This post is written by SEA member, Roy Ingle
If you click this link, you’ll find a list of contributors to Crossway’s new ESV study Bible, The Gospel Transformation Bible. I was excited when I first saw this Bible coming out as I love the gospel and love the emphasis that this study Bible was to place on all 66 books of the Bible upon the gospel itself. So many fail to see the beauty of the gospel in the Old Testament especially.
But I was sad to see not one Arminian (that I am aware of) in the list of the contributors. Instead the contributors are all Calvinists. I know that Crossway is largely a Calvinistic publishing group, but I was sad to see that Crossway did not look to Arminians to help with this study Bible. Why only Calvinists? I know that some Calvinists will insist that Calvinism is the pure gospel and that Calvinists, above all others, love the gospel. But is this honest and true? I don’t think so. I have read many works by both Arminius and by Arminians and I see nothing but a love for the gospel, a hunger to see people saved, and a zeal for the truth of God’s Word about this great salvation.
Oddly a few Calvinists even claim that they are in the minority when it comes to the Church. In fact, they actually believe that Arminianism is the dominant theology in the evangelical church. This study Bible would speak otherwise.
In fairness, Crossway should have involved non-Calvinists in this study Bible. Do only Calvinists represent the gospel? Do Lutherans? Do Arminians? Do other non-Calvinists? Again, I know that some Calvinists will say that they alone represent the truth of the gospel and love the work of Christ. But I assert that this is both blind and wrong.
I again call for Crossway to balance this and start an Arminian study Bible that reflects the teachings of Arminius and turn the tide in the amount of study Bibles and books that bolster Calvinism.
You can find the original post with comments here: http://arminiantoday.com/2013/08/19/why-are-there-no-arminians-on-the-gospel-transformation-bible-committee/
