“Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism”
Malachi and I recently watched this DVD and believe that it is a must have for all Christian families. This will be a great tool when teaching our children about Church history. We found it to be comprehensively informative on the details of the history and theology of both Calvinism and Arminianism. The DVD features Dr. R.C. Sproul and his son Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr., Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. Stephen Mansfield, Dr. George Grant, Dr. Thomas Nettles, Rev. Walter Bowie, Rev. Walter J. Chantry, Dr. Kenneth Talbot, Dr. Thomas Ascol, Dr. Roger Schultz and Dr. Joe Morecraft III. The entire presentation is 4 hours and 17 minutes long, and worth every second! Eric Holmberg from The Apologetics Group is the host throughout the series, and does an excellent job of explaining each part of the series and describing certain events that have taken place throughout Church history.
The debate between Arminianism and Calvinism (Reformed Theology) has been settled many years ago, however, it seems the false teachings of Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Arianism and Arminianism, keep popping up. Satan has a crafty way of repackaging these teachings in a manner that lures man in. These teachings are man-centered or humanistic doctrines and all keep some glory of the believer’s salvation for man, as opposed to Reformed Theology, which gives God ALL of the glory for the believer’s salvation.
The five points of Calvinism were created well after John Calvin’s death and were in response to The Remonstrance of 1610 (Arminianism) at the Synod of Dort. This council unanimously deemed Arminianism a heresy and excommunicated all those who would not submit to the authority of the scriptures. I must at this point say that the issues debated at the Synod of Dort were not new ones. These same arguments were brought to the Church’s attention during the time of Augustine. The Council of Orange declared that Pelagius was wrong, thus upholding what scripture revealed about man’s true nature which “influenced the doctrine of Total Depravity”. The issue rested on whether or not man was “dead in sin” or if man was merely wounded by sin, thus igniting a debate over “free-will”. This particular council seems to have spear-headed the Reformation, and Martin Luther will deal with the same issue with Erasmus. This ultimately leads Luther to leave the Roman Catholic Church and nail his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg sparking the official Protestant Reformation. As I mentioned before, Satan is crafty and merely repackages the same heresies and false teachings over and over again. We see the same false teachings arise again during the time of Jacobus/James Arminius. He like Pelagius and Erasmus held to unscriptural beliefs. After his death, his followers wrote the five points of Arminianism, to which were addressed and refuted at the Synod of Dort. It was during this council session where the “5 Points of Calvinism” were written, well after John Calvin’s death. The “5 points of Calvinism” or the “TULIP” were created as a response to the “5 Points of Arminianism” and were upheld unanimously at the Synod of Dort, and “Arminianism” was declared a heresy.
I am still not sure why this seems to slips the minds or studies of Christians who hold to “Arminianists” doctrines. While Church history does not dictate doctrine, they have in the past served to preserve the true teachings revealed to us through God’s word. Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Arianism, and Arminianism have been tools used by Satan to have man question the authority of scripture. Satan has also used these teachings as a method to have man question God’s Sovereignty, just as he did in the Garden of Eden with Eve. Satan made her question what God had said about dying, thus allowing Eve to think that God may have not told her the truth. We all know what happened after that.
I strongly urge Christians to research their theological positions, presuppositions and Church history, in light of scripture to make sure that that which they are clinging to is the true Gospel of salvation. I do highly recommend the DVD mentioned in the beginning of my blog. You can purchase it through Grace Family Baptist Church. I would also suggest Martin Luther’s work on “The Bondage of the Will” and Jonathan Edward’s “The Freedom of the Will”. Ligonier Ministries also has some great resources to explain Reformed Theology, as does Vision Forum.
Martin Luther’s “The Bondage of the Will”:
“In Conclusion
... I shall here end this book, ready though I am to pursue the matter further, if need be; but I think that abundant satisfaction has here been afforded for the godly man who is willing to yield to truth without stubborn resistance. For if we believe it to be true that God foreknows and foreordains all things; that He cannot be deceived or obstructed in His foreknowledge and predestination; and that nothing happens but at His will (which reason itself is compelled to grant); then, on reason's own testimony, there can be no "free-will" in man, or angel, or in any creature. So, if we believe that Satan is the prince of this world, ever ensnaring and opposing the kingdom of Christ with all his strength, and that he does not let his prisoners go unless he is driven out by the power of the Divine Spirit, it is again apparent that there can be no "free-will". So, if we believe that original sin has ruined us to such an extent that even in the godly, who are led by the Spirit, it causes abundance of trouble by striving against good, it is clear that in a man who lacks the Spirit nothing is justify that can turn itself to good, but only to evil. Again, if the Jews, who followed after righteousness with all their powers, fell into unrighteousness instead, while the Gentiles, who followed after unrighteousness, attained to an un-hoped-for righteousness, by God's free gift, it is equally apparent from their very works and experience that man without grace can will nothing but evil. And, finally, if we believe that Christ redeemed men by His blood, we are forced to confess that all of man was lost; otherwise, we make Christ either wholly superfluous, or else the redeemer of the least valuable part of man only; which is blasphemy, and sacrilege.”
“Blessed is the man who Thou choosest,
and caused to approach unto Thee, that he
may dwell in Thy courts…”
Psalm 65:4a
Serving God and My Family,
Crystal <>< (SAHM)
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