While the idea of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone is merely assumed Reformed doctrine, the formal principle of the Reformation was not unconditional election,…
Monthly Archives For October 2014
How do we come to love God?
How can we obtain the basis of love which unites our will with God’s will? How can we be made to possess that which we are not possessed of, by being made to love that…
Roger Olson, “What Is the Duty of a Christian Care-giver (Such as a Chaplain)?”
I recently had a fascinating discussion with a couple hospital chaplains about theology and what I would call “therapeutic ministry” to the suffering. By “the suffering” I mean those who are ill or wounded and…
David L. Allen, “Review of Daniel Strange’s Chapter on Those Who Never Hear the Gospel in *From Heaven He Came and Sought Her*”
Please click on the link to view David L. Allen, “Review of Daniel Strange’s Chapter on Those Who Never Hear the Gospel in From Heaven He Came and Sought Her.“ This is part 22 of Allen’s multi-part…
Jerry Walls, “God’s Love and Predestination”
After considering sovereignty and human freedom, we are now in a position to understand the heart of Wesley’s theology, and how profoundly it differs from Calvinism. I reiterate that the difference is not that Calvin believed in divine…
Charles Gutenson, “John Wesley’s Order of Salvation: Seven Minute Seminary”
From the video’s YouTube page: “Dr. Charles Gutenson here outlines John Wesley’s order of salvation—that work of God which begins with prevenient grace and ends with glorifying grace.” A brief bio from Seedbed on Dr.…
Jerry Walls, “Divine Predestination and Human Freedom”
Like divine sovereignty as we previously discussed here, predestination is not a Calvinist doctrine, it is a biblical doctrine. And indeed, as a theologian steeped in Scripture, Wesley not only affirmed the doctrine, he affirmed a…
David L. Allen, “Review of Henri Blocher, Chapter 20, ‘Systematic Theology of Definite Atonement’ in *From Heaven He Came and Sought Her*”
Please click on the link to view David L. Allen, “Review of Henri Blocher, Chapter 20, ‘Systematic Theology of Definite Atonement’ in From Heaven He Came and Sought Her.“ This is part 21 of Allen’s multi-part review…
Roger Olson, “Who’s a ‘Real Evangelical?'”
I had to laugh when I read a comment here (responding to one of my blog posts) calling me a “fauxevangelical.” The prefix “faux-” means “fake.” I’m not sure why the commenter didn’t just say…
Jerry Walls, “The Sovereignty of God”
The sovereignty of God is a vitally important truth Wesleyans badly need to recover. This is not only because it is crucial for understanding the biblical drama, but also because many Wesleyans have tended to…
Why I Care about Calvinism
[This post was taken from here at the Impefect Reflections blog, where comments can be posted.] A week or two ago, I mentioned a post I was working on to my friend James, about a…
David L. Allen, “Review of Wellum’s Chapter ‘The New Covenant Work of Christ’ in *From Heaven He Came and Sought Her*”
Please click on the link to view David L. Allen, “Review of Wellum’s Chapter ‘The New Covenant Work of Christ’ in From Heaven He Came and Sought Her.” This is part 20 of Allen’s multi-part review of From…
J. Matthew Pinson, “A Problem in Calvinism’s Order of Salvation”
In Calvinism, Regeneration comes before faith, whereas in Arminianism regeneration comes after faith. In other words, the “timing” of what Scripture describes as the “new birth” is decisive in the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism.…
Micah Currado, “Early Church Fathers on the Freedom of the Will and Romans 9”
Please click on the link to view “Early Church Fathers on the Freedom of the Will and Romans 9.” The early church resoundingly affirmed the liberty of the will, in spite of the well-known philosophical option…
Church Fathers on Libertarian Free Will
Clement of Rome: (Knew Peter and Paul personally. He was the third or fourth bishop of Rome. Tradition has identified him with the Clement who is mentioned in Philippians 4:3) “For no other reason does…
John Piper, “Is Faith Meritorious?”
Please click on the link to view John Piper, “Is Faith Meritorious?” A John Piper article on the Society of Evangelical Arminians website? Yes indeed, for in addressing the question, “Is faith meritorious?” he gives an Arminian…
Classic Catechism Possibly in Third Translation
When my revision of the Catechism of the Free Methodist Church was published in 2006 as Classic Catechism, I had hopes that it would be put to good use in America. To date, it has…
John Sanders, “Those Who Have Never Heard: A Survey of the Major Positions”
Please click on the link to view John Sanders, “Those Who Have Never Heard: A Survey of the Major Positions,” in Salvation in Christ: Comparative Christian Views, ed. Roger R. Keller and Robert L. Millet (Provo,…
‘The Case for Inclusivism’: An Arminian Response
I recently read a 2012 blog post written by Kevin Jackson over at Wesleyan Arminian on The Case for Inclusivism. This blog particularly interests me as a classical Arminian, as I am an Exclusivist, yet Kevin also believes, “All Arminians ought to reject…
The Case for Inclusivism
This article is by Kevin Jackson of Wesleyan Arminian Inclusivism is the Christian doctrine that teaches it is possible to be justified through Jesus Christ without explicit or complete knowledge of who he is. Specifically,…
Recent Posts
Video: Joel Korytko, “Why Romans 9 Doesn’t Teach Calvinism”
Roy Ingle, “Calvinism and the Atonement”
Why Does God Deny the Opportunity of Choice for or Against Him to Young Children Who Die and the Mentally Impaired?
Mark K. Olson, “Wesley’s ‘Warmed Heart’ at Aldersgate – What Really Happened?”
