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The Staunch Calvinist

"Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God." - Jonathan Edwards

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1 Timothy 2:4 & Titus 2:11, 'desires all people to be saved'
Simon Wartanian | 15,907 views | 2,692 words | 0:14:11 hours | 07 September 2014 16:04
Limited Atonement Timothy 2:4 Titus 2:11 Universalism Intercession The Cross ESV Study Bible MacArthur Study Bible Reformation Study Bible NLT Study Bible
...ongThis does not mean that God sovereignly wills every human being to be saved (i.e., that God saves everyone). It may refer to God’s general benevolence in taking no delight in the death of the wicked, or to God’s desire that all types of people (v. 1 note) be saved (i.e., God does not choose His elect from any single group).

NLT Study Bible[5]

1 Timothy 2:1 all people: The prayers of the false teachers and their disciples were evidently not consonant with God’s will to save all kinds of people (2:3-4).

1 Timothy 2:2 all who are in Authority: Those who had the power to persecute or to protect the church (see also Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13-17). • live peaceful and quiet lives: The point was not for Christians to blend in and be unnoticed, but to display the beauty of the Good News and allow the church’s mission to proceed without unnecessary complications (cp. 2 Tim 3:12;1 Pet 3:13-17). • The word godliness and its cognates (also at 3:16; 4:7-8; 5:4; 6:3, 5-6, 11) sum up the beliefs, attitudes, and lifestyles that accord with right and reverential knowledge of God, obedience, and authentic worship.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 Compact teachings, as in this passage, occur throughout the letters to Timothy and Titus (see also 3:16; 2 Tim 1:9-10; 2:8, 11-13; Titus 3:4-7). They might be adapted bits of creeds, hymns, or prayers that were known to the churches. The doctrines referenced probably relate to Paul’s trouble with the false teachers; it appears that their teaching undercut the universal appeal of the Good News and the effectiveness of the Gentile mission. The false teachers also had a deficient understanding of Jesus and his salvation.

Will of Desire

God’s will of desire: ESV MacArthur Study Bible:[6]

2:4 desires all people to be saved. The Greek word for “desires” is not that which normally expresses God’s will of decree (his eternal purpose), but God’s will of desire. There is a distinction between God’s desire and his eternal saving purpose, which must transcend his desires. God does not want men to sin. He hates sin with all his being (Ps 5:4; 45:7); thus, he hates its consequences ­­– eternal wickedness in hell. God does not want people to remain wicked forever in eternal remorse and hatred of himself. Yet, God for his own glory, and to manifest that glory in wrath, chose to endure “vessels…prepared for destruction” for the supreme fulfillment of his will (Rom. 9:22). In his eternal purpose, he chose only the elect out of the world (John 17:6) and passed over the rest, leaving them to the consequences of their sin, unbelief, and rejection of Christ, (cf. Rom. 1:18-32). Ultimately, God’s choices are determined by his sovereign, eternal purpose, not his desires. See note on 2 Pet. 3:9 the knowledge of the truth. Meaning “to be saved.” See note on 2 Tim 3:7

2:5 there is one God. There is no other way of salvation (Acts 4:12); hence there is the need to pray for the lost to come to know the one true God (cf. Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; Isa. 43:10; 44:6; 45:5-6, 21, 22; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4,6). Mediator. This refers to someone who intervenes between two parties to resolve a conflict or ratify a covenant. Jesus Christ is the only “mediator” who can restore peace between God and sinners (Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24). The man Christ Jesus. The absence of the article before “man” in the Greek suggest the translation, “Christ Jesus, himself a man.” Only the perfect God-Man could bring God and man together. Cf. Job 9:32-33

2:6 a ...

A Short Review of Sam Waldron's Modern Exposition of 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
Simon Wartanian | 6,307 views | 606 words | 0:03:08 hours | 23 February 2015 19:14
Review Book Review Sam Waldron Modern Exposition Of 1689 Baptist Confession Of Faith 1689 Reformed Baptist
...y baptism was no baptism. So on 14-06-2013[1] I was baptized after a profession of faith. At that time I was in the process of studying the Doctrines of Grace. Sometime later, by the grace of God I came to embrace and glory in them.

The Confession

The first and foremost thing that I love about this Confession is it's high, high, high view of God's sovereign freedom. I love it and that is exactly how I believe that God is, the Sovereign King over every molecule. 
I love the fact of the Baptists' deep commitment to the truth and the sole Authority of the Bible and their appeal to the Bible. I could not really find any disagreements with the Confession, so I feel home in it and I'm not ashamed to identify myself as a Reformed Baptist.

What I loved about Dr Waldron's work is his way of explaining the Confession and going through the biblical evidence (as I have been reading Grudem, I would have loved it if Dr Waldron would cite portions of the passages that he was using as proof, rather most of the time, only references were given).

When I started studying the Confession I didn't realizes that a confession is actually a Systematic Theology! :)

Dr Waldron explained things very well, I especially liked his extensive treatment of chapters 29 (Of Baptism), 31 (of the state of man after death and of the resurrection of the dead) and 32 (Of the last judgment). There he interacted with the other side and provided some answers. With the explanations he went also through more detail.

During my study of the 1689 I left some comments about my thoughts on each paragraph that can be viewed here: https://www.thecalvinist.net/post/1689-Second-Baptist-Confession-Of-Faith-With-Commentary-And-Highlighting/922 

Also I have opened a new section wherein I try to go in detail to explain why I agree with the formulation of doctrines in the 1689. The section is found here: https://www.thecalvinist.net/1689 

Few minor problems with the book

One thing that was frustrating me, was the load of typos there. It's not that I'm a grammar nazi, but the quality of the work is so great that the multitude of the typos, wrong headings above pages (pages 103, 381), no spacing between words, wrong numeration really were the only downside, which could have been prevented. Hopefully, they will update it in the future, otherwise we'll just have to wait for James Renihan's exposition of the 1689 that is in progress!

Footnotes

  1. ^ Here is a picture of my baptism back when my hair was long. 

 

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1689 Baptist Confession Chapter 13: Of Sanctification - Commentary
Simon Wartanian | 17,381 views | 16,934 words | 1:29:010 hours | 05 March 2015 18:23
The 1689 Second Baptist Confession Of Faith Confession Commentary Reformed Baptist Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Sanctification Holiness
...ays that “there is no one who does not sin”; or Proverbs 20:9, which rhetorically asks, ‘Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”?’, or James 3:2, which says that “we all stumble in many ways.” All this to show that our sanctification in this life is incomplete. This does not mean that it is uncertain. It will certainly be complete, but not in this life.

Body and Soul

Often, we may have the sense that sanctification has only to do with our spirits or our souls. But the Confession says that “sanctification is throughout the whole man” and this not on its own Authority. The Bible teaches that sanctification affects both body and soul. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our complete sanctification is described as our “whole spirit and soul and body [being] kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, Charles Ellicott writes, “The idea is rather that of leaving no part unsanctified, than that of doing the work completely so far as it goes: thus it serves to introduce the next sentence, which explains it.”[41]

2 Corinthians 7:1 says that because of God’s promises, “let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit”. What are these promises? Well, we find these in the previous chapter and they are: we are the temple of the Holy Spirit; God dwells within us; He walks among us; He is our God and we are His people; He is our father and our we are His sons and daughters (2 Cor. 6:16-18). Adam Clarke explains, “The apostle undoubtedly means, drunkenness, fornication, adultery, and all such sins as are done immediately against the body; and by filthiness of the spirit, all impure desires, unholy thoughts, and polluting imaginations.”[27] Barnes explains what the “filthiness of the flesh” is: 

The filthiness of the flesh here denotes evidently the gross and corrupt appetites and passions of the body, including all such actions of all kinds as are inconsistent with the virtue and purity with which the body, regarded as the temple of the Holy Spirit, should be kept holy - all such passions and appetites as the Holy Spirit of God would not produce.[15]

Sexual immorality may be foremost in the mind of the apostle since that was a problem with the church in Corinth (see 1 Cor. 6). He does not instruct them to only work on cleansing every defilement of the spirit, but “let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit”. By doing so, we are “bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” They are bringing holiness to completion because they are sanctifying both body and soul.

In Romans 6:13, the apostle calls us to no longer “present [our] members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness” but to present our “members to God as instruments for righteousness.” Barnes explains, ‘The word “members” here refers to the members of the body - the hands, feet, tongue, etc. It is a specification of what in Rom 6:12 is included under the general term “body;” see Rom 7:5, Rom 7:23; 1Co 6:15; 1Co 12:12, 1Co 12:18, 1Co 12:20.’[15] Sanctification begins internally, with our new heart, but it is not internal only. It inevitably works out to our body and our members as Paul calls them here. It affects what we do with our hands and feet; what we watch with our eyes; to whom or to what we listen with our ears; what words we s...

Review of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology
Simon Wartanian | 19,309 views | 1,938 words | 0:010:06 hours | 19 July 2015 19:18
Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology Book Review Calvinism Baptist Continuationist Premillennialism
...oes not believe that “NT congregational prophecy” is the speaking of the very words of God, but he defines prophecy as “telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.”[3] He does not believe that NT congregation prophecy is predicting the future. Further, he believes that in the OT the prophets spoke the very words of God and to disobey a prophet was the same as to disobey God. But this is not the case in the NT. In the NT, the prophets are replaced with the Apostles (which is an office limited to the first century he believes) which are given the Authority to write the God-breathed word of God. It is the Apostles, not the prophets in the NT which write and speak the very words of God. At first I found this rather strange and I was committed that the prophets were God’s mouthpiece as that is the case in the OT, but Dr Grudem argues that the Apostles replace the prophets in the NT.

As for healing, Dr Grudem believes that God heals through the prayers of people. He does not believe that the reason why people are not healed is caused by lack of faith, as the prosperity heretics do. But that it is the sovereign and free will of God which grants healing.

I found it strange that Dr. Grudem believes that tongues can in fact be a nonexistent language, but in the words of John MacArthur “gibberish.” I have not studied this very deeply, but I cannot say that I agree. Dr Grudem argues that just because in Acts 2 tongues were actual languages, does not mean that that will always be the case because he believes that 1 Corinthians14 supports the idea of tongues not actually being a language sometimes.

I cannot say that now I’m fully a continuationist, but I can say that I see now more support for continuationism and weakness for cessationism.

The Doctrine of the Future

Part 7 of this Systematic Theology deals with the study of the last things, Eschatology.

Dr Grudem shows convincingly for me the support for the coming of Christ, the Final Judgment and Hell, the New Heavens and New Earth. With all these I agreed on most points, except the Millennium.

Dr. Grudem is a Classic Premillennial. He fairly represents the four major views today:

  1. Amillennialism
  2. Postmillennialism
  3. Classic Premillennialism
  4. Dispensational Premillennialsm

While he represents these views he argues against them and for Classic Premillennalism.

I remain an Amillennial.

Conclusion

If you don’t have this book in your library, get it now! You will not be disappointed. I will go back to it.

I’m thankful for God’s grace upon Dr Grudem’s work and life and that he has produced such an excellent treatment of Christian doctrine faithful to the Holy Scriptures.

He has become an example for me and a hero of how I should handle the Holy Scriptures.

Footnotes

  1. ^ RC rightly says that everyone’s a theologian ;)
  2. ^ Page 315.
  3. ^ Page 1050.
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A Review of O. Palmer Robertson's The Israel of God
Simon Wartanian | 8,248 views | 3,313 words | 0:17:02 hours | 19 January 2017 22:25
Book Review O. Palmer Robertson Israel Of God Eschatology Covenant Theology Dispensationalism Kingdom Of God
...39;s ensuing experience in the wilderness may be seen.4 Threat of disaster is answered by miraculous deliverance. (p. 88)

This theme is also found for the New Covenant people of God most exhaustively in the New Testament in Hebrews 3-4. Where the people of God have the greater Exodus of the Lord Christ behind them, yet they are still striving to enter the eternal Sabbath of God (Heb 4:11).

Dr. Robertson traces the wilderness motif throughout the Old Testament and New Testament.

The Coming of the Kingdom

Although God is King over all things and His kingdom rules over all (e.g. Ps 103:19), yet “a more specific manifestation of his Authority is displayed in the kingdom of his Messiah” (p. 113). The Kingdom came with the coming of its King.

This was likewise a very helpful chapter wherein his Amillennialism and Two-Staged Kingdom theology showed, which is good! See here for more on Amillennialism and the Two-Staged Kingdom of God.

In this chapter Dr. Robertson shows the important and crucial place of Israel in the plan of God as related to the coming of the Kingdom and how Scripture connects the coming of the Kingdom with Israel. But as argued earlier and continually throughout the book, the Israel of God is not defined by ethnicity, but by faith in the Messiah.

There is a very helpful discussion on the Kingdom of God in Acts as it relates to the disciples’ question in Acts 1:6. He shows how the New Testament vision of the Kingdom is that it is spiritual in the present age and non-consummate, but it will have its consummation at the Second Coming of its King. The Kingdom comes in two stages and no more. What some (e.g. Dean Davis) have called the Kingdom of the Son and the Kingdom of the Father. There was also a helpful discussion on Revelation and an Amillennial interpretation of chapter 20.

Romans 11

Chapter six deals with the question of Israel’s future. Dr. Robertson maintains that ethnic Israelites are and will always be part of God’s people and in God’s plan, but he denies that there will be distinctive future for ethnic Israel, as envision by Dispensationalists for example. There will never be a distinction between believing Jews and Gentiles ever again. Both are on an equal footing and both are together heirs to the promises of God in Christ.

Dr. Robertson stresses throughout this chapter how Paul is actually concerned with what is to happen with Israel in the present and no so much in the future. He stresses how Paul is seeking to save some Israelites now and how he is seeking to save them through his ministry and not at some future date (Rom 11:5, 7, 14-15, 23, 30-31). All this emphasis is right and warranted by the context and it was helpful to have that pointed out because some act as if Romans 11 largely or wholly has to do with the future. Dr. Robertson shows that the emphasis of Romans 11 itself is upon the present time. He rightly notes that the “references in Romans 11 to God’s present intention for Israel are pervasive and are highly significant for the total thrust of the chapter” (p. 171). This point must not be overlooked.

It is not the purpose of God to save every Jew. He has always had the freedom to pick and choose according to His sovereign pleasure and He has never bound Himself to save every ethnic Israelite. The mystery of God in this is that the rejection of Israel serves the purpose to bring Gentiles in. But even this is for the purpose of moving elect ethnic Israelites ...

A Review of Hell Under Fire
Simon Wartanian | 5,381 views | 1,399 words | 0:07:19 hours | 22 January 2017 20:36
Book Review Eschatology Heaven Hell Gehenna Judgment Eternity Annihilationism Universalism Eternal Punishment Hell Under Fire
...he authors are top-notch theologians in our day who in this book respond to Annihilationism and Universalism, while at the same time give a biblical and holistic picture of hell. The subject of hell is sobering and terrifying. As believers we know that thanks to Christ we have been saved from this awful fate, which we should recognize--we rightly deserve. We likewise believe that all those without the Gospel of Christ, do not have a hope, are under the wrath of God and will everlastingly be under the wrath of God. It is terrifying to think of that and we cannot, without sympathy, discard the emotional appeal of Universalists and Annihilationists. The Bible is the sole infallible and highest Authority for the Christian and if the Bible teaches that historical view of hell, then my emotions do not matter and cannot settle the truth about hell. It is as simple as that.

This book contains 10 chapters dealing, containing among other things, 

  • a historical survey about hell up to our day (chapter 1, by Albert Mohler Jr.); 
  • the OT and hell (chapter 2, by Daniel I. Block); 
  • the Lord Jesus and Hell (chapter 3, by Robert W. Yarbough); 
  • Paul and Hell (chapter 4, by Douglas J. Moo); 
  • the Apocalypse and Hell (chapter 5, by G. K. Beale); 
  • Biblical and Systematic Theology as it relates to hell (chapters 7-8, by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, respectively); 
  • an examination of Universalism and its arguments (chapter 8, by J. I. Packer); 
  • an examination of Annihilationism and its arguments (chapter 9, by Christopher W. Morgan); and finally
  • Hell and pastoral theology (chapter 10, by Sinclair Ferguson).

There is a ton to be learned in these chapters by the Bible student. What is to be learned from this book should not only fill our heads with information, but motivate us to share the Gospel with the lost because of the dreadful fate which faces them if they receive not Christ and His righteousness.

The reason we believe in the existence and everlasting nature of hell and of its punishment is simply because we believe that Holy Writ teaches it. If it were not for the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who spoke more often about hell than Heaven, we would not believe in Hell, because it is so repugnant to our fallen natures.

Interaction

This work continually interacts with popular scholarship as it regards the nature of hell and the arguments for and against Annihilationism in Evangelicalism. Authors most cited and interacted with include John Stott, Clark Pinnock, David Powys and Edward W. Fudge. The authors of this work continually argue that Annihilationists do not look at the whole portrayal of hell as presented by Scripture, but rather choose to focus on and emphasize specific portrayals of hell with neglect to the rest. This accusation is also leveled against those who hold to the traditional view of Hell who emphasize the punishment aspect of hell, while neglecting to share the Gospel, or declaring that hell is also a banishment (not merely a separation of God's presence) and destruction.

The Destruction Picture of Hell

An important and helpful study was Douglas J. Moo's on the meaning of destruction. He accuses Annihilationists of reading their preconceived meaning of destruction as cessation of existence or as

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John Owen's Case For Particular Atonement
Simon Wartanian | 12,647 views | 15,628 words | 1:22:53 hours | 21 March 2017 23:01
John Owen Definite Redemption Limited Atonement Particular Atonement Calvinism Five Point Calvinism Arminianism
... to the end in his hand. 7. Christ had no intention to redeem his church, any more than the wicked seed of the serpent. 7. Christ loved his church, and gave himself for it. 8. Christ died not for the infidelity of any. 8. Christ died for the infidelity of the elect.

Conclusion

John Owen makes a biblically and logically tight case for what is commonly but unfortunately called Limited Atonement. He extensively uses Scripture and Scriptural concepts to argue his case, which makes the case all the more convincing. Adding to the final and primary Authority of Scripture, his good use of "sanctified” common sense and logic against universal atonement and for definite redemption. This work, while extensive and verbose, is truly a blessing and a very good case not only for Particular Redemption, but on the whole question of the accomplishment and application of redemption. Owen spent 7 years writing and researching for this book, and it is still the foremost defense of particular redemption. No learned theologian may dismiss “Limited Atonement” without first giving Owen a hearing.

Μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Footnotes

  1. ^ John Owen. The Death Of Death In The Death Of Christ. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust. 1959, 2013 reprint). p. 45.
  2. ^ Ibid. pp. 67-68.
  3. ^ Ibid. p. 68.
  4. ^ Ibid. p. 69.
  5. ^ Ibid. pp. 70-71.
  6. ^ Ibid. pp. 71-74.
  7. ^ Ibid. p. 89.
  8. a, b Ibid. p. 96.
  9. ^ Ibid. p. 98.
  10. ^ Ibid. p. 99.
  11. ^ Ibid. p. 100.
  12. ^ Ibid. p. 101.
  13. ^ Ibid. p. 111.
  14. a, b Ibid. p. 113.
  15. a, b, c Ibid. p. 121.
  16. ^ Ibid. p. 124.
  17. ^ Ibid. p. 131.
  18. ^ Ibid. pp. 131-132.
  19. ^ Ibid. p. 132.
  20. ^ Ibid. p. 137.
  21. ^ Ibid. p. 146.
  22. ^ Ibid. p. 150.
  23. ^ Ibid. p. 152.
  24. ^ Ibid. p. 174.
  25. ^ Ibid. pp. 175-176.
  26. ^ Ibid. pp. 176-177.
  27. ^ Ibid. p. 179.
  28. a, b Ibid. p. 180.
  29. ^ Ibid. p. 309.
  30. ^ Ibid. p. 182.
  31. ^ Ibid. pp. 190-191.
  32. ^ Ibid. pp. 194-195.
  33. ^ Ibid. p. 221.
  34. ^ Ibid. pp. 195-196.
  35. ^ Ibid. pp. 302-303
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An extensive compilation of Scripture canon lists: texts and spreadsheet
Simon Wartanian | 1,522 views | 611 words | 0:03:010 hours | 05 September 2023 19:34
Canon Of Scripture Protestant Canon Roman Catholic Canon Apocrypha Early Church Canon Lists
... type of a particular list. So there are, for example, list which come up from non-Christian Jewish authors, from manuscripts, individual authors, councils or documents (like a confession).
  • Then we have the author, which is either the person, the name of the manuscript or the name of the document.
  • Next up is the date of the list or if nothing specific is known about the list, the dates of its author.
  • Region mainly specifies whether a canon is Western or Eastern.
  • Claim to the Fathers/Authority is for those lists that mention that the list is received by a particular father or that “the Church” accepts or rejects some books.
  • In Comments are usually summaries of the list or an evaluation.

    • The division of the books is as follows: first up are the 39 books of the OT and then all OT Apocrypha (not only the Apocrypha accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, but everything which may be considered to be in the time of the OT, and which is explicitly mentioned in a canon list). For the NT, we follow the same division.

    The cells are color-coded, and the definition is found in the Legend sheet. There are also comments within some cells, often citations from the list itself as well as text within a cell.

    The “Texts” sheet contains the text or texts on which the categorization was based. Clicking on the author in the “Lists” sheet will bring you to the texts and clicking on the author in the “Texts” sheet will bring you back to the author in the “Lists” sheet. 

    There is also a Compare sheet. To protect the spreadsheet from being messed with, I have decided to have the spreadsheet in view mode only. To use the Compare sheet you need edit rights. To accomplish this, you can add the spreadsheet to your Google account and use it from there.

    The Canon Lists

    This is a simple PDF that contains only the texts and as they are color-coded with the references and where you can find them. I have tried to use texts which are open-source. In some cases, I cite from Gallagher and Meade’s book.

    Link

    Resources

    These are the few helpful resources that I’ve used to compile this list.