Theological Flowerbeds - D.A.I.S.Y. vs. T.U.L.I.P.
Calvinism is more than a mere five points; it includes the entire Bible. Such documents as the Westminster Confession of Faith barely skim the surface of what true Calvinism means. Among other things…
Are all Protestants going to Hell (Catholic Dogma)?
A cry of the Roman Catholic Church is often heard. It says, "Outside the Church there is no salvation" ( Extra ecclesiam nulla salus ). The Protestant Church(s) according to Roman Catholics are…
Did Calvin murder Servetus?
First, let me start with a little history regarding the five points of Calvinism. John Calvin died in 1564, and in 1610 the Arminians the followers of Jacob Arminius, who had died a year before, drew…
Calvinism vs. Arminianism: A Worthwhile Debate
As far as Calvinism and Arminianism are concerned, I do think the issue is an important one. However, for the most part, I also think it is an in-house debate. That is, I believe that most Calvinists…
What is Sola Scriptura vs. Tota Scriptura?
Tota Scriptura is related to Sola Scriptura . What is Sola Scriptura ? It is a Latin phrase meaning Scripture Alone . Many in the early church - Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement, Barnabus, Irenaeus…
Calvin, Salvation, Baptism
On the specific issue of Calvin's view of baptism and that represented in the Westminster Standards, the two are basically the same. Also, just as a side note, Calvin himself said that his…
Calvin and Servetus
It is hard to tell from the research that I have seen exactly how many people were executed during Calvin's time in Geneva. I would have to say that the modern day opponents of Calvin like to give…
Who or what were the Lollards, or Lollardy, or Lollardism?
The word Lollard possibly came from the Dutch word lollaert meaning "muttered," because they made long prayers. Lollardy has been called England's first heresy by Roman Catholics. So, Lollard was…
Is Calvinism Fatalistic?
Thanks for your question. It is a common one. In actuality, Arminianism, not Calvinism is fatalistic. Among other doctrines in which they also disagree (see the Theological Flowerbeds - D.A.I.S.Y.…
Which is the True Church?
There are various ways of describing the true church. My preference is to speak of it as the body that contains the faithful remnant. Faithfulness, in turn, is not reckoned by purity of doctrine.…
Puritan Quotes on Providence
You are most certainly welcome. THOMAS WATSON - God is to be trusted when His providences seem to run contrary to His promises. God promised David to give him the crown, to make him king; but…
What are the Three Forms of Unity?
During the 16th-17th centuries the Reformed churches composed numerous Christian confessions. These confessions helped to distinguish the Reformed faith from Roman Catholicism and other Protestant…
Baptism, Salvation
Sorry it's so confusing. The "certain blessings of salvation" phrase was intentionally vague, since Calvin and the Westminster don't say precisely the same thing. According to the Confession, those…
Italicized Words?
Italicized words first appeared to make the Scripture easier to understand. They were introduced in the 1560 Geneva Bible (some margin notes were in italics in the 1557 Geneva New Testament, etc.).…
Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism
Most Calvinists hold to the truths of what is commonly referred to by the acronym T.U.L.I.P. These Five Points of Calvinism (1618-1619) did not originate with John Calvin but were a reply to the Five…
Opposition to Contraception
It does appear that many, many Protestants wrote or spoke against the practice of birth control on the basis of the Onan incident (in Gen. 38:8-10 Onan "spilled his seed on the ground" every time he…
Puritan Quotes on Salvation
Indeed, the Puritans did have a way with words. Here are some quotes regarding salvation that I have enjoyed: HENRY SMITH - By this thou shalt know whether thou hast given it (thy heart) to Him or…
Christian Women That Made a Difference
Books abound from multiple denominations (thousands of them) with names of women who have made a difference in Christianity's history. I'm sure there are as many more that never made it into a book…
Salvation and Jonathan Edwards
Thanks for your question. Edwards wrote about his conversion and life experiences in a number of places (e.g., The Works of President Edwards). While he talked about the significance of identifiable…
95 Theses
Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences Commonly Known as The 95 Theses by Dr. Martin Luther Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following…
Do you agree with what the Roman Catholic Church teaches?
We do not agree with much of what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. To mention a few, but not all the points of disagreement: Is Purgatory Biblical? What is the Perpetual Virginity of Mary? What is…
What is the Gutenberg Bible?
The history of the Gutenberg Bible (aka: the Mazarin Bible or the B42 ) begins with the making of the first moveable-type printing-press invented by Johann Gutenberg (aka: Johannes Gensfleisch zur…
John Calvin and the Need for Scripture
In the early chapters of the The Institutes, Book 1, primarily chapters 1 through 7 and 8, Calvin is arguing it's a long argument that he gets to but he's arguing for the necessity of Scripture.…
Textus Rejectus
The debate between the Received Text and the Critical Text of the New Testament is sometimes a fierce one. There are two kinds of arguments made for the Received Text, one is worth considering, the…