Archive for category: Reformed Apologetics

John Samson just sent me this article and I thought I would post it as another reminder to those who would follow Dave Hunt’s errors without checking your citations. Every time you hear someone say, “Even Spurgeon denied limited atonement,” kindly pull them aside and say, “You know, you might want to read Spurgeon’s sermons promoting limited atonement before repeating

I listened to both of Dr. Davis’ anti-Calvinism sermons today on my ride (they were worse than I remembered) and since a month from today I am debating an attorney who is a member of his church on this same topic, I would like to go through the sermon and highlight all the straw-man arguments, etc. I will let my

I was just referred to the Berean Call radio program from 2/26 (you can hear it here) where Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon discussed Calvinism again. There’s really nothing new here—same stuff Hunt has been saying from the start. And that’s the point. There is almost no difference in the falsehoods, errors, straw-men, and simple mind-boggling ignorance that Hunt demonstrated

The e-mail generated by posting the correspondence with Dr. Caner has been most enlightening. The majority have been very supportive and encouraging. Thankfully, my purpose in providing the article was not missed by the ones I am most concerned about. The contrast between the approach and methodology of the two sides has been clearly seen, just as it was in

That’s the description given of Ergun Caner of Liberty University, one which he seems to proudly wear on his own website. Today I read where Dr. Caner said, “Calvinists are much more heinous than Muslims…I assume it is because they are predestined to be….” It just seems to me that if someone is going to promote themselves as fearless and

Some of you may remember a less than encouraging e-mail we received from a Dave Hunt fan last week. You remember…key phrases like “snide and arrogant” “mockery” “pompous contradictions” and the identification of yours truly as a “heretical wolf.” Well, Angelz happened to be passing by the blog and saw the letter, and we all know what happens when you

It doesn’t matter how often he is refuted. It doesn’t matter how often he is challenged. Dave Hunt seems utterly unconcerned about such minor things as truth, accuracy, consistency, or any related issues. When it comes to his most recent crusade, Mr. Hunt’s ears are closed. Evidently, he assumes he has already lost any Reformed readers or supporters he once

Just a quick note before I head off to St. Louis. I was just referred to this on Paul McCain’s blog. I’m sorry, but is the only apologetic offered by these kinds of anti-Calvinistic Lutherans “You need to say Jesus in every other sentence…preferably at the beginning of the sentence”? Rev. McCain (as he asks to be identified) is afraid

I awoke this morning to a veritable explosion of anti-Calvinism, and the relationship of the various sources of these outbursts is somewhat educational.     Last night I was directed to the blog of Paul McCain, a Lutheran who writes for World Magazine. Specifically, I was directed first to a poem he posted, then unposted, then posted again. I likewise read

John 10 is another of the great soteriological passages in Scripture that has encouraged God’s people down through the ages. The Good Shepherd, the perfect Savior who gives His life for His sheep, and who promises the unity of the Godhead itself as surety of the completion of that work—all these themes scream “sovereignty” and, in the constant battle against

While working on the next (and I think, for the moment, final) segment of my response to Paul Owen’s stealth anti-Calvinism, I noted his referring his readers to Calvin’s discussion of election in the Institutes. What I found ironic was that barely a few pages after the section he cited, we read these words, which are not only relevant to

I continue with what I hope is a helpful series exposing the anti-Reformed polemics of pseudo-Calvinist Paul Owen of Montreat College. We have seen how Owen has manhandled the text of John 6, ignoring its own context and flow, inserting a-contextual concepts here and there and coming up with his eisegetical conclusions. We move on to his next section on

It is dangerous to let folks guest blog for you. They get bit by the bug and go and start their own blog and well, then you are left with nobody to guest blog for you anymore! That’s what happened with Alan Kurschner, who has begun a most entertaining blog, www.calvinistgadfly.com. I appreciated his kind words concerning my debate with

I continue reviewing the anti-Reformed interpretation of John 6 and John 10 offered by our pseudo-Calvinist scholar, Paul Owen. Before moving on to his next statement, I would like to briefly note the amusing attempt Owen has posted to provide for himself some cover regarding my previous comments on Romans 11. Though no serious minded individual could possibly be impacted

We now enter into a documentation of the simple exegetical errors made by Dr. Paul Owen, professor at Montreat College, regarding his anti-Reformed readings of these key Johannine texts. 1. Because Baptists do not think in biblical terms about the covenant, they fail to see how Jesus’ allusion to Jeremiah 31:34 in 6:45 enlightens the full scope of 6:37. Some

I continue providing a response to the anti-Calvinistic interpretation of Jesus’ promises to His people in John provided by Paul Owen, a man who claims to be a Calvinist but whose writings and agenda is opposed, clearly, to the proclamation of God’s free and sovereign grace. We continue with Owen’s words: God actually makes promises to people, and gives benefits

The recent Christian Apologetics Journal review of James White’s book The Roman Catholic Controversy has this curious observation made by the reviewer, Ralph MacKenzie: White states that “the doctrine of sola scriptura is based on the nature of the Scriptures as the Word of God” (62). To demonstrate that this doctrine was held in the church prior to the Reformation,

Many believers wonder why it is that they can read their Bibles and see the clear teaching of Scripture, only to go to the voluminous writings of many in academia and find there a muddle of confusion and conflict. Of course, one can find those eagle-eyed men of God who combine a living faith with their academic study and in

Well, I guess nothing coming from John Shelby Spong can be “amazing,” since his entire career has been founded upon the most outrageous claims all arising from his inveterate hatred of “fundamentalism” which, in reality, is simply his way of referring to anything that takes Scripture seriously and proclaims anything even slightly akin to “the gospel.” But you still have

The following can be found here.     The question presented to this Assembly by Overture from the Presbytery of Ohio, ‘Is Baptism in the Church of Rome Valid?’ is one of a very grave character, and of deep practical importance. The answer to it must involve principles vital to the peace, the purity, and the stability of the church of

I’m glad Steve Hays has more time these days than I do. He’s on top of the eisegetical nightmares Paul Owen is posting, and here is the newest. Well named, “The Enemy Within.” Owen is demonstrating he is anything but what he claims to be, that is for certain. Once again, I wonder when other folks will start to put

Took calls at the beginning of the show then had to rush, too much, I fear, through reading Calvin’s comments on John 6:37ff so as to contrast them with those of Paul Owen and his “Covenantal” (Eisegetical) reading of the same passage. Lord willing and I ever clear my desk so as to get to the John 6 project, I

The fresh, crisp air of Alaska, normally in the mid 50’s, was quite the contrast to the current 102 degrees here in Phoenix, as I knew it would be. But, such joyous experiences only last so long, and now it is back to so many other projects and tasks. My next trip will take me up to speak in the

Concluding Thoughts     God has no obligation to predestine anyone in the first place. The astonishing reality is not that God has only elected some to be saved but that he would elect anyone in the first place! So, if God has no obligation to save anyone, then why are there folks that object to God’s gracious choice in election?

Biblical Data that Teaches God Predestined Individuals     Does Scripture only teach that God predestined a plan and purpose and not individuals? Lets jump into the Biblical evidence, 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of

Guest blogger Alan Kurschner addresses “How to Refute the God only predestined a planof salvation and not a people objection to Election.” Placing this Objection in a Context     Many people are comfortable with allowing God to be sovereign in matters such as nature, answering prayer, ordaining a plan of salvation, etc. But for some reason they are averse to

Even the great distance of being in Skagway, Alaska, cannot protect me from rolling my eyes in simple disbelief and, I admit, no small amount of disgust, at the utter unwillingness of Dave Hunt to simply be honest in his continued attacks upon the sovereign kingship and freedom of God in salvation. I pull down my e-mail here on the

Last evening Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries led our “theology talk” time. At one point he mentioned a text that I had never seen in the light in which he placed it. Possibly that is because it is often passed over because it is in the “end stuff” of 1 Corinthians, I don’t know. But here’s the passage: 1 Corinthians

It is very late so I won’t go into details now, just a quick note to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The debate went far better than I could have possibly imagined. I was particularly happy with the interaction between myself and Dr. Crossan during the cross-examination. Kudos to Rich Pierce and all the gang who

I just received my copy of the July, 2005 issue of the Reformed Baptist Theological Review (www.rbtr.org). I have a new article in this issue titled “Textual Criticism and the Ministry of Preaching” (3-26). Not too late to subscribe!

It came in the mail today. I almost didn’t bother looking at it. I mean, who knows better that Dave Hunt has no interest in speaking truthfully about Reformed theology than I do? I’m overwhelmed with preparations and details in reference to next week’s events, so why even bother looking at Hunt’s new little anti-Calvinism book, the one he did