The X-Calvinist Corner is a page on this website that shares the stories of people who were once Calvinist but have left Calvinism for a more Arminian theology. This series (The X-Calvinist Corner Files) highlights one of the testimonies from the X-Calvinist Corner in each installment.
Today’s testimony is from a man named Juan:
How did you become a Calvinist?
I’m from Paraguay and I have 25 years old. I was an agnostic until I came to Christ when I was 18 years old, in 2012. 6 months later, the brother who lead me to Christ, teach me how he sees Ephesians 1, and teached me about predestination, and with another brother, he convinced me about an incomplete version of Unconditional Election. So, after resistance, I embrace that doctrine, and then I investigated about it, and that’s how I met the Calvinism and became like that.
What did you find most compelling about Calvinism?
In that time, teached me how the glory of God is everything, and that He can do everything He wants without giving answers. Then, little by little, I embrace everything about Calvinism
Why did you begin to question your Calvinistic convictions?
There was a division in my church in 2016, about Calvinism. The calvinists initiated a “war” between the ones who left my church, and the ones who decided to stay. I decided to stay with my church, even If I was a calvinist, because I didn’t agree with that attitude of the calvinists. Most of the ones who followed those leaders, now are departed o separated from Christ, and are in the world.
What kind of support or opposition did you encounter while questioning your Calvinistic beliefs?
Myself mostly and the wrong perspective about Arminianism that I learned from calvinists. I thought Arminianism was Semi-Pelagianism, until I met classical arminians.
What primarily led to you abandoning Calvinism?
After the division in my church, I read many books, and not only I was arguing with calvinists about the division, but I was attracted more to Arminian authors than calvinists authors, because I was getting cold in my communion in Christ and David Wilkerson and AW Tozer talked about that and the practice of the Word of God (obedience). Then, I met classical arminians this year (2019), and after arguing with them, I realized that the Holy Spirit was shaking me, and told me that they were biblical, and my Calvinism were not. So, I realized not only that the Calvinism wasn’t biblical, but also I realized that the Calvinism was the doctrine that lead me to coldness in the first place, and other brothers, who were cold or in apostasy. Some of my brothers and sisters that I teached Calvinism, now I teach them Arminianism. Now I know that the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, and I know how to live my christian life without worrying if this or that was predestined or not and I take care more of my spiritual life.
Thanks for reading. God bless you all.
