Calvinism/Extensivism
Calvinists are deterministic in the compatible style.[1] All determinists argue that events happen because they were determined to happen in the way they happened. Events, including salvation, result from God’s determined plan; therefore, salvation cannot be conditioned on a person’s exercising libertarian faith. In this article, I use Calvinism to refer specifically to Calvinists, and…
The standard belief in Calvinism is that God endowed humanity with compatible moral freedom (or other equally deterministic views, such as synchronic contingency, as in Richard Muller) rather than with libertarian freedom, as Extensivists believe (those who reject Calvinism). [1] There are many problems related to this belief, but an ever-present one is that it…
Since I coined the term Extensivism, let me briefly explain what I mean by it before comparing it with Calvinism. Extensivism Is the belief that man was created in the image of God with otherwise choice and that God’s salvation plan is comprehensive, involving an all-inclusive unconditional offer of salvation and eternal security of the…
I believe God is capable of communicating with His creation in a way that makes His message easily and clearly understood. However, Calvinism’s theological and philosophical commitments make God appear to speak in such a way that it seems as though He offers His love and salvation to all, and He desires all to walk…
Here is a lecture I gave on Calvinism from my book Does God Love All or Some that I presented to pastors and church leaders in Manila on August 1. Although I didn’t cover everything I intended to present, I believe the hour I spoke and the subsequent thirty-minute question and answer session will enable…
Calvinists unsuccessfully seek to harmonize their commitment to compatibilism and decretal theology, the presence of sin, and God’s lack of culpability in the following three ways. First, Calvinists argue that God does not cause evil and that he relates to good and evil asymmetrically, differently. Calvinist D.A. Carson writes, “I alone am responsible for that…
Calvinism’s decretal theology and commitment to compatibilism create a host of conundrums that result in Calvinists’ frequent visits to the storehouse of mysteries. One of which is the idea that even though God has unconditionally elected only some to have any meaningful opportunity to experience the forgiveness of salvation, we are to have hope for…
Calvinists are prone to characterize God as passive if he did not predetermine everything, but such a conclusion is misguided. God sovereignly chose to create a world populated with humans who are created in his image with libertarian moral freedom, thereby creating a world in which some events are determined by him (definite events), and…
There are variations of Christian perspectives on aspects of the Bible, Creation, End Times, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and, of course, Salvation. Can a person lose their salvation? What is the evidence of salvation? What is the gospel, and who is it for? This last one, what is the gospel (good news for whom),…
According to God’s wisdom, Paul knew all Christians are unified and of Christ. Yet, the Corinthians are thinking according to human wisdom, which causes division (1 Cor 1:9–13). Paul answered their carnality with the wisdom of God, saying, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of…