Calvinism is Gospel !

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That is the gospel preached by Jesus. It is a call to all people, and it requires a response of faithfulness and perseverance

So, even with your name of 2Christ, you don't believe that Christ alone is Savior (even though He is clearly identified as such in Scripture), but instead, a response is required from people to become saved, bypassing Him? If so, wouldn't that mean He isn't the Savior?
 
If we do not have a choice, then that god is not a loving god.

The God I serve gives me freedom to choose. And when I give Him access to my heart He recreates His image in me.

My God does not force some to be saved and others to be lost.

Agreed, and this idea of God reaching into a person changing the heart first/before in order to "believe" is not supported in

scripture ... however in the Gospel According to John he states "believe" (the verb)

over 80 times and never once does he define it as a good fruit that God must bequeath.
 
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So, even with your name of 2Christ, you don't believe that Christ alone is Savior (even though He is clearly identified as such in Scripture), but instead, a response is required from people to become saved, bypassing Him? If so, wouldn't that mean He isn't the Savior?
Please don't speak for me. Of course Christ alone is our savior, its not because I disagree with Calvinism that it gives you right to slander me.
 
Please don't speak for me. Of course Christ alone is our savior, its not because I disagree with Calvinism that it gives you right to slander me.

Just an fyi... this is how they defend their doctrine ... sometimes they will say "we save ourselves" it is a straw man of course.
 
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A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel​


Prof. David J. Engelsma

The term "Calvinism" is not the name by which we Calvinists prefer to have our faith called; nor do we prefer to call ourselves "Calvinists." Calvin was the name of a man, a great servant of God, John Calvin. He was one of the Reformers by whom the Holy Spirit reformed the Church in the 16th century. To call ourselves "Calvinists" and our faith "Calvinism" leaves the impression that we follow a man and that these beliefs are the invention of a man. In fact, these terms originally were terms of derision used by our enemies, as were also the names "Christian" and "Protestant." Therefore, from the very beginning, Calvinists called themselves "Reformed" or "Presbyterian." Thus, they deliberately distinguished themselves from the other great branch of the Protestant Reformation, the Lutheran Church, which did call itself by the name of a man (contrary to the wishes of Luther himself).
Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon - Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.

“I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross.” (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856).
 
Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon - Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.

“I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross.” (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856).
Thielicke’s admiration highlights several key points:
  • Cross-Denominational Respect: A high-church Lutheran theologian found profound spiritual nourishment in a Free Church Baptist preacher, bridging the gap between State Church traditions and Free Church fervor.
  • The Power of the Word: Thielicke emphasized that Spurgeon’s success was not due to rhetorical manipulation or "salvation engineering" but because he acted as a "mere echo" of the divine Word.
  • Relevance: Thielicke believed Spurgeon’s message was urgently needed in the 20th century to counter theological liberalism and dry orthodoxy.
Helmut Thielicke (1908–1986), a prominent German Lutheran theologian, in his introduction to the book Encounter with Spurgeon (1963).



"In the midst of the theologically discredited nineteenth century there was a preacher who had at least six thousand people in his congregation every Sunday... The fire he thus kindled... was no mere brush fire of sensationalism, but an inexhaustible blaze that glowed and burned on solid hearths and was fed by the wells of the eternal Word... He worked only through the power of the Word which created its own hearers and changed souls. Now this was not his word, the product of his own rhetorical skills. It was rather a word which he himself had 'merely' heard. He put himself at its disposal, as a mere echo, and it brought to him the Spirit over whom he did not himself dispose."
 
John Calvin was widely regarded as having a choleric, strict, and uncompromising personality, often described as harsh, severe, and "sandpaper on bare skin" by his contemporaries.

His flaws included a fiery temper, intense jealousy of his reputation, and a dogmatic approach that led to authoritarian rule in Geneva, causing severe persecution and murder of Calvin’s theological opponents.

Calvin was merciless toward theological dissenters, leading to the execution (burning at the stake) of Michael Servetus, the beheading of Jacques Gruet, and the imprisonment or banishment of many others (e.g., Jerome Bolsec).

As a leader, he enforced strict moral laws in Geneva, leading to 414 prosecutions for offences such as wearing the wrong clothing or dancing.

He was prideful and prone to holding deep grudges, and his letters often revealed a deeply passionate, but vindictive, stubborn, and unforgiving side in disputes.

His extreme dedication to doctrine and rigid demeanor led to broken relationships, and his sometimes manipulative, gossipy attempts to secure support backfired, damaging his already bad reputation.

What is perhaps the most horrible doctrine of Calvin-worship is the so-called “sovereignty” (an unbiblical term) of God, which turns God into a monster who actually wills, and does not merely foreknow and allow, sin and evil to happen.

They do not understand “sovereignty”, which refers to being the ultimate ruler and law-giver over a kingdom, but not the cause of all that occurs in it.

Calvinists claim that everything that happens, no matter how vile or perverse, is caused and approved by God.

They affirm that nothing is beyond the control of God and they gleefully ascribe diabolical deeds to Him. They feel no shame or impiety in making these outrageous, sacrilegious, and shockingly immoral assertions.

This is not the thrice-holy God of the Bible, who is Love and Light, and in Whom is no darkness at all.

Psalm 92:15

The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.
 
Prince of Preachers, Charles H. Spurgeon - Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.

“I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross.” (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856).

I'll stay with Christ Jesus .. His soteriology is quite clear and simple... "believe in me."
 
John Calvin was widely regarded as having a choleric, strict, and uncompromising personality, often described as harsh, severe, and "sandpaper on bare skin" by his contemporaries.

His flaws included a fiery temper, intense jealousy of his reputation, and a dogmatic approach that led to authoritarian rule in Geneva, causing severe persecution and murder of Calvin’s theological opponents.

Calvin was merciless toward theological dissenters, leading to the execution (burning at the stake) of Michael Servetus, the beheading of Jacques Gruet, and the imprisonment or banishment of many others (e.g., Jerome Bolsec).

As a leader, he enforced strict moral laws in Geneva, leading to 414 prosecutions for offences such as wearing the wrong clothing or dancing.

He was prideful and prone to holding deep grudges, and his letters often revealed a deeply passionate, but vindictive, stubborn, and unforgiving side in disputes.

His extreme dedication to doctrine and rigid demeanor led to broken relationships, and his sometimes manipulative, gossipy attempts to secure support backfired, damaging his already bad reputation.

What is perhaps the most horrible doctrine of Calvin-worship is the so-called “sovereignty” (an unbiblical term) of God, which turns God into a monster who actually wills, and does not merely foreknow and allow, sin and evil to happen.

They do not understand “sovereignty”, which refers to being the ultimate ruler and law-giver over a kingdom, but not the cause of all that occurs in it.

Calvinists claim that everything that happens, no matter how vile or perverse, is caused and approved by God.

They affirm that nothing is beyond the control of God and they gleefully ascribe diabolical deeds to Him. They feel no shame or impiety in making these outrageous, sacrilegious, and shockingly immoral assertions.

This is not the thrice-holy God of the Bible, who is Love and Light, and in Whom is no darkness at all.

Psalm 92:15

The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.

Agreed!!
 
John Calvin was widely regarded as having a choleric, strict, and uncompromising personality, often described as harsh, severe, and "sandpaper on bare skin" by his contemporaries.

His flaws included a fiery temper, intense jealousy of his reputation, and a dogmatic approach that led to authoritarian rule in Geneva, causing severe persecution and murder of Calvin’s theological opponents.

Calvin was merciless toward theological dissenters, leading to the execution (burning at the stake) of Michael Servetus, the beheading of Jacques Gruet, and the imprisonment or banishment of many others (e.g., Jerome Bolsec).

As a leader, he enforced strict moral laws in Geneva, leading to 414 prosecutions for offences such as wearing the wrong clothing or dancing.

He was prideful and prone to holding deep grudges, and his letters often revealed a deeply passionate, but vindictive, stubborn, and unforgiving side in disputes.

His extreme dedication to doctrine and rigid demeanor led to broken relationships, and his sometimes manipulative, gossipy attempts to secure support backfired, damaging his already bad reputation.

What is perhaps the most horrible doctrine of Calvin-worship is the so-called “sovereignty” (an unbiblical term) of God, which turns God into a monster who actually wills, and does not merely foreknow and allow, sin and evil to happen.

They do not understand “sovereignty”, which refers to being the ultimate ruler and law-giver over a kingdom, but not the cause of all that occurs in it.

Calvinists claim that everything that happens, no matter how vile or perverse, is caused and approved by God.

They affirm that nothing is beyond the control of God and they gleefully ascribe diabolical deeds to Him. They feel no shame or impiety in making these outrageous, sacrilegious, and shockingly immoral assertions.

This is not the thrice-holy God of the Bible, who is Love and Light, and in Whom is no darkness at all.

Psalm 92:15

The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.
Your post is meaningless! It is just your biases and anger unless you can produce the links to authorities which you supposedly are quoting.
 
Please don't speak for me. Of course Christ alone is our savior, its not because I disagree with Calvinism that it gives you right to slander me.

I asked you a question - that's not slander neither is it speaking for you. Your answer was a duck because you don't have an answer - probably because you don't actually understand the gospel. If Christ is the Savior (and He is), then He alone provided everything on behalf of those He saves, man doesn't - that's what being the Savior means. So, get over your attitude - this site is for posters to be engaged by people who disagree with them - if you expect everyone to adore your answers then you probably shouldn't post cause that ain't gonna happen - hurt feelings don't count, reason and logic do - anger is no substitute for thought.
 
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Jesus’ teaching to “love your enemies” didn’t stop Calvin from approving and promoting the death of his theological enemies. And Paul’s instructions for dealing with people who theologically disagree with you were equally ignored:

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

Calvin did not patiently discuss his differences with people who promoted competing ideas. Calvin requested beheadings, made death threats, and praised God for orchestrating the torture of heretics.

Calvin spelled out his theologically reinforced vengeance in a personal letter:

“I am persuaded that it is not without the special will of God that, apart from any verdict of the judges, the criminals have endured protracted torment at the hands of the executioner.”- Calvin's letter to Farel on 24 July (for more words directly from Calvin’s pen, read Selected Works of John Calvin)
Calvin believed God made sure criminals didn’t die quickly when tortured.
 
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Here is some information about John Calvin, with the sources given.

“John Calvin (born July 10, 1509, Noyon, Picardy, France—died May 27, 1564, Geneva, Switzerland) was a theologian and ecclesiastical statesman. He was the leading French Protestant reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation. His interpretation of Christianity, advanced above all in his Institutio Christianae religionis (1536 but elaborated in later editions; Institutes of the Christian Religion), and the institutional and social patterns he worked out for Geneva deeply influenced Protestantism elsewhere in Europe and in North America. The Calvinist form of Protestantism is widely thought to have had a major impact on the formation of the modern world.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Calvin

“Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin’s masterpiece, a summary of biblical theology that became the normative statement of the Reformed faith. It was first published in 1536 and was revised and enlarged by Calvin in several editions before the definitive edition was published in 1559.
The first edition, written in Latin and published in Basel, where Calvin was in exile, included a dedication to the French king Francis I. Calvin intended his work to be a statement of French Protestant beliefs that would refute the king, who was persecuting French Protestants and incorrectly calling them Anabaptists (radical Reformers who wished to separate the church from the state). It consisted of six chapters that discussed the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, disputed sacraments, and Christian liberty. Most of the themes of Calvin’s mature thought were contained in the first edition.”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Institutes-of-the-Christian-Religion

“Calvin’s influence has persisted not only in the Reformed churches of France, Germany, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Hungary but also in the Church of England, where Calvin was long at least as highly regarded as among those Puritans who separated from the Anglican establishment. The latter organized their own churches, Presbyterian or Congregational, which brought Calvinism to North America. Even today these churches, along with the originally German Evangelical and Reformed Church, recall Calvin as their founding father. Eventually Calvinist theology was also widely accepted by major groups of Baptists; and even Unitarianism, which broke away from the Calvinist churches of New England in the 18th century, reflected the more rational impulses in Calvin’s theology. More recently Protestant interest in the social implications of the Gospel and Protestant neo-orthodoxy, as represented by Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and Reinhold Niebuhr, reflects the continuing influence of John Calvin.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Calvin/Theology

Use caution when reading undocumented slander of highly regarded men of God out of the past.
 
Theological Errors of TULIP


By examining the concepts of this summary of Calvinistic theory, one can see why it often results in bitter, arrogant, hostile attitudes. Unmerciful, cruel behaviors began with John Calvin supporting the brutal torture and execution of his theological opponents.


T: Total Depravity - the claim that humans are completely and inescapably unable to respond to God.


This doctrine mocks the many instances of Jesus and the apostles calling people to repent. How can anyone repent if they are totally and permanently depraved? No one is 100% controlled by darkness, thus people can be convicted and turn to God.


U: Unconditional Election - the idea that personal responsibility to seek God has no relevance.


This doctrine claims that God arbitrarily selects certain individuals for salvation and condemns the rest of humanity to hell. Human choice is not involved, thus evangelical persuasion is pointless, except to identify who is and who is not elected.


L: Limited Atonement - the concept that Christ only died for those who receive Him as Savior.


This doctrine contradicts the many verses that state that Christ died for all humanity. Thus, everyone may come to Christ for eternal life and no one can say they were not able to do so.


I : Irresistible Grace - the idea that humans are robots and if Grace is imposed upon a person, they must involuntarily accept it with no resistance.

This doctrine contradicts the many verses in which God is pleading with people to repent.


P: Perseverance of the Saints - the idea that truly born again individuals will not abandon the faith and are eternally secure, because God forces them to remain in fellowship with Him.


This doctrine contradicts the many scriptures written to saved believers, warning them to examine themselves and not stray from the path of light.
 
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Here is some information about John Calvin, with the sources given.

“John Calvin (born July 10, 1509, Noyon, Picardy, France—died May 27, 1564, Geneva, Switzerland) was a theologian and ecclesiastical statesman. He was the leading French Protestant reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation. His interpretation of Christianity, advanced above all in his Institutio Christianae religionis (1536 but elaborated in later editions; Institutes of the Christian Religion), and the institutional and social patterns he worked out for Geneva deeply influenced Protestantism elsewhere in Europe and in North America. The Calvinist form of Protestantism is widely thought to have had a major impact on the formation of the modern world.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Calvin

“Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin’s masterpiece, a summary of biblical theology that became the normative statement of the Reformed faith. It was first published in 1536 and was revised and enlarged by Calvin in several editions before the definitive edition was published in 1559.
The first edition, written in Latin and published in Basel, where Calvin was in exile, included a dedication to the French king Francis I. Calvin intended his work to be a statement of French Protestant beliefs that would refute the king, who was persecuting French Protestants and incorrectly calling them Anabaptists (radical Reformers who wished to separate the church from the state). It consisted of six chapters that discussed the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, disputed sacraments, and Christian liberty. Most of the themes of Calvin’s mature thought were contained in the first edition.”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Institutes-of-the-Christian-Religion

“Calvin’s influence has persisted not only in the Reformed churches of France, Germany, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Hungary but also in the Church of England, where Calvin was long at least as highly regarded as among those Puritans who separated from the Anglican establishment. The latter organized their own churches, Presbyterian or Congregational, which brought Calvinism to North America. Even today these churches, along with the originally German Evangelical and Reformed Church, recall Calvin as their founding father. Eventually Calvinist theology was also widely accepted by major groups of Baptists; and even Unitarianism, which broke away from the Calvinist churches of New England in the 18th century, reflected the more rational impulses in Calvin’s theology. More recently Protestant interest in the social implications of the Gospel and Protestant neo-orthodoxy, as represented by Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and Reinhold Niebuhr, reflects the continuing influence of John Calvin.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Calvin/Theology

Use caution when reading undocumented slander of highly regarded men of God out of the past.
Calvin and the execution of Michael Servetus in 1553
Michael Servetus - His Ashes Cry Out Against John Calvin

Notice in this article a couple of statements, and this does not appear to be a Calvin friendly article.

“While Calvin requested beheading as a less cruel method, the council opted for burning, a common practice for heresy across Europe at the time.”

“Servetus, already condemned by Catholic authorities in Vienne, France, escaped a death sentence there and fled toward Italy.

“Like the Catholic execution of John Hus in 1415, Servetus’ death reflected the era’s severe stance on heresy, upheld by both Catholic and Protestant authorities.”

“Calvin’s actions prompt reflection on his legacy as a theologian. In Geneva, he also supported the beheading of Jacques Gruet for treason and the banishment of Jerome Bolsec for opposing predestination—further instances of his involvement in suppressing dissent, consistent with 16th-century norms.

Are we to view Calvin's involvement in this at his time in history, or do we read it in the context of "Freedom of Religion" in America today? Calvin does not appear to be out of the norm for religious conflict in his time.
 
Calvin and the execution of Michael Servetus in 1553
Michael Servetus - His Ashes Cry Out Against John Calvin

Notice in this article a couple of statements, and this does not appear to be a Calvin friendly article.

“While Calvin requested beheading as a less cruel method, the council opted for burning, a common practice for heresy across Europe at the time.”

“Servetus, already condemned by Catholic authorities in Vienne, France, escaped a death sentence there and fled toward Italy.

“Like the Catholic execution of John Hus in 1415, Servetus’ death reflected the era’s severe stance on heresy, upheld by both Catholic and Protestant authorities.”

“Calvin’s actions prompt reflection on his legacy as a theologian. In Geneva, he also supported the beheading of Jacques Gruet for treason and the banishment of Jerome Bolsec for opposing predestination—further instances of his involvement in suppressing dissent, consistent with 16th-century norms.

Are we to view Calvin's involvement in this at his time in history, or do we read it in the context of "Freedom of Religion" in America today? Calvin does not appear to be out of the norm for religious conflict in his time.
The old “everybody’s doing it” excuse. Not every theologian in the 16th century advocated the execution of his opponents. But John Calvin did.
 
Theological Errors of TULIP


By examining the concepts of this summary of Calvinistic theory, one can see why it often results in bitter, arrogant, hostile attitudes. Unmerciful, cruel behaviors began with John Calvin supporting the brutal torture and execution of his theological opponents.


T: Total Depravity - the claim that humans are completely and inescapably unable to respond to God.


This doctrine mocks the many instances of Jesus and the apostles calling people to repent. How can anyone repent if they are totally and permanently depraved? No one is 100% controlled by darkness, thus people can be convicted and turn to God.


U: Unconditional Election - the idea that personal responsibility to seek God has no relevance.


This doctrine claims that God arbitrarily selects certain individuals for salvation and condemns the rest of humanity to hell. Human choice is not involved, thus evangelical persuasion is pointless, except to identify who is and who is not elected.


L: Limited Atonement - the concept that Christ only died for those who receive Him as Savior.


This doctrine contradicts the many verses that state that Christ died for all humanity. Thus, everyone may come to Christ for eternal life and no one can say they were not able to do so.


I : Irresistible Grace - the idea that humans are robots and if Grace is imposed upon a person, they must involuntarily accept it with no resistance.

This doctrine contradicts the many verses in which God is pleading with people to repent.


P: Perseverance of the Saints - the idea that truly born again individuals will not abandon the faith and are eternally secure, because God forces them to remain in fellowship with Him.


This doctrine contradicts the many scriptures written to saved believers, warning them to examine themselves and not stray from the path of light.
I don't know if you are deceitful, or merely ignorant. The TULIP acronym was developed in 1905, but Calvinism and the Five Points are presented authoritatively in the Canons of Dort. Read them and KNOW what Calvinism is, not what some heretic says they mean!
 
Sounds like you in charge of God, you give God the green light to have access to your heart.

That is so dumb!

If it were the way you distort it?
EVERYONE will receive the highest rewards!


Choose ye today whom you will serve.... Joshua 24:15
 
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