The Buzz of the Young, Restless Reformed

The buzz in the bushes is ratcheting up the volume a bit regarding the Barna study on the so-called "new Calvinist" resurgence or lack thereof. A good number of the internet Calvinists are expressing reservations on several sites calling into question the validity of the study conclusions. One anonymous fellow has suggested that Calvinistic Baptists i.e. the Sovereign Grace churches are somehow excluded from consideration because they fail to self identify as Calvinist or Reformed. I don't know if that is true or not. I do know what I don't know, that I don't know many "Sovereign Grace" Calvinists for what that is worth. As I noted in the earlier post there seems to be a lot of activity on the internet among the Neo-Reformed as Scot McKnight refers to them. However, in the several years I have been interacting with Calvinists and their rather unique dogma, there has not been a great deal of evidence that they exist in substantially growing numbers in the towns and churches where the "real church" is understood by "real people".  I don't believe a growing resurgence can be defined by fishing in your own backyard for fish you have stocked yourself regardless of how big you make your backyard pond to be. At some point the resurgent pastor has to step out the front door and into the bustle of the real world else his resurgence becomes likened to a bubble. Flat numbers, as represented by the Barna study, are the pin prick that burst bubbles. That is not to state that nothing good is coming out of the various Reformed churches that are in existence. I am sure their memberships are edified and hopefully Christ continues to be exalted.  On the other hand, the Young, Restless Reformed phenomenon   might just be another buzz in the bushes.

The Barna Group Study on Reformed Movement in American Churches

The Society of Evangelical Arminians posted an interesting commentary on the results of the Barna Group study examining how various pastors and churches identify themselves e.g. Reformed (Calvinistic) or Arminian. The results are somewhat surprising although not necessarily unexpected. We have heard a lot of noise in recent years about a growing resurgence of Calvinistic minded churches and evangelicals. As SEA notes, it is good news since the results if accurate represent a plateau of sorts for the young, restless Reformed. I have considered this resurgence to be mostly an academic and internet phenomenon rather than a true representation of church direction. This study lends some credibility to that view. The Barna Group study article can be found here.

Arminius on Sufficient Grace given via the Gospel for All Men to Believe

Arminius addressed the sufficiency of grace given to each man to whom the Gospel is preached, it being the power of God unto salvation. His remarks provide an entry into understanding the premise of prevenient grace as taught from the scriptures.

Question and the Opposite Question from Arminius' Nine Questions:

Can God now, in his own right, require faith from fallen man in Christ, which he cannot have of himself But does God bestow on all and every one, to whom the Gospel is preached, sufficient grace by which they may believe, if they will?

Can God require that man to believe in Jesus Christ, for whom He has determined by an absolute decree that Christ should not die, and to whom by the same decree He has determined to refuse the grace necessary for believing?

ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION

The parts of this question are not opposed to each other; on the contrary, they are at the most perfect agreement. So that the latter clause may be considered the rendering of a reason, why God may require from fallen man faith in Christ, which he cannot have of himself. For God may require this, since he has determined to bestow on man sufficient grace by which he may believe. Perhaps, therefore, the question may be thus corrected: "Can God, now, in his own right, demand from fallen man faith in Christ, which he cannot have of himself, though God neither bestows on him, nor is ready to bestow, sufficient grace by which he may believe" This question will be answered by a direct negative. God cannot by any right demand from fallen man faith in Christ, which he cannot have of himself, except God has either bestowed, or is ready to bestow, sufficient grace by which he may believe if he will. Nor do I perceive what is false in that reply, or to what heresy it has affinity. It has no alliance with the Pelagian heresy: for Pelagius maintained, that with the exception of the preaching of the Gospel, no internal grace is required to produce faith in the minds of men. But what is of more consequence, this reply is not opposed to St. Augustine's doctrine of Predestination; "yet this doctrine of his, we do not account it necessary to establish," as Innocent, the Roman Pontiff, has observed.

The Modern Jazz Quartet playing Bags Groove
Freiburg, Germany, 1987

Do Calvinists Pray Out of Obligation or Desire?

One of the Triablokes wrote ...

... But from a Calvinistic standpoint, it's merciful when God disrespects our foolish, self-destructive choices. Hitchens' basic problem is his failure to act in his best interests. As such, a Calvinistic prayer for his salvation would be coherent with Reformed theism, although it might well be incoherent with freewill theism...

There are several glaring issues with that thought, first of which comes to mind is the idea that a Calvinist would state a lost man is not acting in his best interests. In Calvinist thought,unredeemed man is unable to act in his best interests because God has decreed that he cannot. Linking that inconsistency with another noted above, why would a Calvinist think that his personal prayer would ever have any influence upon the decisions of God regarding a lost soul? The Calvinist can pray for a man's salvation and the LORD leaves him to depravity making the prayer ineffectual and of no purpose given the decision to leave the man to eternal damnation was made before the foundations of the world according to Calvinist theology. Several noted Calvinists have claimed that prayer is an ordained method of evangelicalism along with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ yet if the doctrine of reprobation advanced in Reformed circles is true, then most prayer is of no consequence. God would be putting people through the paces, so to speak. It is illogical and leads me to believe that many Calvinist pray only because they are instructed to, out of obligation rather than desire for souls to be saved.

Calvinism For Dummies

Total Depravity

You are really messed up bad and there is no difference between you a dead corpse four feet in the ground or at least in a concrete vault above ground if you are dead in New Orleans. But ... you aren't so dead that you are as dead as you could really be. Now if you were that dead, you would be deader than dead

 

Unconditional Election

You could wake up saved and never know it. Well, never know it in that you went to sleep knowing you'd wake up saved, I mean.

 

Limited Atonement

Jesus only died for you and your buds. Everybody else? Well, tough luck. They just didn't make the list God made up, like, 450 years ago.

 

Irresistible Grace

God doesn't let you say no and if you say no, He doesn't pay any attention to you anyway.

 

Perseverance

Well, this is easy. Like waking up saved, you can do anything and all is really good. Actually, God expects you to keep on sinning so don't sweat the little stuff. Now, if you go off and kill somebody, you can always say David did too and everybody knows about how good his heart was.

95 Theses Against Calvinism

The Society of Evangelical Arminians posted a new list of objections in honor of Luthers's original list. 

In light of the anniversary of Luther's posting of his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany (October 31, 1517), Rebekah Reinagel, one of our members, offers 95 theses regarding Calvinism. 

See the full post and list here.

William Lane Craig Addresses the Calvinist Error of Determinism

William Lane Craig tackles the topic of Molinism, Open Theism and Calvinist Determinism in his recent podcast (Four Views on Divine Providence) located here. You will have to register on the site to listen to it but it is well worth the effort and time to do so. Beginning after the 16 minute mark, Dr. Craig starts addressing the pratfalls of both the philosophical and non-scriptural aspects of Calvinist determinism. I am sure this will clang the rattles of the various internet Calvinist polemicists but sometimes the truth has to hurt. James White has already referred to Dr. Craig as attacking the Reformed faith. I suppose if his faith is not that of the Christian faith, then he should just sit still and take the philosophical spanking. On the other hand, believing his faith in Christ is essentially the same as Dr. Craig's, Mr. White should have chosen his words more carefully.

Is the Inspiration of Scripture Important?

Browsing through my stack of readings this morning I came across a beautiful quote by A.W. Tozer that I would like to keep fresh in my mind for a while. It is taken from his book entitled Man - The Dwelling Place of God out of chapter 26, "The Wrath of God: What is it". As with most of Tozer's books, it is a great read and is presented by the irenic character of a great saint of God.

Let a man question the inspiration of the Scriptures and a curious, even monstrous, inversion takes place: thereafter he judges the Word instead of letting the Word judge him; he determines what the Word should teach instead of permitting it to determine what he should believe; he edits, amends, strikes out, adds at his pleasure; but always he sits above the Word and makes it amenable to him instead of kneeling before God and becoming amenable to the Word ...

The quote awakened me this morning to thoughts of emergence, liberalism, relativism and several other "isms" that drift in and out of the fringes of evangelical Christianity. Those that water and dilute the stance of infallibility are sure to object. The church that kicks against conservative orthodoxy and believing God to have presented Himself truthfully in scripture have little sympathy for the C&MA doctrines of Simpson and Tozer or for others who defend the infallibility of scripture. My personal interest has included watching with disdain the shenanigans of the modern United Methodist Church and how conservative evangelicals are fighting to rescue their beloved church from those who deny the plain truth of Tozer's words regarding God and His revealed Word. The "isms" continue multiplying and the big tent continues to grow opening it's flaps for any comer with a coin to drop into the plate. The church needs men to stand in the gap and be a firm resistance rather than a porous fence and yes, the inspiration and infallibility of scripture is important and a big deal. The opposing view should be treated as a cancer in our midst.

Dr. Brian Abasciano Responds To Dr. Dan Wallace On The Issue Of Corporate Election

Dr. Brian Abasciano has written a response to Dr. Dan Wallace' critique of corporate election that should be read in accompaniment with Dr. Wallace' article. While some might cite the Wallace opinion as authoritative, it represents a particular Calvinist perspective that deserved a qualified academic response. The response and a link to the Wallace article can be found here.

"Who, Me?"

With all the admonishments in the Bible against ungodly behavior and attitudes, why are there so many Christians who think the words are intended for the people not reading them?

A Jazz Break ...

Stanley Turrentine was the guy my music teacher turned me to when I was first introduced to a tenor sax. I thought he was pretty cool then and now, I can appreciate his music more so than ever.

Sweet SEC ... nothing like it

Totally outside the realm of theology ... How sweet the victory. South Carolina Gamecocks knocked the Alabama Roll Tide, for all practical purposes, out of BCS Championship hopes this year with a stunning defeat in Columbia, 35 - 21 today. I'm a die hard LSU fan so any defeat of Alabama is seen as a good thing, of course.

Speaking of LSU ..... Wow. How many different ways can you prepare gator meat?

Foundry United Methodist Church Embraces Open Spiritual Whoredoms

The Methodist Thinker has a sorrowful article today on the willful whoredoms of a prominent United Methodist Church in it's embrace of homosexuality and rejection of 2,000 years of Church teaching and practice. While I am an enthusiastic supporter of the Confessing Movement, I fear their efforts might be too late for much of this utterly apostate church. Perhaps it is time for the remaining Christians in the UMC to leave and form or join with other conservative and orthodox Methodists in creating a new and Christian Methodist Church.

James White Takes Ax To Dr. Ergun Caner AGAIN

For the who knows how many times in 6 months, Mr. James White has tried taking an ax to his imagined nemesis, Dr. Ergun Caner and failed AGAIN.  Maybe he could write a book about it and milk his angst for another 100 youtubies. Peter Lumpkins gives due honor to the self exalted Sunday school teacher from the tiny church in Arizona here.

William B. Pope on the Divine Rule of Faith

I subscribe to several discussion forums and occasionally a comment made really puts me in a search mode to settle a matter that troubles me. A lot of groups and sects claim the mantle of Christianity while simultaneously rejecting the witness of our faith. Experience becomes the preferred mantle and biblical truths are thrust aside as lacking expediency for the intriguing questions of the day. For that matter, the Bible is often regarded as an obstacle to fellowship and ecumenical emergence. This very thought process spurred my search of what fuels my biblical faith. It had been a long time since I read through the words of William B. Pope and his Compendium of Christian Theology. I have a dusty collection of these volumes sitting somewhere else but fortunately our Nazarene friends have made his works (as well as many others) available on-line. In volume I of the Compendium, Pope offers what I find to be an excellent reflection of how our Bible and it's inspired contents reflect what he refers to as the Divine Rule of Faith. It is a wonderful affirmation of how precious the written and revealed word of God is to us and how it should never be regarded as an accessory to experience as some liberal and emergent groups might prefer.

 

CHRISTIAN Theology, as the science of Christianity, the one, perfect, and only Religion, is

based upon the documentary records of God's revelation of Himself and of His will in

Christ Jesus. Of necessity, therefore, its first inquiry should be directed to the nature and

authority of its Sacred Writings, which contain at once the historical development and the

finished result of the Divine revelations to mankind. One proposition gives here the

summary of the whole truth. The Holy Scriptures are the Divine Rule of Faith: a

statement which, unfolded, opens three departments of investigation. First, they are the

documents and the depository of the Christian Revelation, or the Christian Faith, which is

the consummation of all religious knowledge. Secondly, they are Divine in their origin:

the product of the Holy Spirit's inspiration. Thirdly, they are the Rule of the Faith, as

forming a body of canonical Scriptures, regulating forever the doctrine and teaching of

the Christian Church. Hence we derive the three great words which are the superscription

of the whole body of dogma concerning the written oracles of God: Revelation,

Inspiration, and Canon. 

Arminius on the Lord's Supper

Arminius' commentary on the Lord's Supper is reflective of most Reformed positions regarding this sacrament.

DISPUTATION 64 - ON THE LORD'S SUPPER

1. As in the preceding disputation, we have treated on baptism, the sacrament of initiation, it follows that we now discuss the Lord's supper, which is the sacrament of confirmation.

2. We define it thus: The Lord's supper is a sacrament of the New Testament immediately instituted by Christ for the use of the church to the end of time, in which, by the legitimate external distribution, taking, and enjoyment of bread and wine, the Lord's death is announced, and the inward receiving and enjoyment of the body and blood of Christ are signified; and that most intimate and close union or fellowship, by which we are joined to Christ our Head, is sealed and confirmed on account of the institution of Christ, and the analogical relation of the sign to the thing signified. But by this, believers profess their gratitude and obligation to God, communion among themselves, and a marked difference from all other persons.

3. We constitute Christ the author of this sacrament; for he alone is constituted, by the Father, the Lord and Head of the church, possessing the right of instituting sacraments, and of efficaciously performing this very thing which is signified and sealed by the sacraments.

4. The matter is, bread and wine; which, with regard to their essence, are not changed, but remain what they previously were; neither are they, with regard to place, joined together with the body or blood, so that the body is either in, under, or with the bread, etc.; nor in the use of the Lord's Supper can the bread and wine be separated, that, when the bread is held out to the laity, the cup be not denied to them.

5. We lay down the form in the relation and the most strict union, which exist between the signs and the thing signified, and the reference of both to those believers who communicate, and by which they are made by analogy and similitude something united. From this conjunction of relation, arises a two-fold use of signs in this sacrament of the Lord's supper — the first, that these signs are representative — the second, that, while representing, they seal Christ to us with his benefits.

6. The end is two-fold: The first is, that our faith should be more and more strengthened towards the promise of grace which has been given by God, and concerning the truth and certainty of our being engrafted into Christ.

The second is,

(1.) that believers may, by the remembrance of the death of Christ, testify their gratitude and obligation to God;

(2.) that they may cultivate charity among themselves; and

(3.) that by this mark they may be distinguished from unbelievers.

A Plea to the Bishops of the UMC

With the current state of the United Methodist Church in such disarray and its memberships plummeting, The Confessing Movement Within the Methodist Church has taken several bold stands over the years in various attempts to bring the once truly evangelical church for Jesus Christ back into the fold of a vibrant and orthodox body of Christ. It is a continuing and daunting task that encounters obstacles from several quarters. The liberal activist leadership of many of the UMC bloated and bureaucratic councils and committees have blocked several attempts to bring a reformation to the UMC. There is nothing left of what was once a wonderful youth program, having been destroyed by a social activist and radical swamp of neophytes who had no business or any call of God to take the reins of such endeavors. Over forty years of ruinous liberal and social justice platforms have sucked the life out of the United Methodist Church.

 

With diligent prayer and concerted efforts of a truly dedicated body of believers, the Confessing Movement continues attempting to make a difference in what can only be described as a dying church. The age of the average UMC local church is growing older. There are is nothing to speak of with regard to developing a church body that calls souls to the ministry. Young people are disappearing from the church. Memberships are stagnant and falling. In a word, the UMC is a mess. With these things at the forefront, the Renewal & Reform Coalition of the CM have shared their concerns with the church Bishops in the form of a stirring and passionate plea for repentance, reformation and a renewal of sound doctrine, mission and purpose. The letter should be a must read for Methodists and Arminians everywhere. It demands the fervent and availing prayers of Christians everywhere.

 

A Letter to the Bishops of the United Methodist Church

Conservative Evangelicals Reach Out to Save the liberal United Methodist Church

The Methodist Thinker has an excellent column written by Dr. Riley Case, Associate Executive Director of The Confessing Movement Within the Methodist Church. It addresses a recent study and findings submitted to the UMC Call to Action Steering Committee. The findings and Dr. Riley's comments go right to the heart of the very troublesome liberalism that has occupied some of my time recently. The UMC suffers from a horrible case of theological dissonance that has nearly destroyed their evangelical witness. It is an example of liberalism and social justice run amok for the past 40 years.

The article at MT is well worth bookmarking as it addresses systemic issues at the core of a diminished liberal church.

The dynamic ever changing word of God?

What is liberal theology other than the current flavor of the day? Yesterday, a liberal theologian imagined that God is not omniscient. The day before, an emergent pastor taught his class that Jesus is likened to a mountain top where many different theological paths and faiths converge into one glorious transmutation, er, transformation. Today, still another stalwart theologian stakes his liberal Christocentric worldview against the "pratfalls" of conservative orthodoxy. Round and around this continues until Methodists no longer affirm the deity of Christ, the Bible is regarded as an interpretive and dynamically changing document and a Baptist is no longer distinguishable from a Unitarian-Universalist. This has nothing to do with Arminianism although if graves could spin, that of Arminius might be a flying top.

I think we are reaching an approaching point where the church world looks upon a believer with a bible in his hand as one who fastens himself upon fables. Liberals would have us think the bible is to be interpreted rather than believed and interpreted through their rather clouded lens. Object to it and be a bigot. Withdraw from their pronouncements and wear the label of a disgusting fundamentalist. Preach orthodoxy and be told to get with the program. Today's church world is taken ill and liberalism seems to me to be the infection taken root at it's very heart.

... OK, that rant is over, time for supper.