Comments on: “Dead Calvinists Are Cool”

By: John Hardin

John Hardin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:25:06 +0000

I’ll forgive you this once DCMitchum for misappropriating your jabs to someone other than myself . You’ll notice in my post that I differentiated between those that are, and those that aren’t willfully ignorant. I don’t believe ALL non-Calvinists are willfully ignorant. But I do believe (as I stated in my first comment) that anyone who “sidesteps important doctrines (such as the doctrines of grace) in an effort stay far away from Calvinism” has undoubtedly made themselves “willfully ignorant”.

In fact I believe that was a very nice definition of “willful ignorance” as it pertains to the study of scripture.

By: Pastor John

Pastor John — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:23:45 +0000

Yes I am also Admin. Sorry for the confusion. I’ll see that it doesn’t happen anymore. Thanks again.

By: DCMitchum

DCMitchum — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:48:34 +0000

I don’t know about anyone else, but I certainly did confuse the Johns on this blog. Are you also Pastor John as well as Admin? Thanks for the clarification and my sincere apology for confusing your words and his. Your original words are much more succinct and to the point you actually seem to be trying to make. I do stand by what I wrote, though. I’d love to see anyone’s doctrine other than the Bible’s go by the wayside. Just preach the word; it suffices. Again, God bless you.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:27:58 +0000

Is everyone confusing John Kuykendall,(aka admin) the author of this blog, with John Hardin the guy that comments on this blog? Everyone listen, I AM NOT JOHN HARDIN. He’s a great guy and all but I am pretty sure that I am not him. So actually, I did not say that stuff.

Btw, I appreciate your comments. Thanks for reading.

By: DCMitchum

DCMitchum — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:19:53 +0000

Actually, you did say they were willfully ignorant. “I’m referring to those who are willfully ignorant” is an exact quote of what you stated. Again, your arrogance is showing. The doctrines of Calvin appear to YOU and many others to be “plainly taught in Scripture”. They do NOT, however, appear to be plainly taught to just as many earnest, sincere Christians. You seem to stray from your original purpose in this blog when you start making statements such as, “willfully forfeiting their designation as Preachers.” The hypocrisy is evident in any preacher who would do as you say, but the greater question to ask of both you, who seem to identify yourself as a Calvinist, and those preachers is why is it necessary either to speak against or for “Calvinists”? Are we not all Christians? Did not Paul decry the habit of identifying ourselves with any other than Christ? Why does anyone feel the need to identify themselves with a man who felt it necessary to persecute, torture and murder brothers and sisters in the Lord because they did not agree with his “doctrine”. If his doctrines are clearly taught in the Scripture, it should follow that teaching the Word would suffice to bring those doctrines to light. Why involve that man in it at all? If the truths are indeed clearly evident in Scripture, they will be just that, evident, and Calvin, Arminius, Augustine, Luther and others who wrote in the past, distant or recent, would not need to be quoted as any kind of authority. They could be merely brothers who have gone on to their reward who may have, on occasion, taught something that would be helpful in elucidating some point a preacher or teacher of the Word is trying to make. I would prefer that all preachers just preach the Word of God without reference to anyone’s particular take on it. The Holy Spirit is quite capable of making sure that one of God’s children sees the “light”; that is, after all, one of His works, to illuminate truth to believers. I applaud your desire to stop attacking people and let them get on with the business of preaching the Gospel. Let’s hope that the sincere desire of every preacher is to see people saved. I don’t believe that Calvin’s name need enter into any sermon in either a negative or positive way. Utilize your passion and energy to do what you evidently love, serve God by being a preacher of the Gospel in order to see souls saved. Calvin’s “doctrines” should be just as dead as he is (after the flesh). If his ideas are truly scriptural, don’t worry about it. The Lord will protect His truth; His Word does not return to Him void. I trust that you will accord to me what you ask for yourself in the original post, don’t take this the wrong way and don’t judge me. God bless you in your service to Him.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:22:31 +0000

OK, I never said that they were willfully ignorant. But, just to be plain, they are not rejecting Calvin’s doctrine. They are rejecting doctrines that are plainly taught in Scripture. I do not fall out with those that do not accept the doctrines of grace, but to cry against “the evils of Calvinism” out of one side of your mouth and praise dead Calvinists as heroes of the faith certainly is hypocrisy.

By: DCMitchum

DCMitchum — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:40:44 +0000

Your statements seem rather arrogant. It seems that you are saying that those “who are willfully ignorant” as if they’ve studied Calvinism, then rejected it, are therefore “failing to provide that which is profitable to the flock”. Have I misunderstood you? If you don’t mean to stand either for or against Calvinism, merely those who act in the simple hypocritical way that you outline, then you shouldn’t criticize them for choosing NOT to adhere to Calvinism. All of the “dead Calvinists”, whether they are wrong or right about Calvinism, were Christians who might have much in the way of truth to be shared outside of a strict adherence to Calvin’s doctrines. For them to quote any other part of these authors would not then be hypocritical, merely particular as to what they believe helps in bringing the truth to their flocks.

By: John Hardin

John Hardin — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:27:28 +0000

BJC, I understand your point… but I’m not referring to those preachers who are simply ignorant of Calvinism; I’m referring to those who are willfully ignorant. By failing to provide that which is profitable to the flock (Acts 20:20), it seems to me that they are willfully forfeiting their designation as Preachers. I don’t see that as any different than a Prophet saying “Thus saith the Lord”, when the Lord did not speak.

Those who willfully neglect to teach those things which are profitable, are lying by omission.

By: John Hardin

John Hardin — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:11:28 +0000

Amen brother. By the way.. I love the title of this post!

By: joecassada

joecassada — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:27:08 +0000

Hey! What gives with the funky password-thingy? Do I have to memorize it so I can log in every time?

Anyhoo…

FWIW, BJH, I wouldn’t say these preachers have “ceased to be preachers.” I think most just do not understand classic Calvinism, nor have they thoroughly studied these preachers-of-old.

But BJK’s point is well taken: it is inconsistent to decry modern Calvinists as the worst heretics and then laud Calvinists of the 18th-19th centuries.