Predestination

Jerry Walls, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH CALVINISM?"

Taken from http://www.catalystresources.org/issues/351Walls.htm

WHAT IS WRONG WITH CALVINISM?

One of the most longstanding debates in the history of theology concerns the relationship between predestination and human freedom. On one side of this dispute, the most famous name is John Calvin, and on the other the most noted name is probably John Wesley. Although Wesley was primarily concerned with evangelism and church renewal, the very nature of his work required him to take positions on certain controversial issues. Perhaps the most significant of these involved his disputes with Calvinism; indeed, his work on these issues represents one of his most important contributions to historical theology.

Francis Hodgson, The Calvinistic Doctrine of Predestination Examined and Refuted

The expositional sermons of a Methodist preacher on the topic of predestination published in 1855 at the request of his friends. (link)

The Enemy of my Enemy

Calvinist Greg Welty states: Clearly then, the controversy between Calvinists and non-Calvinists over unconditional election is not the Calvinists’ assertion that God elects some for salvation, since non-Calvinists believe this too. Rather, the controversy is over the Calvinists’ negative claim, namely, the denial that divine election unto salvation is on the basis of works or foreseen faith. (link)

Arminius' Impact on Calvinism

Arminius didn't teach anything new, but his shoulders were strong enough to carry the cause of the many non-Calvinist Protestants of his day. While his influence on non-Calvinists was the strongest, I did want to point out his influence on Calvinism.

As those familiar with Arminius know, his primary issue with Calvinism was supra-lapsarianism - the idea that the decree of unconditional election logically precedes the decree of the fall. In supra-lapsarianism, God uses the fall as a means of coming up with the end. It's like planning a trip. First you set the destination, then you plan the route. In supra-lapsarianism, God first decides who to glorify and who to destroy, then He plans for man to fall so they will need salvation and punishment in Hell.

Arminius vs. Calvin on Unconditional Election

That the doctrine of election (or, as some would have it, predestination) is taught in Scripture is rarely denied. There are those who teach that election or predestination is only related to salvation via means of Christian service. For example, Jack Cottrell writes:

    Among those predestined to fill specific roles in the accomplishment of redemption, the primary character is the Redeemer himself, Jesus of Nazareth. The election of Jesus is the central and primary act of predestination. . . . At times other individuals were chosen for special roles in order to facilitate God's purposes. . . . As instruments for establishing the church another group of individuals were chosen, namely, the apostles. . . . That such election was for service and not salvation is seen from the fact that even Judas is among the chosen twelve (Luke 6:13; John 6:70), though his predetermined role was that of the betrayer of Jesus (John 6:71).1

Jack Cottrell, "PHARAOH AS A PARADIGM FOR ISRAEL IN ROMANS 9:18"

Please click on the attachment to view Jack Cottrell, "PHARAOH AS A PARADIGM FOR ISRAEL IN ROMANS 9:18".

Corporate and Individual Election

Corporate election is the idea that election is primarily about a group and secondarily about individuals. It’s most clearly seen in the OT concept of Israel and the NT concept of the church. Philip Limborch addressed the objection that corporate election rules out individual election:

In the first place it is objected that the predestination we have defined, is not that of persons, but of faith; since faith is thereby predestined as a condition of salvation. Answer. He who elected faith as a condition to be performed by men if they would attain eternal life, has truly elected men under that condition, and in His decree has an immediate regard to people. Therefore these two things, viz., the person and his qualification, are never to be separated, but are always to be joined together. (Philip Limborch, A Complete System or Body of Divinity, both Practical and Speculative. P 344-345)

Scripture paints a manifold view of election:

Bavinck on supra/infra-lapsarian predestination

I recently read Herman Bavinck on supralapsarian and infralapsarian predestination. (link) Bavinck’s approach is intriguing. He argues that both the supralapsarian and infralapsarian systems have their strengths and weaknesses, so he cherry-picks the strengths and discards the weaknesses as he presents his own unsystematized views on the subject of predestination. To be clear, he is not saying that he is unable to systematize predestination, but rather that the topic cannot be systematized.

Another Chilling Calvinist Quote

The sovereign God “decides who will believe and undeservingly be saved and who will rebel and deservingly perish.”

—John Piper, “How God Makes Known the Riches of His Glory to the Vessels of Mercy,” sermon on Rom 9:19–23 (February 16, 2003). [Quote taken from http://andynaselli.com/framing-the-doctrine-of-election ]

Did you catch that Piper claims that God decides who will rebel? And then, those who rebel because God decided they would, somehow deserve to perish for that God-caused rebellion? And this does not make God the author of sin?

We know that many Calvinists believe such unbiblical and seemingly heinous things. But thankfully, it remains shocking to hear them state it so plainly. Otherwise, perhaps we should Recover a Sense of Incredulity over Calvinism as Jim Leonard has suggested here.

ANSWERING COLIN MAXWELL, A FREE PRESBYTERIAN IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Colin Maxwell informed the Society of Evangelical Arminians, of which I, William Birch, am a member, that he had "robustly . . . answered Mr. Birch's satire," entitled "Reinterpreting Cain and Abel: A Disturbing Satire." The following is my response to his response, Answering an Evangelical Society of Arminians Satire of Calvinism."

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