This Week in Calvinism - January 27, 2012

• Pastor Daniel Ausbun writes, "Calvinism has an appeal because it tends to have an answer for everything -- you can explain everything by saying God predestined it." In his next column, he plans to "have a biblical critique of this trendy theology."
  
  
• Can the roots of animosity toward Calvinism among Southern Baptists be traced back to the Civil War War of Northern Aggression?
  
  
• Paul thinks New Calvinism teaches a false gospel of works-based salvation.
  
  
• "Calvinism is a 'brilliant' counterfeit belief system that is introduced as a 'system' of belief. It mostly attracts people who believe their intellectually superior to others." Apparently this person doesn't... Wait. "Their"?
  
  
• Part 2 of a discussion on Calvinism between Roger Olson and Michael Horton.
  
  
• Eight ways to approach scripture from J. C. Ryle.

A Brief Message to Pro-Choice Women

Pro-lifers are not telling you what you can or can't do with your body.

This Week in Calvinism - January 20, 2012

• Michael Horton and Roger Olson discuss Calvinism.
  
  
• Dan Phillips reviews (and recommends) Thomas R. Schreiner's book 40 Questions about Christians and Biblical Law.
  
  
• John Piper on Psalm 135 and the pleasure of God in all he does.
  
  
• One reason for the rise of Calvinism, according to The Seeking Disciple, may be the fact that there are so many impressive web sites available. Online resources for Arminians are lacking, but there may be a good reason for that: "It has been said that Arminianism is a moving faith in that Arminians are too busy seeking to evangelize the world to sit down and promote their thoughts in books or on the Internet."

This Week in Calvinism - January 13, 2012

• Jonathan Parnell on Greg Forster's forthcoming book, The Joy of Calvinism.
  
  
• Do you like bad analogies that attempt to illustrate the difference between Calvinists and non-Calvinists? If you do, then you'll like this one from Peter Lumpkins.
  
  
• James White responds to Roger Olson.
  
  
• Calvinism is not enough.
  
  
• What's the problem with Calvinism? All you need to know is that it "contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture." Oh, you were looking for a more in-depth explanation?
  
  
• The Holy Spirit is not a failed Ed McMahon.

Love Jesus, Hate (False) Religion

An Ironic Complaint from an Atheist About Tim Tebow

David Silverman, president of American Atheists, has a problem with Tim Tebow:

Silverman states that Tebow's repeated references to God into his post-game comments after a win is "bad for football."

"(Religion) injects the divisive force into football," Silverman says. "Why in the world are we talking about religion when we are talking about football?"

Good question, Mr. Silverman. Why in the world are we talking about religion when we are talking about football?

You Never Marry the Right Person

Timothy Keller writes:

Any two people who enter into marriage are spiritually broken by sin, which among other things means to be self-centered—living life incurvatus in se. As author Denis de Rougemont said, "Why should neurotic, selfish, immature people suddenly become angels when they fall in love ... ?" That is why a good marriage is more painfully hard to achieve than athletic or artistic prowess. Raw, natural talent does not enable you to play baseball as a pro or write great literature without enduring discipline and enormous work. Why would it be easy to live lovingly and well with another human being in light of what is profoundly wrong within our human nature? Indeed, many people who have mastered athletics and art have failed miserably at marriage. So the biblical doctrine of sin explains why marriage—more than anything else that is good and important in this fallen world—is so painful and hard.

The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is—we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God's saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God's mercy and grace.

The hard times of marriage drive us to experience more of this transforming love of God. But a good marriage will also be a place where we experience more of this kind of transforming love at a human level.

A Tip for Those Criticizing a Theology

When criticizing a theology, always be prepared before you write or speak. For example, if you consider Calvinism to be a false teaching , you might want to keep your thoughts to yourself until those thoughts can be formulated so that they make some sense. Otherwise, you might end up with something like this:

This Week in Calvinism - January 6, 2012

• John Piper on Christian Hedonist Calvinism.
  
  
• Piper asks, "[H]ow then can Calvinism awaken such joy in me, and such hate in Chesterton?" He answers, "Because they aren't the same Calvinism."
  
  
• Randal Rauser says he isn't antagonistic toward Calvinism. That must be why he attacks it so often.
  
  
• Phil Johnson on what it means to be salt of the earth.
  
  
• Tim Challies with this month's lesson from John Owen.