John R. Rice Redefines Hyper-Calvinism

[TruthSeeker]

WHAT IS HYPER-CALVINISM?

Those who believe in eternal salvation wholly of grace are usually called Calvinists simply because, in the Protestant Reformation, Calvin strongly emphasized that doctrine long contradicted under the Roman heresy of salvation by merit and church rites. So any person who is not Armenian in faith but rather believes in eternal security of the believer is likely to describe himself as a Calvinist. Or where Calvinism has not been carried to its more unscriptural, unevangelistic, arrogant extreme, one might probably call himself a "moderate" Calvinist. Most of those who might be called Calvinists do not believe in a limited atonement, for example, nor do they believe that some are foreordained by unconditioned election to go to Hell and so could not be saved, that salvation was never provided for nor offered for them. But they do believe in eternal salvation by grace, the principal truth Calvin emphasized.

Those who do believe a doctrine of God's limited love, limited grace, limited atonement, and unchangeable plan to damn millions who could not be saved, are called hyper-Calvinists.

These extreme doctrines were first taught somewhat by Augustine. Then for about a thousand years no one found them in the Bible, of course, till Calvin developed such a theology. Adopting the theory men then persuaded themselves that they find it in the Bible.

Salvation by grace, eternal salvation, without works, is a Bible doctrine. I believe hyper-Calvinism is not a Bible doctrine but is a perversion by proud intellectuals who thus may try to excuse themselves from any spiritual accountability for winning souls.


EXAMINE THE DOCTRINE OF HYPER-CALVINISM

Those whom we call hyper-Calvinists usually outline their doctrinal position as represented by the letters TULIP:

T for Total Depravity of the sinner
U for Unconditional Election
L for Limited Atonement
I for Irresistible Grace
P for Perseverance of the saints



Rice was wrong about "hyper-Calvinism". He confuses hyper-Calvinism with a 5 point Calvinist. Hyper-Calvinism is a pejorative term referring to a denial of the free offer of the gospel and duty-faith. So was John R. Rice confused about hyper-Calvinism or was he misleading others?

[redbeardiam]

This is such a thorough miscategorization it's hard to imagine it being anything but fully intentional.

[captain_solo]

I have heard lots of this type of preaching on many different topics, and most times it seemed to me that they could not have been ignorant of their ignorance. The hyperbole was just way too over the top for them to actually believe that "this is what Calvinists do" or "this is what so and so believes" - just no way these men were that inept - and I even applied my cardinal rule "never attribute malice to what can be adequately explained by stupidity" still doesn't add up.

[Elijah Craig]

(10-23-2011 01:19 PM)captain_solo Wrote:  I have heard lots of this type of preaching on many different topics, and most times it seemed to me that they could not have been ignorant of their ignorance. The hyperbole was just way too over the top for them to actually believe that "this is what Calvinists do" or "this is what so and so believes" - just no way these men were that inept - and I even applied my cardinal rule "never attribute malice to what can be adequately explained by stupidity" still doesn't add up.

This.

[Don]

Just remember,

Quote:"No one has ever become a Calvinist by reading their Bible. Even Calvin didn't become a Calvinist from reading his Bible but by reading after that Catholic Augustine."

Heard it with my own two ears at SOTL this year. They said it, I heard it that settles it... Calvinism must be evil.

I guess that I must have been subliminally exposed to the Doctrines of Grace by some insidious Hyper-Calvinist Plot when reading the Bible and seeing the Sovereignty of God for myself in scripture... oh that's that problem I came to that conclusion by myself and not with the aid of the M-O-g to explain it to me correctly. I forgot that the Holy Spirit only speaks to special Called™ M-O-g.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The main reason that Empire Church Growth folks like Rice, Hyles, and the usual roges gallery of IFB easy-believism, soul winner's hate Calvinism or the Sovereignty of God as outlined by Doctrines of Grace is because; if God is sovereign, as defined by the Doctrines of Grace, then their Chruch Growth programs are presentations of a false Gospel, and they know it.

[greg]

I am so glad today that our Sovereign God designed and implemented a plan whereby He sent His precious, one and only Son to die for the sins of every person upon planet Earth. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" the scripture asks, the answer is, you won't!!

Jesus died for you, please don't neglect this great salvation, you can you know!!

[MKxcomm]

" I believe hyper-Calvinism is not a Bible doctrine but is a perversion by proud intellectuals who thus may try to excuse themselves from any spiritual accountability for winning souls."

Sooo this is all about the fact that you go door-knocking and you think "Hyper Calvinists" are too lazy? Wow, aren't you spiritual, and deep.

[Away-From-The-Umbrella]

This reminds of the time Contendearnestly.blogspot.com posted a refutation to an article written by John Goetsch, the VP of West Coast Baptist College, on the subject of Calvinism. It was obvious that Goetsch had absolutely no clue about Calvinism and misrepresented it completely.

This blogger took him to task. Not that Goetsch would ever attempt to engage in real debate...I doubt he would want to risk being made to look stupid by someone much more scholarly than himself.

Goetsch does not have to agree with Calvinism, but if he is going to attempt to write about it he should get a clue first. Arguing via strawman and misinformation might be acceptable in his Bible college that is chock full of bobble-headed students, but it will get one shredded out in the real world.

Here is the link:

http://contendearnestly.blogspot.com/200...ainst.html

[TruthSeeker]

In Rice's book "Predestined for Hell? No!"....He refers to John Nelson Darby,Donald Grey Barnhouse and Lewis Sperry Chafer as Hyper-Calvinists.
In fact, Rice tried to stop Moody Publishers from printing Chafer's book "True Evangelism".

Chafer was against the easy believism so common in IFB circles. Chafer was against "evangelists" who would just go from church to church instead of the more Biblical approach of planting churches. Chafer was against the invitation system raising of hand and walking down the aisle.

Rice responded by saying that he was a hyper-Calvinist and that he was against soul winning. But it's interesting that Rice never gives any scriptural arguments to support the altar call.

[redbeardiam]

(10-25-2011 09:47 AM)Donb123 Wrote:  

(10-25-2011 08:15 AM)TruthSeeker Wrote:  In Rice's book "Predestined for Hell? No!"....He refers to John Nelson Darby,Donald Grey Barnhouse and Lewis Sperry Chafer as Hyper-Calvinists.

Bwahahahahah!

Ditto.