Melvin R. Nelson

Does God Lie? Melvin R. Nelson

Could Calvinists and Arminians both be wrong? C. Hanson wrote in Christianity Today (September, 2006) that the debate about "free will" in salvation may never be settled. The author here takes a fresh look at God's Word from outside the two traditional views and finds a few surprises. Both sides of the debate ignore a fundamental truth which could revise how we see God's elect. His proposal changes how we commonly understand some of the tougher texts in the Scriptures, but the interpretation could be more accurate. The author asks these questions to those in the debate: 1) If God's elect, whom He foreknew, are those with faith in Christ then who were the elect in the Old Testament? 2) How would people know they need a Savior before faith in Christ? 3) Who would hear Christ's voice and follow Him, such that this would always happen without fail? About the Author Dr. Melvin Nelson has been a Christian and student of the Word for over 55 years. He has long served as an Elder in his church and has taught a number of Bible classes. While claiming no formal theological training, he believes that the Scriptures are God's truth and without error in the original manuscripts. Fidelity to the Word is of utmost importance to Him. He has written his first book to address a subtle and challenging Scriptural and theological problem that at times drives a wedge between fellow believers. He holds a doctorate (PhD) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nebraska and completed a Psychology internship at the University of North Carolina Medical School. While at times teaching at the college level he has also practiced Clinical Psychology for 36 years. He has done workshops on various topics, and has written a few short articles.