Arminius, in his Dissertation on Romans 7, insists that faith in Christ precedes regeneration: “Besides, even true and living faith in Christ precedes regeneration strictly taken, and consisting of the mortification or death of the…
Depravity
Joshua Thibodaux, “The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #2: Arminianism Entails Salvation by ‘Inherent Ability’”
Related Fallacies: Strawman “Bait and Switch” “Why are you a Christian and your friends aren’t? … Is it because you are smarter than your friend?” (The Pelagian Captivity of the Church, R.C. Sproul) …I believe…
Arminius on the Gospel — The Gospel for All God’s Creatures
From my point of view, this post is one of the most significant on this site, for herein all the complaints from anti-Arminian Calvinists is laid to rest once for all. Calvinists, both historic and…
The Good News of Hell
Is there a hell? The concepts of heaven and hell are as intimately connected as those of good and evil. When we are free to do good, we are also free to do evil; when…
The Making of a Classical Arminian
The lovely picture to your right is a Dutch-Calvinist work naming Arminianism a five-headed, four-footed, part man, part beast, monster. The five-fold head of this monster represents the head of Avarice, Deceit, Riot (or Sedition),…
Paul Copan, “Does Regeneration Precede Faith? Apparently Not”
Please click on the link to view Paul Copan, “Does Regeneration Precede Faith? Apparently Not”.
A Concise Description of Prevenient Grace from a Surprising Source (spoiler: it’s John MacArthur)
In a Q&A, when asked whether regeneration precedes faith, he answered (in part): Why not say that the Spirit of God can move him along even in his unregenerate state to an understanding and can…
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…
David L. Hatton, “Saving God from Philosophical Determinism”
In Bible College, I took a philosophy course where a heated discussion erupted about the conflict between a Calvinistic view of predestination and the philosophical position of free will. I believe my professor, a Calvinist,…
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…
Video: William Lane Craig, “Evaluating Views of Appropriating God’s Grace and Salvation”
Defenders is Dr. William Lane Craig’s weekly Sunday school class on Christian doctrine and apologetics. This video is part 17 of his material on the doctrine of man. His is a link to the video…
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…
The Doctrine of Original Sin: Arminius vs. Episcopius
The doctrine of original sin, to define the issue very simply, maintains that the effects of Adam and Eve’s sin, which is known as the first human sin, were passed ontologically (related to being or…
A Classical Arminian Doctrine of Sin: Select Bibliography
In recent times, Arminianism has been typically caricatured by the Reformed as a form of Semi-Pelagianism. Semi-Pelagians have an optimistic view of fallen human nature: Humans beings retain some moral or spiritual good in them, and they…
Nathan Finn, “Is Synergism Necessarily Semi-Pelagian?”
Please click on the link to view Nathan Finn, “Is Synergism Necessarily Semi-Pelagian?” Finn is a Calvinist who serves as Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Spiritual Formation at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North…
Roger Olson, “Review of *Recanting Calvinism for A Dynamic Gospel* by Steven L. Hitchcock”
Over the years, since I “came out” publicly among evangelicals as an Arminian (beginning with my 1999 Christianity Today article “Don’t hate me because I’m an Arminian”) Ihave received many books and manuscripts about Calvinism…
Marc Cortez, “Synergism Is Not Semi-Pelagianism”
Please click on the link to view Marc Cortez, “Synergism Is Not Semi-Pelagianism.” Marc Cortez is a Theology professor at Wheaton College.
Brian Reynolds, Review of W. Brian Shelton, *Prevenient Grace: God’s Provision for Fallen Humanity*
Prevenient Grace: God’s Provision for Fallen Humanity Author: W. Brian Shelton Released August 1, 2014 Reviewer: Brian Reynolds Dr. Shelton’s treatise on prevenient grace is the best written work on the subject that I have…
Death and Resurrection of the Human Will
Properly speaking, or perhaps we should rather say, in this case, psychologically speaking, man’s will can never die. A will is essential to man’s nature, as it is to the nature of every moral being.…