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Calvinism critique continued

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Alive in Christ, Feb 5, 2011.

  1. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Dr Bob said we could continue Scarlettes thread...


    Scarlett...

    This was an excellant and well thought out post. I at one time considered Calvinism. Read some good books defending it. I gave it every oppotunity to convince me, but it...and its "defenders" never could really "seal the deal", so to speak.

    And of course there is the problem regarding the scripture that informs us that "God is no respecter of persons", and all the other scriptures that support it.

    In Calvinism, God IS a respecter of persons. He is the ultimate respecter of persons. "I choose you, but not you over there. These 3 here I choose, but you 5 over there, I dont choose.

    I gave it a good hearing, but came away finding it wanting.


    AiC
     
  2. David Lamb

    David Lamb Active Member

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    Calvinists, too, would say that God is no respecter of persons/shows no partiality. Of course so; it's stated in Acts 10.34:
    Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality."

    But look at the context of those words. God has given Peter a vision three times (the sheet containing ceremonially clean and unclean animals). Then Peter receives the call to take the gospel to a gentile, Cornelius. He says to Cornelius in Acts 10.28:

    "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean."


    It is in that context that Peter says to Cornelius, "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality." In other words, He doesn't accept people into His heaven because of their nationality, or any other outward characteristic. Praise God, the fact that I am not a Jew is no barrier to my acceptance with Him.

     
  3. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    What books, for example ?




    I tell you what. Find us in the Bible where God chose one over the other because one is a Jew, or the other is a Gentile, or because one is smart, and the other dumb, or one is religious, and the other crass, and then I will agree with you that God is being a respecter of persons.
    I don't think you even grasp the concept of what being a "respecter" of persons is.
    I'll give you an example.
    Somebody is opening up a company, and he determines in his mind that he will NOT hire anybody with any form of Christian belief, and there is no law that says he can't do that. Is he being a respecter of persons or not.
    Or a hiring manager reviews the papers of applicants, and in that part of the application where the hiring company swears to high heavens that whether you answer or not your application will not be adversely affected it asks for your race and the hiring manager favors for a second or third interview the one with the same skin color as his or hers, is that being a respecter of persons or not.

    In God's case He creates someone for the purpose of fellowship with Him, and provides him with EVERYTHING he needs save one, and the idiot transfers his allegiance to a fellow creature by believing the fellow creature more than the God whose power and fellowship he has personally experienced, thus reaping the consequences of his transfer of allegiance, and in effect, corrupting his perfection in which he was created and in the process transferring the same corruption to his descendants, therefore making NONE of his descendants worthy of the presence and fellowship of their Creator.

    Yet this Creator mercifully chooses to save many from a thus condemned race, regardless of whether the one he chooses to exercise undeserved mercy on is Jew or Gentile, black or white, rich or poor, slave or free, yellow, green, brown, olive, and every color in-between, dumb or smart, and you call this God a respecter of persons ?

    I don't think you understand what the phrase 'respecter of persons' mean, or you are applying it subjectively.
     
  4. The Archangel

    The Archangel Well-Known Member

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    EXCELLENT!

    Good words, corrective words. Context rules.

    Blessings,

    The Archangel
     
  5. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    AiC

    I am a bit confused (no difficult task mind you) perhaps I am reading you wrong, but you seem to be arguing "against" a DoG stance, yet I perceive that you "associated" with Alpha and Omega (James White?). Perhaps you are simply pursuing an intellectual exercise? Help me out here, thanks.
     
  6. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    Deuteronomy 2:10-12, 20-23 are short parenthetical sections describing YHWH's prior involvement with other nations before Israel came on the scene. Though they are almost incidental to the main narrative, they imply the same theological affirmation: YHWH, though the covenant God of Israel as his elect and redeemed people, is the universal God who has already been active in the history and movements of other nations. So it is not surprising that even in a prime text in which God's particular election of Israel is highlighted, it is balanced (as if to avoid precisely any suspicion of favoritism) with the strong defining affirmation of YHWH's universality and therefore of his impartiality.

    "The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality." Deut 10:17

    From, "The Mission of God" by Christopher J H Wright
     
    #6 quantumfaith, Feb 5, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 5, 2011
  7. Iconoclast

    Iconoclast Well-Known Member
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    God is Lord of all. Those who believe in His grace,aqnd those who rebel and find fault with His revealed will. He Has a place in the future for both types of person.
     
  8. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Pinoybaptist...


    The only one I can remember is A.W. Pink.
     
    #8 Alive in Christ, Feb 5, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 5, 2011
  9. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Quantumfaith...

    Ha ha. My goodness no. I am so "grace" oriented that I have been called an antinomian by legalists.

    I am not "associated" with his ministry in any way. I respect his ministry regarding his stance on the Roman Catholic false church. If he is a calvinist, then I disagree with him on that point.
     
  10. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Iconoclast...

    I certainly am in the grace camp, thats for sure.

    But I just cant sign on with Calvinism.
     
  11. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    Thank you for clearing that up for me. Mercy, peace and love in abundance.
     
  12. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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  13. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Well, thank you very much, and may Gods grace overflow in your life.
     
  14. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Kyredneck...

    I've still got the book.


    "Practical Christianity"
     
  15. canadyjd

    canadyjd Well-Known Member

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    Scarlett O. I hope you don't mind me being candid with you.

    You were right not to approach these young folks with this question. Whether they would be offended or not, I cannot say. I know that I was offended just reading your post. I started to respond, then changed and re-wrote..then started all over.. and then just gave up.

    I have attempted to imagine what I would say to someone who came to me and asked me why I would want to have my children, given my reformed views; then have that person suggest I'm playing Russian Roulette with the souls of my children.... well... let's just say it is beyond offensive.

    You are not questioning a point of doctrine concerning theology. You are not asking for biblical support for a point of view.

    You are asking... "How can you Calvinists justify even wanting to have children, given your beliefs."

    Therefore, I can only say that if you really believe what you have stated, and you really value the fellowship you have with these young folks, keep your opinions about reformed doctrine to yourself.

    I suspect if you ask them the questions you asked here, you could permanently damage any fellowship you might have with them.

    peace to you:praying:
     
  16. Skandelon

    Skandelon <b>Moderator</b>

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    :thumbsup: I agree. Good words.
     
  17. mets65

    mets65 New Member

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    As much as I completely disagree with Calvinism, I completely agree with your post. First off since I don't think Calvinism is biblical I would never ask a Calvinist about gambling with the souls of their children. Teach them, encourage them to come to Christ, Calvinist or non-calvinist both are going to do that if they are true believers. If they want to evangelize the Gospel but they hold to a calvinists doctrine you should leave them alone, if you try to convert them its only for your personal sastifaction, not the sastifaction of our Lord.
     
  18. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Which is why I responded just once: in sarcasm.
     
  19. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    I suppose yours is biblical ?
    What your question about Calvinists' children, and subsequently yours, implies, is that the cross HAS NOT happened, there is STILL A CHANCE Christ might go up that cross one more time, shed His blood one more time, resurrect one more time for the sake of your children ?
    God in the Heavens condescended to live among His fallen people.
    His people rejected Him, some accepted Him, many doubted He was the Messiah.
    He lived a good life, doing good deeds, preaching about the kingdom of God, confronting religion, throwing the religious "experts" of His day into consternation.
    The Jews wanted Him dead, the Romans wanted Him free, in the end they both agreed to crucify Him.
    The cross is OVER.
    The tomb is EMPTY.
    Christ is RISEN.
    And all these are what constitutes the gospel.
    If you're a pagan, as many elects were in Biblical times, and you heard Paul or Peter or Thomas or John or any of the apostles and their appointed preachers preach the gospel you need to turn away from your paganism and idolatry and be saved from those and be blessed because your eternity is secure.
    If you're a Jew and a religionist, do the same thing, because your eternity is secure.
    In 2001, turn away from thinking you can still perhaps do something about your children's eternity because you know what ?
    It's not in your hands.
    Watch the "Jesus Camp".
    Do you think those kids were being taught correct doctrine ?
    Unarguably MANY of those kids are God's children, but not all.
    Will Christ refuse them because of their doctrine ?
    No.
    He died for them as much as he did for any of His people who will be born after them, and who were born before them, and who lived in His time, and before His time.
    So, TRUST God that He is good and merciful.
    Rear up your children in the way of the Lord and trust Him to work out His will in your children if they belong to Him.

    Oh, goodness.
    Did I really say those ?
    Me ?
    A HYPER-Calvinist ?
     
  20. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Insight on why Calvinists are so touchy about this issue:

    Their oracle has spoken:

    Calvin's Institutes 4:16
    Children of Christians "are immediately on their birth received by God as heirs of the covenant".

    Yet Don Kistler, former R. C. Sproul associate, is frank about the rift in Calvinism on this issue:

    Kistler's own gems of wisdom:
     
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