Paul's Passing Thoughts

Why Donate to PPT and TANC? Mission Statement of TANC

By Paul M. Dohse Sr.

TANC: Truth About New Calvinism.com; a discernment ministry under the accountability of Germantown Baptist Chapel in Germantown, Ohio.

“This movement runs contrary to the Reformation and the Scriptures. It is dangerous and must be exposed and halted.”

~Dr. Jay E. Adams

The American Church certainly has its problems, but is it really awash in the supposed false gospel of co-laboring with God in sanctification? New Calvinism is operating on the false premise that it is saving the church from a theological dark age; the work of the original Reformation is ongoing and unfinished. The arrogance that necessarily follows this motif lingers not far behind. And according to the Scriptures, young leaders do not lack propensity towards such attitudes. As New Calvinist Mark Driscoll has noted: “You get the young men….you get everything. If you don’t get the young men, you get nothing.”

The movement has also seen itself as, above being identified. To be called anything except a term all Christians are familiar with, “gospel” is to deny their mission and categorize them as just another flash in the pan theological movement. This has led to innumerable hostile takeovers of churches and parachurch organizations. Until now, victims were helpless in stopping these takeovers because New Calvinism’s specific doctrine and source was unidentifiable; you can’t contend against a danger that you cannot define.

That is changing fast. More and more with every week that passes New Calvinism’s covert mode of operation is no longer working. This is a major advancement in the cause to earnestly contend against this false doctrine. Though we will not cite numbers specifically, the following chart illustrates the sharp increase in visits to this website by people who want to know what is going on with this movement. Takeovers are being prevented, and many churches now know what to look for in order to keep New Calvinist leaders out of their churches.

And this is extremely important because New Calvinism is a false gospel. It clearly fuses justification and sanctification together. When sanctification is a “chain” or “road” to a final judgment in which we must be found just, the propagation of a false gospel can be the only result. This also leads to an unhealthy dependence on spiritual leaders who must supposedly lead us through the very critical pathways of a sanctification that is really justification in action. The gargantuan dependence and worship of spiritual leaders in our day is now evident accordingly. And for this reason, New Calvinism is a religion of fear. Hardly anything is more evident than the pervasive fear of leaders that dominates this movement.

This ministry will continue to aggressively educate and improve in how a contention against this movement is communicated. We will communicate this through the big picture, and the dismantling of every detail of the movement. For almost five years now, I have attempted to merely get the ball rolling in hopes that others would pick up the ball and run with it. This has not happened, so I will fully embrace the duty. Lord willing, and in His strength, and with the help of God’s people, we will earnestly contend against this gangrenous blight upon the church.

And “gangrene” is a key word here. While discussing the Apostle Paul’s use of the word gangrene with my wife Susan, she reminded me that she has been afflicted with gangrene in the past. The apostle used that particular word with intentionality. When Susan had gangrene in one of her legs, she felt no pain and was totally unaware of it. Gangrene is a silent killer of the body’s limbs. If it goes undetected for too long, limbs must be amputated. That is exactly how false doctrine infects the church: silently, covertly, and subtly, but with fatal results.

Paul’s Passing Thoughts and Truth About New Calvinism.com will be editing two of my unpublished books and offering them for free on our websites in pdf format. These books deal with the various elements of the movement. The Truth About New Calvinism addresses the major tenets and the doctrine’s history. Volume two will be published in the near future. We will use the following to sound the alarm: blogs, books, conferences, speaking opportunities, our newsletter, and networking with other Christian ministries. We also look forward to working with other organizations that address the spiritual abuse created by this movement. Right now, the movement itself has created organizations that supposedly minister to the fallout that the movement itself has created. An example of this would be the upstart Biblical Counseling Coalition.

This movement is so pervasive that in many cities across our nation, there are only New Calvinist churches. We get emails and letters from those who testify to this. They go to church week after week and hear about how they are totally depraved and hate God as much as any unbeliever. Therefore, I am very excited that TANC will be starting a forum to create a shovel ready church polity for those who would like to start a fellowship in their homes. We plan to work with Bible colleges to start non-New Calvinist churches across the nation (The Noah Forum). This will give God’s people an alternative. Secondly, we plan to start a publishing company that will empower the laity and others to promote what God has taught them in the Scriptures (The Berean Laity Press). Right now, New Calvinists control ALL of the major Christian publishing companies. This is completely unacceptable.

Big plans, but we have a big God. And this is needed and long overdue, because only truth sanctifies.

Paul M. Dohse

Author: Paul’s Passing Thoughts blog, The Truth About New Calvinism: Berean Laity Press, 2011.

Director: TANC

Member: The Coalition Against New Calvinism

“Actually, down through the years it has been the vague stuff like this that has captured the minds of the untaught and unlearned (2 Peter 3:16). That’s why mysticism stills holds a large segment of the Roman church in its clutches, why liberalism with its vague neo-orthodoxy still affects the thinking of many, and why post-modern anarchism is in vogue.”

~Dr. Jay E. Adams

TANC Doctrinal Statement

Scripture

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is sufficient to make the believer adequate for every good work pleasing to God. God used man to write the Scriptures as they were born along by the Holy Spirit. No iota or dot of Scripture has ceased to benefit the believer in some way. Scripture’s truth and accuracy has always been superintended by God. The Scriptures have been completely delivered to the saints, and terrible woe will come to those who add to it or take away from it (2Timothy 3:16,17; Matthew 4:4; 2Peter 1:19-21; Matthew 5:18; Jude 3; Revelation 22:18,19).

Authority of Scripture

The authority of Scripture supersedes that of elders and the Presbytery. Our first allegiance is always to the Chief Shepherd and all that He has commanded. We only follow men when they follow Christ (Acts 17:11,12; 1Cortinthians 4:6; 1Corinthians 11:1; Galatians 1:8,9 Matthew 28:18,19).

The Trinity

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God, but also three distinct persons who are the fullness of all deity in, and of themselves. God is sovereign over the affairs of men, pure and righteous in all of His affairs, loves those who seek Him, and hates evil doers. The Son will return to execute judgment on Earth at a time like the days of Noah, and will establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness ruled by the Father and Son. Until then, God’s people are to be holy as He is holy, glorify His name by the way they live, and be ever watchful and ready for His Son’s return. All of redemptive history is moving toward God the Father being “all in all” (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1Timothy 2:5; John 1:1; Acts 5:3,4; 2Corinthians 3:17,18; Habakkuk 1:13; Malachi 1:11; Matthew 5:8; Philippians 2:15; John 3:16; Psalms 5:5; 11:5; Hosea 9:15; Malachi; 1:2,3; Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 24:37; Revelation 22:1; 1Peter 1:15; Matthew 24:42; 1Corinthians 15:25-28).

Creation

The Trinity created the heavens and Earth in six solar days. Light and darkness were created as one in the first day amidst water. God then separated the darkness and light in the first day also. (Genesis 1:1-31).

Salvation

Salvation is Trinitarian. God the Father justifies, the Son saves, and The Holy Spirit regenerates. God retains all glory for salvation unto Himself.  Those whom the Father has elected, He has also called. Those whom the Father has called, He has glorified. God has done this before creation, and His election guarantees glorification. All that the Father has elected, he will lead to the Son. All that He leads to the Son are justified. Therefore, glorification is secured before the foundation of the Earth for all of God’s children. Hence, sanctification has no bearing on the Father’s justification.

All who come to the Father must come through the Son by believing in His death, burial, and resurrection. He is the only mediator between God and mankind. With the aid of the Holy Spirit and the power that raised Christ from the grave, and obedience to the word of God, the believer can experience the full assurance of the Father’s election. The Holy Spirit will illumine believers and counsel them with the word of God. He will actively work with the believer to be set apart for God’s glory (Romans 8:30; Ephesians 1:3-10; John 17:17; John 14:15-17; 1Timothy 2:5; 2Peter 1:3-21; Ephesians 1:15-20; John 6:44; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:1-8).

Evangelism

People are not saved without the preaching of the gospel. God’s offer of salvation to all people is a legitimate offer. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. It is God’s desire that all people come to repentance and be saved (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16-19; Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 2:3,4; 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 10:14; Matthew 23:37).

The New Birth

We affirm the new birth. There is no salvation without it. We are created into totally new creatures, and the old self has been put to death. Therefore, sin’s ability to enslave us has been broken, and we are free to obey God with the aid of the Holy Spirit and instruction from the Scriptures. A robust effort in sanctification through the new birth will be richly rewarded in this life and the life to come according to the promises of God, and with no ability to add or take away from justification.

We reject all teachings that present the new birth as a realm or manifestation of the Spirit without the co-laboring of the believer. Christians are declared righteous, and in fact are righteous through the new birth. Christians continue to sin because of the flesh and mortality. Sinfulness resides in the flesh of the believer, while the heart of the believer is redeemed. We are washed, but need forgiveness for our failings while walking in the world. This is not forgiveness to maintain justification, but forgiveness to maintain a harmonious relationship with our Father. Jesus Christ will reward us for our holy works and loving accomplishments while on Earth, and destroy the works of the flesh by fire (John 3:3-15; John 1:12,13; 2Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:9,10; Ephesians 5: 20-24 1Corinthians 3:9; 1Thessalonians 3:2; 2Corinthians 6:1; Philippians 4:8,9; John 13: 6-11; 1Thessilonians 4:3 Romans 7:23; Mark 13:48; Galatians 5:16).

The Church

The church is the universal body of Christ with local expressions. Local assemblies should be guided by a group of pastors. The other offices of the church are deacon and deaconess. These are individuals, both female and male, who have all the qualifications of “elder” except, “apt to teach.” They are to handle the affairs of the church in order to free the elders for prayer and the “ministry of the word.” The local assembly should be led by elders, and confirmed by the congregation in regard to their decisions and calling. Elders are not to lord it over the flock. The office of elder and deacon/deaconess is a spiritual gift, and therefore a lifetime appointment. However, the privilege of practicing these gifts can be halted by the congregation for dereliction of duty and other sins.

Elders who sin are to be rebuked before the entire congregation so the other elders will fear. Elders are to equip the saints for ministry, and the saints/congregation are the ministers. The elders are not the ministers. The saints are to be equipped with the full counsel of God. The attempt to fully equip the saints with the same gospel that justified us is a false gospel. It should also be noted that elders have no authority in the Christian home outside of the church. The authority structure in the home is clearly stated in Ephesians 5:22-27. The husband is the pastor of his home, not the elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 15:1-29; 16:4,5; 20:17; 20:28-32; 21:18; 1Timothy 5:17-19; 1Peter 5:1-5; 1Timothy 4:14; James 5:14,15 Acts 6:1-6; 1Timothy 3:1-13 1Timothy 5:20).

Separation

The Bible instructs regarding “self-discipline” and the “Lord’s discipline” but states nothing about “church discipline” Church discipline is a misnomer. The Bible teaches separation that results in the discipline of the Lord and other practical consequences. This is both local and universal, and is critical in regard to purity of doctrine and practice. This is a practice that should be implemented, when applicable, between individuals and churches, churches and other congregations, and between denominations/organizations. The lack of this practice is greatly responsible for the rampant error of our day. Unity is based on truth. Truth is the life substance of unity, not the avoidance of confrontation. Biblically, division is always framed in context of false doctrine.

The Bible calls for this separation after several different procedures have been applied to the correct situation. We reject a Matthew 18 grid for every situation that occurs in the church. Separation is intended for sins of the baser sort, and is not a tool for fine-tuning God’s people; for instance, counseling, etc. Lastly, involvement of the whole congregation should always precede separation to insure that all in the situation and their actions are vetted. ([Note differences. Sins against brothers: Matt.18:15-20; false teaching that causes division:1Tim.6:3-5, 2John:10,11 Titus 3:10, Rom.16:16,17; sinning Elders:1 Timothy 5:19; broken fellowship between parishioners: Phil. 4:2,3; Idleness: 2Thess. 3:6-15; gross Immorality: 1Cor. 5:1- 13] 1Corinthians 5:6; Revelations 2:1-3:22; Hebrews 12:5-11; 1Cor. 11:30;  1Cor. 11:31-32).

Eschatology

The coming of Jesus Christ to secure the Father’s salvation through His sacrifice, and His return, mark the beginning and the end of the last age of the ages. It will be an age marked by deception and an unprecedented onslaught against God’s truth. The primary falsehood of this age will be antinomianism. In fact, the antichrist will be a consummate antinomian. The coalition believes that New Calvinism could be a latter-day antinomian blitzkrieg as the Scriptures predict will come in the last days (Hebrews 1:1,2; Hebrews 9:26; 2Peter 3:3-10;  2Timothy 4:2,3; 1John 2:18; 1John 4:1; 2Corinthians 11:13; 2Thessalonians 2:1-3; 2Timothy 3:1-5; 2Timothy 3:13; Matthew 24:3,4. The following refers to how the last days are framed in regard “anomia”: love, Matthew 24:11,12; Judgment, Matthew 7:23; 13:41; fellowship, 2Corinthians 6:14; mystery of anomia, 2Thessalonians 2:7; antichrist is called the “anomia one” or “man of anomia” three times in 2Thesslonians chapter two. Redemption, Titus 2:14).