It’s the St. Valentine’s Day edition of the Friday Files, our weekly review (well, weekly when I’ve not unintentionally skipped a week) of the SEA archives. Articles and links won’t always reflect the views of SEA, and our members’ names are in blue. Articles are from the first part of February…
Last year! (2019)
- craigb, “A New Addition to the X-Calvinist Corner.” How the author became a Calvinist, then came to abandon Calvinism.
- Roy Ingle, “Not All Puritans Were Calvinist!” John Goodwin, a 17th century Puritan, defended unlimited atonement—as seen in the book Redemption Redeemed.
- StriderMTB, “Responding to the Problem of Moral Evil.” Atheists like to argue a good God should stop evil from happening. So let’s take their reasoning to its logical conclusions.
- Vic Reasoner, “Inerrancy and Wesleyan Theology.” [audio] In two parts, Part 1 and Part 2. Part of the FWS Podcast.
- Adam Ford, “Calvinist Hymnal Released.” Some satire from the Babylon Bee: A new hymnal with all the free will removed. And, y’know, grace.
- Ben Henshaw, “What Should I Do If My Church Is Becoming Calvinistic?” Depending on our own level of maturity, we can fellowship with Calvinists without their favorite doctrines getting in the way. But sometimes the leadership can go too far.
- Alister McGrath, “Michael Green Taught Me the Importance of Evangelism.” McGrath’s tribute to his colleague, an influential evangelist and apologist.
- Vic Reasoner, “The Scapegoat of Calvinism.” [audio] A lecture on how Calvinists depict Jacob Arminius. Part of the FWS Podcast.
Five years ago! (2015)
- StriderMTB, “Calvinism: The ‘Gumby’ Theology.” D.A. Carson and Tim Keller may be self-professed Calvinists, but when they speak on God’s love and salvation, they easily ditch the “doctrines of grace” for something a lot more flexible than meticulous sovereignty.
- Murray Vasser, “Romans 9 in the Wider Context of Pauline Thought.” Some might claim the scriptures teach both the doctrine of conditional election, and the doctrine of unconditional election. It doesn’t really, and those who appeal to Romans 9 need to read it in context.
- Thomas Cogswell Upham, “God’s Care for Every Person.” He’s not far away, you know.
- William Birch, “John Piper Tweets the Atonement.” Whenever Calvinists complain universal atonement is really universalism, it’s because they believe in unconditional election. You gotta reject both errors.
- William Birch, “This Week in Arminianism.” A snapshot of the Arminian blogosphere in February 2015.
Ten years ago! (2010)
- Martin Glynn, “Ephesians 2:6-7: A Devotional.” The many συν-prefixed verbs in Ephesians indicate Christ’s salvific acts aren’t just graciously done to us, but with us.
- James M. Leonard, “The Universality of Jesus’ Drawing All to Him (John 12:32).” Calvinists claim this verse really means Jesus draws all kinds of people to himself. And while Jesus does indeed draw all kinds, that’s not the point of John’s gospel. Jesus loves all.
- Brennon Hartshorn, “In Defense of Resistible Grace to Retain the Goodness of God.” If humans resist God’s grace because God has foreordained they won’t, they therefore have a valid excuse for not repenting—contrary to the scriptures. And it’s not the only inconsistency this doctrine has with the scriptures either.
- Ben Henshaw, “Some Basic Thoughts on ‘Decisional Regeneration’ From an Arminian Perspective.” Decisional regeneration is a Calvinist term, used to mock the idea faith comes before generation. (Which it does.) The real issue is why these Calvinists imagine faith isn’t essential to a reprobate who seeks Christ.
- Dan Chapa, “Friday Files: Davis—‘The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine’.” A look at John Jefferson Davis’s “The Perseverance of the Saints: A History of the Doctrine,” [PDF] a Calvinist whose article is on what various Christians believed about perseverance and assurance.
Today: Links!
One of the regular questions SEA gets is, “Why aren’t there more Arminians on the internet?” I dunno; maybe you can start a blog and become yet another one of us! In the meanwhile check out our links and books page. Maybe get some ideas.
