I use the New King James Version Bible (NKJV), unless otherwise stated. Sometimes we will come upon bible passages that are quite confusing and seem contradictory to each other and difficult to understand. When this happens don't give up. An example is Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Let us look at them for a moment:
Genesis 1 (God spoke points one to six into existence, except people)
1: light
2: firmament
3: plants and trees
4: sun, moon and stars
5: fish and birds
6: animals, man then lastly woman.
Genesis 2 (God made everything, from points two to six, from the ground)
1: earth and heavens
2: man
3: plants, trees and rivers
4: put man in garden (God commanded man to take care of it)
5: animal and birds (God commanded man to name everything)
6: woman
Another supposed contradiction is in Matthew 20:20-28 ... 20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for thosefor whom it is prepared by My Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
First I want to draw your attention to Jesus's own words, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant." Jesus didn't want His followers to be like the unbelievers who lord their position over others, and Jesus was the perfect role model. In fact, He only acted in the way that God the Father would act, because He came to testify to the truth, and God is this truth. Therefore, I believe it's safe to say that God won't Lord His omnipotence and sovereignty over mans head. He lived His live as an example of how we should live our lives.
Secondly, in this passage the mother of James and John asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit beside Him in glory. But in the next passage we'll look at it says it's James and John who asked. Look at Mark 10:35-45 ... 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
So who asked? Was it the mother? Or the sons? It is both. You ask how can it be both? Well, let me explain, if I asked my friend to ask her husband to help us out with renovations and she asks him, who is really asking him? I'm the one asking, but I'm using her mouth. The same is happening here, James and John are really the ones asking but they use their mother to do it.
Does this mean there is a contradiction in the Bible? Not at all. It's like Del Tackett says on the "Truth Project", “If it seems there's a contradiction in the bible, it just means that you need to study God's Word harder and deeper.” The Truth Project is an amazing DVD series brought to us by a Presbyterian, a Calvinist!!! I don't hate Calvinists. I'm in trouble if I do because I'm surrounded by them everywhere, on all sides. You can learn from them but you must know what God has to say. Take from their teaching things that which is biblically accurate and throw out what does not line up with God's Word. To explain this supposed contradiction in Genesis Kent Hovind states that, “Genesis 1 is a point form for the whole week and Genesis 2 is a close up view of only day six.”
Sometimes extra-biblical sources can help in our understanding of God's Word too. However, I don't recommend that this become an authority. Using outside sources should be very limited and more like the exception than the rule. So I want to encourage you to keep studying God's Word as I am committed to do. I'm speaking here from what I've found to be true using God's Word as my guide. I feel the need to add here that the only time you should use outside sources is if it's biblically supported. If it isn't then you must show how it isn't biblical supported and then throw it out.
Proverbs 3:5-8 ... 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
Don't let your own understanding guide you in God's truth but rather trust and rely on God to reveal His truth to you.
Questions I've actually asked a couple of Calvinists already and no one can answer are these. "Did God foreordain everything for His Glory? If yes … since God is love and goodness according to the Word of God, then why is anything wrong or evil? Can God be wrong? Can God be evil? Can God deceive? If He foreordained everything, including free will, for His Glory then can free will diminish the Glory of God? Is God's Glory good? If yes … can evil be detrimental to the Glory of God? If yes … does this make evil Good? If no … how can evil exist if everything is preordained for the Glory of God? Or are there certain things not done for the Glory of God? Is God ultimately sovereign and omnipotent? If God has ultimate sovereignty and omnipotence … does He not have the sovereign right to give man free will? Does God not have the sovereign right to allow a man to respond out of his or her own free will , like it says in Deuteronomy 30:19 among many many passages, and allow that choice by the human, of their own free will, to stand? Can God deceive and lie? If not why would He over and over again demand people choose when really they have no choice but to do what He has preordained? Does this human free will diminish God's sovereignty in any way? Can a sovereign God choose to work in cooperation with mankind? Or must He Lord His sovereignty and omnipotence over mankind in order for Him to be sovereign and omnipotent? Does a sovereign and omnipotent God have the right to choose how much sovereignty and omnipotence over man He wants and will exercise? Should we demand that just because HE can control anything and everything that He wants to that this means that He isn’t allowed to allow man to choose to have an open and free relationship with him where man responds to God out of human free will?
A hard core Calvinist once said to me that they believe that the Apostle Paul could not have refused Christ on the road to Damascus. I don't believe that that's true. I don't believe that because if Paul was living before Christ then he would have been doing right by killing the “blasphemers". He seems to me a man desperate to serve the God of Israel with all his heart. He got deeply educated in the Israel faith. He was ready to accept Christ, in other words he was fertile ground for the seed to grow as the bible says. And I also don't believe that Paul couldn't have refused because Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:11-13 ... 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
He says basically to Be Loyal to the Faith. He makes it very clear that he, Paul, was persuaded by and believed what Christ Himself told and taught him. In the next verse his words are supported when he says he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Look at it for yourself. I feel like an outcast because I hold to the literal teachings of God's Word.
Also I don’t believe that Paul couldn't have disobeyed because if you look at Acts 26:19-23 it says ... 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come— 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Clear as a bell that we have to do something for our salvation when he said “that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance”.
But even if what Calvinists believe were true, it begs the question must an omnipotent God control every persons choices just because he chose to control one person's choice? Does an omnipotent God not have the right to only choose one person and give the rest of humanity a free will to choose Him? Or will His sovereign plans be out the window if someone makes a choice contrary to His will? How sovereign and omnipotent is the God of the Bible? How sovereign and omnipotent is your God? Could God have kept the devil from sinning against His authority? Could God have kept Adam from sinning. Could He have kept Cain from killing Able? If He is a God that absolutely has to be in control then why didn't He keep these three from sinning? Since God made Satan and if God preordained everything, did He also predestine the devil to rebel? Could God just have know about the actions of sinners without forcing them to obey? Could God just simply have chosen to give each one the opportunity to obey rather than sin?
I agree with this person who once said something similar to this, "if I never heard the Gospel before and found a bible, upon reading it from cover to cover I'd never come to a Calvinistic understanding from reading God's Word. Someone would have to indoctrinate me with Calvinism in order for me to see Calvinism being taught in the bible". I must add I'm amazed at how many Calvinists don't really know what they believe. I'm even more amazed at how strongly they hold onto it. Not one Calvinist that I know will just let the bible say it simply and take it at face value.
Romans 3:3-4 ... 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged.”
This would include to make even John Piper, MacArthur, Calvin, R.C. Sproul, Augustine, Luther and everyone else outside the bible a liar, and only God True.
Ephesians 1:9-10 ... 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
Numbers 23:19 ... “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Has God not said to “do it of your own free will"? Has God not said that “whomever wills to come to Him to come"? Was God speaking in code? When you change, alter, add or subtract from God's Word to fit your teachings, traditions and presuppositions you sin greatly. Evolutionists do this all the time when they find fossils. If there is more than one way of looking at something it's time to back off, clear your mind of all you've been taught or have taught yourself and let God's Word say it plainly whatever it wants to say, even if it goes against everything you thought true, even if what God's Word says angers you. If it does you should ask yourself, “why does it" bother you? After all God does say that He made it plain to understand in Romans 1, and God doesn't need human help to say what He means and meant. Let's look at it.
Romans 1:18-23, 32 ... 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Do you approve of people who profess to know the truth of God but really are altering it to suit what they want it to say? If you bring your Calvinistic presuppositions with you instead of just letting God say what He wants to say in His Word then you are allowing fallible men to tell you what to think God says too. Test yourself as you read this. Don't take my word for anything I write, say or suggest but rather take God at His Word.
During my study I found historical records about John Calvin and his guilt in the death of at least one man and perhaps up 59 others, perhaps even more, directly or indirectly, through his teachings. Why people would follow the teachings of a murderer, whom I believe alters God's Word to try and support Augustinistic teachings instead of Gods, is beyond me. I found NOT one historical record of the Apostles, Jacobus Arminius or Menno Simon who were ever involved in anyone’s death, whether deliberately or by accident, whether directly or indirectly. It breaks my heart that Calvinists are willing to fight to support a murderer but not to defend the writers of the Bible, i.e. the Apostles. They were taught by Jesus Christ Himself, even on baptism, and they, not I, gave the conditions who were allowed to be baptized. Only those who believe and profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour were allowed to be baptized. Just think, search the scriptures and reflect on it.
God says to test the spirit and not just believe any spirit. Look up 1 John 4:1-6 ... 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
When it says, "They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world", is why I believe that Calvinists stick to only certain choice verses that they have decided support their understanding. For example constantly focusing only on passages that say we are dead in sins. I only found three verses on this. Here they are.
Ephesians 2:1 ... And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.
Ephesians 2:5 ... even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).
Colossians 2:13 ... And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
So how does He make us alive? We are alive in Christ when we are saved. How are you saved? By grace you have been saved. How does grace save you? You have been saved through faith. This is talking your personal faith not someone else's. Which is another passage that disqualifies infants from the ordinance of baptism. They do not have nor do they profess a personal faith in Christ and His completed atonement work on the Cross of Calvary.
Look at the verse for yourself in Ephesians 2:8 ... For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
So let's go back and answer the question how do you test the spirit? By searching the scriptures like Jesus says in John 5:31-47 ... 31 “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 “I do not receive honor from men.42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Look at a few key passages here where they say ... if another comes in his own name, him you will receive ... I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive ... How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?
It seems that Calvinists accept John Calvin and other Calvinists no matter what. I know many Calvinists that will listen and even change their position on just about anything so long as the person they are listening to or reading from are professing Calvinists. If it's a non-Calvinist they will investigate them back to the stone age and make sure there is absolutely no accusation against them, but even if there isn’t then they still will scrutinize every syllable that the person speaks or writes and still refuse to believe this person, no matter how much factual information and evidence they provide. They do this because a true Calvinist absolutely will refuse to take off his Calvinist coloured sunglasses, no matter what, they will not remove them. It's as if they are terrified that they may understand things differently and their whole man made faith will not be able to stand and crumble in the light of God's truth.
This is part of the reason why over the years I've had such strong disagreements with Calvinists. I would say we have free will and they'd attack back that we don't because the will was completely corrupted and that the bible does not teach free will. In other words, I believe we have free will and they believe we're predestined to believe, outside of ourselves, that we don't have free will. In other words, we don't actually believe in God but rather God believes in Himself through us. Yet even when I'd show them passage after passage on free will, where it's literally mentioned by those words, they'd dismiss them all because they don't support what a Calvinist has decided in their hearts, of their own free will, to hold onto. Yet even though they claimed that their understanding was biblical they would not produce a single passage where it literally says that the will is absolutely corrupted. I'm not talking about the human nature. I'm talking about the will, human free will. But even in regards to the human nature it does not say that, I say this because the words total depravity don't show up even once. Even the word depravity does not show up even once in the New King James Version, but free will is literally in there from beginning to end and often. In all translations, implicitly and explicitly.
I DO NOT want you to change your opinion because of what I'm saying here. Rather I wish God's Word would convict, convince and persuade you and my many Calvinist friends. I know I cannot convince nor persuade anyone, not even you. I know that there is so much that we can learn, so much wonderful Godly truth from many Godly men of God, but the bible should and must be our final authority. Even the Bereans from the Apostle Paul's day didn't just take Paul's word for anything but searched the scriptures for themselves and were blessed for it by God. I never will nor have thought of myself so highly that I believe that I know more than others including these men that Calvinists revere ... Charles Haddon Spurgeon, R.C. Sproul, John Calvin, John Piper, John MacArthur, Charles Wesley, and many others. Nor have I finished learning everything God is teaching me in His Word. You need to ask and be honest with yourself for a moment, I'm very cautious as I put this question to you, do you believe that these men that Calvinists revere know more than the disciples who walked and talked with Jesus Christ Himself everyday, day and night, for 3 whole years?!!!
I get so frustrated when you watch a documentary with a Calvinist and it says anything contrary to what they are willing to accept, that they turn around and act like a victim saying that the non-Calvinist who they are watching, or is in discussion or debate with them, think that all their studying is nothing. Yet they are doing that very thing about the person on the documentary, etc., that they are watching. They won't research what the person said but just dismiss the person as a heretic.
All I ask is that you listen to my biblical understanding of God's Holy truth, and give me a fair hearing without any presuppositions, then go and search the Scriptures for yourself to see if you see it too. But don't just take my word for it, search the scriptures. I praise God though that He makes His Gospel easy to understand. I hurt deeply when I feel dismissed by Calvinists because most of them don't want their boat rocked. They don't want to know the truth. They are content living in the traditions that they are raised in. But they don't seem to think of nor care what God says about traditions.
Look at Matthew 15:1-9 ... 1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
Mark 7:3-13 ... 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “all too well you reject the commandments of God, that you may keep your traditions or Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”’ (that is, a gift to God),12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
I fear that one day many people will hear Jesus say to them, "You honor Me with your lips, but your heart is far from Me. In vain you worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You lay aside the commandment of God, and hold to the tradition of men". I hope this isn't going to be the case.
In two passages only one person is addressed ... literally. Some Calvinists take one as meaning all people and the other as only speaking to a person. This is hypocritical. This is why I get upset talking to a Calvinist and don't feel emotionally safe sharing with them my heart. I will always have to keep my heart protected from them for this reason. Let's look at these two passages that I was referring to.
1. High priest Joshua and God. Zechariah 3:1-3 ... 3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
2. Philip and the Eunuch. Acts 8:34-39 ... 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
This really bothers me when people do this. They decide which verses are allowed to apply to them and which are not. If the Calvinist were to say that they are not fully understanding what Philip means is different then saying it does not apply to them because they don't like what it implies. They were baptized as infants and are not willing to take that step of obedience towards God's Word and get baptized biblically, on the profession of personal faith in Christ. It's not allowed that someone be convicted by God to be rebaptized but they would most likely be excommunicated from both church and family because their traditions won't allow this. Most likely they would also be an outcast for life. With animosity from even their own family who would accuse them of slapping them in the face especially the parents. Most likely this person would not be obedient to God on this issue because the cost would be too high.
Colossians 2:8-9 ... 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
Please do not nullify God's Word just to uphold your Reformed/Calvinist religious traditions. I'm using basically only God's Word and explaining what I hear it clearly say. I'm writing this so Calvinists can understand where I'm coming from and what I believe. If someone truly want to know and understand my faith they cannot bring their presuppositions to the table. Since I'm using basically only God's Word, please listen to God's Word without bringing your traditions and presuppositions to the table or you won't be able to hear my understanding of God's Word because you'll be too busy thinking about how that jives with what you were taught in Calvinism. You'll be way to busy forming opinions and responses.
I tried so hard to become a Calvinist. You can even ask my own parents (non-Calvinists) how hard I tried to support infant baptism and other reformed teachings when speaking to them, even though I neither could back it up biblically nor could I believe it myself in light of God's Word. But the more I studied God's Word and listened to Calvinists preach on it the more I was convinced it was not biblical. I'll explain later when I bring up TULIP and baptism in more detail.
Keep in mind that every time God's Word says "IF" that that's when you can be sure that there is coming a condition that God Himself has placed on something in His omnipotence. He did this in His Absolute sovereign will. It's not up to you and I to tell God what He can or cannot do in His Sovereignty. I'm using God's word only because He's the one that said it. He knows what He meant when He says things. Feel free to look up the passages for yourself. Please don't dismiss passages just because you don't want to see what it really says. And also ask yourself ... is God sovereign because He's omnipotent? Or is He omnipotent because He's sovereign?
Did you know that Sovereignty is an attribution not only attributed to God biblically but also to man. This many Calvinists flat out deny and don't even bother to look up the passage for themselves. As God's Word shows in 1 Samuel 14:47 ... So Saul Established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed them.
God and his sovereignty aren't threatened because humans have free will. He doesn't need us to defend Him and He can do anything and everything He wants to do, in spite of or in cooperation with the human having a free will.
Fact: Omnipotence is an attribution only ever attributed to God and to God alone!!!
Exodus 14:11-12 ... 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 17:1-4 ... 1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!”
Numbers 12:1-12 ... 1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. 5 Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. 6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” 9 So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”
Numbers 14:1-10 ... 1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” 10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.
Numbers 14:27 ... “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.
Numbers 16:20-22 ... 20 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” 22 Then they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?”
Numbers 16:45-49 ... 45 “Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.” 47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.
Numbers 20:1-5 ... 1 Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3 And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4 Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”
Numbers 21:4-5 ... 4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
Don't get me started on the kings of Israel and Judah! Because I could go on for a long time. I'll only mentioned one of them here, but there are many I could point to and the horrendous sins that they did against God Almighty! Let's look at 2 Kings 21:1-15 ... 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put My name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 7 He even set a carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they paid no attention, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols), 12 therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies, 15 because they have done evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.’”
What impression does these passages give of God's sovereignty and omnipotence? There are many many verses just like it throughout the bible. An atheist would probably say it sounds like Someone who isn't in control at all of His people. But this shows me how God in His sovereignty gave man free will and refuses to Lord His omnipotence over mans head. He wants us to love and obey Him out of our own free will. Just like a bride to her husband. I'll be showing this strongly throughout this document, especially in the first point between Arminianism and Calvinism.
Ask yourself, is God omniscient? Does He know what man is going to do ahead of time? If man has free will is He surprised by man's actions? Can He predestine only what He knows outside of man's free will or does our free will hinder His omniscience in any way?
I don't need a high school, college nor theological seminary training in order to understand what God made plain to understand. God made it plain to understand when He says in 2 Timothy 3:14-16 ... 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 all Scriptures is given by inspirational of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Too bad the educated people I speak with consciously or unconsciously dismiss what I have to say because whether they know it or not they have the presumption that you have to years upon years on theological training and studying in order that you will be taken serious. I pray you judge yourself, and don't stop doing it, so that you keep your presuppositions out of this dialogue. Or you will have dismissed me and by dismissing me you will not be able to understand what I have come to understand biblically.
A Calvinist debater named Joseph Pipa says, "You'll never find no gospel message in the bible where the preacher will say Christ died for you. It says Christ died for sinners." (You'll find it at 1 hr 37 minutes you at this link https://youtu.be/pDbOZXZPxeQ.)
Are you not a sinner? Is there a single person ever born who IS NOT A SINNER? This sounds like someone desperately grasping for straws because he's not able to defend his belief system and not able to contend with the view of the opposition.
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