September 2025
Allen: Liberating Romans...
09/16/25 09:01 PM Filed in: Christianity | Calvinism
[Updated 10/10/25]
In "Liberating Romans From Reformed Captivity", Dr. Allen presents his thesis that "the theological framework that Calvin and his Reformed successors employed owes much to Augustine, who himself imposed a foreign philosophical lens upon Scripture. Though the Reformers believed they were recovering biblical truth, scholasticism effectively codified and absolutized Augustinian theology."1
Romans 9-11, particularly chapter 9, is where Calvinists and Arminians find their largest areas of disagreement. We could begin by comparing interpretations, but that is too late. The differences between the two sides exists much earlier in Scripture - almost at the beginning. The differentiation into Calvinist, Arminian, and Dispensationalist camps has its roots in how each group views God's promise to Abraham. While there are multiple promises to Abraham (Gal. 3:16), Paul asserts that all of them stem from the singular promise (Gal 3:18) that God ratified with Abraham in Genesis 15:18. For ease of exposition, that promise is stated as follows:
The differences between the three schools are:
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Romans 9-11, particularly chapter 9, is where Calvinists and Arminians find their largest areas of disagreement. We could begin by comparing interpretations, but that is too late. The differences between the two sides exists much earlier in Scripture - almost at the beginning. The differentiation into Calvinist, Arminian, and Dispensationalist camps has its roots in how each group views God's promise to Abraham. While there are multiple promises to Abraham (Gal. 3:16), Paul asserts that all of them stem from the singular promise (Gal 3:18) that God ratified with Abraham in Genesis 15:18. For ease of exposition, that promise is stated as follows:
You and your promised children will inherit the promised land.
The differences between the three schools are:
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The Samaritan Woman
09/14/25 01:49 PM Filed in: Christianity
This brief story was occasioned by last week's sermon and a car ride with grandchildren. In last week's sermon, the observation was made that partial truth and partial belief hinders salvation. In the car ride, one grandchild was unhappy that he didn't get his way and he fussed most of the way home, until he fell asleep from exhaustion.
“Next!”
A figure at the front of the line stepped forward.
“I see here that you were a Unitarian. You didn’t believe that “I am”, so you died in your sins. If you’ll step to the door on the left. Next!”
“Unlike the previous supplicant, you were a Trinitarian. But you affirmed my eternal subordination and ignored that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to me. You were stuck in either/or thinking and not both/and. If you will follow the person that was ahead of you in line to the left. Next!”
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“Next!”
A figure at the front of the line stepped forward.
“I see here that you were a Unitarian. You didn’t believe that “I am”, so you died in your sins. If you’ll step to the door on the left. Next!”
“Unlike the previous supplicant, you were a Trinitarian. But you affirmed my eternal subordination and ignored that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to me. You were stuck in either/or thinking and not both/and. If you will follow the person that was ahead of you in line to the left. Next!”
Read More...
Hermeneutics
09/02/25 09:03 PM Filed in: Christianity
Not by might, nor by power, nor by hermeneutical principle, but by my spirit,
says the LORD of hosts.
– Zech. 4:6
Daniel was given a vision, but his companions trembled and fled. In a bright light, the Lord spoke to Paul, but his companions heard only a meaningless sound and saw nothing. Whoever thinks they can build a hermeneutical tower to heaven are greatly mistaken. Only the Spirit can reveal spiritual truth. Dispies and Presbyterians (WCF 1.7) I'm looking at you. Natural means do not produce supernatural results!