Dr. Couch, what about Calvinism? We have a new pastor who says he believes what
Calvinism says. We voted him in without knowing what he held on this
issue. I am confused and my heart is heavy. Can you help?
Your heart should be glad that the young pastor is teaching the great
truths about the sovereignty of God. Let me tell you my story:
Before I went to college I heard a seminary
student teach on God’s sovereignty and His divine election and
predestination. I thought he was crazy, so in college, I used all my
free time in the library trying to refute him. Lo and behold I ended up
the strongest Calvinist you can imagine, minus their teaching on Limited
Atonement, which cannot be supported by Scripture. “Basic” Calvinism is
what has been taught at all our most formidable Evangelical colleges
and seminaries. Many (but not all) in the Covenant and Reformed camp
teach Limited Atonement, but as I say, I can debate anyone on this issue
to show that it is not biblical.
To me “Basic” Calvinism would be: (1) the
absolute and total sovereignty of God, (2) the providence of God (He
holds all things together and sustains all), (3) the Total Depravity of
Man (man is dead in his sins, as a dead body!), (4) the absolute and
complete election and predestination of some to salvation, but obviously
not all, (5) the security of the believer (all who are saved will be
kept saved!). I can prove all of these doctrines by Scripture. I taught
the same at the schools founded by D. L. Moody, and by C. I. Scofield
who founded Philadelphia College of Bible (now Philadelphia Christian
University).
As for the freewill of man, you cannot find
"freewill" in Scripture, though from Geneis to Revelation, you find that
mankind is "responsible." How can man be responsible for his actions
and God be sovereign? Or how can God be absolutely sovereign and man be
responsible for his actions? I DON'T KNOW, but that is what the Bible
shows to be true.
You have been taught that Calvinism is “bad” but you have been taught wrong! I suggest you purchase Pink’s Sovereignty of God, and Boettner’s The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination. And if you can get your hands on it, Lewis Sperry Chafer’s Systematic Theology,
volumes I and III. Again, I do not hold to Limited Atonement because as
a Greek teacher, this view cannot be sustained grammatically and
textually. It is the weakest view proposed by hard core Calvinists.
Nevertheless, all the Reformers held the views I believe are biblically
sustainable. America was founded basically on Calvinistic theology.
We
owe a great debt of gratitude to our understanding of systematic Bible
study to John Calvin, yet I do not hold to a view simply because Calvin,
or any Bible teacher, taught such. I must be able to explain the Bible
textually and verse by verse. And that is what Scofield Ministries is
all about—the propagation of biblical truth and sound biblical exegesis.
Thanks for asking,
Dr. Mal Couch
