For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord…
Author/Scholar Index: Arminian
Jabez Burns, “The Universal Love of God and Responsibility of Man”
This is a book written in 1861 by Jabez Burns, an eminent minister of the English General Baptists. Please click on the attachment to view “The Universal Love of God and Responsibility of Man”. Burns_Universal…
What Does God “Fore-love” According to Calvinism?
Many Arminians see God’s election of individuals as based on God’s foreknowledge of faith. They see that primary election passages make reference to foreknowledge and even suggest that election is based on foreknowledge. They also…
A Calvinist Perspective on “Jesus Loves the Little Children”
[Note: the following is satire and not meant to be taken too seriously] “Jesus loves the little children… All the children of the world… Red and yellow, black and white… They are precious in His…
Supralapsarianism and the Sovereignty of God
Supralapsarianism is the teaching that before God decreed to create human beings He first planned to elect and to reprobate. Millard J. Erickson gives the ordered decrees within supralapsarianism as: 1) God decreed to save…
Synergism as a Model for God’s Glory
Several common accusations we hear from Calvinists are that a Synergistic view of faith (as opposed to regeneration) ‘robs God of the glory;’ “It’s man-centered,” they say, “and gives man room to boast in saving…
Amazing or Irresistible Grace?
It is often charged that the Arminians’ view of grace is weakened by the notion that God is not sovereign in electing whom He can save. To the Calvinist, God has graciously chosen whom He…
Faith, Works, and Obedience
In spite of the fact that the Bible links humanity’s obedience to believe the gospel of Christ Jesus with a person’s salvation (John 3.36; Acts 5.32; 6.7; Rom. 2.8; 6.17; 2 Thess. 1.8; 1 Pet.…
I John 5:14-15; a Devotional
Hello everyone. I know it has been a little while since the last devotional. This has been a combination of the holidays and various computer problems. But enough delays; let us open the Word of…
Friday Files: Klein’s article on Paul’s use of Kalein
William Klein’s article: “Paul’s use of Kalein: A Proposal” challenges us to reconsider the traditional understandings of Paul’s use of kalein, based on linguistic evidence. Kalein typically either means summoning or naming. For Paul, when…
J.C. Thibodaux, “Does Granville-Sharp’s Rule Indicate That ‘Foreknowledge’ is Synonymous With ‘Determinate Counsel’?”
A claim made by many Calvinist authors concerns the terms used in Acts 2:23, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and…
J.C. Thibodaux, “If Our Actions Are Inevitable, Do We Really Have Free Will?”
Calvinists reject the idea that God bases His divine election on His foreknowledge of people, as well as the idea that God has given men free will. One tactic used to refute these concepts is to try to confuse the issue:
“For example, before the foundation of the world, God knew that Joe would make a free decision to become a Christian. Somehow, then, before Joe was born, God knew of his free decision. So even at that time, Joe’s free decision must have been inevitable. Why was it inevitable? Not because of Joe’s free will, for Joe was not yet born. Not because of God’s predestination, because the Arminian denies that possibility from the outset. It would seem that the inevitability in question had some source other than either Joe or God.”
Excerpt From Apologetics to the Glory of God by John Frame pp. 44-45 (P & R Publishing)
Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell, “Examining Calvinism”
Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell, “Examining Calvinism”, Good News Magazine (September/October 2004).
Scholars Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell critique Calvinism and explain why they reject it.
Perseverance of the Saints Part 13: Salvation Assurance
For the rest of the series, see here. We now come to the important topic of salvation assurance. Calvinists have often claimed that Arminians do not have solid ground for assurance because Arminians do not…
Arminius: The Reformer
I have often wondered why so little has been said about Jacobus (or James) Arminius being listed along with other Reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, Zwingli, Huss, Tyndale, or others. In…
Friday Files: Olson’s Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Arminian
Roger Olson’s article: Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Arminian explains the importance of Arminians and Calvinists accepting each other and working together despite their theological differences. Olson shares several personal anecdotes while explaining why classic…
Upcoming Radio Debate on Calvinism between Dr. Michael L. Brown and Dr. James White
Former Calvinist Dr. Michael L. Brown and continuing Calvinist Dr. James White are scheduled to do a radio debate on Calvinism on Jan. 26 and 27 (2009). It will take place on Dr. Brown’s daily…
Why I Became an Arminian
This is a personal post that deals with my journey as an Arminian. I became a Christian at a young age. I remember going to a church service, being convicted of sin, and going down…
Sufficient for All, Efficient for the Elect
A missionary from our church who ministers in India told the story of a conversation he had with his three year old son concerning the word “famine.” His son did not know what the word…
Eric Landstrom, What Is the Purpose of Giving People Grace that God Knows Will Never Believe Anyway?
What is the purpose of giving people grace that God knows will never believe anyway? The Scholasticism By his antecedent will God wills that all people will be saved if they repent and believe, and…