Calvinism (Hyper-Calvinism & Reformed Theology)?

[hopper]

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[drstevej]

Hyper Calvinism is usually a term of derision. I am not sure anyone proudly wears the label hyper Calvinism (or hyper anything-ism).

I believe that monergistic regeneration is at the core of Calvinism. God imparts the gift of faith to His elect while they are spiritually 100% dead effecting His desired result to His glory. Further, with the gift of faith imparted by the Holy Spirit come the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit resulting in the ultimate florification of all those who have been regenerated.

Deny this and I think you are not a Calvinist.

 

[cygnusx1]

[size=+1]

yper-Calvinism,[/size] simply stated, is a doctrine that emphasizes divine sovereignty to the exclusion of human responsibility. To call it "hyper-Calvinism" is something of a misnomer. It is actually a rejection of historic Calvinism. Hyper-Calvinism entails a denial of what is taught in both Scripture and the major Calvinistic creeds, substituting instead an imbalanced and unbiblical notion of divine sovereignty.

Hyper-Calvinism comes in several flavors, so it admits no simple, pithy definition. Here are a few definitions to consider. I'll comment briefly on these and then propose a more comprehensive definition:

[size=+1]From a popular theological dictionary:[/size]

1. [Hyper-Calvinism] is a system of theology framed to exalt the honour and glory of God and does so by acutely minimizing the moral and spiritual responsibility of sinners . . . It emphasizes irresistible grace to such an extent that there appears to be no real need to evangelize; furthermore, Christ may be offered only to the elect. . . .

2. It is that school of supralapsarian 'five-point' Calvinism [n.b.—a school of supralapsarianism, not supralapsarianism in general] which so stresses the sovereignty of God by over-emphasizing the secret over the revealed will of God and eternity over time, that it minimizes the responsibility of sinners, notably with respect to the denial of the use of the word "offer" in relation to the preaching of the gospel; thus it undermines the universal duty of sinners to believe savingly in the Lord Jesus with the assurance that Christ actually died for them; and it encourages introspection in the search to know whether or not one is elect. [Peter Toon, "Hyper-Calvinism," New Dictionary of Theology (Leicester: IVP, 1988), 324.]​

Notice three very crucial points in that definition: First, it correctly points out that hyper-Calvinists tend to stress the secret (or decretive) will of God over His revealed (or preceptive) will. Indeed, in all their discussion of "the will of God," hyper-Calvinists routinely obscure any distinction between God's will as reflected in His commands and His will as reflected in his eternal decrees. Yet that distinction is an essential part of historic Reformed theology. (See John Piper, "Are There Two Wills in God? Divine Election and God's Desire for All To Be Saved" in Thomas R. Schreiner, ed., The Grace of God and the Bondage of the Will, 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995, 1:107-131.)

Second, take note of the stress the above definition places on hyper-Calvinists' "denial of the use of the word 'offer' in relation to the preaching of the gospel." This is virtually the epitome of the hyper-Calvinist spirit: it is a denial that the gospel message includes any sincere proposal of divine mercy to sinners in general.

Third, mark the fact that hyper-Calvinism "encourages introspection in the search to know whether or not one is elect." Assurance tends to be elusive for people under the influence of hyper-Calvinist teaching. Therefore, hyper-Calvinism soon degenerates into a cold, lifeless dogma. Hyper-Calvinist churches and denominations tend to become either barren and inert, or militant and elitist (or all of the above).

[size=+1]Some common (but not quite precise) definitions:[/size] Hyper-Calvinism is sometimes defined as the view that God will save the elect apart from any means. Some, but very few, modern hyper-Calvinists hold such an extreme view. Those who do hold this view oppose all forms of evangelism and preaching to the unsaved, because they believe God will save whomever He chooses, apart from human means.

The most famous example of this kind of hyper-Calvinism was when John Ryland heard William Carey talking about becoming a missionary to India, and told him, "Sit down, young man. When God decides to save the heathen, He will do it without your help."

Another common but incorrect definition equates hyper-Calvinism with fatalism. Fatalism is a mechanistic determinism, antithetical to the notion of a personal God. While it is true that the most extreme varieties of hyper-Calvinism tend to depersonalize God, it is not accurate to portray all hyper-Calvinists as fatalists.

Hyper-Calvinism is often equated with supralapsarianism and double-predestination. But it is possible to be a supralapsarian, and to hold to a kind of "double-predestination" without embracing hyper-Calvinism. (Virtually all hyper-Calvinists are supralapsarians, but not all supralapsarians are hyper-Calvinists. For more information about supralapsarianism, see my "Notes on Supralapsarianism & Infralapsarianism.")

Finally, some critics unthinkingly slap the label "hyper" on any variety of Calvinism that is higher than the view they hold to. Arminians like to equate all five-point Calvinism with hyper-Calvinism (as Calvary-Chapel author George Bryson does in his horrible little book, The Five Points of Calvinism: "Weighed and Found Wanting" [Costa Mesa: Word for Today, 1996]). That approach lacks integrity and only serves to confuse people.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm

 

[hopper]

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[hopper]

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[rnmomof7]

Hard to figure your point here hopper.

I will say I agree with my brother cygnusx1

Hyper Calvinist is a term thrown at Calvinists to quiet them.
I once heard the definition of hyper- Calvinist is one that does not believe the gospel needs to be preached or missionaries sent. Seeing I have never met stronger defenders of the gospel and I have never met a Calvinist that did not want to take the gospel out to the world, I would have to say that hyper-Calvinism is a myth... but that is only MY opinion

 

[cygnusx1]

the subject of Hyper Calvinism is a very large subject , it has been debated by a few calvinist groups over the last decade and beyond ....


It also brings within it's scope the issue of "Common Grace" , which means common to both Elect and Reprobate .

The subject has been covered by a few Calvinists in book form .

Many Years ago the Strict Baptists in England debated this issue , and a famous book by a Calvinist Joseph Hussy was published , "God's operations of grace but no Offers" .... I have the book somewhere.

then about ten years ago , David Engelsma who I have met , a leader and a Scholar in The PRC gave out a book defending his church denomination from the charge of Hyper Calvinism .
This was done after his denomination under the leadership of Herman Hoeksema , proclaimed 3 articles of faith that denied any well meant offer , or desire on the part of God for mankind in general....also denied was Common Grace .... as a result Hoeksemas Church was expelled from the main Calvinist Church's at the time.
"The CRC Three Points of 1924 occasioned the break with Herman Hoeksema, who rejected the notion of common grace completely, and also led to the beginning of the Protestant Reformed Churches. The three points can be summarized as follows: (i) In addition to the saving grace of God, shown only to those chosen to eternal life, there is also a certain favor or grace of God which he shows to his creatures in general. (ii) God restrains sin in the life of the individual and society. (iii) The unregenerate, though incapable of any saving good, can perform civic good. For further details on these points and their significance, see Cornelius Van Til, The Defense of the Faith (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1955), pp. 424-7. "

http://www.redeemer.on.ca/~tplant/m/MAU.HTM



Strangely , the Strict and particular Baptists also had THREE points that have caused them to be regarded as "Hyper Calvinists" ............

Now , each Church is entitled to defend their teaching , and to promote only that which can be reasonably gleaned from Holy Writ .


I would say that Hyper Calvinists are very few and far between , but a denial of Common Grace , and a rejection of any "well meant offer" seems to me at least to be going too far .

 

[gildajuliahanna]

Hypercalvinists also stress the monopleuric character of the covenant whereas true Calvinists stress that however unequal the parties in themselves may be, God condescends to come down to the level of man and by His grace enables him to act as the second party in the covenant.

A monopleuric covenant in the absolute sense of the word is really a contradictio in adjecto.

It is essential, however, that the dipleuric character of the covenant be maintained, because man really appears in it as meeting the demands of the covenant in faith and conversion, though it be only as God works in him both to will and to do, according to His good pleasure.



Taken from Louis Berkhof's book Systematic Theology

 

[rnmomof7]

Hypercalvinists also stress the monopleuric character of the covenant whereas true Calvinists stress that however unequal the parties in themselves may be, God condescends to come down to the level of man and by His grace enables him to act as the second party in the covenant.

A monopleuric covenant in the absolute sense of the word is really a contradictio in adjecto.

It is essential, however, that the dipleuric character of the covenant be maintained, because man really appears in it as meeting the demands of the covenant in faith and conversion, though it be only as God works in him both to will and to do, according to His good pleasure.



Taken from Louis Berkhof's book Systematic Theology

Lets face it to Arminians we are all hyper calvinists. I refuse to be intimidated by the term or run from it ..