The Anti-Calvinist Rant

 

In the comment section of a Soteriology 101 post -  Flowers Man Bad  - someone (Simon Peter) was defending John Calvin, quoting him as saying  "the gate of salvation is open to all," making it sound like he thought Calvin really taught that salvation is truly available for all and possible for all.   I replied that Calvin contradicts himself in his writing, and so I wouldn't believe what he said in one place because he would contradict it or qualify it or add another layer to it in another place, changing what he originally said.   Simon Peter replied: " A sign of being a great scholar is the ability to change one’s mind and improve one’s system of thought. Calvin had that ability, as did Luther and many other great theologians.  In this light I would ask you to demonstrate the alleged contradictions from Calvin’s writings?" I'm guessing he thought that I made a baseless, ignorant comment, that I didn't have anything to back me up. And so I pulled up an

Okay, time to start giving the newest verses (#60-91) in "The Calvinist ESV" series  [from the long post  "A Random Verse That Destroys Calvinism (And 'Is the ESV a Calvinist Bible'?)" ] their own shorter posts, like I did #1-59.  Here is #60-62: #60:   Titus 1:2  (KJV):  “… God, that cannot lie…”   And here’s the ESV:  “… God, who never lies…”   To have a God who never lies is not necessarily the same thing as a God who cannot lie.  A God who never lies could still be able to lie, could have a deceptive side or the desire to lie but simply doesn’t act on it.  I would rather have a God who cannot lie because there is no deception in Him than a God who can lie but chooses not to (a more untrustworthy character).  In the concordance, the Greek word which covers the phrase "who cannot lie" is defined as  "free from falsehood."   I would expect that means there is no falsehood whatsoever in God Himself, in His entire Being, not just in His sp

Okay, I give!  I'm starting up this blog again.  Didn't intend to, but I can't stop myself now.  So here we go... In the comment section of the Soteriology 101 post "Calvinism Obscures the Simple Gospel" , Jeff left this comment, sharing an article that had the famous sermon from Calvinist Charles Spurgeon: Jeff writes:   “Charles Spurgeon: “Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.”   JULY 4, 2014 / DREW MERY If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind as to whether or not the so-called “Prince of preachers” was a Calvinist, let the following quotation, taken from his sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (“Christ Crucified”), settle it in your minds–Spurgeon was most definitely a Calvinist. "And I have my own private opinion, that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and him crucified, unless you preach what now-a-days is called Calvinism.  I have my own ideas, and those I always state boldly.  It is a nickname to call it Calvinism.  Calvinism is the gospel, an

I'm really not planning on starting up this blog again, but I'm having trouble... the pull is too strong... trying to fight it... can't resist... help me... 😉 Anyway, after seeing  some of the sad Reddit comments from people hurt by Calvinism ( see here ) - particularly "why-homo-sapien" who wanted assurance of salvation as a 12-year-old but couldn't find it in Calvinism - I  wanted to repost this critique of John MacArthur's view on it.  T he following (with some additions) is a combination of things I wrote in  Exposing Calvinism: Assurance of Salvation?  and Can you lose your salvation?  and  Is Calvinism's TULIP Biblical? (Perseverance of the Saints) :    The Calvinist’s Security of Salvation:   In a video clip I saw online ( click here , but be warned it's from a website that looks favorably on him), a young woman - with shaky voice, on the verge of tears - asked John MacArthur (a Calvinist of the highest order) how she can know for sure that