Video: Why James White Is Sick of The Calvinist Club

Humble_Disciple

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I understand the things James White says in this video. There does seem to be too many arrogant Calvinists on the internet, and I think it's in large part an overreaction to ignorance commonly displayed by non-Calvinists on the scriptural proofs for the doctrines of grace.

Too many non-Calvinists seem to outright mock Calvinism, without realizing that Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and other Protestant Reformers taught the same basic doctrines as John Calvin, as did the church fathers along with numerous passages of scripture.

Here are quotations from the early church fathers supporting the five points of Calvinism, most of whom from before the time of Augustine:
Calvinism in the Early Church (The Doctrines of Grace taught by the Early Church Fathers) | Reformed Theology at A Puritan's Mind


Here are passages from the Bible supporting the five points of Calvinism:
What is Calvinism and is it biblical? What are the five points of Calvinism? | GotQuestions.org


This is from Luther’s 97 Theses, which he wrote before his 95 Theses:
29. The best and infallible preparation for grace and the sole disposition toward grace is the eternal election and predestination of God.
30. On the part of man, however, nothing precedes grace except indisposition and even rebellion against grace.
Contend Earnestly: Luther’s 97 Theses: Disputation Against Scholastic Theology

Anti-Calvinists are usually also ignorant of church history, that the basic doctrines of Calvinism were already taught by Augustine against Pelagius and Luther against Rome. The doctrines we know today as “Calvinism” are only called that because it was John Calvin who popularized them.

This ignorance of Calvinism's doctrinal foundations is no excuse, however, to act rudely in return. Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek and love our enemies.

If you truly believe yourself to be unconditionally elected unto salvation, then your attitude should be that of thankfulness and humility, with a desire to serve God and others the rest of your life, no matter how the world and those who claim to be fellow Christians may scorn you.
 
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Humble_Disciple

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As R.C. Sproul here explained, Arminians are saved and therefore our brothers in Christ, despite their doctrinal inconsistences:

I certainly hope that Arminians are saved and believe so because I was one for five years after I was converted, before I became Reformed in my theology. I believe that I was in a state of grace at that time.

I think that Arminianism is an extremely defective and weak theology. It has serious consequences and ramifications for the church in general and for the Christian individual in particular.
Are they saved? I always like to say yes, but by a happy inconsistency. If they really believe what they say they believe, then I don’t think they would be saved.

Arminians affirm justification by faith alone, the work of Christ, and all of those orthodox things. However, if you ask them why it is that they’re saved and their neighbor isn’t, they will say that God gave grace both to them and to their neighbor but they said yes to that grace and cooperated with it while their neighbor said no and rejected it.

I say to my Arminian friends: “So, you did the good thing and your neighbor did the bad thing. You have something to boast about, but they have only sin. You have done the right thing, but they’ve done the wrong thing. Your work, in the final analysis, is the decisive factor for your being saved, whereas the bad work of your neighbor is the decisive factor for why they’re not saved.”

When I say that to my Arminian friends, to their credit, they always say, “No, I don’t believe that I’m saved on the basis of my works and that my neighbor is damned by his bad works.” They don’t believe that, but I’m telling them, “That’s what you should say if you’re going to be consistent with your theology.” Fortunately, they’re not consistent with their theology.
Are Arminians saved?

I have no reason to doubt the salvation of Leighton Flowers. I am bothered by how often he displays that, despite claiming to be a former Calvinist, he never understood Calvinism in the first place.

Nominal Calvinists who don't understand the Bible and church history very well will be fooled by Dr. Flowers' claims like Augustine invented the doctrine of unconditional election due to the influence of Manicheism, which is unfortunate.

I don't believe that Dr. Flowers deliberately lies about Calvinism and its doctrinal foundations but instead that, for whatever reason, he's embittered toward Calvinism, thus compromising his objectivity.
 
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Humble_Disciple

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