Friday Files, 19 Jan 18

And now for something completely the same: The Friday Files, our weekly stack of links: We highlight older SEA posts, and highlight stuff from around the Arminian and non-Calvinist blogosphere. Names in green indicate SEA members.

Inclusion isn’t necessarily approval or endorsement. (’Cause there are a few Calvinists in there, y’might notice.) We offer the links because they’re thought to be of interest to those interested in Arminian/Calvinist issues. Blame K.W. Leslie for the brief summaries.

From the SEA archives:

SEA admin.

• “Time Magazine identifies ‘The New Calvinism’ as number 3 of 10 ideas changing the world right now.” [4 Feb 2013] But on the upside, it’s not the first time Calvinism has resurged… meaning it may fall out of favor yet again.

• “The Arminian vs. Calvinist recall notice.” [4 Feb 2013] Putting a Calvinist spin on a meme going round the interwebs at the time: Instead of humanity being an unintentionally defective product, turns out it was manufacturer malfeasance… stretching all the way to the top.

James Arminius. “On the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.” [31 Dec 2012] The Son is the second person of the trinity, and we ascribe divine attributes and works to him.

William Lane Craig (Molinist). “On Romans 9.” [4 Feb 2013] Excerpts from his answer to an atheist’s question: In Romans, Paul broadens the scope of election to gentiles who place faith in Christ.

Roy Ingle.

• “Arminians despise the sovereignty of God.” [11 Jan 2013] No we don’t. We do however deny God’s sovereignty excludes grace, mercy, and love.

• “Holding firmly, I am held (An Arminian approach to eternal security).” [15 Jan 2013] Our salvation is found in Christ alone. So abide in him, and he will abide in you.

Robert A.J. Gagnon (Calvinist). “Time for a change of leadership at Exodus? Alan Chambers assures ‘gay Christians’ that unrepentant homosexual practice is no barrier to salvation… among other gospel distortions and bad moves.” [30 Jun 2012, PDF] Though Calvinists ordinarily believe once saved always saved, seems Gagnon isn’t so sure about unrepentant gay Christians. Funny how theology tends to get all blurry whenever it comes to issues which viscerally offend.

Mike Lee. “Why Christians don’t react with violence.” [6 Feb 2013] When Jesus’s name is mocked, Christians don’t pitch a fit anywhere near to the degree other religions do when their prophets are denigrated. Why? ’Cause Jesus instructs us to be patient.

Keith Schooley. “A new perspective on Ephesians 1 and 2.” [30 Jan 2013] Traditionally Ephesians has been interpreted as an exposition of individual election. It’s not; it’s about the newly-revealed inclusion of the gentiles in God’s kingdom.

Roger E. Olson, My Evangelical Arminian Theological Musings:

• “Thoughts about ‘A statement of the traditional Southern Baptist understanding of God’s plan of salvation.’ ” [4 Jun 2012] SBC’s General Baptists, in order to shun Calvinism and stand apart from Arminianism, have sorta adopted semi-Pelagianism, and suggest we can take the initiative in our own salvation. (No we can’t.)

• “Prevenient grace: Why it matters.” [7 Jun 2012] Seventeenth-century Baptists believed in the necessity of prevenient grace to move the human will toward God. Semi-Pelagianism is a poor substitute for the idea.

D.V. Wayman, Ironstrikes. “How do you know when you are righteous?” [19 Dec 2012] Usually we base it on karma. But God doesn’t grade, not even on a curve.

Steve Witzki.

• “James Arminius: The security of the believer and the possibility of apostasy.” [Dec 2009, PDF] Arminius’s view on conditional security.

• “Early Christian writers on apostasy and perseverance.” [2 Feb 2013, PDF] Seems the pre-Nicea fathers believed a Christian could quit Christ through false teachings and unrepentant sin.

• “The inadequate historical precedent for ‘Once saved, always saved.’ ” [4 Feb 2013] John Jefferson Davis’s article admits eternal security was neither taught by ancient Christians, nor by any major theologian before John Calvin. Which makes it difficult for those who insist they take their cues exclusively from the scriptures.

Calvinism.

J.D. Hall (Calvinist), Pulpit and Pen. “What is heresy? Is Arminianism heresy? Part II.” [10 Jan 18] James White called Hall a hyper-Calvinist, a label he refuses, so first he defines hyper-Calvinism as HYPER-hyper-Calvinism, which he’s not. Then he insists, as hyper-Calvinists will, we Arminians are Pelagian, ergo totally heretic.

Steve Lawson (Calvinist), The Aquila Report. “The doctrines of grace: By his grace and for his glory.” [14 Jan 18] An excerpt from Lawson’s book, repeating the same old slander that Arminians believe we, in part, save ourselves.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Blog (Calvinist). “Cowardly Calvinists.” [12 Jan 18] On the phenomenon of Calvinists calling one another “cowards” because they won’t call Arminians heretic—and why the Synod of Dort isn’t as authoritative as they imagine.

Arminianism.

Nelson Banuchi, By the Tree. “Swordfight: Is 2 Peter 2:1 ambiguous?” [14 Jan 18] Not that a lot of people use this verse in support of limited atonement, but just in case, Matt Perman claims it’s ambiguous, and Banuchi is pretty sure it’s not.

Non-Calvinist.

Clark Goble (Mormon), Times and Seasons. “Satan’s plan, part 1.” [12 Jan 18] In his commentary on Abraham 3 and Moses 4 (these’d be Mormon scriptures, obviously), Goble points out the Mormon view of soteriology is Arminian. I already knew the Jehovah’s Witness view was Calvinist, but this is a new one on me.

Nica Virtudazo, Inquisitr. “Jim Bob Duggar 2018: ‘19 Kids and Counting’ star’s religious beliefs reportedly cause rifts, divide the family” [11 Jan 18] The gossip blog reports Calvinism has created a rift in the reality-show family. Well, it was probably predestined. (Yeah okay, that was too easy of a joke.)

Weekly reminder: Feedreaders!

Hope you’ve not forgotten SEA members have blogs. The best way to stay current with ’em is with a feedreader or news aggregator—like Digg Reader, Feeder, Feedreader, Feedly, G2Reader, Inoreader, NewsBlur, and The Old Reader. Find the site’s RSS or Atom feed, pop it in your feedreader, and whenever they post something new, you’ll know.

Well, provided you check your feedreader. But it’s way easier than checking 20 different blogs, amirite?