The Church today seems to be caught up with self. Visit your local Christian bookstore and you will find entire sections entitled, “Self Help” filled with books but visit the “Theology” section and you will…
Recent Posts
Roy Ingle, “Arminianism And The Glory of God”
Loraine Boettner’s Botched Church History
The Church history of Loraine Boettner (1901-1990), as such intersects with Calvinism, is a world of fantastical claims not at all grounded in reality. From the Grace Online Library, Boettner is quoted as insisting, “It…
This Week in Arminianism
James Leonard, of Arminian Baptist, posts: “Three Things Every Pastor Should Do on Monday.” Andrew, from Acts 20v20, asks: “Can 5-Point Calvinism Ever Lead to a ‘Great Missionary Movement’?“ Roy Ingle, of Arminian Today, blogs:…
Ben Witherington and Chad Thornhill on *The Chosen People: Election, Paul and Second Temple Judaism*, Part 6
BEN: The discussion in chapter six about the heavenly tablets in Jubilees and their relationship to the book of life and the book of destruction is especially interesting in light of the discussion in Revelation…
Brian Shelton Answers Challenging Questions from Calvinist Fred Zaspel about Prevenient Grace
Please click on the link to view Brian Shelton answering challenging questions from Calvinist Fred Zaspel about prevenient grace. Shelton is the author of Prevenient Grace: God’s Provision for Fallen Humanity (Francis Asbury Press, 2014). The linked post…
Joshua Thibodaux, “The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #4: “Free Will is the Power to Do Anything!!”
Related Fallacies: Oversimplification Strawman False Dilemma One of the most telling signs of the fallacious nature of Calvinist apologetics in general is its heavy reliance upon caricatures and misrepresentation of the beliefs of other Christians.…
Ben Witherington, “Christian Apostasy and Hebrews 6”
Certainly one of the most controversial issues in theological study of the NT is whether or not there are texts in the NT which speak of the fact that genuine Christians are capable of committing…
This Week in Arminianism
Roy Ingle, of Arminian Today, declares “I’m Reformed,” and also posts “Should Theological Knowledge Lead to Meanness?” and “We are All Fallible.” Leighton Flowers, of Soteriology 101, asks “Which is Worse?” regarding the old Calvinist…
Ben Witherington and Chad Thornhill on *The Chosen People: Election, Paul and Second Temple Judaism*, Part 5
BEN: In Chapter 5 it becomes clear that early Jews mostly thought that election was conditional, and the condition was faithfulness to the Mosaic covenant and its Law. You quote deSilva approvingly as follows “fidelity…
Calvin on Faith Preceding Regeneration
Arminius, in his Dissertation on Romans 7, insists that faith in Christ precedes regeneration: “Besides, even true and living faith in Christ precedes regeneration strictly taken, and consisting of the mortification or death of the…
Joshua Thibodaux, “The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #3: We Choose by ‘Chance?’”
Related Fallacies: Begging the Question Special Pleading [given that God has power of contrary choice] False Dichotomy If all men are neutral in prevenient grace was it by chance that one believed and not another?…
Steve Sewell, “The Fruit of the Spirit Disproves Determinism”
All Scripture quotations are from the 1901 American Standard Version unless otherwise noted. Galatians 5:16-25: 16 But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For…
This Week in Arminianism
Roger Olson reflects: “John Piper and ‘Christian Hedonism.’“ Leighton Flowers, of Soteriology 101, asks “Which is Worse?” and offers “Esau Have I Loved, Jacob Have I Hated.” Traditional Southern Baptists at SBC Today post: “A…
Ben Witherington and Chad Thornhill on *The Chosen People: Election, Paul and Second Temple Judaism*, Part 4
BEN: Chad in this chapter you talk about the ‘limited non-nationalistic understanding of election’ (p. 135) as permeating early Jewish literature. By this I take you to mean that Jews did view themselves as God’s…
Wesley Walker, “The Calvinism and Pantheism Connection: Upending the Good”
Please click on the link to view “Wesley Walker, “The Calvinism and Pantheism Connection: Upending the Good”, which argues for the connection between Calvinism and Pantheism using the works of Calvin and Edwards. It was originally posted…
Joshua Thibodaux, “The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #2: Arminianism Entails Salvation by ‘Inherent Ability’”
Related Fallacies: Strawman “Bait and Switch” “Why are you a Christian and your friends aren’t? … Is it because you are smarter than your friend?” (The Pelagian Captivity of the Church, R.C. Sproul) …I believe…
Dick Lucas on Ezekiel 18
In a sermon from 1981, Dick Lucas, former Rector of St. Helen’s church in London (which normally teaches Calvinism), speaks about God’s passionate appeal for sinners to repent, and explains why Christianity is incompatible with…
This Week in Arminianism
Steve Sewell, of The Arminian Files, asks (and answers): “Does Compatibilism Make Sense?“ Leighton Flowers, of Soteriology 101, asks (and answers): “Were the Twins Foreknown?“ Traditional Southern Baptists at SBC Today post Braxton Hunter’s “A…
Ben Witherington and Chad Thornhill on *The Chosen People: Election, Paul and Second Temple Judaism*, Part 3
BEN: One of the greatest difficulties to overcome in trying to get people to see the Bible with ancient rather than modern assumptions, is the problem of modern radical individualism warping the way we read…
Joshua Thibodaux, “The Fallacies of Calvinist Apologetics – Fallacy #1: ‘If We Have Libertarian Free Will, What Makes Us Choose One Way or the Other?'”
Related Fallacies: Begging the question Calvinists often pose questions along the lines of, “If 2 people are given the same grace, why does one receives it and another reject it?” This question was popularized on…