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Molinists maintain that middle knowledge is the best candidate for settling the historical debate on God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. The philosophical sophistication of the view can be alluring, and the efforts of Molinists to rationally defend it against criticisms have been impressive. But does Molinism still have a biblical problem? Proponents argue that the doctrine is compatible with the Bible's teaching on God's knowledge of counterfactuals, though admittedly, it is not explicitly taught in Scripture. But this claim is more problematic than advocates for the theory have alleged. The present study maintains that in the absence of a more complete biblical revelation regarding God’s knowledge logically prior to his eternal decree, philosophers of religion should exercise greater caution than is presently being advocated. It is argued that Paul supplies the reader with a necessary constraint to philosophical speculation regarding the deliberations of the divine mind (Rom 11:33–36), and it is John Calvin, not Luis de Molina, who best represents Paul’s appeal to mystery in this respect. Far from being an intellectual "punt" to mystery, this is an occasion to join Paul in awestruck wonder in the face of the unknowable. Jeff Scott Kennedy, Ph.D. Bible Exposition (Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University / 2022)

This study was designed to assess the effects of a nutritionally enhanced food bar and intense, protracted stress as engendered by U.S. Army Ranger training on immune function as measured by immunogenicity to Hepatitis A vaccine, leukocyte phenotype, and delayed type hypersensitivity reaction. The stress of Ranger training caused a number of immunological changes from baseline, and the group consuming the bar fortified with antioxidants, indigestible carbohydrate, zinc, copper, selenium and other trace elements and vitamins manifested decreased effects on their immune function. For example, there was an attenuated reduction of the number of monocytes in the soldiers in the treatment vs. a placebo group with a likewise decreased reduction of T-lymphocytes in the treatment group. Other markers, such as body weight changes and numbers of B-lymphocytes, while not significant, indicated a clear trend toward beneficial effects in the treatment group. Hepatitis A vaccine was administered to both groups. The stress of Ranger training caused approximately a 30% reduction in antibody response when compared to a non-stressed group, but consumption of the nutritionally enriched bar had no significant effects on this response. Over 70% of those who completed this rigorous training rigorous believed that supplementation with the bars, both treatment and placebo, helped them in completing Ranger training. While previous Ranger trainees had manifested significant weight loss during this training, the current class actually showed a weight gain. Generally, these results indicated that the experimental bars increased immune competence and status, contributed to a gain in weight during the training, and were very well tolerated and accepted by the training population.

We evaluated a liquid supplement containing antioxidants, indigestible carbohydrate, structured lipid, and vitamins and minerals for its effects upon the immune responses of soldiers participating in the U.S. Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection School. Subjects on the experimental supplements as well as controls lost approximately 6.4 pounds in 3 weeks with an estimated daily expenditure of 5040 Kcals. The in vivo measurement of cellular immune function, delayed type skin hypersensitivity at exit, suggested that subjects in the treatment group bad a greater response (p = 0.07) and fewer subjects in the treatment group were anergic (18% vs 39%). The pattern of change in white blood cells and lymphocyte lumbers and subsets were consistent with increased risk of infection during training with some attenuation of these effects with the supplement. This study provided a comprehensive evaluation of immune function and yielded evidence supporting the hypothesis that specific nutritional supplements may enhance immune function, especially under stressful conditions or scenarios., Prepared in collaboration with Ross Products Division of Abbott Labs, Columbus, OH.

This study was designed to assess the effects of a nutritionally-enhanced food bar and intense, protracted stress as engendered by US Army Ranger training on immune function as measured by immunogenicity to Hepatitis A vaccine, leukocyte phenotype, and delayed type hypersensitivity reaction. The stress of Ranger training caused a number of immunological changes from baseline, and the group consuming the bar fortified with antioxidants, indigestible carbohydrate, zinc, copper, selenium and other trace elements and vitamins manifested decreased effects on their immune function. For example, there was an attenuated reduction of the number of monocytes in the soldiers in the treatment vs. a placebo group with a likewise decreased reduction of T-lymphocytes in the treatment group. Other markers, such as body weight changes and numbers of B-lymphocytes, while not significant, indicated a clear trend toward beneficial effects in the treatment group. Hepatitis A vaccine was administered to both groups. The stress of Ranger training caused approximately a 30% reduction in antibody response when compared to a non-stressed group, but consumption of the nutritionally enriched bar had no significant effects on this response. Over 70% of those who completed this rigorous training regimen believed that supplementation with the bars, both treatment and placebo, helped them in completing Ranger training. While previous Ranger trainees had manifested significant weight loss during this training, the current class actually showed a weight gain. Generally, these results indicated that the experimental bars increased immune competence and status, contributed to a gain in weight during the training, and were very well tolerated and accepted by the training population., Prepared in cooperation with Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH.