15 Comments

  1. Joe

    The hardest part can be that Churches are no longer allowing their own to really study Scripture on their own by discouraging it saying it leads to pride or causes problems ( throw baby out with the bath water ) , and yet as I do it most of the week on my own hoping to keep up a good thing still !! The prosperity gospel has also hurt Christianity like a crazy snake wiggling all over . My town this heresy as it is , is very popular and no one really takes it serious to critique it .I usually cannot find other people who sincerely honestly want to be looking at scripture and some stayed so immature , but are like the untouchable property of churches . i only see lots of carnal babies and hardly any that been saved as long as myself or who will try to spend time talking .I often pray to stay true to the Lord .And oddly i am saying I live in the USA. Many churches are so worldly now. Do pray for me which I can use always to keep looking to Jesus and Scripture.

  2. ken hall

    There is just too much to try to say in a reply to a comment section like this one on this subject. I myself have written on this subject many times publicly. What never actually gets thoroughly dissected in forums like this is the dogmas of not only Calvinism, but also the dogmas of the other competing systems of belief like OSAS and hyper-Arminianism. Neither of those hold up to Biblical scrutiny in context or true Biblical exegesis. Context IS very important but the harmony of the entire Scriptures on a subject (for true doctrine) is more so. True believers do go willy nilly about what they are taught (as fact) in whatever denomination they happen to reside in. That is a fact. Most Christians ? are lazy and do not search the Scriptures for themselves. They do not use their rational minds, but instead drink the Koolaid they are indogmad with. Such is the lot of Christendom today. True Christians, born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit, cannot “sin” their way out of the kingdom of Christ (God). But they can and do apostasy as is clear in the Bible. God does not take away our ability to choose when we are saved. Folks have spoken of the sealing of God until redemption. That is true. We are set apart for ultimate salvation. That is contingent on our staying faithful to Jesus

  3. Mary

    Amen!! Good article. Thank you for clarifying this. I am neither a Calvinist or an Arminian as well. I am a Bible believing, studying Christian. These two preachers are “man’s” thinking, reasoning and suppositions. I have problems with both of their “doctrines.” We are getting ready to leave a church that is devoted Arminianism and says Calvinism is “very bad and dangerous”, but they have never taken the plank out of their own eye with Arminianism when they hammer away with “a Christian can lose their salvation” and placing fear and doubt in the heart of a believer. It is just crazy to see how so many Christian’s are like the hornets nest with Calvinism and Arminianism and not preaching the truth.

  4. Jeffry

    Example of context: Romans Chapter 9:22 . the last 3 words of verse 22 in the KING JAMES BIBLE says FITTED for destruction. The last 3 words of verse 22 in the ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION says PREPARED for destruction. The word FITTED means man fitted himself for destruction. Why did the ESV theologians use PREPARED instead of FITTED? Doctrine? We pray The Lord gives us the help to study His Word in these Last Days.

  5. Chris

    Great use of scripture to prove these points. I can really see the context of scripture being used. Look though the other comments also, very Bible based. Great job guys.

  6. Craig Giddens

    Echoing other’s comments, I have been telling folks for years that you don’t have to be a Calvinist or Arminian. If you rightly divide the word of truth (studying within context) you will be neither. The problem is getting people to actually study in context. Oh yes, many will say they believe the Bible is the word of God and they study within the context, but in reality they look at a verse and interpret it in the light of their particular theological bent. If we’re not careful we all have tendency to do that. The only way the church can be the pillar and ground of truth is if believers are taught how to rightly divide the word of truth. Thanks for your site. The light (truth) is truly shining bright here.

  7. Rocco

    I have studied scripture for over 20 years and I have never been able to reconcile TULIP with the scripture without doing great violence to the texts. If you look at John Calvin’s life and actions you can see where his theology eventually leads and it is not to Jesus.

  8. Jeffry

    The Lord Jesus Christ never attempted to change the social or political issues of His day. He came to seek and to save those that were lost. Systematic Theology tries to put God in mans box. It says this is how God thinks. It will take us all Eternity to understand Calvary. Context of all the words of the Bible are the key to attempting to understand Gods ways. Thank you Judson for this well timed article. For God so Loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that Whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have Everlasting Life.

  9. Anna Rosa

    I used to say that I was neither as well, and I just knew I was not a Calvinist after discovering TULIP. I studied the doctrines of both Arminianism and Calvinism more in depth, and after that I leaned pretty much toward Arminianism! It is so like Evangelical Christianity that I can’t tell the difference, and I mean the old orthodox type, not this modern neo-garbage. But it has gotten such a bad wrap and I place the blame at the feet of the Calvinists for that too. I might have mentioned this, but I had some friends who were Calvinists over the years and it always fell apart because they were too aggressive and just would not let it go, they got so acrimonious that I had to pull the plug on it. They really believe that the Gospel and Calvinism are the same and they don’t really receive you as a brother or sister if you are not a Calvinist. Only I have the true Gospel and they don’t, because it’s not Calvinism! They only had the attitude.

  10. Dawn Ory

    Awesome article!!….Calvinism is totally a belief of confusion, our Lord is not, nor His Holy Word!!!!

  11. Heather N Christian

    Calvinism is one of the most dangerous false religious cults in existence and I’m thankful for men and women of God who have the guts to speak truthfully and candidly on the matter in the hopes that some wake up from the fog of false teachning they’re under and repent toward God.

  12. Scott Pearson

    Thank-you Judson, for hitting the nail squarely on the head. I too, would consider myself neither Calvinist nor Arminian, as “the Bible teaches neither of these with any degree of clarity.” Christians are so ready to accept doctrines with proof texts, while neglecting, as you’ve wrote, “the reading and consistent study of God’s Word in its context!” As a church, we just don’t teach people to think through the scriptures for ourselves. Preachers, even the good ones that actually preach expositoraly through God’s word, often don’t encourage and teach their listeners how to ‘work through’ a passage and come to their own understanding. I’ve lead Bible studies for years, and gotten blank looks from people who are being asked to think. These are people who are trying to figure out ‘the right answer, the answer that the leader is looking for’. It is also rewarding on rare occasion to see people ‘learning to feed themselves.’ How do we whet peoples appetite for feeding themselves, working through and understanding the Word of God in it’s proper context? Judson, you clearly understand the problem, when you write your book I’d like the first copy. God bless, Scott

  13. Debbie Goetz

    Truth divides. I tell people al the time: I am neither a Calvinist nor an Arminianist…I am a BIBLICALIST!! It is true that very few Christians are every taught proper study methods to correctly exigete the scriptures for themselves. I was exceedingly blessed by the Lord to be led into a fellowship of genuine born again, Holy Spirit indwelled Christians who are also serious students of the Word. I took a class that taught me how to dig into the scriptures utilizing an INDUCTIVE method of study with the sole intention of gleaning what God is truly communication in/through this love letter/instruction manuel/prophetic warning we call The Bible vs what I THINK He is saying or what I might want Him to be saying. It does not matter what I THINK or what I WANT – all that matters is THE TRUTH. And the truth is that scripture does not support either the election or predestination of Calvinist doctrine (the two primary pillars upon which the rest of their false doctrines rest) nor does it support many of the teachings of Arminianism – the most absurd and dangerous being that a truly born again, Holy Spirit born, marked and sealed child of God – new creation in Christ can turn around and deny Christ and loose their salvation. IMPOSSIBLE (at least according to the scriptures!)

  14. Elaine

    I want to thank lighthouse trails for speaking out regarding Calvinism, also for recommending the book by Bob Kirkland. I have purchased it and have been very enlightened. I was once steeped in this heresy myself. Keep up the good work lighthouse for although there may be many attacking you for your stand there are many others that respect you for exposing such error.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 characters available