. It is not even addressing whether all sinners possess the God given ability to choose Him or not. It is addressing Israel, what they were given and told under the old covenant about Messiah that should have caused them to recognize Him but didn't.

Thirdly, those who are originally INVITED and made EXCUSES not to ACCEPT the OFFER, were REJECTED by the Lord, which shows that the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “Irresistible Grace”, cannot be correct.

Israel was originally invited. There is not a mention or hint in the parable that Jesus is talking about grace, resistable or otherwise.

Fourthly, we can see from Matthew’s account, that the Gospel OFFER is NOT for only the ELECT, as it very clearly says, that both the GOOD and BAD are to be INVITED to Heaven. This cannot mean only the ELECT, and must also include what is known as the NON ELECT, that is, the ENTIRE HUMAN RACE.

In RT election is not based on whether a person is good or bad, and neither does it say the gospel isn't offered to the entire human race. Strawman. RT does not say that only the elect are presented with the gospel. Another strawman. Soon you will have a whole field of scarecrows.

Fifthly, in Luke’s account, we read that ALL sinners are COMPELLED, the Greek is ἀναγκάζω, which means, “to necessitate, compel, by persuasion, entreaties”. Again, against the Reformed/Calvinistic teaching of “Irresistible Grace” and of “election to salvation”. As no “elect” person would ever have to be “persuaded or entreated” to ACCEPT the Gospel for their salvation!

The parable is not talking about grace or election, other than Israel was elect as a nation and indeedy they were not persuaded to believe the gospel. You have made a doctrine out of a parable. That is a no, no.

Sixthly, Jesus Christ is The ONLY Way to get to Heaven, as seen from the UNINVITED person, who thought there was another “way”.

Again, not what it is talking about. However there is a point here, if you want to take the parable there, but not the one you intended to make. The ones wearing wedding clothes were INVITED. They didn't come on their own. The uninvited guest tried to sneak in the back door without first being given wedding garments (the robes of Christ's righteousness perhaps?) but to no avail.

Seventh, much of the so called Five Points of Calvinism, are destroyed by these two passages, and they are clerarly shown to be UNBIBLICAL.

As none of the five points of Calvinism were even discussed in, or the subject of, the parable your statement is another sad and lonely strawman out there in the field, waiting for some substance.