Dutch Reformed pastor and theologian James Arminius wrote a letter to an ex-priest named Gellius Snecanus regarding the latter’s publication of several commentaries on the subject of Unconditional Election and Reprobation from Romans 9. Arminius’s…
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Arminius’s Analysis of Romans 9
Randal Rauser, “Calvinism and the Arbitrary Camp Director”
Please click on the link to view Randal Rauser, “Calvinism and the Arbitrary Camp Director”. [Please note that Dr. Rauser is not a member of SEA and that SEA does not necessarily endorse all of…
Randal Rauser, “Tigers, Tabbys, and God’s Special Love for His Elect”
Please click on the link to view Randal Rauser, “Tigers, Tabbys, and God’s Special Love for His Elect”. [Please note that Dr. Rauser is not a member of SEA and that SEA does not necessarily…
Randal Rauser, “The Day the Arminian Pride Parade Came to Geneva”
Randal Rauser, “The day the Arminian Pride Parade came to Geneva”
Randal Rauser, “Do Arminians Have the Same Problem as Calvinists?”
Please click on the link to view Randal Rauser, “Do Arminians Have the Same Problem as Calvinists?” [Please note that Dr. Rauser is not a member of SEA and that SEA does not necessarily endorse…
Randal Rauser, “Calvinism Preaches a God of Love, and yet…”
Please click on the link to view Randal Rauser, “Calvinism Preaches a God of Love, and yet…” [Please note that Dr. Rauser is not a member of SEA and that SEA does not necessarily endorse…
Justin Taylor, Ardel Caneday, and the New (Gnostic) Calvinism
Gnosticism, according to Patheos, refers to “a philosophical and religious movement in the Greco-Roman world that claimed that the path to salvation is through secret knowledge.” Gnostic tendencies among some professing believers began in the…
Non-Calvinists
For those who frequent my site (both of you), I am sure that you noticed that I disagree with Calvinism. Indeed I have a lot of negative things to say about Calvinism, mostly because I…
Faith Is Not a Work
“Now to the one who works,” writes the apostle Paul, “wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the…
Boasting
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)Many…
Calvinism’s God Is Satan and Other Such Nonsense
Evidently, Calvinists believe in another Christ, and their god is not the God of the Bible, but merely Satan, according to one anti-Calvinist preacher (link). What I find utterly bizarre about the snippet of this…
The Confession and Catechism Support Arminianism
What should occur if the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism supports not supralapsarian Calvinism but Arminius’s theology? Both works have always been viewed as Calvinistic, with the assumption that the inherent predestinatory language opposes Reformed Arminianism. In truth, even the more explicit statements regarding election unto salvation in the Confession and Catechism supports Arminius’s doctrine of election. A national synod was not called prior to Arminius’s death in 1609, so we will never know what might have been.
The Necessity of Practical, Biblical, Systematic Theology
Noted Arminius scholar Carl Bangs writes the following regarding Arminius’s practical theology: “So Arminius finished his three orations. They were polished productions, noncontroversial, and widely applauded. He was launched on his teaching career, and the…
Does God Love Those Whom He Has Not Unconditionally Elected to Save?
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9 NKJV). Does God love those…
Where Calvinism Gets Romans 9 Wrong: Who do Jacob and Esau Represent?
After posting my exegesis of Romans 9, I deemed a follow-up series of posts necessary to show why the observations made therein are relevant to the debate on the conditionality of election. Interestingly, I’ve had…
Conditional Preservation of the Saints
Reputable Arminian Steve Witzki has contributed substantially to the Wikipedia article on “Conditional Preservation of the Saints,” which basically amounts to preservation and security in salvation by faith in harmony with so much of the…
Letting the Dog Out and Compatibilism
This morning I slept in. It was delightful. Unfortunately while I was sleeping in, our dog Largo was following his nature. He needed to be let outside so that he could take care of business.…
The Contradiction Between “Perseverance of the Saints” and the Scriptural Warnings Against Apostasy
I’ve written plenty on this topic before, this is what I consider the strongest argument against inevitable perseverance/eternal security in a nutshell: The primary purpose of a warning is to provide incentive to avoid its…
The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics: The Arminian View of Divine Foreknowledge Attacks God’s Simplicity and Immutability
Original post. Related Fallacies: Conflation Hasty Generalization Oversimplification Tim Prussic attempts to salvage his hopeless case after I pointed out his fallacious reasoning concerning God’s aseity. Tim makes a tenuous appeal to divine simplicity; in…
Romans 9 in Context: God’s Just Prerogative in Confounding All Confidence in the Law of Works
Introduction
Romans 9 is one of the most controversial and often-misinterpreted passages of scripture among evangelicals. Controversy, however, should not make us timid when it comes to the things of God. This inspired chapter is valuable for teaching doctrine, and should not be ignored or glossed over. At the same time, it should not be treated as a comprehensive statement of Christian soteriology by itself, for the chapter is not written in isolation, but is strongly rooted in the context of both Testaments, touching on concepts present in the other Pauline epistles and the gospels, and quoting from the Old Testament frequently. The goal of this writing is a sound, objective exegesis of Romans 9 to explain the principles therein, expound upon its themes, and to show where and how its teachings fit into the contexts of the rest of the book of Romans, and scripture as a whole. All quotes are from the NKJV unless otherwise specified.
Recent Posts
Roy Ingle, “Set Free From Sin Or To Sin?”
Richard Coords, “Purpose”
Mark K. Olson: Famous Sermons of John Wesley 5: The Spirit of Bondage and of Adoption
Video: Arminian Denominations & Arminius’ Lutheran & Anabaptist Influences: “Who Are the Arminians?” Part 1
