From the Pastor's Desk: part 3

Before moving on to the Scripture texts, I need to comment upon this sentence in order for both sides to understand the mindset and presuppositions of the discussion.

We live in a day when people become so dogmatic about a particular doctrine, that all sense and sensibility seems to be thrown out with the bath water.

What is being assumed here is that the non-Calvinist/non-Arminian is balanced. Those who disagree with the non-Calvinist are imbalanced. Why? From their mindset Calvinists are following the teachings of a mere man, John Calvin, while they are following the teachings of the Bible.

To state it another way, when Calvinists say Calvinism is just the teachings of the Bible, what they hear is that we impose our Systematic Theology onto the Bible. There is no comprehension that they too have traditions with which they approach the Bible. Calvinists and Arminians twist the Bible with their man-made traditions while they are above the fray.

Of course not only does this beg the question about their own traditions which they are not able to acknowledge, but it begs the question as to why a Calvinist can not say that what he professes to be Biblical. In other words, why does the non-Calvinist get to say his beliefs are right out of the Bible, while the Calvinist is not even allowed to make his case?

This kind of thinking can become dangerous for it leads to the conclusion that ones traditions are Scripture. In other words, if we are not able to recognize that we have traditions, then we will be confusing the traditions we do not see or know that we have with the Bible itself.

So while calling the Calvinist as being dogmatic for actually believing the Bible teaches what he believes, the non-Calvinist does the very thing he accuses of the Calvinist. He becomes dogmatic about his non-Calvinism.

Keep in mind, it was not my Reformed pastor that preached a sermon against non-Calvinists and then refused to defend his views publicly.