Arminianism
Does God repent? - Bible Answer Man clarifies
Submitted by drwayman on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 9:38amThe classic King James Version of the Bible says, “It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6:6). Elsewhere, God says, “It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments” (1 Samuel 15:11). If God is perfect, how could he repent?
First, the Bible unequivocally teaches that God is perfectly good and thus incapable of doing evil (Psalm 5:4–5; James 1:13; 3 John 1:11). As such, God’s repentance must not be understood as entailing moral guilt. Indeed, the moral perfection of the Creator sets him apart from his sin–tainted creation (Leviticus 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15–16).
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Handwaving
Submitted by drwayman on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 8:50amRandolph Sinks Foster, in his book, Objections to Calvinism (1852) writes:
[The Confession of Faith states,] "God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; [and now your disclaimer,] yet so as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature."
But this disclaimer [God is not the author of sin] by no means relieves my embarrassment -- it greatly increases it, by placing you [Calvinist brother] in the attitude, to my mind, of believing a palpable contradiction, namely, that God did cause all things, sin included, yet in such a way that he did not cause sin.”
World Means World: Even a Child Understands This
This is a great commercial that was broadcast recently during an NFL game half-time show. It shows that World means World. Listen to the words of these children as they accurately quote and interpret God's Word: Focus On The Family, "John 3:16"
Dr. Phil Fernandes on Calvinism and Arminianism
A video of Dr. Phil Fernandes on Calvinism and Arminianism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AESUv09eXFQ
Dr. Fernandes, a 4 point Arminian and member of SEA, is President of the Institute of Biblical Defense (http://instituteofbiblicaldefense.com/). He is a Christian Apologist, Author and Pastor of Trinity Bible Fellowship. Dr. Fernandes holds the following degrees: Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion degree from Greenwich University, Master of Arts in Religion degree from Liberty University, Bachelor of Theology Degree from Columbia Evangelical Seminary.
He has authored 6 books: Contend Earnestly for the Faith, God, Government, and the Road to Tyranny, The God Who Sits Enthroned: Evidence for Gods Existence, No Other Gods: A Defense of Biblical Christianity, Theism Vs. Atheism: The Internet Debate, The Decay of a Nation
Thomas Osmond Summers' Systematic Theology
Thomas Osmond Summers' Systematic Theology a complete body of Wesleyan Arminian divinity, consisting of lectures on the twenty-five articles of religion--arranged and revised, with introduction, copious notes--and a theological glossary, Volume 2 - Pub. House of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 1888 (link)
Arminian Teaching Series (Audio and Video) - Bruxy Cavey
Submitted by Kevin Jackson on Tue, 01/03/2012 - 7:36amBruxy Cavey, a pastor at a church called "The Meeting House", has recently done an excellent seven part series contrasting Calvinism and Arminianism. It is well worth listening to.
Cavey is Anabaptist, and he provides a unique perspective. He is a very rapid speaker, so you have to pay attention or you'll miss something. He is a former Calvinist, and articulates Calvinism very well (without making caricatures of it). He spends a lot of time addressing questions that Calvinists ask non-Calvinists (like the sovereignty of God, whether or not faith is a "work", etc).
He is irenic, and stresses the importance of Christian unity, and that neither Calvinism or Arminianism is the gospel. In the series he goes over all of the 5 points of TULIP. He addresses most of the the main scripture texts that both C's and A's appeal to. He also has a question and answer time in each session. And he even gets a marriage proposal. :)
A Classical Arminian Resurgence
Submitted by WilliamBirch on Mon, 01/02/2012 - 7:13amThe most welcomed element of the recent Calvinist resurgence promoted by the Young, Restless, and Reformed for me thus far has to be the inspiring of a Classical Arminian resurgence. Much attention has historically been focused upon John and Charles Wesley, as well as many Wesleyan-Arminian ministers, with even many Wesleyans knowing little to nothing about Jacob Arminius and his successors the Remonstrants.
The Fallenness of Man, the Will and the Workings of Grace: An Exposition on Historical Arminian Theological Thought
This exposition discusses the earliest, historical beliefs of the Arminian theological tradition regarding the effects of the fall upon man, the nature of the will of man and the mode of grace in salvation. The primary source writings of the earliest and most influential Arminian writers such as Jacobus Arminius, Simon Episcopius and John Wesley were examined in light of both Arminian and non-Arminian secondary source material and thus exposited according that general understanding.
Several points of interest were found, including:
CALVINIST RHETORIC: Consistency
Submitted by Martin Glynn on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 8:25amOr "Van Til It Hurts"
What I Mean By Consistency
In the 1920s a Dutch Theologian by the name of Cornelius Van Til (hence the joke in the subtitle) revitalized an apologetic approach known as presuppositional apologetics. In essence, presuppositional apologetics assesses the validity of a philosophical view by its presuppositions (the underlying assumptions upon which the view is based) and whether these presuppositions contradict each other or are consistent with each other.* It is sort of like a monological Socratic argument.
Oh, and Van Til was a Calvinist.
Vic Reasoner with James O. Jones, Jr., Review of F. Leroy Forlines, Classical Arminianism
[The following article was taken from http://fwponline.cc/v29n2/review-Classical-Arm_Reasoner-Jones.html and may also be accessed in the attachment.]
F. Leroy Forlines, Classical Arminianism . Nashville: Randall House, 2011. 379 pages ISBN: 9780892656073
Dr. Vic Reasoner with James O. Jones, Jr.
THE ARMINIAN MAGAZINE. Issue 2. Fall 2011. Volume 29.
In 2001 Forlines wrote The Quest for Truth, which was a readable systematic theology written at a popular level. Classical Arminianism has omitted his discussion on such topics as revelation, inspiration, the nature and attributes of God, the Trinity, creation, and the Incarnation to focus on the Calvinistic-Arminian controversy.
