Fear and Trembling

Reading through the Bible is a great way to learn more about the Christian faith. I used the One Year Bible to read it through in 2010, and it was unforgettable and humbling. I have explored several Bible Reading plans for 2011. Some of the more intriguing printable pdf file plans are here , here , here , here , here , and here . An interactive approach to developing your own plan is here .  I dare you to pick one and try it. One simple checklist that allows for reading at your own pace and in the place you want to start is here . I think that is going to be my approach this year. The reason for the truncated Bible reading plan is that I am going to follow David Platt’s suggestion in Radical . I am going to pray through the newly published Seventh Edition of Operation World . Operation World is basically a book of prayer requests that cover missions in the whole world, country by country. I used the Fifth Edition for a while, and I miss the prayerful interaction with glo...

“Whoever is truly humbled — will not be easily angry, nor harsh or critical of others. He will be compassionate and tender to the infirmities of his fellow-sinners, knowing that if there is a difference — it is grace alone which has made it! He knows that he has the seeds of every evil in his own heart. And under all trials and afflictions — he will look to the hand of the Lord, and lay his mouth in the dust, acknowledging that he suffers much less than his iniquities have deserved.” – John Newton

Here’s what Kevin DeYoung thinks , and I like what he says.  He covers the legend of St. Nicholas. Merry Christmas everyone!

Rod Rosenbladt sings O Holy Night here . Great job for a professional theologian. I had the chance to sing this song at our church a few days ago. I did not do nearly this well. It’s my favorite song of the Christmas Season.

Thanks to Brandywine Books for the link to a New York Times story about a North Korean assassin who became a South Korean citizen and a Presbyterian minister (A minister to the largest Presbyterian church in the world no less.).   Follow the link here .

It seems the more education we have, the more likely we are to attend church and have strong families.   (See the post here .)   Who would have thought?

Dorothy Sayers authored one of my favorite essays of all time. The essay is available here . It drives home the point that doctrine is not boring after all. Here’s an excerpt: So that is the outline of the official story—the tale of the time when God was the under-dog and got beaten, when He submitted to the conditions He had laid down and became a man like the men He had made, and the men He had made broke Him and killed Him. This is the dogma we find so dull—this terrifying drama of which God is the victim and hero. If this is dull, then what, in Heaven's name, is worthy to be called exciting? The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore—on the contrary; they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified Him "meek and mild," and recommended...

Scot McNight writes on the differences between Jesus’ and Paul’s emphasis here . Michael S. Horton answers him here .

Yes they do.  See the link here .

Quote from a Rod Rosenbladt sermon I found here : God: I told you. I hate religion. Religion was your idea – not Mine. You have forgotten what Anselm said: “You have not yet considered the depth of your sin.” Sinner: But I want to show you I have. I really have. I know it is really deep. Talk to me. Teach me sanctification. God: I told you. You aren’t ready for sanctification yet. You just imagine that you are ready. You are arrogant and you don’t know it. Sinner: What do you mean? I am ready. God: You are not. If you were, you wouldn’t be talking like you are talking. Sinner: Well, what then? God: Just sit there. Sit there for a long while. Sinner: And do what? God: Consider the shed blood. Consider that the blood was enough. Think about the fact that it isn’t your repenting that has saved you. Think about the fact that it isn’t your faith that is saving you. Sinner: Can’t I just, as you said, just think about my sin and the depth of it? God: That is a start. Bu...

Adrain Warnock has a great post on the fact that Calvinism and Arminianism run across a spectrum . I find myself residing somewhere between the Moderate and Strong Calvinist positions as listed. Personal responsibility is important to me, and I believe it to be important to all biblically consistent five point Calvinists.

Josh Harris cites the following poem: Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite, who sins more safely because grace abounds, who tells his lusts that Christ's blood cleanseth them, who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell, for he is saved, who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives unholily. A Puritan prayer from the book Valley of Vision . The thing is, if I am honest, I am exactly that kind of hypocrite. Only the perfect Christian could be immune to the charge, and, alas, I am not him. I look to Christ to save me.  He's my only hope.

Justin Taylor’s blog reprinted one of my favorite quotes on Calvinism: Some readers will recall the conversation between Calvinist Charles Simeon (1759-1836) and Arminian John Wesley (1703-1791) about their commonality amidst the controversy: [Simeon] Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions. Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart? [Wesley] Yes, I do indeed. [Simeon] And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ? [Wesley] Yes, solely through Christ. [Simeon] But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you not somehow or other to sa...

"The only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then ask yourself what reasons you have for believing it. How do you know your belief is true? It would be inconsistent to require more justification for Christian belief than you do for your own, but that is frequently what happens. In fairness you must doubt your doubts. My thesis is that if you come to recognize the beliefs on which your doubts about Christianity are based, and if you seek as much proof for those beliefs as you seek from Christians for theirs – you will discover that your doubts are not as solid as they first appeared. “ - Tim Keller, The Reason for God , pg. xix

A prominent Christian minister comments on the Parable of the Prodigal Son : What must we do, then, to be saved? To find God we must repent of the things we have done wrong, but if that is all you do, you may remain just an elder brother. To truly become a Christian we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness – the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord. We must admit that we’ve put our ultimate hope in both our wrongdoing and right doing we have been seeking to get around God or get control of God in order to get hold of those things. It is only when you see the desire to be your own Savior and Lord—lying beneath both your sins and your moral goodness—that you are on the verge of becoming a Christian indeed. When you realize that the antidote to being bad...

R. C. Sproul has this to say to us as we approach politics: Yes, we must always work for social reform. Yes, we must be “profane’ in Martin Luther’s sense of going out of the temple and into the world. We do not despise the country of our birth. But in what do we invest our hope? The state is not God. The nation is not the Promised Land. The president is not our King. The Congress is not our Savior. Our welfare can never be found in the city of man. The federal government is not sovereign. Read the whole thing for R. C.’s take on America’s future.

I find a particular set of questions show up when I share the gospel with atheists on the internet. I want to adapt some of those questions as given here and give my answer and / or explanation. The objections are boldface. My comments are regular script. “God has no right to impose punishment on me because he is the one who made his laws so I could not follow them. The God who makes the laws, decides if you broke the law or not and determines the punishment.” You assume that the law of God is arbitrary, that God could choose to make the law be whatever He wanted it to be. God could no more make the moral law in a different way than he could make the laws of mathematics a different way. All of these abstract laws are an expression of His nature and character. God’s character is the basis for good attitudes. God’s actions are the basis for good behavior. God’s character and morality cannot change because His being cannot change. God’s knowledge is the basis for the laws of...

I received some mass e-mail communication from The Colson Center today regarding a new book by Dr. Curt Thompson, a Psychiatrist who is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Thompson has an interesting hypothesis that he says is born out by experimentation: prayer and other spiritual disciplines affect the mind itself. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Thompson's  article over at the Colson Center : …consider one of the features of the brain that neuroscientists call neuroplasticity. This refers to the capacity for the brain to do three things: (1) produce new neurons; (2) to increase the speed and efficiency of neurons by increasing their length and diameter and (3) increase or decrease the level of connections between neurons, depending on how often they are used—those neuron patterns that are fired more frequently make greater attachments, and those that are used less frequently are pruned away…. Current neuroscience supports the idea that spiritual...

The debate on justification between the New Perspective on Paul and the traditional reformation view at the recent Evangelical Theological Society meeting. My personal views are here and here . Ligonier Ministries’ opinion is linked to  here , with some more helpful links here . The Heidelblog weighs in here . Trevin Wax has some helpful links here . Collin Hansen weighs in with a particularly helpful post here .

A couple has placed their decision to birth or abort a baby up for vote on the internet . I found this out from an atheist web site. It’s been making the rounds. They are talking about a very large swing in the voting toward pro-abortion since the posts on the atheist web. I am hoping that this is some sort of stunt, and that they will not go through with it. I would also think that, since most pro-choice people claim to be anti-abortion, that the votes would come out in favor of birth by the end. Vote today.

Developing a mental model that enables an effective approach to work is one of the most important activities that a person can engage in. The approach taken is dependent on one’s overall thoughts about the world around him. My way of thinking about the world is distinctly Christian, and my faith informs my outlook on the work that I do. I am a Safety and Environmental Manager for a fireplace manufacturer. I see my work as a vocation, a distinct calling that God has extended to me. My work is not just a “job,” something I do to make money so I can support my true interests and enjoyments. Aside from the Bible itself, Martin Luther, a leader of church reform in the 16th Century, has done more to shape my approach than any other, and this paper will clearly reveal dependence on him. The Bible exhorts us to work diligently. God’s original command to people is “fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over [it]” (Genesis 1:28, ESV). How could this be done without engaging in work o...

Chuck Colson with some pointed words on today’s election: So, have you voted yet? If so, well done. If not, as soon as this broadcast is over—or as soon as you’re off work—I want you to go and fulfill your Christian duty to be a good citizen and go vote. And while you’re at it, call a few of your Christian friends. Find out if they have voted yet. If not, tell them you’re going, and you’ll be glad to stop by to pick them up… And let me say this. The next time you hear someone tell you that Christians ought to take a vacation from politics, tell them to go fly a kite! Listen, its our duty, as citizens of the Kingdom of God to be the best citizens in the society we live in. If your pastor no longer has the energy or courage to motivate his flock to speak out on public issues, maybe you can lovingly “buck him up.” Remind him or her that God’s people are to love their neighbors, to desire the best for them, to pursue the common good. And we can’t do that on the political sidelines...

We celebrated Reformation Day yesterday at our church. Some helpful links: Justin Taylor's take on the subject is here . Ligonier Ministries offers some great free resources here . Desiring God points to Luther’s First Thesis and very last words here . John Piper offers lessons from Martin Luther’s life and labor here . Scotty Smith offers up a great Reformation Day prayer for “the gospel plus nothing” here .

Kevin DeYoung shares that we can “examine [ourselves] to see if we are in the faith” and conclude that we are. An excerpt: The thing we often miss with 2 Corinthians 13:5 is that Paul expects the Corinthians to pass the test…So go ahead and encourage one another to examine the heart. Let’s be honest and see if we are in the faith. Let’s test whether or not Christ is in us. But as we put our “in-Christness” to the test let’s not forget it’s okay to give ourselves a passing grade. To God be the glory.

J. P. Moreland quickly and concisely refutes Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow here . A taste: The fact that many people have been influenced by the claims of Hawking and Mlodinow is sad to me. Here’s why. In previous times when average people knew more philosophy, these claims would simply be laughable…

“[This] age extols no virtue so much as “liberality,” and condemns no vice so fiercely as bigotry, alas honesty. If you believe anything and hold it firmly, all the dogs will bark at you. Let them bark: they will have done when they are tired! You are responsible to God, and not to mortal men. Christ came into the world to bear witness to the truth, and he has sent you to do the same; take care that you do it, offend or please; for it is only by this process that the kingdom of Christ is to be set up in the world.” – C. H. Spurgeon

Someone has a helpful index of Dr. Craig’s videos here .   Craig is one of the foremost Christian philosophers of our time, and an index of many of his video appearances is a great thing.

I have often struggled with the relationship between faith and works in my own life. I can go from one extreme to the other. At one moment, I think I can live in sin and still expect to go to heaven. At another moment, I think I have to be good to earn God’s favor. I have been helped by good teachers like John Gerstner, whose teaching is summarized in “A Primer on Roman Catholicism,” a short 44-page introduction to the topic. Gerstner is very helpful in stating the distinction between reformation (read: Biblical) Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Gerstner’s basic explanation is given below in three formulas. The first two are wrong-headed. The last one is spot on. I have taken some liberties with the explanations. Formula of Antinomianism (that means anti-law): FAITH – WORKS = JUSTIFICATION . This is often called ‘easy-believism.’ Walk forward at the invitation, mouth a prayer you don’t mean, and never doubt your salvation ever again despite the fact that there is no chang...

I have followed with interest much of what Paul Davies has written on the subject of science and the origins of the universe. He certainly writes many things which I do not agree with, but he is often eloquent and intelligent. Here’s a sample of him confronting the notion of an eternal universe : One evasive tactic is to claim that the universe didn't have a beginning, that it has existed for all eternity. Unfortunately, there are many scientific reasons why this obvious idea is unsound. For starters, given an infinite amount of time, anything that can happen will already have happened, for if a physical process is likely to occur with a certain nonzero probability-however small-then given an infinite amount of time the process must occur, with probability one. By now, the universe should have reached some sort of final state in which all possible physical processes have run their course. Furthermore, you don't explain the existence of the universe by asserting that it has al...

I heard some testimonies the other day that really stressed me out. Several people shared that Christianity implies the need for a “leap of faith,” or that “God’s existence cannot be proved because then faith would not be faith.” These ideas will not strengthen faith when Christians are confronted by worldly philosophy. God's existence is as plain as the nose on our faces ( Romans 1:18-19 ). Many, from St. Augustine to St. Thomas Aquinas to John Gerstner to Greg Bahnsen , have proven the faith beyond reasonable doubt. The problem is not the lack of evidence, but the suppression of it. The unbeliever does not want to submit to God, so he or she refuses to acknowledge the truth that is plain ( Romans 1:21-23 ). There is no need to fall back on a position that says God's existence is to be taken on faith, as if faith is something that goes beyond reason. The Christian faith is the wisdom of God that makes foolish the wisdom of this world ( 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ). The Christi...

There is a helpful set of links discussing Hawking and Mlondinow's The Grand Design here .

Tim Challies posted the following prayer here . O God of Grace, You have imputed my sin to my substitute, and have imputed his righteousness to my soul, clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe, decking me with jewels of holiness. But in my Christian walk I am still in rags; my best prayers are stained with sin; my penitential tears are so much impurity; my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin; my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness. I need to repent of my repentance; I need my tears to be washed; I have no robe to bring to cover my sins, no loom to weave my own righteousness; I am always standing clothed in filthy garments, and by grace am always receiving change of raiment, for you always justify the ungodly; I am always going into the far country, and always returning home as a prodigal, always saying, “Father, forgive me,” and you are always bringing forth the best robe. Every morning let me wear it, every evening return in it, go out to the da...

Some internet debate opponents accuse me of circular reasoning . The statement I am accused of making goes like this: The Bible claims to be God’s Word so it is God’s Word. That is “begging the question,” where the conclusion is true only if the premise is true. However, the actual argument put forth by Christians is linear and logical. In bullet point form, it goes like this: • The Bible is good history ( The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell). • We can trust what the Bible says about Jesus because it is based on eyewitness testimony (Luke 1:1-4, 2 Peter 1:16, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Baukham). The lives of these eyewitnesses were radically changed by what they saw ( Jesus and the Victory of God by N, T,. Wright). • Jesus claimed to be God. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Thomas said, “My Lord and my God,” and Jesus did not correct him (John 20:26-31). • Jesus worked miracles and proved Himself to be God (John 14: 9-11). •...

How do we know what we know? How do we know what is true? How do we evaluate one idea against another? How do we interpret the information our senses provide us? What do we see? Hear? Touch? Smell? Taste? These questions fascinate me. I first began to ask questions like this as I studied Human Factors Engineering (HFE) in graduate school. HFE is a branch of engineering that studies how a human being interacts with their environment, usually with respect to how we obtain information and how we perform work. We looked at basic types of mistakes that people make, the way we obtain information from our senses, the way we process that information, the way we decide to act, and the way we activate machine controls to act on that processed information. The field includes ergonomics , but it includes much more than that. One of the things we learned right off the bat was that the way we interact with our environment is a process. Think of a black box with arrows going into the left side fo...

Hawking and Mlodinow’s book The Grand Design  is fascinating. It is a look into theoretical physics that I appreciate. One comment on page 180 seems to be getting all of the press: “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to envoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.” This problematic statement is seen as a major victory for atheism. But, I note the comment on page 181: “…perhaps the true miracle is that abstract considerations of logic lead to a unique theory that predicts and describes [the universe].” Note the reference to logic.  The abstract laws of logic shape the way all of us think. Take one for instance: the law of non-contradiction. It says that something can not be both A and Non-A at the same time, in the same relationship, and in the same sense. This law cannot be denied. To deny it is to affirm it. If you say, “The law of non-contra...

I checked a copy of The Grand Design by Hawking and Mlodinow out of the library yesterday. After all of the fuss around the internet and in the media, I had to have a look. (See articles here , here , here , and here . From what I have read on the subject so far, I have two basic questions for Hawking and his proponents. You have said that something comes from nothing. The cat is out of the bag. You have finally admitted your position. This is a violation of the most fundamental law of science: “Out of nothing, nothing comes.” Positing that the universe follows certain laws does not help because those laws describe the way the universe behaves. How do you have laws to describe what does not exist? What if we grant your argument? What if the universe came into being because it follows strict natural laws? Where did those laws come from? The best explanation for laws like that is design. The universe behaves in a predictable fashion because God designed it that way. It seems ...

I had occasion last night to read through parts of the Cannons of Dort for a Bible study class at my church. The Cannons of Dort were written by the Synod of Dort in 1618-19. They lay out the system of doctrine that has been known as ‘Five-point Calvinism’ ever since. We are doing the Amazing Grace study, and one of the sections is Calvinism vs. Arminianism, which concentrates on the Synod of Dort (see here , here and here for information on this synod). I was once again struck by the way in which Dort defined the issues. One of the bitterest criticisms of Five-point Calvinism that has been leveled has been the idea that it undermines evangelism. I find this criticism hard to justify in view of these statements: Cannons of the Synod of Dort: The First Main Point of Doctrine, Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith, God mercifully sends proclaimers of this very joyful message to the people he wishes and at the time he wishes...

Someone told me recently that the law is like a set of railroad tracks. The tracks provide no power for the train but the train must stay on the tracks in order to function. The law never gives any power to do what it commands. Only the gospel has power, as it were, to move the train. - Tullian Tchividjian I have a hard time understanding the role of the gospel in my sanctification sometimes. I treat it like a safety net. When I fall, the gospel catches me and allows me the chance to try again. There is value in an approach like that, but I know there is more. I am grateful for what Christ has done for me. This is a motive for good works. In that sense, the gospel provides motivation (power) to live the Christian life. But I have the feeling that there is more to it than that. I have some more thinking to do…

Today’s BreakPoint commentary from Chuck Colson describes an alarming situation: When we wrote the Manhattan Declaration last fall, we warned about “the decline in respect for religious values in the media, the academy and political leadership.” An example of this decline is on display currently in Georgia. Jennifer Keeton, who is a 24-year-old studying for a master’s degree in counseling at Augusta State University, has been threatened with expulsion. The grounds for the threatened expulsion are not poor grades or misconduct – they are Keeton’s beliefs. Specifically, they are Keeton’s beliefs about the morality of homosexuality. In written assignments and classroom discussions, Keeton has said that people’s sexual conduct is “the result of accountable, personal choices,” and not “a state of being.” These statements caused officials to question “her ability,” I’m quoting now, “to provide competent counseling to gay men and lesbians.” So they gave her a choice: participation i...

Evil is all around us. Some even try to use the existence of evil as an argument against God's existence . I am not about to try to give a comprehensive explanation for how evil came to be. I do not claim to be the kind of person who can mount a theodicy of any consequence. God created men with the ability to sin and the ability not to sin , but I cannot reason beyond that. I do not know the “how”; I just know the “is.” I know that evil exists. I know evil is present. I know evil is real. What must exist in order for evil and suffering to be truly wrong? Does not the existence of evil itself require a standard of good? Should I just accept evil as a part of the way the universe works? Should I accept a view of evil based on social convention, or the DNA encoded in my cells? These things vary from one person to the next, but we do not find a definition of evil that changes greatly from person to person, place to place, or time to time. We always seem to have a notion of the w...

Ligonier Ministries is highlighting a primer by John H. Gerstner titled “The Problem of Pleasure” here . I am looking forward to the series. Gerstner is quoted in the first article: As long as there is sin, there can be no problem of pain. A good God, if He is omnipotent, would have to make the sinner suffer. … Troubled by the non-problem of pain, most people do not feel the real problem. The real difficulty is the problem of pleasure. While in a sinful world, pain is to be expected, and pleasure is not to be expected. We should be constantly amazed at the presence of pleasure in a world such as ours. The problem is not, “Why do good people suffer?” There are no good people. The problem is “Why do bad people experience pleasure?” The old problem is turned on its ear.

I’m taking some time off from blogging for a while. I am enrolled in a very demanding school. I’ll be back when I finish my next MBA class. Here are some links to past posts that may prove to be helpful. Apologetics My favorite philosophical arguments for God’s existence are summarized here , here and here . A series that features both philosophical arguments and personal anecdote is here . The are many reasons to accept Christianity which are personal and not philosophical. Richard Dawkins’ arguments are treated here , here and here . Christopher Hitchens’ argument from wish fulfillment is treated here . Some of Victor Stenger’s arguments are treated here and here . My personal testimony is told here and here . The problem of evil is treated here , here and here . The veracity of the Bible is partly addressed here . Theology Christ’s sacrifice and salvation are treated in many places, but the posts here , here and here are a start. Good works...

"I once heard the president of a Presbyterian seminary declare, 'I am not a Calvinist because I do not believe that God brings some people, kicking and screaming against their wills, into the kingdom, while he excludes others from his kingdom who desperately want to be there.' I was astonished when I heard these words. I did not think it possible that the president of a Presbyterian seminary could have such a gross misconception of his own church's theology. He was reciting a caricature which was as far away from Calvinism as one could get. Calvinism does not teach and never has taught that God bring people kicking and screaming into the kingdom or has ever excluded anyone who wanted to be there. Remember that the cardinal point of the Reformed doctrine of predestination rests on the biblical teaching of man's spiritual death. Natural man does not want Christ. He will only want Christ if God plants a desire for Christ in his heart. Once that desire is plante...

Great book and article here . The Second Law of Thermodynamics ,that entropy is increasing, points to increases in disorganization and decreases in usable energy in the universe. How does evolution explain that organized entities arise from disorganized matter? The arguments at the link are detailed and show that evolutionary explanations are inadequate.

See the video here .

See the chart here .

How does a Calvinist know he is on the way to heaven? This post is about how one Calvinist sees things. We can know that we are on the way to heaven if we have faith in Christ ( John 6:47 ). This faith has two parts. The first part of this faith is a confident assurance that what Jesus says about how to live life is true ( John 3:12 ). This assurance brings us knowledge that we have not, even for one moment, lived free from sin. We have done things that Christ tells us not to do or failed to do things that Christ tells us to do. This knowledge of the right path leads to repentance, turning from our sins to God and His way of living. This faith is also an assurance that Christ paid the penalty for our sins. Not just for sins in general, but for our sins in particular. Christ is God who became a man. He laid aside His rights and abilities and came to earth. He lived a perfect life. This life is an example to us, but it also gives Him credit for a life lived in perfect obedience ...

See the interesting discussion here .

See the video here.

Al Mohler writes on Flew’s life.   He points out that Flew never professed Christianity. Apologetics 3:15 posts video interviews.

Trevin Wax has a helpful review on the book I’m blogging through posted here . He is more balanced than me. [5/8/10: Here's a book review from someone who is much more sympathetic.]

Continuing a Presbyterian layman’s critique of Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism by David L. Allen and Steve Lemke , I want to look into the verse most often quoted against Calvinism in Baptist circles. That verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (KJV). Jerry Vines uses this verse in a crass way against Calvinism on page 14: “The phrase ‘that whosoever believes” responds to five-point Calvinism, which says Christ died only for the elect.” Once again, a Baptist sets up a straw man of Calvinism to be knocked down by his relentless logic. Calvinists believe that God loves the whole world (everyone) in some sense. We believe that the love God has for the world is the reason that God sent His only Son to die. We believe that Christ’s death was enough to pay the penalty for everyone’s sins such that anyone who does believe on ...

I am starting a series of posts on the subject of Calvinism. My intent is to use the book Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism by David L. Allen and Steve Lemke as a foil. I will present future posts in the form of a dialogue between a Calvinist informed by various books and a non-Calvinist informed by the contents of the book in question. This post is a brief summary of my position on the topic. I am not out to prove anything here so much as to present a summary of my beliefs. The arguments for and against my position will come as I move into the series. I believe that human beings are born in a state of bondage to sin. We simply do not want to do good things from pure motives. We do not do good things because we do not want to. We do not choose to place our faith in Christ because that would involve an admission that we are inadequate on our own to earn salvation and a submission to Christ’s authority as the Lord of our lives. We would have...

B. B. Warfield, Part 1 It was 1870.  Princeton College students gathered around the two combatants. One, a young man named Warfield, had drawn a cartoon depicting the other in what could be called “an exceedingly uncomplimentary picture.” The cartoon was circulated among the other students during a particularly boring lecture. The student saw the sketch of himself, and he was livid. After class, the fight was on. The amateurish fight earned Warfield a nickname: “The Pugilist.” After a religious experience he was reluctant to speak of, Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield (1851-1921) was ordained in 1879. He taught at Western Theological Seminary from 1878 until he went to Princeton Theological Seminary in 1887, where he served as Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology. In addition to teaching, his task was to familiarize himself with current writings and challenge those who departed from the confession and faith of the seminary. His fighting spirit had found a calling to wholehea...