The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Resurgence of Calvinism?

Praise be to the Father of lights, who alone gives light and opening of the eyes to see, that people are caused to search for the old paths, even if they do not follow them completely or thoroughly at first!
The 5 points, IF the "neo-calvinists" have them, are a summation of the Gospel and so, if we can agree on the Gospel, that is significant. For instance, I cannot in good conscience call Arminians brethren, for they espouse a false gospel of salvation by free will. But I can call particular Baptists brethren and though we disagree severely on some weighty issues, so that, as far as practical ecclesiology is concerned, I could never merge with them, yet nevertheless, they have the Gospel in essence and so they can be recognized as brethren in Christ.

At the same time, the importance of applying supremacy and sovereignty of God in matters of worship and daily walk may not be downplayed either. It is a matter of historicity that wherever the Regulative Principle of worship was not kept, it has been to the effectual undoing of all reformation in a generation or two. As it has been said, the Arminians had sung their way into once sound churches through man-made hymns. A Scripturally informed doctrine of the Covenant is also vital for the life of the redeemed and their children. And yet...one must start somewhere. There are degrees of and steps in growth in the knowledge of God's grace in Christ. And a good beginning, especially for those who are lead by the grace of God out of Arminian synagogues, is getting the 5 points right.
Once they get them right, they are compelled to go on, but without first getting the gospel of God's grace right, they cannot proceed and even if they do ascent to other doctrines it is of little avail(like I once knew a guy who embraced infant baptism with enthusiasm, coming out of a Baptist background, yet held on to his Arminianism pretty firmly, at least at the time I had conversations with him).
Another factor with those neo-Calvinists is that they get their Calvinism from folks like John Piper and MacArthur. It is then a modified, watered down version of Calvinism that they are getting. And yet, IF their conversion be genuine, they won't stop with Piper, they will, by God's grace proceed (just as I have, so that at some point, my former "Reformed" Baptist mentors began to be intimidated / scared off by my increasing paedobaptism, exclusive psalmism, supralapsarianism, etc.) Yet they (Piper and co) have played their part in the initial transition from evangelical easy-believism on to the faith according to Scriptures.
So...if it so be that they are not against us, they are definitely for us and so we may rejoice that people are caused to turn to the gospel of the grace of God!