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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
What is the Zurich Agreement?
The Zurich Agreement was a pact made in 1549 by John Calvin and Heinrich Bullinger who was Ulrich Zwingli's successor. The result was increased unity between the two largest Reformed Churches in…
What is Reformation Wall?
Reformation Wall is a monument located in Geneva, Switzerland. It honors many of the main individuals who were part of the Protestant Reformation. The Wall is in the grounds of the University of…
Doctrine at Reformation
I'm afraid I can't tell you "exactly" what anybody's doctrine was. Doctrine is never quite that simple. There are always varieties of viewpoints within any given theological camp. Also, the doctrine…
Reformation Beginnings
The Reformation "officially" began in 1517 with Martin Luther (1483-1546), but it did not start like a "bolt out of the blue." First, there were key men who began to call for reform in the church…
Reformation Fallout
This question is pretty open-ended, so I'll just try to offer a broad outline. The Reformation affected, to varying degrees, the religious, social, political, and economic lives of much of the world.…
Who is William Farel?
Farel, William (1489-1565), was born in Gap, France. He matriculated at the University of Paris (1509) and came under the influence of Jacques Lefevre who directed Farel to the Scriptures, especially…
Who was John Calvin?
Calvin, John (1509-1564). French reformer and founder of Calvinism. Educated at the College de Montague, Calvin became a Protestant while still a student. By the 1530s he was caught up in the…
Historically Accurate Bible
This is hard to answer because it is so broad a question. The Bible makes many claims about historical events, and each of these claims could be subject to questioning by skeptics of the Bible's…
Who was John Knox?
Knox, John (c. 1514-72). The principal theologian and architect of the Reformed Kirk of Scotland, Knox was born at Haddington and educated at St Andrews University, possibly under John Major…
Who was Theodore Beza?
Beza, Theodore (1519-1605). French Protestant theologian who was a spokesman for the Reformed churches in France. He wrote a biography of Calvin and succeeded him as chief pastor in Geneva. He wrote…
What is Reformation Day?
On the eve of All Saints' Day, October 31, 1517, Dr. Martin Luther, professor of Scripture at Germany's University of Wittenberg, posted an invitation to debate on the door of Castle Church . The…
Reformation Genesis
Martin Luther was a key figure in the initiation of the Reformation -- he accidentally started it. He was the doctor of theology at Wittenberg in Germany who posted his famous "95 Theses" on the…
James Cameron's The Lost Tomb of Jesus
Because of the length of this answer, we determined it would be better to make a short article, Raiders of the Empty Tomb . It will not address all the points of the book or documentary, however, it…
KJV History
Actually, King James didn't do any work translating the Scriptures. He was simply the king of England who authorized the team of translators to do their work. That's why the King James Version is…