The Assemblies of God denomination is one of the largest, if not the largest, evangelical Christian denomination that is historically-theologically primarily, if not exclusively, Arminian in theology. I grew up Pentecostal but not “AG.” However,…
Calvinism
Steve Sewell, “Calvinism’s Unsound Interpretation of John 6:37, 44-45”
All Scripture quotations are from the 1901 American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. John 6:44-45 44 No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will…
Denying Double Predestination
“The doctrine of the unconditional election of a part, necessarily implies the unconditional reprobation of the rest. I know some who hold to the former, seem to deny the latter; for they represent God as…
Steve Sewell, “Get God’s Character Right, You’ll Get His Sovereignty Right”
Get God’s character right, and you’ll get His sovereignty right. God’s character defines His sovereignty, not the other way around. What separates Calvinists and Arminians, primarily, is our view of God. Calvinists are determinists. There…
Reward and Punishment Necessitate Libertarian Freedom
As is stated in previous posts on this site, libertarian free will is assumed throughout the tenor of the entire Bible, and determinism is exposed as not merely flawed but erroneous and damaging to the…
Steve Sewell, “If Christ Died Only for “The Elect” …
… then faith only applies to “The Elect.” Jesus said, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the…
Matt O’Reilly, “Common Grace vs. Prevenient Grace: What’s the Difference?”
The question was put to me over lunch earlier this week and not for the first time. So I thought it worthwhile to post here a few reflections on the difference between the Reformed doctrine…
Compatibilism and Wireless Technology, Part 2: The Wireless Transmitter Analogy
In this post I hope to show by way of analogy the incompatibility of soft determinism with human freedom. I will first lay out the technological terms and give a brief explanation of how they work. I…
Stephen Altrogge, “Early Warning Signs of Adult Onset Calvinism”
Please click on the link to view this humorous piece by a Calvinist: “Stephen Altrogge, “Early Warning Signs of Adult Onset Calvinism.”
Jerry L. Walls, “Why No Classical Theist, Let Alone Orthodox Christian, Should Ever Be a Compatibilist”
Please click on the link to view Jerry L. Walls, “Why No Classical Theist, Let Alone Orthodox Christian, Should Ever Be a Compatibilist,” Philosophia Christi 13.1 (Summer 2011), 75-104. The author’s abstract of the article: I argue…
Wayne Grudem’s Flawed View of Faith (and what prevents us from boasting)
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave…
God’s Circus
The Bible everywhere assumes free will within the context of God’s sovereignty. This renders any semblance of determinism erroneous at best and damaging to the character and integrity of God at worst. If God influences our…
The Parable of the Midwives
BREAKING: the midwife murderers have just entered the court room. Tamar and Gomer are each charged with 10 counts of infanticide. In the process of helping young Hebrew parents deliver their babies, Tamar and Gomer…
Dr. Grudem’s Erroneous Description of the Arminian View of Providence
In his otherwise excellent Systematic Theology, Dr. Wayne Grudem falls into some unsightly errors regarding Determinism and soteriology. He covers the doctrine of God’s Providence in chapter 16 (or chapter 8 in the abridged version).…
Steve Sewell, “Calvinism’s Shocking View of God’s Sovereignty”
Many attempt to explain how God carries out His will among mankind as Sovereign God, but they all fall short of the same understanding that God Himself has. However, as limited and imperfect as our…
Cheryl Schatz, “Purposeless Evil”
Is there purposeless evil if God did not foreordain all things? Calvinists often talk about “purposeless evil”. In fact, Dr. James White, a Calvinist apologist from Alpha and Omega Ministries, has stated that if God did…
What If: Could Anakin Skywalker Have Chosen Not to Become Darth Vader?
In Star Wars Episode III, The Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Master Mace Windu and Sith Lord Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious) are engaged in battle when Anakin Skywalker enters the room. As Anakin watches on,…
New Calvinist Bible – 2 Corinthians 5 (satire)
The following post is a satire, written from the perspective of an overzealous Calvinist. This post is part of a series on the New Calvinist Bible (NCB) – a new Bible translation designed to show…
Martin Glynn, “A Critique of ‘Do We Have Free Will?’ by Geoff Ashley, Part II: Considering the Considerations of the Objections”
In part 1, I looked at a short essay written by a Geoff Ashley that has apparently been making the rounds through Calvinist circles as an explanation of the Calvinist perspective of the will. I agree that…
Martin Glynn, “A Critique of ‘Do We Have Free Will?’ by Geoff Ashley, Part I”
Recently, I was pointed to a presentation of the Calvinist view of the will that has been circling the internet (here). When I read it, I found it to be well written, and an excellent…
Recent Posts
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Video: David Pallmann, “A Critique of Eternal Security Part 1: The Case For Eternal Security Considered”
