Heresy can be what you believe, but perhaps just as often, heresy is the weight you give an issue you believe. “Fundamentalism” might be understood, in part, as too much weight given to certain aspects of Christian doctrine or practice (the word fundamentalism, historically, doesn’t mean that, but in common parlance that is how it might be understood). Some people give such enormous weight to minor issues that the gospel itself is obscured.
Calvinism is one such issue. We only have so much “bandwidth” as a church, so I choose rather to be known for the gospel than for a tough stance on particulars of Calvinism that are less important than the heart of the message.
So at The Summit Church, I often say, “Calvinism is not an issue to me until it becomes one to you. But when it becomes one to you, it becomes one to me… and I’ll probably take whatever side you are not.” What someone believes about the finer points of Calvinism is not usually the issue; it’s how they believe it. We may have trouble achieving absolute clarity together on every one of the “five points,” but we can be absolutely clear on the fact that the Bible condemns a divisive and uncharitable spirit over something about which gospel-loving Christians have historically had trouble finding complete agreement.
In Martin Luther’s preface to his Commentary to the Romans, he pointed out that God unfolded the doctrines of election in Romans 9, not Romans 1. Luther says that the doctrine of election was intended to explain why Romans 1–8 worked like they did, not function as the only gateway for believing the gospel of Romans 1–8. Many Calvinists have, practically speaking, moved the doctrine of election from Romans 9 to Romans 1, making it the only door through which you can really believe the gospel.
Don’t hear me encouraging some kind of doctrinal reductionism. We should think deeply about election, as with all great biblical truths, and form deep convictions about it. Everything in the Bible is important, especially things that relate to salvation and evangelism. I have my own convictions. But we must learn to be comfortable with certain scriptural tensions, and live with grace and freedom in some places God has not bestowed clarity to the degree we’d prefer. As Alister McGrath says, the ability to live within scriptural tensions is a sign of maturity, not immaturity.
Supposedly Deuteronomy 29:29 was John Calvin’s favorite verse:
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of the law.
According to that verse, God has chosen to keep certain truths hidden from us. Most systematic theologians (myself included) don’t like the concept of “hidden things.” As a guy who minored in math in college, I want to resolve all tensions, remove all mysteries, and try to bring every hidden thing to light. Moses prophesies our failure, and tells us sometimes we need to rest content with the revelation we have, going no farther than God has gone, which can mean pulling back from putting as fine a point on something–particularly as it relates to setting boundaries for fellowship–as we might typically like.
Furthermore, we should never allow our theological system to ignore, or explain away, the plain teaching of certain segments of Scripture. God gave us every word of the Bible in exactly the form he wanted us to have it. If God had wanted us to value a theological system more than the Bible, then he would have spelled out that system in greater detail for us.
Charles Spurgeon, a confessedly Calvinistic preacher, once remarked after reading Romans 10:13, “Dear me! ‘Whosoever shall call…’ Whosoever. Why, that is a Methodist word, is it not?” At this point, many Calvinists would have gone on to explain why that verse doesn’t really mean what it looks like it says. But Spurgeon went on to say, “The whole of truth is neither here nor there, neither in this system nor that. Be it ours to know what is scriptural in all systems and to receive it.”
Don't Be A Fundamentalist (Calvinist Or Otherwise) – Summit Life with J.D. Greear
Don’t Be A Fundamentalist (Calvinist Or Otherwise)
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by Revmitchell, Feb 14, 2018.
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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David Kent Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
If you are nott a fundamentalist you are not a Christian. Fundamentalist means you believe the bible is the complete word of God regardless what American FBs say.
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Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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So lets talk about fundamentalist - what doctrines make you or keep you from being one?
Rev Mitchell - I trust I am not hijacking your thread. -
I read this earlier today....this was my reply to a FB Friend
Good article. Genuine Christian Unity, centering itself on Christ as Savior and Lord and the Truths of the Gospel, will generate healthy Christian Fellowship that crosses denominational borders. I believe the mentality that says, "our local group/fellowship/circle/etc. has a flawless and perfect understanding of God's Truth" and distinguishes itself between "us and them" are common traits of a cult.
I understand his point of not being a doctrinal relativist and, at the same time, showing maturity in extending Christian love and fellowship to other assemblies. Yes, it is possible to have convictions about the "non-essentials" (not everything is doctrinally essential to Christian fellowship) and still learn and grow from one another. I believe Ephesians 4 is spoken about for the Church at-large:
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Every brother and sister in Christ has a duty to pour into other brothers and sisters the Truth and Love of Christ...We are called to exhort and edify one another through the Grace of God Given to Us. To God alone be the Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Church! -
Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Revmitchell,
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Iconoclast said: ↑Revmitchell,Click to expand...
You clearly read this with presuppositions and a bias, to the point it skewed your comprehension. This is very telling. -
Wouldn't "Don't Be a Dogmatist (Calvinist or Otherwise)" be a better title, for what Greear is struggling to communicate?
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Jerome said: ↑Isn't dogmatist a better word, for what Greear is struggling to communicate?Click to expand...
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Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite SupporterJonShaff said: ↑......J. D. Greer is a Calvinist.....
You clearly read this with presuppositions and a bias, to the point it skewed your comprehension. This is very telling.Click to expand... -
David Kent said: ↑If you are nott a fundamentalist you are not a Christian. Fundamentalist means you believe the bible is the complete word of God regardless what American FBs say.Click to expand...
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Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite SupporterJonShaff said: ↑......J. D. Greer is a Calvinist.....
You clearly read this with presuppositions and a bias, to the point it skewed your comprehension. This is very telling.Click to expand... -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite SupporterTCassidy said: ↑Revmitchel is using the contemporary, revisionist definition of the term. He made that pretty clear in his initial post.Click to expand...
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Salty said: ↑You can believe that the Bible is the complete word of God - and still NOT be a (born-again) Christian - or a fundamentalist.
So lets talk about fundamentalist - what doctrines make you or keep you from being one?
Rev Mitchell - I trust I am not hijacking your thread.Click to expand...
Seriously, that's what it boils down to. -
Iconoclast said: ↑Here is a clue...Jon...if Calvinistic preaching were going on....what is on that website would not be going on.Click to expand...
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JonShaff said: ↑......J. D. Greer is a Calvinist.....Click to expand...
But the OP wasn't by Pastor Greer. It was done by a much younger non-Cal by the name of J.D. Greear. -
Rippon said: ↑Yes, he is. I went to hear him preacher almost 20 years ago.
But the OP wasn't by Pastor Greer. It was done by a much younger non-Cal by the name of J.D. Greear.Click to expand...
Maybe I misunderstood...The entire article, for me, made it seem as though he was a Calvinist trying to focus on a harmony within the Church. -
David Kent Well-Known MemberSite SupporterTCassidy said: ↑Revmitchel is using the contemporary, revisionist definition of the term. He made that pretty clear in his initial post.Click to expand...
On the TV they speak of charismatic televangelists as "Christian Fundamentalists", so I guess that is a contemporary definition. -
Iconoclast Well-Known MemberSite SupporterJonShaff said: ↑His point was that whether you're calvinist or not, Christians should fellowship and not be such fundamentalist, separationists.Click to expand...
It is not as though every lesson is on the 5 pts.
Once people get it right...the teaching deals more with sanctification and such things. -
Iconoclast said: ↑Calvinists welcome all into the fellowship Jon.They do not do as the fundamentalist do . THEY preach and teach expositionally and any separation that takes place is the non calls depart if they cannot welcome the teaching, or they learn quietly with an occasional question.
It is not as though every lesson is on the 5 pts.
Once people get it right...the teaching deals more with sanctification and such things.Click to expand...
Here was another article...
"Pastor J.D., Are You a Calvinist?" – Summit Life with J.D. Greear
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