Happy third day of Christmas! It’s the St. John’s Day edition of the Friday Files. Y’know how the media likes to look back at the previous year (and in years which end in 9, the…
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Friday Files, 15 February 2019
There’s no shortage of Arminianism on the internet. We just gotta get better at spreading the news!
Friday Files, 1 February 2019
We seldom post anything on the weekend, so if you want reading material you’re gonna have to settle for a bunch of old stuff. But if you’ve never read it before, it’s new to you!
Friday Files, 17 August 2018
It’s the St. Johann Gerhard Day edition of the Friday Files, our weekly look back at oldies-but-goodies from the SEA archives. The views they express are frequently those of SEA, but not always. SEA members’…
Jackson Watts, “Arminius on the Human Condition”
Determining what’s wrong with people is arguably the most important job of physicians. But the task of diagnostics goes far beyond what shows up in lab results. It is a theological task as well. One…
Does an Arminian Understanding of Grace Lead to a More Missional Worldview?
“What I’ve learned: a church’s dominant soteriology indelibly shapes its culture (the way people think about and do) for mission.” –Dr David Fitch In his “Framework for Missional Christianity” series, influential missiologist Alan Hirsch writes (bold…
Two Book Reviews of Matt Pinson’s Arminian and Baptist at the Helwys Society Forum
Here are two book reviews of Matt Pinson, Arminian and Baptist: Explorations in a Theological Tradition that were posted at the Helwys Society Forum: (1) Arminian and Baptist: Explorations in a Theological Tradition: A Book Review by Dustin…
Prevenient Grace: An Introduction
Understanding the doctrine of prevenient grace was one of the most valuable studies for me after leaving Calvinism. It provided an answer to one of the simplest arguments I used to make for Calvinism: I…
Enabling the Cage-Stage Calvinist
The “cage stage” refers to new Calvinist converts by or through which the individual becomes rabid with Calvinist dogma to the degree that, unless she or he is “caged,” so to state the matter, the…
Joshua Thibodaux, The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #7: Arminianism Leads to Universalism
Related Fallacies: Oversimplification Non-Sequitur Slippery Slope “The choices are not between Calvinism and Arminianism; it’s between Calvinism and universalism. Arminianism is a self-contradictory mess that can never defend itself.” – James White This is a…
This Week in Arminianism
Kevin Jackson, of Wesleyan Arminian, asks: “Can God Answer Prayers about the Past?“ Kingswood Hart, of The Predestination Station, is contextualizing “Romans 10:14-21.” Dr. Larry Hurtado posts: “Diversity and the Emergence of ‘Orthodoxy’ in Early…
J. Matthew Pinson, “Thomas Grantham an Influence on Wesley’s View of Predestination”
Recently a friend and former student, Jesse Owens (now a Ph.D. student in historical theology at Southern Seminary) told me about a statement Herbert McGonigle had made about Wesley “raising the ghosts” of John Goodwin…
Another Thoughtful Calvinist Turns from Calvinism to Arminianism after Thinking through the Issues More Carefully
Andrew H. shared this testimony about turning from Calvinism and embracing Arminianism at the X Calvinist Corner of the Arminian Perspectives blog (see here for the testimony at its original location): 1) How did you become…
Adam Harwood, “Reviewing Piper’s *Does God Desire All to Be Saved?*”
[This post was taken from SBC Today, where comments can be made and read.] Does God Desire All to Be Saved? By John Piper. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 56 pages. Paperback, $9.99. A book review by Dr.…
Musings on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant and its Relation to the Atonement
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is recorded in Matthew 18:23-35. Here it is in full (NIV): “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As…
The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics
Related Fallacies:
Oversimplification
Non-Sequitur
Slippery Slope
“The choices are not between Calvinism and Arminianism; it’s between Calvinism and universalism. Arminianism is a self-contradictory mess that can never defend itself.” – James White
This is a favorite rhetorical jab of many Calvinists, but is in fact one of the more obvious fallacies they often employ. The logic behind it is simple and can be summed up with the statement:
“If Christ’s death saves, and Christ died for everyone, then everyone would be saved.”
Seems pretty easy, right?
Problems with this logic
Turns out the simplicity of the argument is its weakness, because it masks a hidden difference in underlying assumptions. The critical distinction lies in the first part of the sentence, “…Christ’s death saves….”
The differences in viewpoint on atonement
Provisional Atonement Part 3: The Integrity and Justice of God in the Gospel Offer
In this post we will defend the premise that only a universal provisional atonement view can maintain the integrity of God in the gospel offer and the universal command to repent. The Bible is clear…
Addressing a Boettner Quote About Limited Atonement
If you surf the Calvinist blogoshpere, you will have probably seen the following quote by Loraine Boettner. It it is frequently used to argue for Limited Atonement: “Let there be no misunderstanding at this point.…
What Is Classical Arminianism?
I’m frustrated with how so many treat Arminianism today. Many Calvinists have so poisoned the well that most people have no idea what Arminianism is. When they enter the debate, they allow the likes of…
God
This post is an excerpt from the book review of Death of Death in the Death of Christ.
Many Calvinists argue that if God wanted to save people through Christ’s death and they don’t end up saved, God failed. But God can’t fail. So Christ’s death was never intended to save all people.
It’s important to distinguish the objects of God’s will. If He wants Himself to do something, His will is always done, for who can stop Him?
Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
But if He wants us to do something, His will may not be done.
