"The Hedonism and Homosexuality of John Piper and Sam Allberry," by Enoch Burke.

 

John Piper is an extremely well-trained theologian, retired pastor, author, and conference speaker. Sam Allberry is a former Anglican priest in the London area who identifies as “same-sex attracted.” Piper wrote Desiring God. Allberry wrote, Is God Anti-Gay? Why are these two men central figures in the same book?

Displaying the young author’s astonishing depth and breadth of history, theology, and the current state of affairs in Western Christianity, these two men are recognized by him to be part of the same problem, the downward slide into religious apostasy.

Within the last six months, the English-speaking world has become familiar with the new term, describing the middle-aged, social distancing rules enforcing, finger-wagging woman as a Karen. The term is popular in the UK, Canada, the USA, and Australia, and New Zealand. Americans would recognize a Karen as a grade school student hall monitor, quick to point the finger of accusation of wrongdoing. The conservative Christian version of a Karen would be very busy indeed with this book, although there is nothing in this book that violates the pattern or the template found in the apostle Paul’s actions. John Piper and Sam Allberry need to be called out.

This book addresses the subtle altering of spiritual authority from the Word of God to emotion, from objectivity to subjectivity, from Protestantism to a slide in the direction of Romanism, from a biblical denunciation of certain sinful practices (homosexuality) to a wrongly tolerant attitude toward that which God decries as rebellion toward Him and as culture and family destroying sins. The book exposes and opposes the introduction of mysticism into contemporary evangelical Christianity by Piper while also opposing the slide away from sins being exceeding sinful to sins being tolerated by Allberry.

Both men are famous for introducing new terminology to issues the Word of God deals with most satisfactorily. New terms are unnecessary. The only reason to introduce new vocabulary is to cast off the biblical approach that is being abandoned. One man is abandoning theological orthodoxy. The other man is abandoning a biblical stance against sin.

I learned a great deal in this short book. I had never heard of the former Anglican priest before. I had previously felt an undefined uneasiness with Piper that this book brought into sharp focus with its well-researched overview of both men’s positions and practices.

Many Christian leaders are downplaying the seriousness of homosexuality to advance a conservative political agenda. Such pragmatism does not serve the cause of Christ well. Other Christian leaders are woefully ignorant of the theological distortion that is being imposed upon the Christian community because they are not widely read. This book shows the author’s concern for doctrinal integrity, his appreciation of historical orthodoxy, and his wisdom concerning the remedy for what ails us.

I heartily recommend this book to one and all. I plead with you to gift your pastors with this book at the earliest opportunity.

“The History & Theology of Calvinism” by Curt Daniel, Chapter Four

The title of the chapter is The Spread of Calvinism, with the following subheadings. Theodore Beza, The German Reformed Church, The French Reformed Church, The Netherlands, England, Scotland, Eastern Europe, Conclusion.

Theodore Beza. I had not previously known that Theodore Beza was French, that like Calvin, he had studied law, and that his initial desire was to be a private scholar. From this chapter, I learned that Beza translated the New Testament into Latin and edited nine additions of the Greek New Testament. His final addition was used for the King James Version. It was news to me that Beza was more academic than Calvin. It is also news that he was one of the earliest Reformers to teach the supralapsarian view of election and was an early exponent of limited atonement. The author indicates Beza is frequently cited as departing from Calvin in method, emphasis, and other matters.

The German Reformed Church. I had never given much thought to Germany, erroneously assuming that those who were not Roman Catholic in Germany were almost certainly Lutheran in persuasion. Of course, I had some slight familiarity with the Heidelberg Catechism. However, I am so unfamiliar with Christian history in Germany not directly related to Lutheranism that I had not made the connection between the Heidelberg Catechism and the German Reformed Church.

The French Reformed Church. More familiar to me than the German Reformed Christians were the French Reformed Christians, known as Huguenots. I am also familiar with the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of French Huguenots instigated by the Roman Catholic clergy members on August 24, 1572. Not mentioned by the author in his book is a recollection of a stop my family and I once made in St. Augustine, Florida, while on vacation, taking notice of a cemetery full of Huguenots murdered by Spaniards at the behest of the French when Spain owned Florida.

The Netherlands. New to me was the fact that many Anabaptists settled in the area because of the relative freedom granted to them. Daniel points out the Dutch Reformed took the lead in resisting Spanish imperialism in the Netherlands.

England. The author’s mention of John Wycliffe (1330-1384) in this portion of the chapter was no surprise to me, though I had never before heard of Thomas Bradwardine (1295-1349). William Tyndale (1494-1536) is also mentioned. Daniel indicates all three men were “strongly Augustinian.” I had not previously known of Lutheranism’s influence in the early stages of the English Reformation, followed by influence from the German and Swiss Reformed. During this time, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs was published, is one of the most read books in the English language for centuries. During this time, many English Protestants sought refuge in Europe, with a number moving to Geneva and studying under Calvin; some translated the Bible into English and added helpful notes in the translation known to us as The Geneva Bible. It was the Calvinists in England during Elizabeth I who pushed for further reforms of the Church of England who were nicknamed Puritans.

An interesting anecdote to me in connection with The Geneva Bible is a book written by my good friend, the late Dr. I. D. E. Thomas (pictured). A Welch Baptist, Dr. Thomas served for many years here in Los Angeles as a Baptist pastor and as a professor at the California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale, CA.[1] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones mentored Dr. Thomas in London (Lloyd-Jones also mentored Dr. Peter Masters, the longtime pastor of Metropolitan Tabernacle in London). Twenty-one years ago, Dr. Thomas approached me searching for a typist to transcribe his longhand manuscript of a book titled William Shakespeare And His Bible. I ended up typing the manuscript for him, finding the book tremendously interesting. Published by Hearthstone Publishing in Oklahoma City, I would recommend it to everyone interested in Shakespeare or teaching English. I doubt it is still in print. The Geneva Bible was the Bible William Shakespeare used and quoted in many of his plays.

Scotland. The author points out that the Reformation started earlier in England but made better progress in Scotland, John Knox being the most influential leader. The Scottish reformers imitated Calvin’s ecclesiology and established Presbyterianism in the Scottish churches. I find it very interesting that the author included the title of a treatise written by John Knox, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. In his work Knox argued that it was a judgment of God to have female rulers.

Eastern Europe. I was aware that Eastern Europe was dominated by Eastern Orthodox churches, such as the Greek Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, and the Armenian Apostolic Church. Reformed churches were established in Romania, Hungary, and Bohemia, with their churches surviving today after the ravages of the Catholic Inquisition, Nazism, and Communism.

Conclusion. “The Reformed faith spread quickly in the sixteenth century but faced challenges as it developed its own theology distinct from Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anabaptism.”

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[1] https://youtu.be/H1_BmEJ39DM

I Don't Trust Men Who Are Ambitioius

 

I came to the office this morning with no plans to prepare and release another iteration of this blog. However, I find myself profoundly concerned about the state of the gospel ministry in the USA. Therefore, I beg your indulgence of a 70-year-old pastor who has served in two churches for 42 years and having just celebrated my 35^th year in my present pastorate.

A little personal background is to understand best what I am about to propose. I spent most of my life growing up on Indian reservations in different parts of the United States, my father working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the US Department of Interior for more than 35 years. Leading up to my enrollment in the United States Air Force Academy and subsequent graduation from engineering school at Oregon State University, I had observed at close quarters, among various tribal leaders US congressional leaders, the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances of ambition.

Little did I realize when I came to Christ a year after graduating from engineering school that I would trust Christ as my Savior and become a member of the Baptist Church. How surprised I was to observe ambition on full display in the two churches I was involved with before becoming a pastor. Then, at my first pastorate, I saw ambition on full display once more. The displays of ambition were easy for me to see since I had grown up observing the displays of naked ambition by bureaucrats, Congressional delegations, and in tribal politics all across America. There was very little display of ambition in my pastorate, but there was a lot of ambition on display during church pastors’ fellowship meetings.

The most brutal display of ambition I ever saw was during the struggle for control of the Bible college I had enrolled in and graduated from before entering the pastorate. Though I am on good terms with men on both sides of that struggle, my interest in the political ins and outs of pastor’s fellowships has since been very guarded. I have pastored two churches without ever making an application to a congregation to become their pastor. I distrust ambition, especially my own.

My real involvement in preacher’s meetings resulted from a group that met from time to time, apparently for the express purpose of one or two pastors of larger churches to tell pastors of smaller churches how they ought to do ministry. The pastors of smaller churches were so profoundly offended by such arrogance and presumption that they stopped attending, resulting in only nine or ten pastors bothering to gather.

As a member of this dwindling group, I decided to exercise my privileges by encouraging a group of pastors to attend and by nominating the pastor of a very small church to a position of responsibility. True to my suspicion, a pastor of a large church attempted to dissuade the small church pastor from accepting the nomination, arguing that the complexities involved in the position were ‘too difficult’ for him to understand and the expenses to attend the national meetings were too great for his church to absorb. Nevertheless, he was elected and served in his position faithfully.

During that same meeting, I was nominated by several pastors for another open position of responsibility. I declined. After the meeting, the pastors strongly rebuked me for rejecting the nomination. My reason was that I do not trust ambition. However, several years later, a significant group of pastors approached me and urged me to allow them to place my name in nomination, and I was elected unanimously. I was unanimously re-elected for two subsequent terms.

Before my election to the leadership position, the fellowship meeting typically saw nine or ten pastors in attendance. While I occupied my elected position, we never saw fewer than 75 pastors in attendance. Things seemed to be going well if being elected and re-elected unanimously is any indication until I received a phone call from the national leader.

He asked me several questions before informing me that six pastors who had not attended a single meeting during my tenure were planning what he called “a floor fight” at the national conference. When he said there was going to be a skirmish, I told him there was not going to be a skirmish. When he asked me how I knew that, I responded by indicating that I do not trust anyone who is ambitious and that I think anyone who would fight for a position such as the one I held was foolish.

I went to the national meeting with my resignation in hand. I handed one copy of the resignation to the national leader and a second copy of the resignation to the fellow who was demonstrably ambitious and likely the author of the plot to disenfranchise me. I have been happily disassociated from that dying group from that day to this.

Is it clear to you by now that I have a distaste for ambition? I was not ambitious to become a pastor. I was not ambitious to secure my second pastorate. I was not ambitious for an elected leadership position with a group of pastors. And I am certainly not ambitious at present. I have for 42 years gloried in serving God in the most exalted position available to any man, that of pastoring a Baptist Church. It doesn’t get any better than that.

However, over the years, I have noticed something among Baptist pastors that bothers me. The older I get, the more it bothers me. What bothers me is a functional hierarchy among Baptist pastors, whereby some pastors display a profoundly unscriptural eagerness to yield to and to kowtow to other Baptist preachers. There is no Scriptural warrant for this.

You know as well as I do that Revelation chapters two and three not only dispel any possible notion of a universal, invisible church (which is why the Savior communicated directly to the angels of the churches) but displays the equal footing and equal standing of the pastors of those seven churches before Christ. Does not history show us (those who read history anyway) that trouble was brewing when pastors began treating another pastor as if he is somehow superior? How do you think the Bishop of Rome came to be the Roman Catholic Pope? Yet we see this dynamic developing right before our eyes.

Like you, I have been appalled and dismayed by pastors’ responses across our country to the Covid–19 lockdown mandates. That said, I recognize that each pastor of each congregation is accountable to God and not me for his decisions and actions related to his compliance with edicts handed down from on high.

What is profoundly troublesome is the silence and utter lack of leadership from those who posture themselves as leadership gurus and men who charge fees to gullible pastors, only to be told, “You need to do ministry the way I do ministry.” Really? Do we have the same spiritual gifts? Do we have the same educational background and life experiences? Are our congregations comprised of the same types of people? Yet the seminars and courses that I have attended or read over the years never include such caveats. And that is not to mention that in my state, the only leaders that I ever took note of in the first few months of the lockdown were the pastors of huge Calvary Chapel congregations. Where were the Baptists?

At this point, let me remind you of two things. First, I don’t trust anyone ambitious, and I don’t think you should either. Whether it’s an ambitious church member who tries to climb over other church members for position or advantage or ambitious pastors who seek to assert themselves over other pastors based solely on their marketing skills successes.

Second, I am a Baptist. I am a real Baptist. I have written an almost 500-page book that is essentially the most comprehensive Baptist ecclesiology ever printed. I also had the privilege of helping Gary Long (Particular Baptist Press, Springfield Missouri) organized the Baptist History Celebration 13 years ago in Charleston, celebrating the founding of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, the fountainhead of almost all Baptist activity in the Americas. Boy, did I learn a lot during that time.

I mention these things only because I believe New Testament church polity is Baptist church polity. Among Baptists, therefore, a hierarchy of any kind is a historical anomaly. Pastors are peers, and anything that detracts from that is unscriptural.

I have no interest in spending the remainder of my time on earth with pastors who believe in a hierarchy and practice a ranking when engaging or interacting with other pastors. Neither do I think pastors have any business subjecting themselves to an ambitious pastor who postures himself as an expert, demands money from those who would hear what he has to say, and then tells them how to conduct their ministries. It was better for such a person to get off his high horse, humble himself so that he stands eye to eye with his peers, and write a book for them to read, reflect on, and critique.

These things said, I have learned from reading the minutes of the Philadelphia Baptist Association that pastors need fellowship. They needed fellowship then, and we need fellowship now. But our fellowship is not fellowship unless it is fellowship with peers. It does a pastor little good to pay money so that someone can tell him what to do. Better for that pastor to spend time with peers who seek to minister to one another in a scriptural and wholesome fashion.

If you agree with me so far, perhaps you will agree with what I’m about to suggest. I believe pastors of churches need fellowship and that we are harmed and our ministries are done a disservice when we do not engage in peer to peer fellowship with other pastors of like faith and practice. To that end, I would like to suggest that we gather on November 17^th at 4:00 PM for an afternoon of fellowship capped by dinner. I will call it Pastors As Peers. The name says it all. If you are interested in attending, let me know by phone, text, or email. May God bless you, preacher. As church members exhort one another according to Hebrews 10.25 (without lording it over one another), so might we encourage each other, cultivate existing friendships, and make new friends.

God bless you. Pray for our country in this upcoming election. Feel free to pass this on to any pastor who might want to attend, only make sure I know they are coming

 

Pastors As Peers meeting #1 agenda

“The Encroachment Of Feminism”

 

1.  The Millennial Trend

2.  The Pre-Christian, Christian, Post-Christian Dynamic

3.  The Anecdotes

4.  The Spiritual Problem

5.  The Solution

Dinner @ Calvary Road Baptist Church, 319 West Olive Avenue, Monrovia, CA

“The History & Theology of Calvinism” by Curt Daniel, Chapter Three

 

Chapter 3 is divided into subheadings Biography, The Servetus Incident, Calvin’s Writings, The Institutes, Calvin’s Theology, and Conclusion.

Biography. I had learned decades ago that John Calvin (pictured) was French, that he had for a time studied for the Catholic priesthood, and that he then turned to a study of the law. I did not know that his departure from France was intended to move to Basel, Switzerland, to become a private scholar. He had no intention of entering the ministry when he went to Switzerland.

In Geneva, Guillaume Farel recruited him to work with him in ministry in Geneva’s Protestant church. Of course, Calvin’s doctrine of the church was never correct[1], and his resulting efforts in connection with the practice of the communion service resulted in Calvin and Farel leaving Geneva. He would be gone for three years.

While living in Strasbourg, Calvin met and married the widow of an Anabaptist who was two children’s mother. Following their marriage, she delivered Calvin’s only child, who died as an infant. After nine years of marriage, Calvin’s wife died. He never remarried and suffered from bad health for the remainder of his life.

Back in service in the Geneva church, Calvin preached and taught and developed a charity and care outreach for the poor and the aged of the city. Interestingly, he also helped to create a public sewer system, as well as other projects. He helped develop what is known as free enterprise economics or capitalism to succeed the medieval feudal system of that era. Of course, I had heard of the “Protestant Work Ethic,” but had not known it was a product of Calvin’s theology and ministry.

Most people are aware of those who flocked to Geneva to be trained by John Calvin (such as Scotland’s John Knox) and escape persecution in their home countries. What was a surprise for me to learn was that from Calvin’s Geneva ministry were sent to France hundreds of pastors and evangelists and missionaries to faraway Brazil!

The Servetus Incident. I don’t think I have ever heard anyone rail against Calvinism without making mention of Michael Servetus. He was a physician from Spain, a heretic who embraced pantheism and denied both the Trinity and Christ’s deity. New to me was that before he arrived in Geneva, Servetus had already been condemned to death by the Roman Catholic Inquisition and had been warned by Calvin to stay away from Geneva or face the consequences. Geneva was as hostile to those who deny the Trinity and the deity of Christ as any Roman Catholic jurisdiction of that day.

What was also new to me when reading this book was the realization that Calvin was in no position in Geneva to decide who was and who was not prosecuted for heresy. Had Calvin not been in Geneva, Servetus would still have been arrested, tried, and executed. Therefore, any mention of the Servetus incident connected with Calvinism is entirely bogus and does not reflect intellectual honesty.

The Servetus incident was unfortunate. But it is likely that Servetus would have been arrested, tried, and executed in almost any city in Europe of that day.

Calvin’s Writings. The first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion was published when Calvin was in Geneva the first time, in 1533. Upon his return to Geneva, he updated, refined, and published numerous subsequent editions. Calvin was a prolific author, having written a massive commentary on almost the whole Bible (I have the set), he preached at least five times a week and lectured on theology nearly every day. Calvin also wrote 4000 letters, some of them giving advice to persecuted Christians in other countries, and some of them written to foreign heads of state.

The Institutes. The Institutes of the Christian Religion, first written in Latin, is a systematic theology centered around the theme of God’s knowledge. I have had The Institutes for about 30 years but have never gotten around to reading it. I suppose I will read The Institutes after I finish this book.

Calvin’s Theology. Martin Luther is most famous for his position on the doctrine of justification by faith. John Calvin is most famous for his position on the doctrine of the knowledge of God. Of course, he was a Protestant. He was also evangelical, stood strongly for the five solas, and accepted the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture. New to me was that Calvin was one of the first to teach the Holy Spirit’s internal testimony to authenticate the Bible’s inspiration.

Conclusion. I did not know John Calvin died at the age of 55. I did not know that when he died, he was in the arms of his successor Theodore Beza. I did not know that he requested no marker to identify his grave when he was buried.

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[1] See my book The Church of Jesus Christ: 28 Truths Every Christian Ought To Learn, (Monrovia, CA: Classical Baptist Press, 2019) available at www.ClassicalBaptist.Press

The Weekend of Anniversaries

 

On October 18, 2020, four anniversaries were celebrated at the Calvary Road Baptist Church of Los Angeles County, Monrovia, California.

Forty-five years ago, Pastor Joseph Morton officiated my marriage to Pamela Lucille Franco. Forty-five years ago on Sunday, Calvary Road Baptist Church of Los Angeles County, Harold C. Beigle established the church where I serve as the second pastor. Along about the same time, 45 years ago, God called me to the gospel ministry with a definite and undeniable call. Thirty-five years ago, God called me to become the second pastor of Calvary Road Baptist Church of Los Angeles County, Monrovia, California.

It is easy to see why last Sunday would go down as a monumental occasion in my personal life and in the life of the congregation where I serve. Despite all of the Chinese virus’s challenges and the unconstitutional abridgment of religious liberties the governor of California has imposed upon so many congregations, our church people did a fantastic job, and we had a wonderful time of rejoicing and fellowship.

Because of the transportation difficulties imposed upon us, I had initially thought that we would not have a special guest speaker for our anniversaries Sunday. However, Pastor Tom Burns informed me that Dr. Jack Baskin and his wife Shari would be conducting a ministry strategy seminar at his church in Norwalk on October 15. I then reached out to Dr. Baskin to invite him to preach for me. I first met Dr. Baskin in 1976 when I enrolled as a recent engineering school graduate, then employed by Hughes Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California (the city that won the Cold War), working on an intelligence-gathering satellite design. I had only recently married.

Growing up among leaders and having observed military leaders, I recognized in Dr. Jack Baskin his evident leadership qualities. Since then, I have never been disappointed. You can imagine how delighted I was when he accepted my invitation to preach Sunday morning at our special anniversaries service.

A year and a half ago, our church was privileged to authorize two of our members, Kreighton Chan, M.D., and his wife Winnie, to establish the All of Grace Baptist Church of Atwater Village. Dr. Chan was not only my physician and close friend for years but is also much loved by our church. I wanted his involvement with our anniversaries service but did not want to disrupt a young church’s Sunday services. The solution was to invite him and his people to a Friday night fellowship on October 16. It was super! We sang, ate catered Mexican food, and then had a wonderful time giving testimonies and praising God for Dr. Chan and his congregation.

A special treat was Karla Khammar and her niece showing up.

Saturday was a relatively slow day, punctuated by Christian Butler and deacon Rick Raymundo hanging the auditorium banner that would serve as a backdrop to our anniversaries celebration.

When I picked up Dr. Baskin and his wife from the hotel, I dropped them off at the front door and drove around to park in the back. When I walked into the auditorium to begin the prayer meeting, we conduct ½ hour before every Sunday morning worship service, who should I see but Clarence and Olga Patterson, our beloved friends from Kearny Nebraska, and classmates from our days at PCBBC? Were he not such a mountain of a man, I hugged him so hard I would’ve squeezed the life out of him.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful Sunday morning worship. Dr. Baskin preached a touching and strategically significant message from God’s word after Shari Baskin’s testimony about women’s ministries. The service can be seen at https://youtu.be/te5XIJuUPkA 

The deacons assembled around my wife and me to present us with tickets to Zakynthos, Greece, as a 35th anniversary as the pastor’s gift.

We are obviously overwhelmed and profoundly grateful.

Pictures with our friends will be treasured.

With Dr. Baskin and his wife departed to a service at another church in the evening, we enjoyed a service wholly given over to singing gospel hymns and rejoicing in the Lord. It was a good day. God is gracious, merciful, kind, wise, and sovereign. My wife and I rejoice.

“The History & Theology of Calvinism” by Curt Daniel, Chapter Two

 

What in the world am I doing at 12:15 AM and getting ready to prepare another Ministerial Musings? The answer is quite simple. When you listen to Dr. Jack Baskin speak for two hours about strategic planning and post-Covid-19 locked down ministry after telling a group of seasoned pastors their ministries will never be what they were before the lockdown, how does one settle down and go to bed? The man has the same broad vision and dynamism at the age of 89 when I first met him in 1976. His passion, zeal, and vision have not diminished at all. That’s why I’m still awake.

Chapter 2 is titled The Reformation. In this chapter, the author’s subheadings are Martin Luther pictured), Lutheranism, The Anabaptists, The Swiss Reformation, The German Reformed Reformation, and Conclusion. In this chapter, I will continue my focus on the author's new facts, with comments that are called for. 

The chapter begins, “The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century was the greatest revival in the history of Christianity.” I cite this verse because many of the gospel ministers I have known over the last 45 years have expressed doubt that the Protestant Reformation was a revival at all. Such a sad conclusion about an astonishing work of God is a reflection of profound ignorance.

Are you interested in revival? Recognize that no scheduled services are ever rightly called a revival. I suggest you read The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards, Lectures On Revivals Of Religion by W. R. Downing, Handbook Of Revivals by H. C. Fish, The Revival In Indonesia by K. Koch, Revival Of People Saturated With God by Brian H. Edwards, Lectures On Revivals by W. B. Sprague, Revival Sketches & Manual In Two Parts by Heman Humphrey, Flame Of God - Distinctives Of Revival by Gilbert Edgerton, The Welch Revival: Its Origin And Development by Thomas Phillips, The Revival Of Religion: Addresses by Scottish Evangelical Leaders Delivered in Glasgow in 1840, The Great Revival In The Southern Armies by W. W. Bennett, Pentecost Today? The Biblical Basis For Understanding Revival by Iain H. Murray, Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism 1750–1858 also by Iain H. Murray, The Great Awakening: A History Of The Revival Of Religion In The Time Of Edwards and Whitfield by Joseph Tracy, Revival by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Revival by Richard Owen Roberts.

Once you’ve read most of those books to find out what revival is from a biblical perspective, then you might want to read Lectures On Revivals Of Religion by Charles G. Finney to find out what revival most certainly is not!

There is no doubt among the informed and interested that the Protestant Reformation was a great revival. Jonathan Edwards has forever resolved the naïve belief that doubts, even during an incredible outpouring of God, the devil is around and about stirring up controversy, seeking to discredit, and producing false hopes in some.

In that portion of the chapter under the subheading, The Anabaptists, the author opines that Anabaptism began in Switzerland and spread throughout Europe to the Netherlands. My understanding of Anabaptist history stands in disagreement with the author. However, I believe that the author’s knowledge that Anabaptists focused on three primary issues is correct. First, they rejected all infant baptism. Second, they taught that the only true believers are part of the true church; a person must give a valid testimony in Word and life to become a local church member. Third, they rejected all notions of a state church.

I conclude my remarks in chapter 2 by mentioning something that I am surprised to discover is missing from the chapter, especially discussing the differences between Lutheranism’s view of communion and the Reformed view of communion. The Swiss Reformers believed that the communion of the Lord’s Supper was a symbolic ordinance. Luther, being the very conservative man that he was, could not completely leave behind his Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation and proceed all the way to the elements of communion being purely symbolic. Therefore, he contrived consubstantiation, the view that the bread and wine remain physically what they appear to be. At the same time, spiritually, they are somehow transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

The Swiss Reformers would have none of this. The dispute gave rise to the controversy known as the ubiquity of Christ. Ubiquity has to do with Christ being everywhere simultaneously, something that is required if the elements of the Lord’s Supper are spiritually the body and blood of Christ. The Swiss Reformers, to support their view that the elements consumed in the communion service are in every way real bread and real wine, and in no way other than symbolically the body and blood of Christ, pointed out that the Word of God shows in 28 places that the risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and enthroned Son of God is physically in heaven.[1] Obviously, the Swiss Reformers won the day because their position reflects the Bible. Only Lutherans embrace the compromise view of consubstantiation.

The practical application of this dispute that was not pointed out by the author of this book? The Lord Jesus Christ’s glorified resurrection body is presently enthroned in heaven. That means He is not, not even spiritually, in the elements of the Lord’s Supper. He cannot be physically here with us and physically at the Father’s right hand on high at the same time.

A practical evangelistic consequence of this old Protestant Reformation fight? It is inappropriate for an evangelist to encourage a sinner to ask Jesus into his heart. The Lord Jesus Christ, though He is the God-man, He is a man. As such, He enters no sinners heart to save but dwells in the justified person’s heart in the person of the Holy Spirit to sanctify. As well, I have found by carefully interviewing; some sinners think asking Jesus into your heart is equivalent to eating the host during Roman Catholic mass. Why suggest that a sinner do something not called for in God’s Word? There is no benefit and somewhat increased risk of confusion.

My next installment of ministerial musings will be chapter 3, John Calvin.

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[1] Psalm 16.11; 110.1; Matthew 26.64; Mark 12.36; 14.62; 16.19; Luke 20.42; 22.69; John 3.13; 13.1; 14.2-4; Acts 1.9-11; 2.33, 34-35; 7.56; Romans 8.34; Ephesians 1.20; 6.9; Colossians 3.1; Second Thessalonians 1.7; Hebrews 1.3, 13; 8.1; 9.24; 10.12-13; 12.2; 1 Peter 3.22; Revelation 19.11

“The History & Theology of Calvinism" by Curt Daniel, Chapter One

         I have decided that I’m going to devote my Ministerial Musings to a chapter by chapter review of the history and theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel. My main focus at this point as I begin the book will be to relate information included by the author that I did not previously know about either John Calvin or the history and theology of Calvinism.

First, let me point out that there are three endorsements on the back of the hardback edition. The endorsements are from John MacArthur, Steven J. Lawson, and Phil Johnson. The book has two forwards, written by the prolific authors, pastors, seminary presidents, Joel Beeke and John MacArthur. I have met both men several times, have read books written by both men, and am aware that despite their agreement on matters of soteriology, they differ on matters of eschatology.

Chapter 1 is titled Pre-Calvinism. The author deals with the Early Church, Augustine, the Pelagian Controversy, Augustine’s Reply, Semi-Pelagianism, The Dark Ages, Gottschalk, and concludes the chapter with Medieval Debates.

Under Augustine’s Reply's subheading, the author touches ever so slightly (a single sentence) on Augustine’s view of justification through infused righteousness rather than by imputation. What the author does not point out, but which I have learned from other sources, is that Augustine’s error on this point (which was a common mistake in his day made by those who had no facility with Greek) was related to a misunderstanding of the Koine Greek word dikaioo. Though the Greeks, without exception, used the word to refer to declaring righteous, Augustine and others mistakenly believed the term to mean to make righteous. That error resulted in catastrophic consequences.

New to me in the prehistory of Calvinism, or what Daniel calls Pre-Calvinism, was a ninth-century German monk and poet named Gottschalk of Orbias (c.804-c. 869). He was a strong advocate of Augustine’s theology of grace. The author identifies him as the most explicit and emphatic pre-Calvinist between Paul and the Reformation. The Roman Catholic hierarchy came down hard on him, burn his writings, and imprisoned him for the rest of his life in a dungeon.

In the last paragraph of the chapter before his conclusion, the author mentions John Wycliffe (c.1330-84), who I knew translated the Latin Vulgate Bible into English before the invention of the printing press. I was unaware that John Wycliffe held to what the author describes as an “emphatic Augustinian view of grace,” that paved the way for the Reformation.

The next installment of ministerial musings is anticipated to be a review of the things I have learned in chapter 2.

"The History & Theology of Calvinism" by Curt Daniel

          I am an inveterate reader. I have the great benefit of growing up in a readers’ home, with my dad very typically reading one entire book a day. The result of his lifelong passion for reading (his sister taught him how to read when he was four years old) was that my dad was always the most well-informed person in the room. Always.

I bring all of this up because I have decided to read a book sent to me in the mail about a week ago, having no idea who sent it to me. Having caught the reading bug from my dad following my conversion, I am presently reading 30 books, usually a chapter from each book per day and at least three chapters from the Bible each day. The book that I received in the mail, written by Curt Daniel, is titled The History & Theology of Calvinism, 906 pages. Yesterday I decided to read it, adding it to the many books I am already reading.

Upon reflection, I find it interesting that at my age (I am now 70), I have never read a book written by John Calvin. I have the 22 volume set of Calvin’s Commentaries, though I have only rarely consulted with them and have not purposefully read any of them. I also have Calvin’s Christian Institutes, without having read that work either.

As I prepare to read this massive book, I think it would be good to reflect on a few things before starting:

Number one, it must be incredibly stupid to form an opinion about a man without having read any portion of his body of work. I know many people have unjustified and unwarranted thoughts because the basis of their views is a rumor, innuendo, and gossip. It should be every gospel minister’s posture to avoid, whenever possible, having a decided opinion about anyone or anything he has not personally studied. To have an opinion about John Calvin or his doctrinal position without reading John Calvin is not just stupid and ill-advised; it is lazy. There is no room in the gospel ministry for intellectual laziness. We have too much of that already.

Number two, it isn't very reasonable to evaluate someone who lived long ago by modern-day standards. An example of this came to me yesterday when I learned that late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon performed a black face comedy routine 20 years ago when he was on the cast of Saturday Night Live. Of course, the cancel culture wants him fired today for doing something 20 years ago that was at that time acceptable to everyone in the entertainment industry. However, gospel ministers have long been guilty of the same kind of cancel culture thinking.

I bring this up concerning the universal condemnation that I have heard throughout my Christian life regarding John Calvin’s connection with a man named Michael Servetus (1511-1153). The incident almost always comes up in a discussion about Calvinism. It is referred to by my Baptist brethren as a cudgel against John Calvin and his doctrinal stance for supposedly being an accessory to the murder of a Baptist.

Not so fast. History shows us that Servetus was a Spaniard, an Anabaptist, and a heretic who denied the Trinity and Christ’s deity. Before he arrived in Geneva, he had been condemned to death by the Roman Catholic Inquisition and had been warned by Calvin that it would not be a good idea for him to come to Geneva. Once he was in Geneva, he was arrested, prosecuted, and executed by burning.

Contrary to what many of my Baptist brethren claim, John Calvin was not a judge at the trial, nor was he the prosecutor. He was called a witness for the prosecution, and he testified, but he exercised no role other than that in either finding Servetus guilty or executing him. Not only did John Calvin have no authority to stop the execution of Servetus, but it is almost sure that whatever city he had gone to Servetus would have been arrested, tried, and executed, whether the town was a Protestant city or a Roman Catholic city.

My Baptist brethren should be reminded that we would recognize not all Anabaptists as our spiritual forebears. Are you a Baptist if you sprinkle rather than immerse? Are you a Baptist if you deny justification by faith? Are you a Baptist if you repudiate the doctrine of the Trinity? Are you a Baptist if you deny the deity of Jesus Christ?

I am not for one moment communicating approval of the execution of Servetus. However, let us recognize that no city on earth in John Calvin’s day tolerated religious dissent. And there were many offenses dealt with harshly in that day, which we allow to pass without comment in our day. Let us also recognize that John Calvin did not occupy the same relationship with Geneva’s government or religious institutions that a Baptist pastor enjoys in the 21^st century. Never forget that John Calvin was a foreigner, a Frenchman living and serving in Geneva, Switzerland. He had neither the freedom of action nor the freedom of speech that every Baptist in America takes for granted.

Let us be very careful that we do not practice our own form of cancel culture. Most people I know would decry the attempt to have Jimmy Fallon fired today because of something he did 20 years ago that no one then disapproved of. Let us apply the same kind of standard to one of the most prominent Christian leaders of his era who lived five centuries ago, who exercised no control over whether Servetus was arrested, tried, convicted, or executed.

I am not going to make up my mind about this man and his doctrinal position before I read what he wrote. I advise the same for others. I am sorry for any church member whose pastor has such a pygmy mind that he is willing to decide and speak about his decisions without giving the man a fair hearing.