The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Total Depravity

Please understand, that these are but some of the doctrines that define hyper-Calvinists. And, some hyper-Calvinists do not hold to ALL of these doctrines. Because someone holds to, for example, "Eternal Justification" but rejects the majority of other hyper-Calvinist doctrines does not necessarily make that person a hyper-Calvinist. I hope you can understand the difference(s)?

I should also try to make certain that the rejection of the "Free Offer" of the Gospel, i.e., God desires/wills the salvation of all men without exception, as best seen in John Murray's and Ned Stonehouse's booklet The Free Offer of the Gospel, does NOT equate to that rejection as hyper-Calvinism!! Those of us who must unfortunately and with sadness reject what is proposed in that booklet and the Report of the Committee on the Free Offer of the Gospel presented to the Fifteenth (1948) General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church which tried to defend it do so on biblical and theological grounds. What we DO believe and hold to be incontrovertibly true is that the true Gospel is to be proclaimed indiscriminately to the world and God's command to repent and believe upon Christ unto salvation. IF God "wills/desires" something, then it MUST infallibly come to pass. There is no "wishful thinking" in the Godhead but the outworking of God's decree, determinate council, predestination from all eternity. We, as the means of bringing the Gospel to a fallen race have no absolute knowledge of who it is that God has decreed to rescue and save from sin and destruction. And since ALL men are sinners and thus are in need of salvation, we preach/teach/witness the great redemption which can be found in the LORD Christ to all who repent and believe with a true Spirit-wrought faith in Him. This is far different that espousing that the Gospel is only for the elect and/or one must discern if they are elect before they have the warrant (God-give right) to believe.

In short, my concern is that one make a clear distinction between hyper-Calvinist doctrines vs. one being labeled a hyper-Calvinist at the drop of a hat! okay? Truth is a fine line one must walk sometimes. One of the most difficult, IMO, is when confronted with the doctrines of God's Absolute Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility. It is far too easy to fall off to one side or the other and by doing so, both doctrines are perverted and in some cases even denied.

IF you or anyone else has the time and/or desire to do so, I highly recommend one of John Calvin's most incredible and biblically based writings, which you can find here: Calvin's Calvinism: The Eternal Predestination of God and The Secret Predestination of God. And if one wishes to begin with something a bit easier to digest, there is Calvin's The Salvation of All Men, an exposition of 1Tim 2:3-5... "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior: Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."