By David Watson

Benchley, December 16, 2009

• Romans 8:28-39? and John 10:27-29, continued:
  • This passage is talking about external forces, not sin.
  • Matthew 6:19
  • Isaiah 59:1-2?- Sin causes separation from God.
• Some argue that although fellowship with God may be lost, our relationship with God can never be broken.
  • This contradicts a variety of Bible passages.
• Bible-ism (as opposed to Calvinism):
  • Total ability – We have the ability to choose to serve God.
  • Conditional election – We must be faithful to God.
    • I John 2:3; John 5:28-29
  • Unlimited atonement?- All have the opportunity to obtain salvation.
    • I John 2:2; Hebrews 2:9; Titus 2:11; II Peter 3:9
  • Resistable grace (accountability)
  • Faithfulness of saints – We must be faithful to obtain salvation.

By David Watson

Benchley, December 9, 2009

• Colossians 1:21-23
• Hebrews 3-4
• Hebrews 6:4-6
• James 5:19-20
• II Peter 1:10-11
• What answer is given to these passages?
  • Calvinists argue that God requires us to “persevere to the end” and say that “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone.”? Their line of reasoning is that God preserves those who truly believe, but God also requires us to persevere in faith to the end, which appears to be circular reasoning.
• Proof-texts used by Calvinists:
  • Galatians 6:9
    • “(A mere intellectual assent is insufficient; perseverance in our works must prove that our faith is genuine.)? James 2:14“
    • “II Peter 2:17-22?(To not persevere and to turn back to the corruption of the world is to destroy our souls.)”
  • Romans 8:28-39?and John 10:27-29
    • “God will never allow them to stray permanently away from the love of Christ.? (Romans 8:28-39).”
    • This passage is talking about external forces, not sin.

By David Watson

Benchley, December 2, 2009

• Ezekiel 18:24-28
• Acts 8:13-24?- Simon was a baptized believer.? Why would he need to repent and pray if he could not be lost?
• Romans 11:11-23
• I Corinthians 9:19-27?- Paul himself did not want to become disqualified.
• Galatians 5:1-4?- Paul warns of falling from grace.

By David Watson

Benchley, November 25, 2009

• Calvin believed there to be four offices within the church:
  • Pastors:? did the preaching.? Ephesians 4:11?(Pastor means shepherd, elder.? I Peter 5:1)
  • Doctors:? were teachers of theology and instructed the pastors when needed.
  • Elders:? enforced the moral standard and exercised discipline when necessary.
  • Deacons
• Handling religious differences:
  • Jerome Bolsec: ?banished from Geneva because of his differences with Calvin about predestination.
  • Servetus: ?was an anti-trinitarian.? Convicted by both Catholics and Reformation and burned as a heretic.
  • Acts 15 resolving the question of circumcision.
• Calvin’s influence spread widely across Europe and England.
• Perseverance of saints (or “security of believers”):
  • Once truly saved, one cannot fall away.

By David Watson

Benchley, November 18, 2009

• Beliefs of John Calvin:
  • No musical instruments.
  • Sing only psalms.? (Only Psalms from the book of Psalms could be sung in worship.)
  • New Testament versus Old Testament.? (Doctrines and ceremonies from the Old Testament are not applicable today.)
  • The church
    • Believed there were four offices:
      • Pastors
      • Doctors
      • Elders
      • Deacons

By David Watson

Benchley, October 28, 2009

• I John 5:1, continued
  • First, what scripture teaches us that the phrase “bord of God” refers to the event of irresistible frace (a “divine act of regeneration”)?
    • I Peter 1:23-25; 1:3; James 1:18; John 3:3-7; Romans 6:4
  • Second, what difference does it make if one believes after he is born of God?? That doesn’t prove that he couldn’t believe before he was born of God.
    • James 2:19; Mark 16:16; John 20:31; Acts 16:30-31
• Matthew 9:9?- Jesus calling Matthew to be an apostle
  • Calvinists uses this as a proof text for irresistible grace.
  • Luke 6:12; I Corinthians 9:27?- Jesus prayed for the apostles and Paul was careful not to lose his own soul.
  • Calvinists assume that Matthew was saved at the point that Jesus chose him.? This isn’t necessarily the case.
  • Luke 3:12-13?- Calvinists argue that Matthew was totally depraved.? Just being a tax collector didn’t make Matthew a sinner.
• A new creation
  • II Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 6:15
  • Calvinists argue that irresistible grace acts on a person to make them into a new creature.
  • Romans 6:3-4,11-13; Colossians 3:9-10?- Man must make the choice to obey God.? Romans 6:15-16; James 1:18

By David Watson

Benchley, October 21, 2009

• The call of the gospel is effective.
  • John 7:37; Matthew 11:28-30
  • I Corinthians 2:14-15?- This would seem to support the Calvinist view because it says the natural man cannot understand.
    • John 20:30-31?- Reading can produce belief!
    • Luke 8:11-15?- This parable cannot fit with Calvinism.
    • James 4:7?- Why resist the devil if God’s inward call cannot be resisted?
  • Romans 1:15-16?- Why would Paul preach a gospel that could not save (according to Calvinism)?
  • John 17:20?- Jesus prayed for belief in those that heard the word.
    • Acts 2:36ff – People were touched by hearing Peter’s sermon.
    • Acts 11:13; 15:7?- Belief would come by hearing.
    • Romans 10:17?- Faith comes by hearing.
  • I John 5:1?- Calvinists argue that God’s grace precedes belief.
    • Compare I John 2:29; 4:7
    • Being born of God does not just happen to man.? It is something that man chooses to do.
    • I Peter 1:23-25?- Being born of God happens through the word of God.
    • James 1:18?- We are brought forth by the word of truth.

By David Watson

Benchley, October 14, 2009

• Calvinists argue that “the Holy Spirit never fails to bring to salvation those sinners whom He personally calls to Christ.”
  • They also argue that the Holy Spirit makes an outward call to sinners (hearing the gospel) and an inward call.? The outward call can be refused, but the inward call cannot.
• Acts 7:51
• Matthew 11:28; John 7:37?- Calvinists argue that although Christ’s call is sincere, man’s totally deprived state means that no one can answer the call.

By David Watson

Benchley, September 30, 2009

• Did Jesus come to save or to make men savable (continued)?
  • Galatians 1:3?- Calvinists use this passage to argue that Jesus saves, not that He came to make men savable.
  • I Timothy 1:15
  • Answer:? the fact that Jesus saves does not exclude the fact that man also has responsibility.
    • John 8:24
    • The Calvinist always looks at these issues with the idea that if anything depends upon man, God is no longer sovereign.? But the fact is, God has always allowed people to make their own choices which then affect outcomes.
      • Exodus 12:7,12-13; Numbers 21:7-9; Deuteronomy 11:26-28
    • God’s sovereignty is not threatened by man’s choices.? The reason for this is that God is the final judge.? Ecclesiastes 11:9
  • Both.? The Calvinist is trying to force a distinction into the Bible here.
  • He Himself said there are conditions.? (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:16; John 8:24, etc.)
• Arminianism
  • The five points of Calvinism came about in a synod convened to consider five points of faith brought up by Arminius.? The synod decided that Arminius’ points of faith were not scriptural and so rejected them and decided on the five points of Calvinism to combat his teaching.
• Ulrich Zwingli? (January 1, 1484 – October 11, 1531)
  • Swiss chaplain and preacher who preached against being a mercenary (and indulgences).
  • Read a copy of the Novum Testamentum Omne from Desiderius Erasmus in 1516, the first complete New Testament in Greek in many, many years.
  • The sausage supper.
    • March 1522:? sausage supper during Lent.
    • Sermon:? “On the Choice and Freedom of Food”
    • This became the start of the Reformation in Switzerland.

By David Watson

Benchley, September 23, 2009

• I Timothy 2:3-6
• Titus 2:11-14
• Hebrews 2:9
• I Peter 3:9
• I John 2:1-2
• John 10:11-16
  • Calvinists use this passage to support their beliefs on limited atonement.? They claim that the sheep here are the “elect”.
  • This passage does not say who the elect is.? Their mistake is in assuming that people cannot and do not decide to change into sheep in Jesus’ fold.
• Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25
  • Calvinists argue that these passages show that Jesus came to save a particular people.
  • I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 11:20-22?- People can be added and removed from the church.
• John 17
  • Calvinists argue that Christ is praying for the elect in John 17:1-11.
  • Answer:? Jesus is praying for the eleven faithful apostles.? This harmonizes with John 13:1; Luke 22:13-14; Matthew 26:19-21; Mark 14:16-18.
  • Jesus is speaking in past tense about these apostles and His relationship with them up to this point.? John 17:6,8
  • John 17:12,20?- Jesus things that only make sense with reference to the apostles.
• Did Jesus die to save people or make them savable?
  • Calvinists argue that Christ died to directly save people.