Is the Calvinist concept of God the greatest conceivable Being? William Lane Craig responded to a Muslim’s question and concluded that Islam’s conception of God was not the greatest conceivable Being and so, naturally, one wonders whether Calvinism’s conception of God is the greatest conceivable Being, either. As a non-Calvinist, I’m convinced the answer is no.
If God was indeed the greatest conceivable Being, what would that make Him? The answer: Perfect. It’s perfection that makes God the greatest conceivable Being. God’s standard is perfection:
Matthew 5:48: “‘Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’”
I believe that Calvinism’s portrayal of God is NOT the greatest conceivable Being on at least three main grounds: Calvinism’s portrayal of God is aspirationally imperfect, ethically imperfect and morally imperfect:
(a) Calvinism’s conception of God is aspirationally imperfect because Calvinism’s methodology involves “Irresistible Grace” to effectively pump out Yes-Men (or puppets or robots), and hence reduces God to mediocrity.
(b) Calvinism’s conception of God is ethically imperfect due to partiality, in which the Calvinist doctrine of Unconditional Election means that God shows partiality and favoritism toward the upper caste of Calvinism’s “elect,” while correspondingly “passes by” the alleged lower caste of Calvinism’s “non-elect,” just like the priest and Levite of Luke 10:30-37.
(c) Calvinism’s conception of God is morally imperfect because Calvinism’s methodology would inevitably reduce God into the Author of Sin, no matter how much Calvinists insist otherwise.
William Lane Craig: “I think the greatest conceivable Being would be an all-loving Being. His love would be unconditional, impartial and universal. This is the kind of love that Jesus revealed of our Heavenly Father.”408
It may be asked whether fallen man’s rational incapacities even allow for comprehending a “greatest conceivable Being,” and while such an objection may be reasonable from an unsaved, unregenerate standpoint, the saved, regenerate believer, however, is supposed to possess a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17) in order to perceive God’s greatest qualities, so I think we can consider the concept of a “greatest conceivable Being.”
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408 Best of 2021 Countdown #5: Why the Muslim Concept of God Fails, https://www.tiktok.com/@reasonablefaithorg?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1.
[This post has been excerpted with permission from Richard Coords, Calvinism Answered Verse by Verse and Subject by Subject, © 2024.]
