Theology Unplugged: An Invitation to Calvinism, Part 3

… exercise the faith just given. Defined thus, God’s work of regeneration is distinctly chronologically before the man can even exercise faith. So you can’t say that a man was born again at the moment of faith. At best you could say that a man is born again, and then, in the next instant expresses his faith. But pray tell! Where is the time for the individual to actually “hear with perception” the gospel? And how much of the gospel must he hear? And are all men born again at the exact instant that the gospel is being presented? (No, they are not. Therefore did they ever have the spiritual perception to “hear’ the gospel before they believed?)

So do you believe that a man must be given the indwelling of Jesus Christ (made alive in conjunction with Jesus Christ) along with the gift of faith to enable a person to believe? Or do you believe that a person acts to receive the Lord Jesus Christ before God sends the Spirit of His Son into his heart (Gal. 4:6).

Hodge,
By the way, why are you going through all of the mental gymnastics? Are you acknowledging that faith actually does come before regeneration 🙂 ? (you said, “We are made alive through faith…Regeneration…logically…precedes faith”). You are demonstrating how difficult it is to line up the Scriptures with the Doctrine on this crucial point. By putting faith on both sides of regeneration you can be both Biblical and “doctrinally sound”. However, you are stuck with the founding documents (ie. Canons of Dort and Westminster Confession of Faith) which clearly places “Reformed regeneration” before faith, and long before a person ever receives eternal life.

And to clarify, I do not believe that faith causes someone to be born again. Historically men had faith long before Jesus Christ began to indwell men’s hearts to give them eternal life/ regeneration. God is the one who sends His Son into our hearts causing us to be born again! It is His Seed! It is His life!

Hodge,

I agree that what I have set out is the logical order. I was trying to explain in chronological terms, by using the poor analogy, of the human experience. I also agree that faith is given at the same time, but we do not always appreciate that in our experience. Logically, we have to be regenerated first. As Paul says in 1 Cor “14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” And again in 1 Cor 2 “7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” Our experience is that they happen all together when we are born again.
And Melani, we go through mental gymnastics because our mental faculties are finite. It is difficult to the mysteries of God. “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit”

Hodge,

Thanks for your answer. At least I understand what you meant.

But I still have the same question for any and all of you about what kind of life you believe you received at regeneration. And what is the Biblical support for the distinction if there are indeed three kinds of life given to us by God–one physical and the other two spiritual in nature.

Harley,

I think, as do the other non Calvinists that I know, that you guys take the total depravity, completely dead in sin thing too far when it comes to how a person can or can not understand or respond to the Gospel. The verse you quoted above (which is is I Cor 2 by the way) states that side of the issue. However such Scriptures as Romans 1:18-21 make it very plain that all people have the revelation of God–His attributes and power–made known to them but they reject it, Acts 17:27 says that God established the boundaries and times of the nations so that people could hopefully seek God and find Him, and in John 16:8 it says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement. No mention of regeneration here for the world before this happens either!

Hodge,

I have one more quick question regarding John 3:3. You and other Calvinists have used this verse repeatedly to show that a person has to be born again before they can understand anything at all about the Kingdom of God or respond to Him in any way.

One of the meanings for the word see that is listed in the Strong’s Lexicon is, to experience any state or condition. This meaning is listed in the Net Bible online version that I use also. That has always been my understanding of what this verse means, that we can not experience the Kingdom of God unless we are born again. That, I believe, is the general non Calvinist understanding of this verse.

What is your take on that from the perspective of the Greek? Do you not believe that to be a valid interpretation of that verse?

I CONTEND:
“Total Depravity” is an extra-biblical concept supported by random Scriptures that are often taken out of context and erroneously interpreted. 1 Cor. 2:14 is one such verse. Note the context please. Paul is writing to men who he says “have been sanctified ‘in Christ Jesus’, saints by calling” (1Cor. 1:1), the grace of God had been given to them i’n Jesus Christ’ (1:4), and in everything they were enriched ‘in Him’ (1:5). Jesus would confirm them to the end, blameless in the day of the Lord (1:7), and they had been called into fellowship with Jesus Christ by God (1:9). By His doing they were ‘in Christ Jesus’ (1:30). They had received the Spirit of God, that they might freely know the things given to them by God (2:12). No question these are born again, saved men.

But Paul tells them clearly, “Brethren (they were his brothers in Christ), I COULD NOT SPEAK TO YOU AS SPIRITUAL MEN, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ” (1Cor. 3:1). cont…

Paul wanted to teach them with the meat of the word, but they were not ready. They still needed the milk of the word because of their immaturity: they were still fleshly, walking in jealousy and strife (3:3). Paul told them that he did speak wisdom among those that are mature (2:6), but his teaching to them was not in persuasive words of wisdom (2:4).

He wanted to tell them about God’s mystery which he had kept hidden from past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to the saints (1Cor. 2:7; Col. 1:26). In other generations it had not been made known to the sons of men (Eph. 3:5). God tells us why He kept this mystery hidden for all that time: “if the rulers of this age had understood it , they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (2:8). But now God’s plan that He had kept hidden has been revealed to His saints (Col. 1:26). It has now been revealed to His holy Apostles and prophets in the Spirit (Eph. 3:5). “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27)…

God’s plan, predetermined before the ages, was to our glory” (1Cor. 2:7). We are now vessels which He prepared beforehand for glory” (Rom. 9:23). (Glory is not praise.) And “the Gentiles are also fellow-heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Eph. 3:6). This wonderful work of God was for the Gentiles too (Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:6).

After the Corinthians dealt with their immature fleshly ways, Paul finally begins to tell the Corinthians more details about Gods wise plan for our glory in 2 Corinthians 3 and beyond.

I BELIEVE: THE CONDITION OF UNREGENERATE MEN
All men since Adam are born defiled (polluted) by sin and need cleansing. Jesus, born of the Father, was the only man who was born undefiled and remained undefiled. His sacrifice was the only one that could ever take away sin, his blood is the only blood shed that can cleanse the inner man and purify his heart, before Jesus Christ will indwell him.

I BELIEVE cont…
Prior to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, men could perceive spiritual things, and faith in God and please God through faith, but they could not cleanse themselves, nor appropriate for themselves the indwelling, life giving presence of the Lord Jesus Christ to save themselves. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, those who call upon the name of the Lord are cleansed of all sin and then indwelt by Jesus Christ and God the Father!

Melani,

Thanks for pointing out the ongoing train of thought in I Cor 3. I was missing that. That only serves to make a stronger case that the Calvinist view of total depravity has been “over done,” IMO.

Cheryl,
How then do you explain Eph2:1-4:” and you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” Genesis 6:5 -“The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
What did we inherit from Adam?
I also remember Adam hiding from God in the Garden after sinning, not going to Him and asking for forgiveness. If he did not seek God, then who would? He knew God personally…

Harley,

Of course he made us alive when we were dead spiritually–that goes without saying. The question is, did he do it without faith? And again, what kind of life are you talking about in those verses in Ephesians? Making us alive together with Christ seems to be equated there with being saved by grace. Are we saved by grace before we have faith, before we come to Christ and before our sins are dealt with? That would contradict quite a few other verses in the Bible, would it not?

And why did God say he put people in pariticular nations in hopes that they would find Him if there was no hope of them doing that and He knew it? That would make complete nonsense out of those verses in Acts, would it not?

And why are you so sure that Adam would have immediately run to God in the garden and asked for forgiveness? Do you have any children? After they have done something wrong do they immediately come running to you and beg forgiveness or are they much more likely to try to

This thing has a way of cutting us off any more before we have said any where near the 1000 words we were once alloted.

Continued….or are they much more likely to try to hide what they have done until you confront them with their wrong–convict them of it and draw them back to you? That is what the Holy Spirit’s job is with men according to the verse I quoted in John.

So again, please tell me, is it eternal life you believe we are given before we come to the point of having faith? If I understood you correctly before, that is what you were saying. If not, what kind of life is this? Does he give us phyiscal life and then two kinds of spiritual lives?

Melani
Yes, please look at the context of 1 Cor 2. Paul says that spiritual things are understood by spiritual people, the natural person can not understand spiritual things. After v. 8,9, Paul states “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit;”and in v. 12-“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.;” and in v. 13, Paul tells them he is “interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” Yes, they are Christians but Paul is talking to them as “people of the flesh.” This is not a letter to non-believers. When Paul writes “we, us, you” he is addressing them as already believers, infant-acting as they may be.
I ask you, as I did Cheryl, what is your view of Adam’s inheritance?
Another question: Did Christ die a substitutionary death? For who? Did He accomplish what He set out to do or was His blood shed to make something possible?
HV

Harley,

I know I am sounding very intense here. This is obviously something that I am very passionate about. You have been very gracious in our exchange. When I am trying to make a point and don’t seem to be getting it across, I can get quite intense.

(Just ask the friend that I just had a cup of tea with and our conversation turned to this subject. She saw my intensity and we agree with each other on the subject!)

Harley,

Like you I believe in original sin. Where it seems that we disagree is on the degree of effect that it had on people, (what the exact effects of spiritual death were,) and if they have to be given life (of whatever kind) before they can have faith or respond to God in any way.

Cheryl,
No, that is not what I’m saying:) We have physical life and spiritual life. We become aware spiritually after regeneration. There are two orders that are getting mixed and that is confusing. there is the logical order – regeneration, faith, justification, etc. and there is the chronological order, that we experience- we believe, we are born again, etc.
As far as the example of the child, I think you make my point. The child does not seek forgiveness they hide until you go to them. The natural man hides from God, just as the child hides from us. God goes to him and brings him back, without asking what man wants. The natural man is a sinner through and through. Sometimes the child will not do immediately what the parent wants, but a good parent doesn’t quit and say “OK, do what you want” does he? No, they will persist until they get what they want. In a similar way God’s grace is irresistible, when he calls a man to Christ the man comes eventually. You can run but you…

can’t hide. hate the restriction on characters.

Cheryl,
I understand, cause I am too. Do you agree that we also inherit Adam’s guilt or do you believe that we are born only with the tendency to sin, which we do eventually?
I am going somewhere with this, please bear with me.

Harley,

How can you say that we have to be regenerated before we can believe but then say that isn’t the way we experience it–that in expereince we believe first and then are born again? To me that makes no sense whatsoever. And the Bible makes it clear as far as I can tell that faith comes before eternal life.

So you are telling me that in your experience you believed and then received eternal life when in reality you had eternal life for about 2 years before that?

I think your explanation is only making things more confused to me! And your logical order is not the logical order I see in Scripture at all.

Harley,

To answer your last question, I think I agree that we inhereited Adam’s guilt. I have read several opinions on this subject lately but it is not one that I have sat down and really tried to sort through again for myself. I know that is what I have believed in the past. Does that help?

Cheryl,
sorry got called away. If we then inherited Adam’s guilt, which stains every part of us, then why would our wills not be affected by sin? and if our wills are corrupted by sin, then we are, as Scripture says slaves to sin. Slaves do what there master wants them to do. When we are regenerated, our wills are released from the bondage to sin.
I don’t want to confuse. Logically, we must be given a new heart (regeneration), before we can receive the gift of faith. If faith was given before, while our hearts were stone, it wouldn’t do us any good; nothing grows in stony ground. In our experience (the chronological) it seems to us we just believe and are saved. Then we think that that was when we received faith and then the new heart. Sorry to go back to the baby analogy but for me it is helpful – at the moment of conception, life begins. But as 2 cells, the baby doesn’t experience (know) life until much later.

Harley,

Then are you saying that you received Jesus, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sins, justifcation and regeneration all at the same time? You had all of those things before you were aware that you had faith, before you turned to God, before you repented, before you received Jesus? You had the whole works and just weren’t aware of it?

If that isn’t what you are saying, (you said originally that you were regenerated but didn’t come to faith until about two years later) you still have eternal life with no faith. And the New Testament makes it clear that doesn’t happen. If you don’t believe in Him you are condemned. John 3:18

Cheryl,
I am saying that belief is proof of regeneration. You must be born again (regenerated) to believe. These are two truths taught in Scripture. I am sorry for bringing up the logical and chronological order of things because it is causing confusion. Those are theological arguments and really not that important to us now. What I meant originally, and didn’t make clear, is that the conviction by the Holy Spirit (evidence of regeneration) started way before I declared faith in Christ. Did I have eternal life at that time? I think technically I probably did, because of the eternal decree of God (outside of time in eternity past) before the foundation of the world, but experientially no because I had not expressed my faith in Christ. If someone puts a million dollars in my bank account but doesn’t tell me, am I a rich man? Technically, yes. But experientially – not until I have knowledge of it and claim it.
Now everything should be as clear as mud.
Grace to you and peace

Harley,

Clear as mud, that says it pretty well! 🙂 And I kind of think that no matter how long we spent discussing this, we would never come to a consensus. So I think I will call it quits for now anyway.

Thanks again for your gracious interaction.

Harley, (My response to your letter #16)
Doesn’t the Reformed interpretation of 1Cor. 2:14 imply that only unregenerate men are “natural men”. Therefore it is the unregenerate who will not receive or understand the things of the Spirit of God”. Isn’t this one of the major Reformed proof-texts used to claim that a man must be born again before he can have faith, because without the new birth “the unregenerate will not accept or understand the things of God”?

Are you now agreeing with me that 1 Cor. 2:14 is not speaking of the unregenerate? And Paul is writing to believers, but he did not yet classify them as ‘spiritual men’ (3:1)?

Harley,
You asked what is my view of Adam’s inheritance?

Adam’s inheritance
All men since Adam are born defiled (polluted) by sin and desperately need cleansing. Additionally, Adam lost the eternal life source for mankind and this whole world. Before sin, everything lived, not even one cell had died! However, once Adam sinned, death entered everything and cells began to die, and eventually everything dies because sin entered into the whole world (Rom. 5:12). Adam’s descendants are born ‘slaves of sin’ (Rom. 6- this does not equal a “bound will”), enslaved to corruption (Rom. 8:20), under jurisdiction of the Law (Rom. 7:1- in this state he can’t be joined to Christ 7:4), “in this world”, (with no self made way of escape when the elements of the universe melt with a fervent heat), born “in flesh” where sin dwells (Rom. 7:17, 18, 20, 23), and “living and walking in sin and the lusts of his flesh” (Eph. 2:2, 3; Col. 3:7), under judgment condemned to die and eventually perish.

Adam’s Inheritance cont…
. Every man needs cleansing from sin, purification, an eternal life source, and an incorruptible body. HE NEEDS TO DIE WITH JESUS CHRIST to be set free from slavery to sin, to be set free from being bound to the Law, and to righteously satisfy the death sentence that is against him. He needs a way to be saved from perishing in the coming destruction: a way of escape from this earth which will perish.

Jesus the firstborn of God,
Jesus, first-born of the Father, was the only man born undefiled by sin, and He remained undefiled by sin. Even the demons called him holy! Jesus was the first man to be indwelt by God the Father and made “one” with Him. Jesus Christ became a high priest after His death. It is the work of Jesus as high priest that prepares us to become a ‘temple’ of the living God. Since the resurrection, believers have also been indwelt by God the Father and the Son! Their indwelling presence gives us the life of regeneration.

Were men temples of God in the OT?
Were men indwelt by the Father and the Son in the OT?

JOHN PIPER PREACHED,
“The second objective historical event that had to happen for us to be born again with eternal life was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (“Receive With Meekness the Implanted Word 1/6/08).

“The new life we get in the new birth is the life of the historical Jesus. Therefore, if He does not rise from the dead, there is no new life to have”. (ibid. 1/6/08)

“The incarnation is necessary for the new birth because the life we have through the new birth is life in union with the incarnate Christ…THAT LIFE THAT WE HAVE IN UNION WITH CHRIST IS THE LIFE THAT JESUS OBTAINED FOR US BY THE LIFE THAT HE LIVED AND THE DEATH THAT HE DIED IN THE FLESH.” (“The Reason the Son of God appeared was to Destroy the Works of the Devil” 12/23/07)

“IF THERE IS NO INCARNATION, THERE IS NO UNION WITH THE SON OR WITH THE FATHER, AND NO REGENERATION” (ibid 12/23/O7)

AGREE?

Cheryl,
I agree

Harley

Melani,
How does the will get left out of the corruption of sin?
Your Christology sounds a lot like Mormonism. Christ is the eternal Son of one substance with the Father and the Spirit, who took on our flesh to bear our sins. Believers are indwelt by The Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Christ, not the Father and Son. We have union with the Father and the Son through the Spirit. Obviously, with no Incarnation there could be no salvation through Christ. Same with the Resurrection.
There were some people filled with the Spirit in the OT, but it was not the common practice because Christ had not come yet. However, OT saints were saved by faith in the coming Messiah demonstrated in the Temple rituals. The blood of bulls and goats can not cleanse from sin.
Paul is not saying in 1 Cor 2:14 that they are the natural person; he is simply stating that the natural man cannot understand spiritual things. He had previously said that God had revealed these things through the Spirit and he, Paul had…

imparted these spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. and at the end of chpt 2 he reminds the Corinthians “we have the mind of Christ.
Starting in chpt 3 Paul is gently rebuking them as he does throughout the letter, sometimes more gently than others.
Again, in the epistles words like “us, you, we” address the believers in Christ. They may at times be acting like the worldly people, but they are Christ’s as far as Paul is concerned.
Man does need to be saved, he can’t save himself. So I ask Did Christ’s life and death on the Cross accomplish that salvation or only provide a possible salvation which needs the addition of something, namely man’s faith?

those who call upon the name of the Lord , new life is only in christ, why ,because he christ did his bit on the cross, and its not right that we try and steal his glory, its us in sin, that we fail to know god knows everything, nothing will catch him out with his ways are far above us, yet he still loves us, grace, and more grace, oh what a savour, dead in sin, and one day at 34 i hear a friend co-worker tell me ,,what ,,the gospel yes simple gospel, in a gold mine 2 miles underground in south africa, me ,,after about 10 mins, of hearing of christ taking all my sins on the cross, for me for all of us,, i went down on my knees in a rat filled dark mine, and allowed my christ have me, repented of rubbish in my life, after 20 years of drinking and smoking, i ask him as now his child, to remove it, my lord that day in 1984, came and saved me, again ,,what a savour, i give him 100%, nothing of me, and he has carried me ever since, god bless.

Amen George!!

Hi Harley, guess I am back!

You asked, So I ask Did Christ’s life and death on the Cross accomplish that salvation or only provide a possible salvation which needs the addition of something, namely man’s faith?

Again, I am trying to clarify what you mean here. Are you saying that Jesus’ life and death brings salvation to the elect without it being necessary for there to be any faith involved at all?

Harley or any other Calvinist,

You said in #33 this page,
“How does the will get left out of the corruption of sin?”

I ask you, what Scriptures do you use to establish that the will of man was impaired by the corruption of sin?

Harley,

You said in #33 this page:
“Believers are indwelt by The Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Christ, NOT the Father and Son.”

Perhaps you have not looked at the Biblical detail on this matter.

In the OT, the Father first dwelt AMONG men in the tabernacle, and later in the temple.

Jesus Christ was the first man who could claim, “The Father is in Me”, “The Father dwells in Me”, “I am in the Father”, and The Father and I are one”. (John 10:30, 38; 14:10, 11, 20; 17:21-23). The Apostle John identifies another unique aspect of this truth: “In Him was LIFE, and the Life was the light of men” (John 1:4). This was a reference to the Father dwelling in Him. Jesus body was a temple of God (John 2:21). God came to tabernacle among men in the body of Christ (John 1:14). CONT…

Men did not have the Father (the LIFE) or the Son, prior to the work of the cross and resurrection, and after Jesus Christ becomes High Priest. Jesus was the first man “begotten by the Father”, and He was the “first-born from the dead”. Men did not have new LIFE given to them by regeneration before the resurrection.

But Jesus told His disciples,
“The Spirit of Truth… will be in you” (Jesus is the Truth – John 14:6, 17). “Because I live you shall live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and YOU IN ME, AND I IN YOU.” (John 14:19, 20). “I am the light, He who follows me shall have the light OF LIFE” (John 8:12).

Jesus prays for us to become one with the Father and the Son in John 17: 20-23. Men were not in this special union at the time of this prayer.

These truths do not become realities until the Day of Pentecost. CONT…

Paul then writes,
“The Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His”. “And if Christ be in you…” “But if the SPIRIT OF HIM WHO RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD dwell in you… by His Spirit which dwells in you” (Rom. 8:9:10). That places the Father and the Son in us.

John writes,
“…the one who confesses the Son HAS THE FATHER ALSO… you also will abide in the Son and IN THE FATHER” (1John 2: 23, 24). “Whoever confesses Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God” (1John 4:15, 16).

“The Father (the LIFE) in Christ and Christ in us” and our being joined to Christ to become one spirit with Him, did not become a reality for men before the Day of Pentecost. At that time men could become “temples of God”. From that time forward believers must first die with Christ, before they are made alive with Christ. Then this becomes their reality: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).

Harley,

I believe that things became dramatically different after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Reformed Doctrine on the other hand obscures the differences. They have created an Ordo Salutus that is the same on both sides of the cross. By logical necessity they insist that God was regenerating men in the OT. That is a false teaching.

Jesus Christ did not dwell in men and give them eternal life by regeneration in the OT. OT believers were not placed in Christ, nor were they joined to Christ, to become one with Christ, in their lifetime.

And if there was no regeneration prior to the resurrection, as even John Piper so clearly proclaimed, then all of the tenets of the TULIP are erroneous. All of the interpretation used to establish the concept of “Total Depravity” have been erroneously interpreted. And regeneration was redefined.

Melani,
Do you believe that Jesus is God?

Cheryl,
I am asking what Christ accomplished in His life, death and resurrection? Did He secure salvation for His people or did He just make salvation possible?

Harley,

Do you believe that a person must have faith in Jesus to be saved?

Please just a yes or no answer as I am honestly not sure what you are saying or believe here. It seems like everytime I ask you a question, your answer talks past it! I believe the Bible firmly teaches that we MUST have faith in Jesus and who he is, and what He did in order to be saved. Do you?

Cheryl
Absolutely a person must have faith in Jesus to be saved. It is a gift from God.

Harley,

Then what was the purpose of this question? So I ask Did Christ’s life and death on the Cross accomplish that salvation or only provide a possible salvation which needs the addition of something, namely man’s faith?

I find I am not following your reasoning a good share of the time here!

Cheryl,
Sorry. The question is did Christ secure salvation for His people? Was redemption actually accomplished or was His death only to make salvation possible? I realize these are the same questions. The answer to these questions are very important because they are basic to the faith. After these questions, then the next would be who did He die for? I’m just trying to get to the basics and then try to move forward.
BTW, how do get the italics?:)

Harley,

Here’s a switch! It is usually me asking someone how do those formatting tricks.

For italics you do: at the start and at the end. Note though, there should be no spaces between those characters. I only typed them this way so it would be clear here.

The same works to bold something, only you replace the “i” with a “b”.

Harley,

Here’s a switch! It is usually me asking someone how do those formatting tricks.

For italics you do these characters at the start, (with no spaces between and no quotation marks around them. If I don’t use the quoteation marks here, it won’t show the characters used but it will be in italics.) Anyway, here are the characters: “” At the end of what you want italicized put a “/” before the “i”.

It works the same way for a bold, only you replace the “i” with a “b”.

Hope that my directions aren’t as clear as mud and that it makes sense.