Calvinism Critiqued

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
I don't care what people believe, nor do I insist they believe as me to be saved. I freely encourage others to read Scripture, and through sincere prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit to come to the understanding of Scripture they believe they are led to.

You have a serious problem with reading comprehension apparently because you simply do not understand any of my comments.
But, then..............back to the SN thingy

:)

goodness
What SN thingy?
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
Uh.........p.rehbein DID NOT SAY what you are quoting........that is an ARTICLE someone wrote. I provided it as FYI...........goodness.........you guys crack me up............
When you post an article you are implying you agree with it unless stated otherwise. I researched what it stated and found it in error. Therefore you were pushing an article that was a fabrication. Research should have been done before posting it. That is only common sense. There is a lot of disinformation out on the web and you fell for one!!
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
So jesus contradicted himself? When he said you do not see because you do not believe, And it is the will of God that whever sees and believes.

Rom 10: 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Time and time again, We are told we must come.. We come because we believe, we believe because we see.

If we continue in pride. We will never believe, and never see, thus never come, no matter how Hard God calls (many are called few are chosen) and never be saved.
While I have problems with the KJV because it is 400 years old and language has changed. One verse in it says the issue very clearly while other translations say the same thing with lots of words.

The carnal mind is enmity against God.

That sums it up short and clearly.
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
eternally-gratefull <sic> made this comment:

"Yet by defenition you preach God favored you over other people. By allowing you to see, abd not allowing them to see."

The above is so full of theological errors and Romans 9:20ism it's sad to behold!

First, there is the ridicule from EG that God "favored" SnA over another.

OK. Let's deal with that Biblically:

What may I ask is the definition of "favor?" It is "grace." God does grace some people and chooses not to grace others. That is a fact.

It isn't God "being a respecter of persons!!" as will be the next, out of context argument showing this text too is misunderstood and misused.

Most anti-Calvinists practice this. That is a different context, so please stop misusing texts to support your error!

Why though does God show grace in this way to some? God grants his electing mercy and grace based on NOTHING in the one to whom he bestows it. EG is incorrect in decrying how God grants grace to one and not another because he fails to think it through and apply Biblical truth. He is pointing the finger in ridicule at SnA as if SnA had something to do with this himself. He did not.

Note 1 Corinthians 1:25-31; Romans 9:11ff, Romans 9:16, 2 Timothy 1:9 &c as it is all of God's grace ad nothing in man to Soli Deo Gloria.

Next point:

Now to the decrying Bible rejecting "God allowing you to see and not allowing others to see!" Um. Scripture declares this truth in many places. What we have here is natural man calling God unfair which means "unjust."

Yep.

One biblical proof God does this in his Sovereignty?

Matthew 11:25-30. Read the entire portion, don't divorce 28-30 from the context. Thank you.
I read it and so what. He invites people to become saved by grace through faith in him. It doesn't mean that all will do it. Look around in the US today and see how few real Christians there are. The big protestant denominations have been taken over by secular ministers there only for access to the church money. Presbyterian USA was taken over in 1932 as documented in the book "Crossed Fingers" by Gary North. The process started in the 1880s. All of the big protestant denominations oh have been taken over this way. Only independent churches and sub denominations still preach the gospel message. Almost half of the people in this country go to church but most never hear the gospel message. Go to a Presbyterian USA church and see if they even mention the gospel message.

Over 30 years ago I talked to a minister in that denomination about that issue and he was angry about it and was fighting against it. History proved he failed.
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
And ALL can be sheep if all will repent and believe.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa 53:6)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one (Rom 3:10)

Because all human beings are sinners, all need to be saved. And God invites all to be saved. Therefore He cannot elect some for salvation without violating His own character.

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isa 43:22)
At 74 I have been involved in church leadership most of my Christian life after I married. I was involved with several evangelical outreach promotions. Doing the cold calling I ran into those who hate the concept of God and especially Jesus. Their mind is completely closed to Christianity and hate the concept. That to me examplified the carnal mind is enmity against God perfectly.
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
Yet, person's having a mental assent to the fact they sin means absolutely nothing. It doesn't mean one is saved via admittance to this, which is the doctrine of easy-believe-ism. That is what EG is saying in general.

Any fool knows they sin.

Yes, to deny being a sinner is pride but admitting it isn't salvific either. That is just one of the questions the easy-believe-ism sinners prayer people check off their "salvation list." If the person jumps through all the hoops of their questions just right *presto* they're popishly declared saved, on their way to heaven, go from point A to point Z.

"You did this believe and repent thing once, remember? Don't worry about anything else that happens, like evidence of real conversion. Just skip the context of 1 John and "accept" 1 John 5:13 out of context every time you're convicted that you're really lost!"

#falsegospel

#fakegospel
Real evangelism involves getting anyone who accepts Christ to be connected to a gospel preaching church or they will drift away from God which will call into question their conversion!
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
Total Depravity is false doctrine since God expects all sinners to obey the Gospel. Indeed He commands all men everywhere to repent.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30,31)

A word for non-Calvinists. You could give the Calvinists a thousand verses from the Bible which totally refute their nonsense, but they will not believe God. They have Calvin as the final authority. It is truly amazing how Satan perverted the Reformation. The Reformers rejected the false doctrines of Roman Catholicism, but at the same time fully embraced the false doctrines of Augustine, the leading Catholic *authority*.
I suggest you fail to understand the concept of total depravity. It comes from the verse in KJV language "the carnal mind is enmity against God". I have dealt in an evangelism setting with people like that. They hate the concept of God and especially Jesus. It will take God to touch their heart to make them receptive. In addition to this site I am on a political site and try to put forth the scientific proof that the earth is young not billions of years old. I get my scientific facts from Christian Ministries International on the creation.com web site. They use science to defend "In the begining God created the heavens and earth." there are other sites as well.
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
The wicked go astray from the womb. <--Lost

Before I brought thee forth from your mother's womb I knew thee <--Jeremiah
This goes along with the fact that God knew the end from the beginning. He foreknew who would accept him and those who would reject him. He allowed them to make their own choice!!
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,444
12,919
113
It will take God to touch their heart to make them receptive.
That's a far cry from unconditional election, and I agree 100%. When the Gospel is preached, God the Holy Spirit touches the heart of sinners and draws them to Christ (along with the Father and the Son). Which again means that total depravity is false. The preaching of the Gospel does not guarantee salvation, but it does mean that God's commandment to repent applies to all the unregenerate.
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
That's a far cry from unconditional election, and I agree 100%. When the Gospel is preached, God the Holy Spirit touches the heart of sinners and draws them to Christ (along with the Father and the Son). Which again means that total depravity is false. The preaching of the Gospel does not guarantee salvation, but it does mean that God's commandment to repent applies to all the unregenerate.
I have done a lot research on the concepts of Calvinism and Arminianism. Both have lengthy arguments supported by scripture defending their 5 points. The Calvinism document is called the Canons of Dort. Here is the Biblical Defense of Arminianism and Calvinism. Refute their defense if you are able. Keep in mind that the early elders created the creeds as what a Christian must believe and said all other of the numerous Biblical issues outside of it was to agree to disagree. Calvinism and Arminianism fall into this category. Disagreeing is is fine but draw the line at saying any of the views is non Christian.

Defense of of Calvinism and Armenianism

Biblical Defense of Calvinism
https://www.fivesolas.com/tulipscriptures.htm

Biblical Defense of Arminianism
http://www.evidenceunseen.com/theology/calvinism-versus-arminianism/biblical-defense-of-arminianism/

Arminianism vs Calvinism Controversial Passages
https://www.xenos.org/essays/calvinism-arminianism-controversial-passages
 

Endoscopy

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2017
4,028
400
83
That's a far cry from unconditional election, and I agree 100%. When the Gospel is preached, God the Holy Spirit touches the heart of sinners and draws them to Christ (along with the Father and the Son). Which again means that total depravity is false. The preaching of the Gospel does not guarantee salvation, but it does mean that God's commandment to repent applies to all the unregenerate.
Only in your view. There are other views of this as well. Just agree to disagree with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,196
6,539
113
When you post an article you are implying you agree with it unless stated otherwise. I researched what it stated and found it in error. Therefore you were pushing an article that was a fabrication. Research should have been done before posting it. That is only common sense. There is a lot of disinformation out on the web and you fell for one!!
When an Article is posted it is posted as FYI...........go see the News Forum and see the Articles posted there, just as here, they are FYI. Not my fault your reading comprehension skills are so weak.
 

p_rehbein

Senior Member
Sep 4, 2013
30,196
6,539
113
Endoscopy: Examination of the inside of the body by using a lighted, flexible instrument called an endoscope. In general, an endoscope is introduced into the body through a natural opening such as the mouth or anus. Although endoscopy can include examination of other organs, the most common endoscopic procedures evaluate the esophagus, stomach, and portions of the intestine.

https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=Awr...ey=12538/RK=2/RS=aJfSegSpZ6K7uGLEOi26eP8gF0E-
 

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
You just ripped that out of context which the preceding verses gives.
The wicked go astray from the womb. <--Lost

Before I brought thee forth from your mother's womb I knew thee <--Jeremiah
"chose us in Him before the foundation of the world........Eph 1:4 and Eph 1:11.......we have OBTAINED (past tense) an inheritance, haveing been PREDESTINED according to His purpose, who works all things after HIS WILL. (salvation to His elect predestined from the beginning. The PRO ORIZO of time.

I assume you have a bible and are a little Berean.....check it out, it IS IN context.
In those verses Mark is saying these things come out of the hearts of men, it is their natural state. Indeed the full effect Mark gives is llisted in verses 20-23 of Mark 7.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
"chose us in Him before the foundation of the world........Eph 1:4 and Eph 1:11.......we have OBTAINED (past tense) an inheritance, haveing been PREDESTINED according to His purpose, who works all things after HIS WILL. (salvation to His elect predestined from the beginning. The PRO ORIZO of time.

I assume you have a bible and are a little Berean.....check it out, it IS IN context.
In those verses Mark is saying these things come out of the hearts of men, it is their natural state. Indeed the full effect Mark gives is llisted in verses 20-23 of Mark 7.
So what....all I did was quote two scriptures.....take it up with the bible....

dcontroversal said:
The wicked go astray from the womb. <--Lost

Before I brought thee forth from your mother's womb I knew thee <--Jeremiah
 

GraceAndTruth

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2015
2,031
637
113
So what....all I did was quote two scriptures.....take it up with the bible....

dcontroversal said:
The wicked go astray from the womb. <--Lost

Before I brought thee forth from your mother's womb I knew thee <--Jeremiah
Yeah, you just posted two scriptures, right little lambykins?
 
Oct 25, 2018
2,377
1,198
113
This goes along with the fact that God knew the end from the beginning. He foreknew who would accept him and those who would reject him. He allowed them to make their own choice!!
He foreknew them by electing them, not by knowing solely their decision my friend. This is the foreseen faith teaching that has been rejected by most people.

Foreknew is a verb, meaning God was active in foreknowing them. You are conflating His omniscience with His divine foreknowledge. He knows everyone and everything via creation, but He foreknows those He elected from BEFORE the creation of the world.
 
Oct 25, 2018
2,377
1,198
113
This goes along with the fact that God knew the end from the beginning. He foreknew who would accept him and those who would reject him. He allowed them to make their own choice!!
7 “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."(Deuteronomy 7)

There was nothing in Israel that made God choose them. He chose no other nation to be His covenant people in the OT. As Paul stated "1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God."(Romans 3) They were the only ones entrusted with the word of God and they were the only ones chosen by God under the OT. There were a few Gentiles here and there gathered in, but mostly Jews. Now we see the church is God chosen people, and Jesus is the church's head, the church's bridegroom.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,444
12,919
113
There was nothing in Israel that made God choose them. He chose no other nation to be His covenant people in the OT.
Let's hold that thought.

According to what you have posted (which is biblical) every Israelite and every Jew should have been saved, based upon Calvinistic *election*. Instead the majority rejected (and still reject) Christ. WHICH IS PROOF POSITIVE THAT CALVINISM IS A FALSE GOSPEL.