Evil is one of the most common objections raised against the existence and goodness of God. Sean briefly provides one reason God may allow evil and how evil, when it is properly understood, is an…
Divine Attributes
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…
Michael McGhee Canham, “Potuit Non Peccare or Non Potuit Peccare: Evangelicals, Hermeneutics, and the Impeccability Debate”
Please click on the link to view Michael McGhee Canham, “Potuit Non Peccare or Non Potuit Peccare: Evangelicals, Hermeneutics, and the Impeccability Debate,” The Master’s Seminary Journal 11/1 (Spring 2000) 93-114. Abastract: The debate over whether Christ was…
Roy Ingle, “God Loves Me!”
I stand in awe of the reality that God loves me. The Scriptures clearly reveal this truth (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4; 1 John 4:9-10). Over and over again I have failed to live…
Robert B. Chisholm Jr., “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?”
Please click on the link to view, Robert B. Chisholm Jr., “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?”, Bibliotheca Sacra 152 (October-December 1995) 387-99.
Gomarus Learns from Arminius in Debate
By far Arminius’ fiercest opponent was Francis Gomarus (1563-1641), a supralapsarian Calvinist whose intent at Leiden was to undermine and challenge Arminius’ broadly Reformed scholastic orthodoxy. Arminius was drawn into debate with Gomarus by obligation,…
Humanity Needs a Personal God
Humanity demands a [personal] God who can thus be recognized and worshiped. The instinct of reverence and homage, which evidently pervades the human heart, so much so that it has found its place as an…
Book Review: Rowe — Can God be Free?
William Rowe’s book asks the question: Can God be Free? First, he gives an interesting historical introduction to the subject, covering the views of Gottfried Leibniz, Samuel Clarke, Thomas Aquinas and Jonathan Edwards; meanwhile he…
Roger Olson, “Calvinist Attempts to Rescue God’s Character Considered and Refuted”
As anyone who has read me or listened to me (on the subject of Calvinism) knows, my main complaint about Calvinism is that it undermines the character of God. Of course, I do not mean…
Roger Olson, “C. S. Lewis Said It: God’s ‘Goodness’ Cannot Be Wholly Other”
For years now I have been insisting that the main reason I am not a Calvinist (or any kind of divine determinist) is that, taken to its “good and necessary consequences,” Calvinism makes God morally…
Some Helpful Replies from Austin Fischer to Objections to His Recent Post on Calvinism Not Being Beautiful
Here are some helpful comments Austin Fischer made in the comment thread of his recent post “Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed a Year Later: Calvinism (Still) Isn’t Beautiful” at his blog (the post can be found on this…
Steve Sewell, “Election and the Character of God”
When studying any doctrine of the Bible, it’s important to have a correct starting point, and that is especially true when studying the doctrine of election. An incorrect starting point will lead us down the…
Steve Sewell, “God’s Plan of Election (Commentary on Romans 9 – Part Two)”
Scripture quotations are from the English Majority Text Version (EMTV) unless noted otherwise. Does God Harden Hearts? (Still addressing verses 17 and 18): 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose…
Steve Sewell, “God’s Plan of Election (Commentary on Romans 9 – Part One)”
Scripture quotations are from the English Majority Text Version (EMTV) unless noted otherwise. Introduction Romans 9 is a very controversial chapter, but it shouldn’t be. All through the Word of God we learn about all…
God’s Exploitation of the Devil’s “Thorns”
God’s sovereignty should never be seen as unilaterally determining or decreeing the evil actions or intentions of free agents (human or demonic) before the foundation of the world. Rather God’s sovereignty is best understood as…
Calvinism vs. Arminianism: Should We Tell Unbelievers That God Loves Them?
Last week on the way to my small group Bible study at church, I had an interesting conversation with a pastor friend who’s a Calvinist. I said something about hoping my son would get saved…
Roger Olson, “Intuitive Evangelical Theology versus Scholastic Evangelical Theology: ‘Classical Christian Theism’ as Case Study”
I have long been impressed by how foreign scholastic evangelical theology is to even the most devout, biblically literate evangelical lay people. What do I mean by “scholastic evangelical theology?” I don’t know a better…
Susanna Wesley on Predestination
The following is from a letter written by Susanna Wesley to her son John. This quotation has been taken from John Kirk, The Mother of the Wesleys: A Biography (London: Henry James Tresidder, 1864), 284-86. Explanatory…
Essential Attributes Vs Relational Attributes
What I want to say here is going to be a bit technical, so please hold your horses, but I think that this is important in terms of a particular argument that I hear from…
Predestined to Eternally Suffer? An Interview with Philosopher Jerry Walls
Please click on the link to view Predestined to Eternally Suffer? An Interview with Philosopher Jerry Walls. [Please note that while Jerry Walls believes in the possibility of post mortem salvation, that is not a…
