http://www.freefoto.com/preview/11-29-13?ffid=11-29-13A brother posted this on my FB wall... an excerpt from Johnson's article 'A Primer on Hyper Calvinism.'
Yoel
I just found this I'm not in agreement yet. Just found it
http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/hypercal.htm
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).
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Sing F Lau
Yoel, let me just direct you to an article that responded to the article by Phil Johnson. Go here:
http://evangelica.de/articles/doctrine/the-gospel-of-deceit/
There are lots of other VERY GOOD articles there! Here is another
http://evangelica.de/articles/biographies/john-gill-and-the-charge-of-hyper-calvinism/
Pr 18:17 "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him."
Phil Johnson is a bagful of lies and confusion! I will comment on Johnson's 3 points above later.
Sing F Lau
Yoel, let me say one thing first before talking up the three points mentioned by Phil Johnson: Pr 18:17 "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." In debate, what often happened is this: it is very easy to misrepresent our opponent, and them dismiss the issue.
It is one thing to hear Johnson running down those he slanders as hyper, but it is another to hear from the people who are NOT hyper BUT disagree with him. To Johnson, any who disagrees with him will be slandered as a non-c or a hyper-c. The new school Calvinists like Johnson don't seem to see the whole hosts of contradictions there are in their system of belief!
The new school calvinists don't realize that they have departed from the 'calvinism' that was uniform among the old school baptists!
Like I have said, John Gill's teaching was universally regarded by Calvinists (of various denominations) of his time as the epitome of 'calvinism' but new school baptists like Johnson slanders him as hyper!
Pygmies and midgets calling well formed men names - how disgusting and revolting!
Sing F Lau
Let me dispose off the Johnson's junks.
"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."
I am an old school baptist like John Gill and his contemporary baptists. I am no hyper, and I don't fit Johnson's caricature. This said, let me comment of Johnson's junks.
1. There is big confusion here, the new school calvinists equate the decretive will of God as the secret will of God. The secret will of God is just that, SECRET, and NO ONE CAN KNOW that secret will. If it can be known that it is a secret will, then it is no longer secret! The decretive will of God is NO SECRET will at all. Any man who thinks God's decretive will is still secret is deluded! What is decreed is revealed to his people, otherwise His people won't know there is that decretive will!
2. Those he slanders as hyper DO NOT tend to stress the secret (or decretive) will of God over His revealed (or preceptive) will. That's a lie, and a misrepresentation. The old school baptists DON'T even believe there is such a thing as secret will of God!
- What they do always INSIST is to DISTINGUISH the DISTINCTION between God's decretive will and God's preceptive will. And they hold them both in balance and harmony, since both are God's will. They don't pit ne against the other.
- However, it is the new school calvinists who stress the preceptive will of God and IGNORE that decretive will of God altogether, pretending that the decretive will of God is secret and cannot be known, and thus giving themselves license to believe and act contrary to the decretive will of God. What shameless self-deceived folks!
If you don't understand what I have just said, just admit it, and I will explain!
3. What the new school calvinists are ignorant of and OBTUSE is this: the old school baptists hold that the decretive will of God and the preceptive will of God - though distinct, are perfectly harmonious and consistent, and are NEVER contradictory at all.
- New school calvinists (baptists and sprinklers alike) are deceived that God's decretive will is secret, and therefore ignore that decretive will and its plain implications in their beliefs and actions, and believe and act contrary to the decretive will of God. How? you ask!
- God decreed that He elected a particular people to eternal glory through the redemption of His Son Jesus Christ, and which is to be applied to each one of His elect by His Spirit. That decretive will is an WIDE OPEN SECRET! decreed and revealed in His Scriptures.
4. The eternal redemption purposed by God, purchased by Christ, and applied personally to each elect is SPECIFICALLY INTENDED for the elect only - that is the decretive will of God... that is no secret will at all.
- The good news of this finished work of God is to be brought to such people found among men every where in the world.
- Therefore the good news of eternal redemption is intended for such people alone... and no one else.
- The new school calvinists ignore that decretive will, and happily go about SINCERELY offering this eternal redemption to every one indiscriminately! What presumptuous lairs! They are acting as fools, i.e. as though God has no spoken, and as though God's preceptive will is contrary to His decretive will.
5. The new school calvinists, disregarding and ignoring the decretive will of God, believe the BIG LIES that it is God's preceptive will to require all men, including even those who are NOT His children (elect whom the Triune God has effctually called to eternal salvation) to believe Jesus as their Saviour... even though they must militate against the decretive known will of God. They believe in a God who requires a man to believe LIES! Let God be true, but these new school calvinists LIARS!
- The old school baptists firmly hold that the decretive will and the preceptive will of God are consistent and harmonious and unified. He purposed eternal redemption for a specific people, Christ accomplished it for the same people, and the Holy Spirit applied it to individuals of the same.... God sends His preachers to call ONLY such to believe the truth of their salvation.
Let the reader judge for himself... who are LIARS!
Sing F Lau
Let me dispose off the Johnson's junk.
"First, hyper-Calvinists routinely obscure any distinction between God's will as reflected in His commands and His will as reflected in his eternal decrees."
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This accusation is hardly true at all.
The problem is NOT that the old school baptists OBSCURE the distinction God's preceptive will as reflected in His commands and His will as reflected in His eternal decrees.
As stated before, the problem lies with the new school baptists' ignorance and rejection of the fundamental truth that the decretive will of God and the preceptive will of the SAME God cannot be contradictory, but wholly and completely harmonious.
The old school baptists DO NOT obscure the distinction. In fact, the opposite is the truth! This shows the true blindness and obtuseness of the slanderers! The blind accuses others as not making the distinction.
They tenaciously hold to the great fact that the eternal decrees of God are immutable, and absolutely certain of accomplishment, ALL by His own sovereign and gracious acts, and apart and independent from any human will or effort. The eternal redemption God decreed for His elect is absolutely certain of its accomplishment for all the elect, and all solely and completely by God's own free and sovereign grace.
They ALSO tenaciously hold to the equally great truth that God's preceptive will for His people are conditional in nature, i.e. their accomplishment is dependent upon the obedient responses of His children. His preceptive will for His children (those whom God HAS ALREADY bestowed eternal redemption) are for the well-being of His children here on earth. The accomplishment of His preceptive will is synergistic, conditioned upon the obedient responses of His children.
The old school baptists have always said, "Distinction is the essence of sound theology." But blind Johnson, who can't differentiate light from darkness, has the cheek to accuse the old school baptists of obscuring the distinction between God's will as reflected in His commands and His will as reflected in his eternal decrees! Old school baptist make crystal distinction between the two.
What a scandal!
Sing F Lau
Let me dispose off the Johnson's junks.
"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."
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The decretive/revealed will of God inform His people that God purposed eternal redemption for His elect, and Christ accomplished that eternal redemption for them, and the Holy Spirit apply that SAME eternal redemption to each elect personally when they were still in their native state of sin and death. All these are by the free and sovereign will of God - without any assistance or cooperation of man. And the same free and sovereign grace guarantee the eternal glorification of all the same elect.
Did any man help or assist God in effectually calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death into that of grace and eternal life? If there any did, please state his name!
And when God has effectually called a man, is he not perfectly fitted for eternal glory? What else is lacking that man can contribute and make up that the eternal glory is made more certain? If you know of anything, name it please!
If God Himself has freely and sovereignly applied that eternal redemption to an elect while he was still dead in trespasses and sins, with the result that the elect ALREADY possesses that eternal redemption, then what is there left for the preacher to offer to him?
Well, at best the offer comes TOOOOOOOOO LATE, and is redundant. A preacher may go around offering a thousand and one things, but he surely cannot offer eternal salvation to anyone! God BESTOWS it Himself, without man's help! God applies that eternal redemption to an elect ALL by Himself, freely and sovereignly, without any means.
Preachers cannot offer eternal salvation to the elect... for God did not call him to offer that eternal salvation in the first place. God most certainly send out men to preach the good news of what He has done for His people, and to CONVERT them to the truth. ONLY God's children can be converted to the truth because the truth of eternal salvation is ALREADY true of them - God Himself has applied that salvation to them personally.
And to offer eternal salvation to those whom God did not elect, and for whom Christ did not die, is not only deceitful and wicked, it also portrays God as a liar and a hypocrite - sincerely offering eternal redemption to those He HAS DECREED to bypass!
Of course, free offer is completely consistent with universal redemption - redemption made possible for every one without distinction, and thus must be offered to every one, and it is up the hearers to choose whether to accept that salvation of not.
New school calvinists are as ARMINIAN as ever!
Worse still, these preachers claim that eternal redemption is pedaled and hawked by them! How different are they from RC PRIESTCRAFT!
Sing F Lau
Let me dispose off the Johnson's junks.
"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)."
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John Gill is slandered left and right, front and back, as the epitome of hyper-calvinism.
Let the accusers and slanderers study his life and ministry, and the church he ministered, and see whether they come near to anything said above! Quite the opposite.
Dr George Ella, a historian and theologian, has written a substantial biography on John Gill... get a copy and read it... and it will save you from repeating all those lies.
John Gill and the Cause of God and Truth, Go Publications.
All Dr Ella's books are available on the North American Continent courtesy of :
Mr Michael Pickett
Gospel Missions PO Box 318
Choteau, Montana 59422 USA
tel/fax : 001 406 466 2311 Gospel Mission
email: gospelm@3rivers.net
Yoel
Thank you Sing. Phil Johnson and his clan belong to the John Macarthur Bias debaters for Christ club and every person under their dogma have an arrogant prideful spirit that you can smell then from afar , I was one of them for two years , t...hey make me believe that because I was under their wings I've arrived to the pinnacle of truth and that rubbing elbows with them will make me more godly...also when somebody leaves their church and goes to another one they take it personal and usually slander that brethren as an apostate or in pursuit of sinful pleasures or because he/she wasn't saved at all or because he/she can't handle their holiness....sad.
I can't stand and argument when the opponent believes there is no way they need to learn at least a bit.
Sing F Lau
A universalist believes that Christ died for all to make all saveable, and therefore logically and consistently believes these things:
1. That the gospel call applies to all the listeners,
2. That faith is the duty of every sinner,
3. That the gospel "offers" Christ and salvation to the non-elect,
4. That the gospel offer of divine mercy is free and universal,
5. That the saving grace in Jesus Christ is common to all, and
6. That God has the same saving love for the non-elect too.
Universalists are consistent with their beliefs.
New school calvinists, though claiming election and particular redemption, are completely inconsistent on the matter. They are more like the universalists in their thinking about the gospel ministry.
