Comments on Bring the Books: Jonathan Edwards on the Imputation of Sin (Part 3)...

Hmm... the way you put that does create the potent...

2009-10-28T07:39:59.070-05:00

Hmm... the way you put that does create the potential for a contradiction. It would be possible, I think, that Adam and I are one and the same, but it does sound problematic to say that Christ and I, by virtue of His saving me, are also one and the same.

The solution, of course, would be that we are one and the same with Adam, but that in Christ, his righteousness is imputed to us simply by virtue of God's declaration, which to my mind is more than sufficient. I had hoped (but not thought about it much) that imputation of sin would work in the same way as imputation of Christ's righteousness, but in the Edwardsian scheme this may actually create problem: how can anyone be two people?

I guess I do not understand how one person can act...

2009-10-28T00:00:57.084-05:00

I guess I do not understand how one person can actually sin with Adam, and then actually fulfill the law with Christ. I understand that a sinner can have righteousness imputed to him as in a legal declaration, but how does a sinner actually fulfill the law?

I'm saying that might be the implication if Edward...

2009-10-27T20:17:59.879-05:00

I'm saying that might be the implication if Edwards' view is correct. Do you think that's problematic?

I know Christ's fullfillment of the law is imputed...

2009-10-27T18:14:25.814-05:00

I know Christ's fullfillment of the law is imputed to his people, but are you saying that his people actually participated themselves in fullfilling the law in the way that Edwards said they actually participated in disobeying God with Adam?

Oh absolutely you could say that we fulfilled the ...

2009-10-27T09:01:19.512-05:00

Oh absolutely you could say that we fulfilled the law in Christ. Absolutely. I was actually hoping someone would catch on to the implications for the imputation of Christ's active righteousness in reading this article.

How would you say Edward's view works in regards t...

2009-10-27T00:36:03.795-05:00

How would you say Edward's view works in regards to Christ? I mean, it is all well to say that we sinned with Adam, but one could not say that we fullfilled the law with Christ.

As to the Romans 5 question, the answer is no, I w...

2009-10-26T22:41:02.162-05:00

As to the Romans 5 question, the answer is no, I wouldn't be a universalist. After all; the first two verses of Romans 5 tell us that we have access to Jesus through faith. To my mind, that precludes the idea of someone having access to Christ without faith.

As far as the question whether Federal headship is a common practice in society, my tentative answer is no. At least not in western society, that I can think of.

The interesting thing about what Edwards is saying here is that the relationship between Adam and his progeny is unique, so we wouldn't expect to find any sort of headship like Edwards is describing in society. I'll get back to you if I change my mind on this answer. I haven't thought enough about it.

Would you guys be universalists if all you had acc...

2009-10-26T20:05:33.454-05:00

Would you guys be universalists if all you had access to was Romans 5?

I think when people level the accusation of injust...

2009-10-26T20:04:16.257-05:00

I think when people level the accusation of injustice in regards to original sin they do so outside the Christian worldview. If you start with God who is the creator of man, then federal headship or even that we sinned with Adam (as Edwards seems to say)could be easily conceived as just. Adam, can you think of examples where our society uses headship, or do you think it is a purely Biblical concept?