It’s the St Job’s Day edition of the Friday Files—although St. Job’s Day was yesterday if you’re Lutheran, Missouri Synod; last week if you’re Orthodox; last month if you’re Coptic. Yet another example of how we Christians will disagree on everything if it wasn’t expressly stated in the scriptures, or hammered out in an ancient council. Often not even then.
…Oh yeah, the Friday Files. That’s SEA’s weekly reminder we were around years ago, posted neat stuff, and if you wanna read it, go for it. The views therein don’t always reflect those of SEA, ’cause sometimes we actually link to Calvinists… and sometimes our own folks (whose names are in blue) go off the reservation, but that’s much more rare. Posts from the second week of May…
Last year! (2018)
• Ben Henshaw, “Responding to Dominic’s Second Rebuttal on Regneration Preceding Faith.” A followup to Henshaw’s article, “What Purpose Does Regeneration Serve in Calvinism?” wherein commenter “Dominic” nitpicks Henshaw’s points, and Henshaw critiques the nitpicks.
• Nicholas Quient and Thomas Horrocks, “Introducing the Sinnergists Podcast.” Look up “theology” on podcasts and you tend to find Calvinists. So here’s a Wesleyan view. (And the iTunes link.)
• “Uncle Buddy” Robinson, “The Bible Has Never Lied.” The kind of truth taught in the scriptures makes it really unlikely it’s the invention of anyone but the Holy Spirit.
• Vic Reasoner, “Christology.” As part of the FWS Podcast, in four parts; we provide ’em all on the same page.
Five years ago! (2014)
• Adam Harwood, “Why the Gospel Is for Everyone.” [video] Presented at the Truett-McConnell Seminary chapel, Harwood presents his thesis that Christ’s gospel is for every person.
• Dave Treat, “4 Ways Prevenient Grace Relates to the Missio Dei.” God’s already at work on his plan. Discovering (or rediscovering) this connects neatly with the fact grace is part of the plan.
• Denny Kuhn, “Can God Handle Sin Sinlessly? Determinism and the Relationship Between God and Evil.” [PDF] Reformed theologians present God’s sovereignty as if God controls all, yet sin’s entirely our fault, and how God’s not sovereignly at fault is a mystery. But it’s an obvious, absurd contradiction in their system, and they need a better answer than “mystery.”
• Jerry L. Walls, “C.S. Lewis and the Pious Calvinist Confusions of John Piper.” [video] Lewis recognized God wills only our good… whereas Piper believes God wills only his own glory.
• Christopher Fisher, “The Pelagian Heresy and Today’s Sexual Revolution.” People figure they were “born this way” because it’s how God intentionally made them. But this thinking doesn’t take humanity’s fall into consideration.
Ten years ago! (2009)
• Richard Coords, “John Piper on Irresistible Grace.” What the well-known Calvinist pastor teaches on it… versus what Calvinism actually teaches, as far better articulated by James White.
• Dennis McCallum, “Romans 9: Predestination or Free Will?” [video] In six parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
• We linked to a few books which critique Jonathan Edwards’s 1754 book An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will Which Is Supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame. (The Freedom of the Will for short.) If you wanna read that book for reference, here’s a 1762 edition on Google Books. Or you can just read the rebuttals:
- Albert Taylor Bledsoe, An Examination of President Edwards’ Inquiry Into the Freedom of the Will. [Google Books] 1845.
- Henry Philip Tappan, A Review of Edwards’s “Inquiry Into the Freedom of the Will.” [Google Books] 1839.
- Daniel D. Whedon, The Freedom of the Will as a Basis of Human Responsibility and a Divine Government. [Google Books] 1864.
• Dan Chapa, “First Installment of a Review of John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.” Taking apart Owen’s definitive work on atonement by zeroing in on his claims about what Christ Jesus’s death does. And when.
• Dan Chapa, “Friday Files: Hamilton on Romans 9.” A brief review of Robert Hamilton’s commentary, “Election in Romans Chapter Nine.” [PDF]
Today: SEA members’ blogs.
I remind you we SEA members have blogs. Sometimes we write about Arminianism; sometimes not. But if you’re still itching for reading material, there’s lots to be found on our sites. Give it a read.
