John Richard Rice

JOJ , ease up . Your grandfather's quote was just a funny aside that I included for a breather . They were not gnashing ON him with their teeth . They were gnashing AT him with their teeth . The wrong prepostion can make a big difference .

As for my example of Fosdick -- yes he was a big-time liberal . Your grandfather was not as liberal as he . But Robert Reymond in his Systematc Theology ( page 702 ) says the following : It may come as a shock to the Arminian who espouses the doctrine of universal atonement ... that his view of the accomplishments of Christ's atoning work is no better than the view of the liberal theologian , but it is a sober fact nevertheless .

Reymond goes on to say that with liberals -- Christ died for no man . With respect to Arminians -- Christ died for all men . He states that in neither view does Christ's death per se pay the penalty of anyone's sin . In both theologies people determine whether or not they will become Christians . ( An act of their will ) . Reymond says : This is tragic , for Christ's atoning death is emptied of its intrinsic worth by both systems and the Pelagian principle looms large in both ..

 

Correct me if I am wrong , but didn't JRR meet with Cornelius Van Til of Westminster Theological Seminary near the end of his life ? It is my understanding that Rice received a new slant on things , yet it was too late for him to do much about it .

But back to Rice's book . It is littered with falsehoods . To demonstrate his errors is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel . You don't have to be much of a detective . An honest Arminian would acknowledge this .

Let's start with the Table of Contents . Chapter 10 ( he uses Roman Numeral x) is entitled " The Harm Done By Hyper-Calvinism Heresy " . ( That kind of invective was common from from his pen .)

On page 6 -- " The hyper-Calvinistic heresy is particularly appealing to the carnal nature , unwilling to have the heartbreak , the burden for soul winning ... " ( As I have aptly demonstrated before --- he was lying . )

Still on page 6 -- " But extreme Calvinism , the teaching that some people , by the foreordained plan of God, are predestined to be lost , that their destinies were settled before they were born , is a wicked heresy contrary to the Bible , that dishonors God , and has done incalculable harm . " ( So , does he cite any verses that Calvinists use to support their views ? Does he then give his alternative rendering with sound exegesis ? Nah , he just makes nasty assertions instead . It is so much easier . )

On page 7 : " Note some of the foolish statements of hyper-Calvinists . It has been said that ' there are babes in Hell not a span long ... " ( You know -- you have to be careful who Rice quotes . Arch-Arminian John Wesley said that about Calvinists . No Calvinist said such drivel . But Rice did not care about the truthfulness of his claims . His goal was simply to give his biased , imbalanced opinion on matters that he hoped would cause people to reject what he thought were wrong views . Of course to achieve that he had to do some things that evidenced a lack of integrity . I guess he thought that the means justify the ends . )

On page 14 he goes on to say that Calvinism " means that this doctrine was formulated by Calvin , and those who hold it get it from him Calvin . And their statement of faith follows exactly and literally every doctrinal position of Calvin . " ( Did you know that many Reformed folks are not Presbyterian ? There is not only one statement of faith among Calvinists . But why do I point that out ? It's just another example of Rice's insightful research . The Presbyterian Westminster Confession of Faith doesn't follow every particular of Calvin's . I'm with Spurgeon in that he said he agreed in the main with Calvin . )

On page 16 he calls Dr. Loraine Boettner " a narrow-minded , warped sectarian . " ( Just let that small-minded charge be reflected upon regarding that godly scholar . )

Also on page 16 he speaks of " Cadvin's " doctrine of predestination . ( It might as well be Cadvin -- Rice was rather adept at distorting Calvin's views as he was in convoluting Scripture . )

On page 19 he waxes eloquent ... " hyper-Calvinism is a philosophy developed by men and depending on fallible logic and frail human rerason, with the perversion of some Scriptures , and the misuse of other Scriptures , and the total ignoring of still other Scriptures . " ( So , Rice had impeccable logic , healthy human reasoning , and expert exegetical abilities I suppose ? Therefore he was a far better interpreter of Scripture ?! )

On page 20 he says : " It is true He definitely ordained and determined some events ahead of time ... " ( If you think God only determines SOME events and not ALL events , then your God is not the omnipotent Lord of the Bible . )

 

Whatever , I agree . Despite his grave errors he is in glory now . But he still garners a great deal of respect for his writings . Though absent on this earth , his earthly writings persist . They should be dealt with and not swept under the rug . The Lord's honor , and the honor of His Word must be given the highest priority .

And so I continue in pointing out his published errors . We must be Bereans .If people didn't take even Paul's word for something -- why not John R. Rice ? In Korea I have held Berean Korean classes . That has a ring to it , doesn't it ?

On page 20 he says : " How strange that , after 1,400 years of Christianity , practically no one had understood the Bible to teach Calvin's doctrine of predestination until he formed the philosophy . " [ Give me a break . You flunked church history , didn't you ? Bede ( d.735), Gottschalk ( d.868 ) , John Tauler ( d. 1361 ) , Thomas Bradwardine ( d.1349 ) , John Wycliffe ( d.1384 ), John Huss ( d.1414 ) , William Tyndale ( d.1536) , and Luther ( d.1545 ) all held the same view of predestination . There is no philosophy behind it . There are biblical proofs for the doctrine . ]

On page 21 : " Who can find these five points listed in the Bible ? Where does the Bible indicate that there are any definite and exclusive five points as a foundation for theology ? " ( They're not " listed " as such in the Bible any more than the doctrine of the Trinity is set forth in that way , for example .But all the points are there in the Scripture . )

On page 41 : " The atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross paid for the sins of every poor sinner ever born ! " ( Did He pay for the sins of those in Hell and those going there ? If as you maintain all sins are paid for then there will be no punishment for all . And that is not true . )

On page 54 : " When God commands people to repent , He makes it possible for them to repent . " ( Well , He is not going to refuse any that come to Him , but no one will come to Him unless the Father gives them to Christ . The command of God to repent is not negated by the inability of those the Father has not drawn . )

On page 57 : " The fact that God says ' whosoever ' means that all can will to come to Him . ( " How can a universe of ' won't ' come ? -- B. B. Warfield )

 

Well Benjamin , I think you need to listen more to what Rice said .

How could I feel toward God , if I should find out that when He said , " whosoever will " he did not mean that , because He had made men so that many of them could not repent if they would ? How would I feel toward the Saviour if I found that , though He professed to die for the sins of the whole world , He had already consigned some people to Hell with no chance to repent , no matter how much they wished to do so ? ( page 58 )

[ You have so many false premises here - I can't address them all . Suffice it to say it does not matter how you would feel toward the Lord , creature that you are . He does justly and we should not question His ways . He owes no one anything . We are worms of the dust . Who are you O man ! ]

So if we can show that the Bible teaches that men do resist the grace of God , do resist the moving and conviction of the Holy Spirit , we have proved that extreme Calvinism is simply not true , that it is unscriptural , a man-made philosophy contrary to the Bible . ( page 69 )

[ Irresistable grace refers to God's power of effectual calling to the elect alone ( see Ro. 8:30 ) . Of course many will reject Him and resist the Holy Spirit -- that does not negate I.G. ]

Rice quotes 1 Cor. 15:22 " For as in Adam all die , even so in Christ shall all be made alive . " Every poor sinner is bought by the blood of Jesus . ( page 71 )

[ No , only those , as the verse says , who are IN CHRIST . ]

" But how could it be wrong for a man to reject Christ , if he had no power to accept Him ? How could God bring a lost sinner to judgment for his sins and his Christ-rejection if the man had no choice ? Don't you see that the very nature of right and wrong , as taught in the Bible and proceeding from God Almighty , makes it so that God cannot coerce the human soul on these matters ? " ( page 77 )

[ You as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ do not know Bible basics . A man is condemned for his sins . Since a man loved his sins -- it was his choice .It was his volition to do what he wanted to do . Hell is his rightful destiny . God is not culpable . Man is to blame . Your thoughts are too man-oriented . ]

 

There is no essential difference between the unbelieving fatalism of Calvinists and the fatalism of Moslems or other heathen people . Essentially Calvinism would teach that there is no real right and wrong , no moral responsibility for men and women . Essentially Calvinism would teach that the laws of sowing and reaping , of rewards and punishments , are not valid , honest laws . All the fundamental doctrines involved in sowing and reaping , in praying and getting the answer , in winning souls or leaving them to go to hell because of our cold , compassionless hearts -- I say these basic fundamentals are denied by Calvinism . Yes , Calvinism is a moral impossibility in the light of Bible doctrine . ( page 81 )

[ Notice his nonsense ? Now how fair of a representation is that ? This is a man you respect for knowing Bible doctrine ? I don't see any Calvinist lying down on a busy highway saying that the will of God will be done -- if I live or die . Calvinists don't tempt the Lord in this manner . You have so much bias against Calvinism that you make up things out of whole cloth and borrow wives' tales as well . ]

Rice quotes Ro. 9:11-13 and then says regarding the twins " Neither was predestined to be saved , and neither was predestined to be lost . " ( page 86 )

[ Absolutely false ! Doesn't Romans 9 :22 and 23 mean anything to you ? And especially verse 13 which you quoted is critical . It says that God loved Jacob ( destiny Heaven ) and hated Esau ( destiny Hell ) . ]

It is not that predestination causes people to trust Christ and be saved . No , they are only predestined to be saved because God knows that they will put their trust in Christ . ( page 90 )

[ But predestination does cause people to trust Christ and be saved . You are so very , very wrong . look at Acts 13:48 and note the order -- " All who were appointed ( ordained , predestined ) for eternal life believed . " It is not the other way around as the rice bible would have it . ]

[ The election of Christians ] is not the cause of their being saved . ( page 91 )

[ But on page 89 he quoted Spurgeon approvingly who said : " ... if you believe in Christ you are one of His elect , and it is because he elected you that you come to believe in Him; it is because he chose you that you are led to desire him and made to accept Him . " Amen brother Charles ! ]

 

Rice quotes B.B.Warfield regarding verses 11 and 12 of Romans 9 .

We are pointed illustratively to the sovereign acceptance of Isaac and rejection of Ishmael , and to the choice of Jacob and not of Esau before their birth and explicitly told that in the matter of salvation it is not of him that wills , or of him that runs , but of God that shows mercy , and that He has mercy on whom He will , and whom He will He hardens ; we are pointedly directed to behold in God the potter who makes the vessels which proceed from His hand each for an end of His appointment , that he may work out His will upon them . It is safe to say that language cannot be chosen better adapted to teach predestination at its height .

Then Rice says : You will understand that Warfield is here particularly teaching the predestination taught by Calvin and by the Westminster Catechism ,including the doctrine of " reprobation , " the doctrine that some are predestined to be damned . ( page 28 )

[ Look at the Warfield quote again . Warfield is teaching pure biblical truth . Where is philosophy , and man-made theory ? Warfield was being true to God's Word . BBW is not evasive . He does not twist Scripture into saying the opposite of its meaning . Rice needed to learn from Warfield . ]

 

Rice quotes from Herman Hoeksema's book " Whosoever Will " .

That work is absolutely divine . Man has no part in it , and cannot possibly co-operate with God in his own salvation . In no sense of the word , and at no stage of the work , does salvation depend upon the will or work of man , or wait for the determination of his will . In fact , the sinner is of himself neither capable nor willing to receive that salvation . On the contrary , all he can do and will is to oppose , to resist his own salvation with all the determination of his sinful heart . But God ordained and prepared this salvation with absolutely sovereign freedom for His own ,His chosen ones alone , and upon them He bestows it , not because they seek and desire it , but in spite of the fact that they never will it , and because he is stronger than man , and overcomes the hardest heart and the most stubborn will of the sinner .

Rice says " That is not evangelical Christianity ... " ( page 11 ) .

[ Rice is right ! It is not Evangelical Christianity . Mainstrean Christianity and Fundamentalism have diverged from biblical truth in a number of respects . And Arminianism is a major culprit . Review Hoeksema's words . You are catching a rare glimpse of a preacher who told the biblical truth . ]