Calvinism Vs Arminianism | Theology for the Masses

Category Archives: Calvinism vs Arminianism

July 12, 2007: while you are waiting…; A couple of links to keep your appetites whet while you are waiting on Hank’s next installment on his Objections to Calvinism series:
AJ Vanderhorst: Uncool Implications of Radical Free Will
James R. White: Synergism Belongs in a Car Dealership, Not in Divine Salvation

July 11, 2007: Objections to Calvinism Part 1 of 5– also posted in Answers to TULIP; I want to begin a post series trying my best to answer some objections to the doctrines of Grace that I have encountered over the last two-plus years. The ones that I will attempt to answer are these: Election leads men to be proud and arrogant because they are “elect;” Why should I pray according [...]

July 4, 2007: Piper Exegetes Romans 5:14; As we have been dealing with the idea of original sin and imputed sin, there has been some question about what Romans 5:14 means. Here is the verse:
Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who [...]

June 30, 2007: Human Natures, Desires, and Calvinism: A Question– also posted in The Ethics of God; After reading the following from reading Brad’s post on predestination:
“According to Edwards, a human being is not only free to choose what he desires but he must choose what he desires to be able to choose at all. This means that every choice is free and every choice is determined. But determined does not mean [...]

June 24, 2007: Sunday Morning Drive and Particular Redemption; This morning as I drove to church, a conversation played out in my head of me articulating Particular Redemption and still not contradicting the universal texts (i.e. 1 Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Peter 3:9). See if this doesn’t deny these texts.
1.) Christ’s atonement bought the New Covenant (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
2.) The New [...]

June 23, 2007: Irresistable Grace; With Paul the calling is not mere sound, not a stentorian proclamation, not solely a polite and gracious invitation. It is God’s choice of His people with an invitation so revealingly personal, so sweetly insistent, and so cogently presented that the invited one gladly accepts it and comes to the feast…It is an act as [...]

June 18, 2007: Calling all Reformed Readers– also posted in Unity; Challies wants to hear from those that have become Reformed in theology on the following issues:
As you began to understand Reformed principles, what were your greatest and most pressing questions about this system of theology?
What aspects of Reformed theology most troubled you and were the most difficult to reconcile in your [...]

June 16, 2007: Two Conversations from the SBC Convention– also posted in Creeds, Practices, Unity; This past week was the Southern Baptist National Convention. Dr. Jerry Johnson of Criswell College in Dallas Texas held a discussion on Calvinism, with Dr. Danny Akin and Dr. Mark Coppenger, and on speaking in tongues, with Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Dwight McKissic. They were very good. Calvinism was more like a discussion of [...]

May 17, 2007: Uncertain Verses of the Day; Ever encounter verses that you are not sure what exactly is going on? As a person who is struggling all the time to understand the record of the Lord’s word that we have in the Bible (was that a prelude to a discussion on Barth?), there are several passages that seem to oscillate between [...]

May 13, 2007: Finney on Rev 22:17– also posted in Church Fathers; Since I apparently identify with Finney, allow me to quote him on one of his sermons on Rev 22:17:
But, let me say, further, that you are every one invited to drink. You need not hesitate to drink, because you think you are not invited. You need not stand there, and say, “Is it for me? [...]

February 26, 2007: The Sovereignty of God– also posted in Church Fathers, Creeds, The Ethics of God; Here is how Jonathan Edwards defined the sovereignty of God in his sermon, God’s Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men.
The sovereignty of God is his absolute, independent right of disposing of all creatures according to his own pleasure.

February 18, 2007: Sunday Morning Thoughts– also posted in The Bible, The Ethics of God; Here are a couple of posts that are worth your time for this Sunday morning:
Calvinism and Philosophers by Parableman
Jeremy looks at some preliminary issues involving Christian philosophy and how Calvinism might be a better approach to certain problems rather than a Libertarian or Arminian approach.
I’ve always thought Calvinism had far better resources to respond to [...]

February 16, 2007: Going With The Flow of Romans 9– also posted in Romans 9, The Bible; Henry Michael and I have been having a wonderful discussion about Romans 9 (click here and here for the posts and comments). In response to the interpretation of Romans 9, or at least Henry’s attempt to show that the historical roles interpretation can raise the objections of Romans 9:14, 19, I asked this question,
Your interpretation, [...]

February 10, 2007: Hated and Loved :: Esau and Jacob– also posted in Romans 9, The Bible; In Romans 9 Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 saying, “As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Calvinists take this to refer to the election on God’s part as either a) damning Esau to Hell and promoting Jacob to Heaven or b) damning the nations that come from Esau all to Hell [...]

February 5, 2007: Romans 9 and God”s Will– also posted in Romans 9; Romans 9 is considered to be the “hammer” in the debates on Predestination and Free Will in terms of the salvation of the individual. Hank makes this point clear in his post, My Comfort in Romans 9. In this post, he expounds upon verses 9:11 and 9:14. It is Hank”s contention that only assuming a [...]