From Bob, a minister of the gospel,<\/p>\n
To the Church of the Calvinists (wherever your embassies are located these days.)<\/p>\n
Grace and peace from the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to your theology, ordained and predestined this letter.\u00a0 In obedience therefore, to his sovereign decision, please read carefully.<\/p>\n
Come on guys.\u00a0 You used to be more fun.\u00a0 Oh sure, we argued a lot but we did it over coffee in an atmosphere of mutual respect.\u00a0 Lately I’m catching a different tone from a lot of you.\u00a0 I’m starting to hear that Calvinism is the only legitimate Christian theology and those of us who aren’t Calvinists may as well pack a picnic lunch.\u00a0 We’re told that we haven’t studied the Bible thoroughly, the way you have.\u00a0 Indeed, we may not even be saved.\u00a0 Asking forgiveness for our sins and giving our lives to Jesus aren’t enough.\u00a0 We must believe that we did not<\/em><\/strong> give our lives to Jesus.\u00a0 We must believe instead that God saved us against our will.\u00a0 In fact, it wasn’t even our will.\u00a0 We must believe that no free will exists in humans and if we have trouble believing this we need to muster up the will power to force ourselves into believing it. (Well, something like that)<\/p>\n Guys.\u00a0 Guys.\u00a0 I mean. Gee whiz.\u00a0 Do I have to start sounding like Paul in 2 Corinthians? Do I have to address these accusations by boasting about my own scriptural conclusions?\u00a0 Do I have to defend the Arminian position, even though I don’t feel this is really an issue worth arguing over and even though, frankly, I’m not really an Arminian either?\u00a0Do I have to show the other side of the fence just to keep your fence from annoying the rest of us?<\/p>\n OK. Fine.\u00a0 Here it goes.<\/p>\n Bob’s Boast:<\/p>\n Have your leaders thoroughly explored the Scripture?\u00a0 So have I.\u00a0 Have they graduated Seminary?\u00a0 So have I.\u00a0 Are they ordained?\u00a0 Do they study Greek? Do they know the history of the Calvinist movement?\u00a0 Ditto.Ditto Ditto.\u00a0 I..I..I..<\/p>\n We’ll start with a little history.\u00a0 Certainly John Calvin was a significant forerunner of the Reformation but the opposing viewpoint also has a rich heritage.\u00a0 Not long after Calvinists came into power, a group of people called the Remonstrants began to teach some different ideas.\u00a0 Jacob Arminius,\u00a0\u00a0 a professor of theology at the University of Leiden, challenged the Remonstrants and in time, actually found himself persuaded by them.\u00a0 Shortly thereafter, he became a chief leader in the movement and many Remonstrants referred to themselves as Arminians.<\/p>\n The Arminian position rejects the Calvinist idea of predestination.\u00a0 It does not conclude that simply because God is sovereign He therefore causes all things to happen.\u00a0 Instead a sovereign God can allow free will if He wishes.<\/p>\n In 1618-19 the Reformed Churches (Calvinist) officially denounced Arminianism at a synod in Dort. A few days after the synod, a leading Remonstrant was beheaded but this did not stop the new movement.\u00a0 Remonstrants continued in Holland as an alternate church and throughout the rest of history when Calvinism was taught, Arminianism was not far away.<\/p>\n Years later John Wesley made the teaching of Arminianism even more popular.\u00a0 Wesley was a key figure in the Great Awakening, one of the most substantial revival movements ever seen in America.\u00a0 He also started the Methodist church.<\/p>\n Now, if we want to conclude that denominations such as the Presbyterians and Reformed are more legitimate historically than the Methodists we are really making a reach.\u00a0 Let’s face it.\u00a0 God uses many organizations.<\/p>\n In any event, both Calvinists and Arminians will admit that history itself does not validate a theology.\u00a0 With this in mind, we can now turn to the Bible.<\/p>\n Extreme statements were very common to the ancient Hebrew culture.\u00a0 They spoke in deliberate exaggerated ways.\u00a0 And with this type of expression, they frequently described events\u00a0 from the point of view God’s sovereignty.\u00a0 For example,\u00a0 2 Sam 24\u00a0 tells us that God inspired David to take a census of Israel and then punished him for taking this very census.\u00a0 On the other hand, I Chronicles 21, says that Satan incited David to take the census and God simply allowed it.\u00a0 Both were true accounts to the Hebrews.\u00a0 Each account is written in a different style.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This helps us to understand some of the standard texts which Calvinists use.<\/p>\n “God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden” Rom 9:18<\/p>\n To an ancient Hebrew, this would have meant that God permits <\/strong> men to harden their own hearts.\u00a0 Certainly all hearts rebel\u00a0 and people\u00a0 must receive the influence of the Holy Spirit before they are capable of repentance, but Matt. 12 tells us that this process can be stifled by human volition. Jesus calls such resistance “The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.”<\/p>\n Calvinists argue that God is not obligated to save anybody and if he chooses to soften only a few hearts, it is still undeserved mercy.\u00a0 True enough, but Jesus did die for everybody (I John 2:2)\u00a0 so certainly He is interested in extending his mercy to all.\u00a0 A fair and benevolent God is not going to show partiality by predestining only a few for salvation.<\/p>\n Speaking of which…Yes, the word predestine <\/strong> is found in Scripture but let’s check the usage:<\/p>\n “For those God fore knew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn; among many brothers.” Rom 8:29<\/p>\n Were they predestined to be saved?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 God already knew they would be saved and therefore predestined them to be conformed to the image of Christ.\u00a0 The predestination has to do with our fate after <\/strong>salvation.<\/p>\n Now I have heard the standard Calvinist response .\u00a0 “If you knew the original Greek, you would read the passage differently.\u00a0 You would understand that the term,\u00a0foreknew<\/strong> refers not to knowledge ahead of time but rather to a personal relationship.”<\/p>\n Yes, of course. The original Greek usually bails people out, but not today.\u00a0 As it happens, the word in question, proginosko <\/strong>can mean either thing, foreknowledge or a personal relationship.\u00a0 Therefore, one passage is not enough with which to build a dogmatic case.\u00a0 We must see which interpretation fits the context of other Scripture, Scripture such as;<\/p>\n “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”\u00a0 2 Peter 3:9 In that vein, was Jesus’ lament over the city of Jerusalem:<\/p>\n “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.\u00a0 How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.\u00a0 Look.\u00a0 Your house is left to you desolate.”\u00a0 Matt. 23: 37<\/p>\n Did He then turn around and think; “Of course, it’s my will that you were not willing.\u00a0 It\u2019s my will that your city be destroyed.\u00a0 That’s the way it goes with a sovereign God like me.”<\/p>\n I\u2019ll go you one even crazier. Is it God\u2019s will that I sympathize with the Arminian position?\u00a0 According to your Calvinism, that is exactly God’s will!\u00a0\u00a0Why? Because supposedly I have no free will! So if I have no free will, God Himself must be forcing me to write this my critique of Calvinism!!!<\/p>\n OK.\u00a0 You forced me to do it.\u00a0 You forced me to boast and argue and make a Scriptural case for the Arminian position. Again, I do not accept every one of their tenets either, but I am with them on the issue of free will. Besides, today is Calvinist Day. I’ll get to the Arminians some other time.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, here’s the bottom line.\u00a0 If you want to believe in Calvinism, go ahead.\u00a0 I can still fellowship with you.\u00a0 Why can’t you fellowship with me?\u00a0 Is our position on predestination the basis for our fellowship or is it the cross?<\/p>\n “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” I Cor. 2:2<\/p>\n I hope to visit you soon, Lord willing.\u00a0 Greet Marcus, Apphia, Demetrius and Dogmaticus. All Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE<\/p>\n New International Version\u00a0 NIV<\/p>\n Copyright\u00a0 1973, 1979, 1984 by International Bible Society<\/p>\n Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.<\/p>\n All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From Bob, a minister of the gospel, To the Church of the Calvinists (wherever your embassies are located these days.) Grace and peace from the Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-theology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bobsiegel.net\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDoes Peter then stop and say to himself, “Even though God wants everyone to repent, He knows that they can’t repent unless He allows them to and He will only allow it with some.” ?<\/p>\n
\nThe grace of the Lord Jesus be with your enthusiastic spirits.<\/p>\n