Every Thursday I bring adapted teachings that I hope will help you garner a deeper, richer, truer understanding of Christianity.
The following are adapted teachings from Dr. Elmer Towns, Co-Founder of Liberty University and Dean of the B.R. Lakin School of Religion.
As with any man-made system there are some weakness and difficult points when it comes to Calvinism; here are a few:
Limited Atonement: Weakness-(Since this argument would take too long to explain, I am going to assume a few terms, if you are not familiar with the terms in green, you can Google them or use a Bible Commentary) There are five main arguments against limited atonement:
The doctrine of substitution (Christ gave himself for the sins of the world) John 1:29, Titus 2:11, I Tim 2:6
Redemption is adequate, as Christ gave His blood as a ransom for sin. 1 Peter 1:18-20
Propitiation was made for the sin penalty of the world. 1 John 2:2
Jesus has satisfied the demands of the law by nailing it to His cross
Col 2:14Jesus Christ reconciled the world unto Himself by His death. 2 Cor 5:19 Eph. 2:16
Irresistible Grace: Weakness- There are three main arguments against irresistible grace.
The doctrine of conversion (man is not just a passive agent)
God will not force salvation on a man against his will.
It is recorded in the Bible that some turned against Christ after being Him.
Perseverance of the Saints: Weakness- This would be more aptly named preservation of the saints, as it is recorded in the Bible that not all persevere to the end, many do not finish well who start strong.
Please note (strongly note) that I in no way intended to minimize or trivialize the immeasurable contributions of Calvin to the Christian faith. I simply am giving you something to think about and talk concerning Calvinism. Again, these are the lecture notes of Dr. Elmer Towns: not my original work.
