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Calvinism & The Salvation of Infants

1. From the beginning a few held with Zwingli that death in infancy is a sign of election, and hence that all who die in infancy are the children of God and enter at once into glory. After Zwingli, Bishop Hooper was probably the first to embrace this view. It has more lately become the ruling view. 2.    At the opposite extreme a very few held that the only sure sign of election is faith with its fruits, and, therefore, we can have no real ground of knowledge concerning the fate of any infant; as, however, God certainly has his elect among them too, each man can cherish the hope that his children are of the elect. Peter Martyr approaches this sadly agnostic position. 3.Many held that faith and the promise are sure signs of election, and accordingly all believes and their children are certainly saved; but the lack of faith and the promise is an equally sure sign of reprobation, so that all the children of unbelievers, dying such, are equally certainly lost. The younger Spanheim...
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Homosexuality & Romans 1:18 - 32

The Churches continue to persist in willful ignorance & injustice regarding LGBTQ people.   In order to counter this, let’s interrogate the text of Romans 1:18 - 32 as if we are doing catechesis.   What is the purpose of the created order according to Romans 1:20?     To testify to the existence, INVISIBLE attributes of God, & to God’s authority.  Why is God’s wrath revealed from heaven?   Because people have (since the Fall) been deliberately suppressing the truth about God’s existence, INVISIBLE attributes, & authority by way of substituting the VISIBLE attributes of the created order, especially those of people & animals.  How did people in the ancient world wind up with idols that looked like people & animals?     They looked to the created order & used its VISIBLE attributes as the basis of their theology, philosophy, & ethics.   What sort of theology, philosophy, & ethics?    According...
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Tackling Tradition 81: Non-Calvinist Talking Points

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  By way of reply….. 1. Denies free will!     Affirms that we follow our own desires into sin, condemnation, & death &    — unlike libertarian free will — leaves no room for the possibility that we might not follow our own desires into any choice we make.  2. Interprets Scripture according to confessions.    How many Presbyterian elders, Reformed Baptists & others can you name who look to the WCF or 2LBCF or similar documents before they exposit the Bible?   You believe in libertarian freedom. Where can we find that in the Bible?  3. It states God hates most people!  According to Boettner, there is no reason for us to believe that the number of the elect is less than that of the reprobate.     Matthew 22 is very clear that the majority are called & fill the wedding hall.    The few are chosen for being cast into Outer Darkness.  4. It claims that Yeshua only died for a few!...
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Tackling Tradition 80: The Suffering Servant In Isaiah

Most Christians have been taught that the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 is Yeshua only, but the truth of the matter is that, insofar as He represents us all, the Suffering Servant imagery, though it finds its apex in Christ & in the LORD Himself, also applies to us all.  This article aims to explore that thesis.   Let’s begin in Chapter 52.      After opining about the oppression of His people, the LORD speaks about Himself, Messiah, & those whom the 2 of the represent.      In so doing, He prophesies over us all.     Here, in a nutshell is what God has in mind for all Israel & all people & everyone & everything.     The whole of the created order, including the animals, are included in this.     Read this as if this what God said right before He created us all.  52 7 How beautiful upon the mountains  are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who bring...
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