Friday, October 11, 2019

My Critique Of Calvinism



In today's article we will be going over the teachings of Calvinism and then we will look at some bible verses that are used to support or contradict their theology. First off let me just say that I don't think that just because someone is a Calvinist that they are lost and going to hell, I don't. As Christian's we are all on different levels of learning and it takes time to study and learn the truths of scripture. I don't claim to be infallible either. If there is something that I teach that conflicts with what the bible says I'm am more than willing to change my view to line up with Scripture. That said let's continue.


I also desire to inform the reader that I don't consider myself either an Arminian or a Calvinist but rather just a bible believing Christian. The basics of Calvinism can be summed up in the five point Acronym TULIIP. Which stands for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Please note that not all Calvinist  believe all the doctrines of Calvinism there are 3 point Calvinist, and 4 point Calvinist etc. Now let's address each point of Calvinism in order, one point at a time.

 Total depravity

 This doctrine teaches that mankind is born hopelessly sinful and corrupt and completely incapable of doing good or even wanting to. This doctrine is also referred to as total inability, which teaches that mankind does not have the free will to choose to do good, perceive truth, or receive Christ. God has to do it all for him. In other words The only will that is being done on earth is the Lord's, Calvinism teaches that God makes most men on earth whom he knows can only do evil and then punishes said men for not doing what they aren't capable of from the beginning, I believe this to be blasphemous. Now let's go over some verses that Calvinist use to support this doctrine.

The book of Psalms mentions being shapen in iniquity (Psa 51:5), and speaks of the wicked going astray as soon as they are born (Psa 58:3). Those who spoke to the man who received his sight said that he was altogether born in sins (Joh 9:34). There is also a verse on being called a transgressor from the womb (Isa 48:8). They may also point out the verses Rom 3:10-12 which are about their being none righteous or that seeketh after God, they may also use 1 Cor 2:14 as well. The thing that I think some Calvinist fail to realize is that being born with the tendency to sin is not the same as not having the ability to resist sin. Now let's cover the verses that I believe refute the doctrine of total inability.

In Deu 30:11-19 in seems like God is giving Israel the option to follow him, this indicates that they have a choice. Joshua tells Israel to choose whom they will serve (Jos 24:15). Prov 1:24-29 further indicates a choice to fear the Lord. Other passages that indicate a choice are Isa 56:4, and Isa 65:12. If men are born incapable of learning the truth of the gospel why did Jesus then have to speak in parables? Or marvel at their unbelief? (Mar 4:11-12, Mar 6:6). Joh 1:9 indicates that every man has at least some light. Why would God need to send them a spirit of slumber if they are in a dead corpse like state unable to know the truth from birth?

Why would God command every man to repent (Act 17:30) if he knows that most are not capable.  The bible is clear that God tempts no one but they are drawn away by their own lust (Jam 1:13-14). Throughout scripture we see that men are not incapable of knowing truth from birth but rather harden their heart/neck, or sear their conscience, having their hearts darkened, or being past feeling (Zec 7:12, Pro 29:1, 1 Tim 4:2, Rom 1:18-21, Eph 4:19). See also  Joh 11:25, Rom 1:28, Tit 2:11

If men do not possess a free will to do good then all the evil that we see on earth, the rape, the murder, the theft, etc is the result of God's will, however consider the following bible verses about God's will (Mar 3:35, Joh 7:17, Joh 9:31, 1 Pet 4:2, 1 Joh 2:17). Does God hear everyone? Is everyone Christ brother/sister/mother? Does everyone abide forever? Only those that do God's will enter the kingdom of Heaven (Mat 7:21). If every one does God's will then everyone is saved (Heb 5:9).

Just because God has foreknowledge of something it doesn't mean that he caused the thing he has foreknowledge of. A parent might know that their child is being bullied in school, this doesn't mean that the parent hired the bully and only pretends to be upset about it.

Those Calvinist that hold to the view of Total inability have a logical inconsistancy when they get upset at or even rebuke false teachers, or even unbelievers who rape, steal, and kill. This is because they have the ultimate excuse. Anything that they do is sovereignly and unchangeable brought about by God to bring about his own self glorification.

If  God causes all sin then what does that say about his holiness? how is he then separate from sinners (Heb 7:26). If God sovereignly and unchangably make men to commit idolatry and go after other gods why then is he jealous? Why pray that God's will be done (Mat 6:10), if it always already is?
Calvinist believe that God is good but they cannot explain how he is good if their belief that he determines/causes everything including men's evil actions. John Calvin himself professes ignorance on this matter and refers to it as a mystery. Calvinism makes God out to be a moral monster.

Here is a qoate from John Calvin : “How it was ordained by the foreknowledge and decree of God what man’s future was without God being implicated as associate in the fault as the author or approver of transgression, is clearly a secret so much excelling the insight of the human mind, that I am not ashamed to confess ignorance…. I daily so meditate on these mysteries of his judgments that curiosity to know anything more does not attract me.”

 A prominent Calvinist named John Piper is quoted saying 
"How do we know that God always controls everything? My answer is that we know this because the Bible teaches it. It teaches it by direct statements and by clear and sufficient implication."

 "First, God works all things according to his will. Here’s Ephesians 1:11: “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Let me say it again. He works all things according to the counsel of his will. I think that means he always controls everything. There’s my answer.

 Sources: https://atheologyintension.com/2013/03/21/2376/
https://freethinkingministries.com/does-god-always-control-all-things-a-response-to-john-piper/

Calvinist may mention the crucifixtion as an example of God causing men to sin by slaying Christ innocent blood, but then they extrapolate that to mean that he causes all sin. What if God used the evil intentions of men to bring about his redemption of mankind. Trying to equate the crucifixion with God causing all sin is like accusing police officers that hold a sting operation in order to catch a drug dealer of causing all the drug activity including all the drug activity the drug dealer has done or ever will do. When Jesus died on the cross was God sovereignly working to bring about the redemption of the very sins that he sovereignly worked to bring about? Did God determine to redeem his own determinations? How absurd!

It is illogical to propose that God causes people to sin because on many occasions he expresses his anger or grief over his peoples sin. Take these verses for example:

Jer 5:8  They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 
Jer 5:9  Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 

 Jer 9:2  Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 
Jer 9:3  And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 

 Jer 32:35  And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

 Jer 44:4  Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

 Mal 2:16  For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

 Rom_10:21  But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

Many Calvinist set up a false dichotomy either God causes/meticulously controls absolutely everything in the universe down to every action of mankind or he is just a mamby pamby sissy who is shocked off his throne and wringing his hands when he sees someone doing something, and saying oh, i didn't see that coming what am i going to do. Imagine God as a chess player. Which would be the more impressive version of God. A god who has to control both sides of the board playing as both the white and black pieces to ensure his victory or a God who can take on countless opponents and win easily every time simply because he's just that good at chess.

Is God just putting on some kind of puppet show here or something! Where he only pretends to be mad at people actions? or is he schizophrenic? The mere thought is blasphemous!
I believe God is not the most glorified by his total and complete control over his creation but by his self sacrificial love for all people. One more thing. What's the whole reason for sickness and death in the world under Calvinism if God is the one behind all sin? I thought death was the result of disobeying God.

See also: If any man will do his will (John 7:17), for if we sin wilfully (Heb 10:26), If that nation (Jer 18:8), whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey (Rom 6:16), serveth him not (Mal 3:18).

 Unconditional Election

This doctrine teaches that God ordained or chose from the begging of the world those who would be saved and those who would go to hell. The Armenian view is that God looked through the flow of time and picked those that would accept him.  The problem I see with the Calvinist view of election is that innocent babies and children go to hell if they die young, since according to them God foreknew if they would've become Christians or not. This is a false teaching as Children aren't separated from God until they know that they have sinned (Luk 18:16, Rom 2:14-15, 5:13, 7:9). Let's go over a few verses that Calvenist use to support this doctrine.

It certainly is true that God has chosen us since the foundation of the world and that he has predestined us as well (Eph 1:4-5, 1 Th 2:13). It is also true that people are ordained to eternal life (Act 13:48). They will probably use Joh 6:44 which teaches us that no one can come to Jesus without the Father drawing them, however you must ignore the next verse about men being taught of God and coming unto him, this is why context is so important in scripture! The last verse that I will go over that they use to support their position on this is in Rom 9:11-21. These verses are useful to refute works salvation, which is the notion that man can somehow earn his way to heaven. The Thomas Taylor link below explains it by saying that God has a perfect will and also a permissive will. His perfect will desires all men to be saved whereas his permissive will allows men to rebel but God still uses it for his glory. See also Joh 13:18, Joh 17:9, 1 Pet 1:2.

So are there any bible verses that teach us that God doesn't want people to go to hell (I can't believe that I have to write about this).
Well we know that God doesn't take pleasure in the death of the wicked but would rather they turn and live (Eze 33:11). Then there is Act 2:21 and Rom 10:12-13 which teaches us that whosoever shall call on the name of the lord will be saved. Calvinist also have to twist 1Tim 2:4-6 to say that all men doesn't really men all men but only the elect. What about 2 Pet 3:9? Where it has God desiring none to perish but that all would repent. The bible also teaches us that it is not good to have respect of persons in judgment and that God is no respecter of persons (Pro 24:23, Act 10:34).
see also Rev 3:20, Rev 22:17

Frankly, I cannot see the God of Calvinism to be a God of Love and a God who loves Judgment(1 Joh 4:8, Isa 61:8) if he doesn't give a man the ability to choose to do good, and sends them to hell despite doing his will their whole life. A sinner will not be able to say on judgment day that i had no chance to be saved i was hated by my God and blind from birth unto my death. In any case Unconditional Election is a poor choice of words considering their is a condition for Salvation namely faith, which is not a work because God gives it to you (1Cor 12:9).


Limited Atonement

This is the third point in the acronym tulip. It states that Jesus didn't die on the cross for everyone but only for the elect whom God has predestined. A couple passages that Calvanist may cite for this doctrine is Joh 10:11 and Joh 15:13. These passages refer to the good Shepard laying his life down for the sheep and about a man laying his life down for his friends.  So did Jesus only die for the elect? Consider the following passages.

Isa 53:6 teaches us that the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We learn in Joh 1:29 that the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. "For God so loved the world..."(Joh 3:16). Jesus speaks of drawing all men unto him (Joh 12:32). Compare Rom 5:12 which has death passing upon all men with Rom 5:18 which has the free gift which came upon all men. The verse about destroying your brother with your meat for whom Christ died (Rom 14:15). This is obviously referring to spiritual death, this passage seems to refute multiple points of Calvinism.

The bible teaches that Christ died for all (2 Cor 5:14-15). It also teaches that God is the savior of all men (1 Tim 4:10), if all men meant only the elect in this passage then why does in it end with specially of those that believe? We also know that their will be false teachers who will deny the Lord who bought them (2 Pet 2:1), how did he buy them if he only died for the elect? Jesus is the propitiation for not our sins only but the sins of the whole world
(1 Joh 2:2). see also 1 Cor 15:21-22, Heb 2:9, and 1 Joh 4:14.

I believe the Atonement is both Universal and Limited in that yes Jesus only died for the elect "the church" but anyone can become a part of the church by belief in Jesus. 

 Irresistable grace 

This doctrine simple says that the elect cannot resist God's grace but that they will ultimately go to heaven in the end no matter what! Likewise the un-elect have no choice but to go to hell. Let's cover the verses that a Calvinist may use to support this teaching.

First we have Psa 115:3 which speaks of God doing whatsoever he has pleased. Dan 4:35 is another verse which has king Nebuchadnezzar speaking concerning God, that he does according to his will. They also mention Act 16:14 that the Lord opened Lydia's heart. Then there's the passages about God predestinating those that he foreknew (Rom 8:29-30). Then there is the passage concerning the god of this world, who blinds the minds of those that do not believe (2 Cor 4:3-6).

Here we have verses that anti- Calvinist may use to refute this doctrine. It's obvious that in Mat 23:37 we have two opposing wills, that of Jesus (God) and that of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Joh 5:40 seems to me to imply that the reason why they didn't get saved was because they were unwilling to come to Jesus, not because he didn't want to save them. 2 Cor 6:1 warns us not to receive the grace of God in vain.
See also Rom 10:21, 2 Thes 2:10-12

One of the most dangerous things that I find about the doctrine of Irresistible grace is that it keeps Christians from evangelizing the lost aka the great commission (Mat 28:19-20, Mar 16:15, 2 Cor 5:19). If you believe that God mysteriously draws men to salvation without the need of hearing the gospel, then I would have to call you a heretick. It's clear biblical truth that we are saved by grace through faith, and that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Eph 2:8, Rom 10:14-17 ). Preaching to the lost is vital for their salvation (Joh 3:36, Eph 1:13, Eph 5:26, 1Th 2:16, 2 The 2:13, Jam 1:18, 1 Pet 1:23). 

Perseverance of the saints

This is the doctrine that the Elect cannot lose their salvation but will persevere to the end and be saved. If you are looking for verses on whether or not one can lose their salvation please refer to my other post on Assurance and Admonition.

So in conclusion I just want to exhort my readers to read and study the bible themselves and let the Holy Spirit teach them the truth of God's word instead of letting man's fallible interpretations of scripture guide you. 


Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)