Reprobation
Calvinist doctrine leads to the conclusion that there is no sin in the world
Submitted by drwayman on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 8:26amThomas Taylor (1738-1816) writes, in his seminal work, “A Solemn Caution Against the Ten Horns of Calvinism" (1819):
“There is no such thing as sin in the world. Everything is just going on as he would have it to be; all are acting in the department of life which is appointed. Therefore, go, ye jolly drunkards, and jovial song-singers; proceed, ye numerous tribes of profane swearers and Sabbath-breakers; curse on, ye horrid blasphemers and swarms of liars; ye murderers, plunderers unclean profligates, ye are all doing the will of God, answering the great ends for which you were made.”
Taylor continues:
Calvinist Santa: The Movie
Submitted by Martin Glynn on Fri, 12/23/2011 - 8:28amCalvinist Santa (Satire)
Submitted by Martin Glynn on Mon, 12/12/2011 - 6:04am[Humor]
We enter Santa's workshop. Over by the desk we see two elves talking. One is Legolass, who has been Santa's secratary for the past 200 years, and is moving on to new work. The other is Qeebler, who is taking over the secretary resposibilities. As the scene opens, Legolass is pulling out a large scroll from his desk drawer. Let's listen:
Calvinists on Hell and the Fate of Everyone Who Ever Lives
Submitted by SEA on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 6:25amI don’t know how Calvinists do it. Like many bloggers Justin Taylor posted an obituary of Steve Jobs. Unlike many bloggers, he receives comments. Not three comments in, the post got this one: Justin Taylor posted an obituary of Steve Jobs.
- I am saddened by Jobs’ passing. My prayers are with his family and friends. I don’t mean for this to be insensitive, but why would those who believe in the concept of God’s sovereign saving grace have any “hope” one way or the other that Jobs found rest in it? Wouldn’t they just want God to carry out His salvific desires in whatever way HE sees fit?
“Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?”
Paul Washer’s – “Doctrine” of Election: An Arminian Critique
Submitted by Ben Henshaw on Fri, 06/10/2011 - 12:51pmI have been frequently referred to Paul Washer’s video discussion, “Doctrine” of Election. I found the video transcript and decided it would be beneficial to interact with this apparently influential accounting of Calvinist election. The sections of the transcript are marked by indentation with my comments in between. A copy of the transcript can be found at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21411721/Paul-Washer-Video-Transcript
Dr. Brian Abasciano Introduces His New Book on Romans 9:10-18
Submitted by SEA on Wed, 04/13/2011 - 1:06pmDr. Brian Abasciano has done a guest post in the blog of his publisher, T&T Clark/Continuum, introducing his new book on Romans 9:10-18. We have reproduced the post below, which was taken from http://tandtclark.typepad.com/ttc/2011/04/a-guest-post-from-brian-j-abas... :
The Hardening of Pharaoh's Heart
Submitted by Kevin Jackson on Wed, 03/16/2011 - 12:32pmThe LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. -Exodus 4:21 NIV
A recurring theme in Exodus is the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Pharaoh repeatedly goes back on his word and refuses to release the Israelites as he promised. At first Pharaoh hardens his own heart. Then God hardens Pharaoh's heart. Each time after God hardens Pharaoh's heart, Pharaoh changes his mind and refuses to let the Israelites go.
God, Evil, and Grace in Calvinist and Arminian Theology
Submitted by Eric Landstrom on Wed, 12/01/2010 - 12:43pmAs early as Episcopius Arminians have argued that if acts arise necessarily from decree, then God must have included within his decree for the implementation of how to bring the decree to fruition. Popularly it is said that God wills not only the ends but also the means to accomplish the ends. But if this is so, then it logically follows that God is the cause of sin. Calvinists counter-claim that God foreknows and that God's foreknowledge necessitates what he knows. They argue that this must be true since, according to Calvinism, God foreknows because he first predestined everything and there is nothing that has not first been predestined by God. What the Calvinist scheme means is that neither our most joyful moments or our most wicked are set outside of God's determining decree since God predestined all things because God is sovereign.
Paul Copan, "Divine Exasperation"
Submitted by SEA on Thu, 11/18/2010 - 2:03pmPaul Copan, "Divine Exasperation", surveys biblical passages that express God's exasperation with sinful, human resistance to his grace, revealing "God’s legitimate expectation of spiritual fruitfulness, repentance, or obedience. That is, what hinders their repentance is not God’s withholding grace so that they cannot repent. Indeed, abundant grace has been given that justifies the expectation of repentance—even if God in his foreknowledge knows it is not forthcoming. Despite God’s initiating grace, humans continue to “resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51)—to grieve him (Ephesians 4:30) and quench him (1 Thessalonians 5:19). God commands all people without exception to repent (Acts 17:30); so presumably God’s initiating grace is available for all to do so."
Gordon C. I. Wong, "Make Their Ears Dull: Irony in Isaiah 6:9-10"
This article is posted with the permission of Trinity Theological Journal and the author. Please click on the attachment to view Gordon C. I. Wong, "Make Their Ears Dull: Irony in Isaiah 6:9-10" Trinity Theological Journal 16 (2008) 24-34.
Here is the author's abstract:
In Isaiah 6:9-10, the prophet appears to be commissioned by God to make the ears of the people dull in order to prevent them from repenting. This article begins by proposing that these verses are better understood as rhetorical irony designed to persuade the people to (and not prevent them from) repentance. An alternative rhetorical interpretation and three literal interpretations are also discussed and rejected in favour of the view that assumes the use of irony.
