Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism

Via Between Two Worlds, a description of "Hyper-Calvinism" that makes distinctions between that theological inclination and the Calvinism that is resurgent among many Evangelicals. From Nathan A. Finn:
.... What I am going to do is reproduce what I believe to be the best brief definition of the actual theological movement known as Hyper-Calvinism (or sometimes High Calvinism). The following material is reproduced from Timothy George’s book Amazing Grace: God’s Initiative–Our Response. According to Dr. George, a Hyper-Calvinist departs from orthodoxy on five key doctrines:
  1. Hypers teach the doctrine of eternal justification, which effectively removes human responsibility to respond to the gospel.
  2. Hypers deny the free moral agency and responsibility of sinners to repent and believe the gospel.
  3. Hypers deny the free offer of the gospel to all people, regardless of whether a person is presumed to be elect or not.
  4. Hypers teach that sinners have no warrant to believe in Christ until they feel the evidence of the Spirit’s moving in their hearts–in other words, a sinner needs to be convinced he is elect before he has a right to believe.
  5. Hypers deny the universal love of God. Hypers claims that God hates sinners and has no meaningful love for the non-elect.
It should be apparent that none of these five characteristics represent evangelical Calvinists like those found in the SBC. [more]
The Specter of Hyper-Calvinism « Nathan A. Finn
Posted by at 5:23 PM
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4 comments:

  1. Gerhard Ebersöhn8:06 AM

    I am a 'Calvinist'. But I do not know what you have here described as 'hyper' Calvinism or 'hypers'.

    I know and understand 'Calvinism' perfectly well, I think; in any case well enough to rest assured in the knowledge, conviction and faith that God's Elect are saved through and in Jesus Christ eternally; let the rest of mankind say what it likes.

    I am just as convinced and assured a believer of the Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD God as I am of God's Free Grace.

    So I was looking for a Church to affiliate with and share Sabbaths'-worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thought maybe the Seventh Day Baptist Church could offer me that opportunity, while I also thought they were Calvinists. I thought they were Calvinists from what I was able to learn about their history.

    I surfed the net and read their Confession of Faith. Great was my disappointment when I found that they are as Arminian as for example the Seventh-day Adventists.

    Now it seems you confirm my findings.

    I am deeply disappointed and disallusioned. It seems if any 'Sabbath-movement' emerges, its true allegiance lies with free-will. It seems like the devil's design has the upper hand.

    I think I'll die a lonely man. Jesus is my only friend; I worship Him every day, but do not have one or two others with whom to worship Him in Spirit and Truth in the Name of Jesus Christ, Sabbaths' feasting on Him, eating and drinking of the Bread and Water of Life as The Body of Christ's Own.

    People now a days rather worship the greatness of human movements and organisations.

    My heart is sore.

    Gerhard Ebersöhn

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  2. Standfast10:58 AM

    Gerhard, "hyper" means extreme and would not apply to most Calvinists. In fact the person I quoted is, I think, a Calvinist. Seventh Day Baptists do not take an official position on that theological issue [or on many others]. There are many Calvinists among us.

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  3. Gerhard Ebersöhn3:40 PM

    Thank you for having answered me, Standfast. And I am also thankful to see that you believe the Bible-Sabbath; Thank the LORD.

    Thank you for having answered so soon!

    As I said, the SDB's own Confession is a denial of Calvinism. Here is why I say so,


    Salvation
    http://www.seventhdaybaptist.org/content/believes-history/statement-belief

    I do not believe a compromise is possible or honest.

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  4. Standfast4:29 PM

    And what is it in the Statement that contradicts Calvinism? I know quite a few Calvinists who have no problem with it. But If you insist that the church you affiliate with agree with you on every point, you will have difficulty with Baptists [and just about everyone else].

    By the way, I myself think the issue is secondary and probably deals with truths beyond our understanding. See http://secondtimothy215.blogspot.com/2010/08/spurgeon-vs-hyper-calvinism.html and http://www.one-eternal-day.com/2009/12/theologically-ambidextrous.html

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