This Week in Calvinism - July 23, 2010

• Debating Calvinism.
  
  
• "I am a Calvinist": Benjamin responds to a fellow youth pastor.
  
  
• Does Calvinism hinder evangelism?
  
  
• Desiring God announces the premiere of it's latest film, Don't Waste Your Life Sentence.
  
  
• The offence (or offense) of Reformed preaching.
  
  
• Filthy Calvinists and the people who love to hate them.

Don't Waste Your Life Sentence

Here is the trailer for the upcoming Desiring God film Don't Waste Your Life Sentence:



Read more about this film here.

This Week in Calvinism - July 16, 2010

• Inerrancy and Calvinism.
  
  
• Spurgeon on why the unregenerate (no matter how smart or how benevolent) just don't get it.
  
  
• There are only two kinds of people in this world.
  
  
• Mike doesn't like Calvinists. He writes, "If someone follows a god that would cosign the majority of his own creation to hell, that person is not following God."
  
  
• Here's a tip: When claiming to be able to disarm Calvinism, use arguments that actually have some basis in scripture. Don't say things unbiblical things like "Christ paid for all of our sins and we have all been imputed grace," or that God "has predestined the whole world to be reconciled to Himself." It's hard to take you seriously.
  
  
• Pastor Tubbs asks, "Why are Calvinists so negative and, at times, unfriendly?" I don't know why we hate everyone. Could it be that we were just predestined to be that way?

This Week in Calvinism - July 9, 2010

• James White on Ergun Caner: What started as a scandal has become a cover-up.
  
  
• Caner's defenders, of course, respond with class.
  
  
• The Seeking Disciple (who claims not to be a Caner defender) made a rather interesting comparison: "The story of Michael Servetus and Ergun Caner seem to be drawing parallels as [James] White and some Calvinists are pressing for his destruction." Seriously?
  
  
• Carl Gobelman has begun a series of posts answering the question "Is Calvinism biblical?"
  
  
• Westminster Bookstore is having a moving sale, with staff picks available for 45% off.

This Week in Calvinism - July 2, 2010

• Infamous anti-Calvinist Ergun Caner has been dismissed as the dean at Liberty University's seminary.
  
  
• A primer on limited (or definite, or particular) atonement.
  
  
• Afraid of Calvinism?
  
  
• Michael Horton on why "substitutionary atonement" remains crucial.
  
  
• Meet the 12 men who have influenced Gregg's life.
  
  
• Are you a true Calvinist?

The Purpose of Apologetics

The purpose of Christian apologetics isn't merely to "make a defense" of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). It is to knock down every intellectual barrier erected by the unbeliever until the only one that remains is the offense of the cross.

This Week in Calvinism - June 25, 2010

• Jeff Peterson points out that even Arminians believe God forces His grace upon men against their will.
  
  
• Spurgeon on evangelism.
  
  
• You can check out TurretinFan's debate with Louis Ruggiero on the hardening of Pharaoh's heart.
  
  
• Ergun Caner and presuppositionalism.
  
  
• Sure, Mark Driscoll can be a bit brusque at times, but misogynistic?

This Week in Calvinism - June 18, 2010

• Jon J. Cardwell is on part 3 in a series of posts entitled "God's Purpose in Election."
  
  
• Yet another rant against Calvinism.
  
  
• Introducing C. G. Spurgeon.
  
  
• Tim Challies reviews the book Burning Down the Shack by James De Young.
  
  
• It's nice to know that Calvinists aren't as annoying or confusing as Barthians.
  
  
• William Birch doesn't like the Calvinist claim that Arminians believe man has an inherent free will. He writes, "Arminius notes that the will is not free to choose Christ, but must be freed from its bondage to sin by God's power and grace in order for one to trust in Him for salvation." However, according to Arminian theology, the final decision whether to follow Christ or not is up to the individual. So are all men free to make that decision? If so, when exactly is the will freed to make it? If, on the other hand, all men aren't free to make that decision, then how is that any different from Calvinism?
  
  
• You can watch the live webcast of Ligonier Ministries' 2010 National Conference here.

Watch the Live Webcast of Ligonier Ministries' 2010 National Conference

Here is the conference schedule (Times Eastern):

Thursday, June 17
9:00 - 9:20 a.m.
The Brave New World of New Media - Ed Stetzer

9:25 - 9:45 a.m.
Principles for Conduct in Communication - Tim Challies

10:00 - 10:20 a.m.
Taking Captive New Media for the Church - Burk Parsons

10:25 - 10:45 a.m.
The Hypersocialized Generation - Albert Mohler

10:55 - 11:55 a.m.
Questions & Answers

3:10 - 4:10 p.m.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? - John MacArthur

5:10 - 6:00 p.m.
Is the Doctrine of Inerrancy Defensible? - Michael Horton

8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Does the Doctrine of Divine Decrees Eliminate Human Will? - John MacArthur

Friday, June 18
8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
What Is Evil and Where Did It Come From?, R.C. Sproul

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Why Do Christians Still Sin? - R.C. Sproul Jr.

11:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
How Do We Know Which Interpretation Is Right? - Derek Thomas

2:30 - 3:25 p.m.
Is the Bible Just Another Book? - Steven Lawson

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.
Is the Exclusivity of Christ Unjust? - Alistair Begg

7:15 - 8:30 p.m.
Questions & Answers

Saturday, June 19
8:30 - 9:40 a.m.
Why Does the Universe Look So Old? - Albert Mohler

9:40 - 10:30 a.m.
Is Calvinism Good for the Church? - Burk Parsons

11:15 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
If God Is Good, How Could He Command Holy War? - Derek Thomas

12:05 - 1:00 p.m.
Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing of Loved Ones in Hell? - R.C. Sproul

Watch it live here.

This Week in Calvinism - June 11, 2010

• Paul Manata on how Arminianism allows Calvinism to escape the charge that it makes God the "author of evil."
  
  
• Yes, doctrine divides, but that's what it's supposed to do.
  
  
• Nathanael Taylor has posted a paper entitled "Biblical Evidence for Substitutionary Atonement and Double Imputation in 2 Corinthians 5." It's a good read, and certainly more scholarly than anything you'll find on my blog.
  
  
• Calvinists have the TULIP, but Arminians have the FACTS.

This Week in Calvinism - June 4, 2010

• Many Arminians claim that Calvinism makes God the author of evil. Paul Manata responds: "We can do the same with peace and salvation. If 'author' means what Arminians say it means, then they should become Calvinists. They should deny that God foresaw their faith apart from his decree, plan, origination. God masterminded their salvation, planned their salvation, caused their salvation, and set the initial conditions in place for their salvation to follow as a consequent."
  
  
• Is Mark Driscoll the face of contemplative Calvinism?
  
  
• Calvinists should stay away from Arminian dentists.
  
  
• Some Arminians consider it unbiblical, heinous, and shocking to hear Calvinists say, as John Piper has, that God "decides who will believe and undeservingly be saved and who will rebel and deservingly perish." (By the way, that quote can be found in context here.) Funny how they can read Romans 9:22-24 and never level that same accusation at Paul.
  
  
• Michael Horton reviews N. T. Wright's book, After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters.
  
  
• The Irish Calvinist on learning contrition, mercy and forgiveness on the baseball field.

Quote of the Week - June 1, 2010

From R. C. Sproul Jr.:

"Unbelievers deny God precisely because they would rather live not-guilty in a world of nonsense than be guilty in a universe that makes sense."

This Week in Calvinism - May 28, 2010

• John Calvin on the value of the Psalms.
  
  
• An Arminian Molinist samples four flavors of causal determinism.
  
  
• Paul's doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
  
  
• As a partial preterist/amillennialist, I never understood full or hyper preterism. One of the problems that jumps out at me is the concept of this world, along with sin and death, continuing forever. Sam Frost examines full preterism and the problem of infinity. Yeah, it's a pretty big problem.
  
  
• Seumas Macdonald on the link between hyper-Calvinism and Pelagianism.

This Week in Calvinism - May 21, 2010

• Stephen Macasil on the dark side of Chuck Smith.
  
  
• A.M. Mallett finds the Calvinist use of the phrase "doctrines of grace" offensive and eschews the "near blasphemous regard for God's character represented by elements of TULIP."
  
  
• Arminian William Birch presents what he thinks might be a Calvinist interpretation of Genesis 4.
  
  
• Colin Maxwell responds to Mr. Birch.
  
  
• Calvin and Aimee asked, "Should we marry if we're theologically divided?" Russell Moore offers his response.

This Week in Calvinism - May 14, 2010

• Justin Taylor interviews Mark Driscoll about his new book, Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe.
  
  
• Derek Ashton is a bad Calvinist (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, conclusion.
  
  
• Matt Svoboda explains what the Ergun Caner controversy is really about.
  
  
• Carl Gobelman on the extent of the atonement.
  
  
• Steve Hays addresses the Arminian claim that it's possible for Christians to lose their salvation.
  
  
• J.C. Thibodaux, one who believes Christians can lose their salvation, responds: "Just as Israel fell in the wilderness after being saved from the wrath of Pharaoh, so the scriptures warn us against likewise incurring God's judgment after He has shown us His goodness." Of course, this completely ignores the fact that while the people of Israel did "fall away" and were disciplined, they were still God's chosen people and the covenant made with Abraham remained intact. Paul makes this pretty clear in Romans 11:1.
  
  
• Steve Hays fires back.