Paul's Passing Thoughts

Calvinists are clearly among the most confident people roaming the earth; but why? They pride themselves as ones who embrace the hard truth of reality; God alone chooses those who will be saved and man has no ability whatsoever to choose God. All glory belongs to God, and Calvinists disdain any notion that man has some ability within himself to choose or desire the things of God. Clearly, they look at “Pelagianists” in a demeaning way in the same way that Gnostics look at those who believe reality can be understood through the five senses.

This is why Calvinists are the most ridiculous bunch roaming the face of the earth: while they are proud of their elect standing, Calvinist doctrine holds to the idea that NOBODY knows their eternal destiny until the “final tribunal.”

Fact is, Calvin held to three classes of elect: the non-elect, the temporary elect (the called), and the final elect (those who persevere). Now, forget the whole, “those who don’t persevere were never saved” routine. That’s not what Calvin taught. He taught that there is a temporary elect who are “temporarily illumined.” And due to the fact that they are temporarily regenerated by God, and do not persevere by God’s predetermination, their eternal damnation is greater than the non-elect. If you want to argue with this, citations are available upon request, but be sure of this; you are going to lose the argument.

So, why evangelize? According to Calvinism, it brings glory to God because man’s rejection of the gospel is proof that it is all of God. And, since all of reality is a metaphysical narrative written by God, all aspects of the story gives glory to God. Susan Dohse has taught on this extensively in regard to the theology of Jonathan Edwards.

However, there is one theory that explains why Calvinists can remain confident and haughty even if they lose their appetite for the “sovereign gospel of grace.” It pertains to Calvin’s doctrine of “power of the keys.” What’s that? Well, it’s a Catholic doctrine, because, you know, Calvin was a Catholic. And you know, an avowed follower of Augustine, till the end, who was, well, a Catholic. The doctrine holds to the idea that the church is God’s authority over salvation on earth. If you think that Protestant orthodoxy rejects the idea that pastors, like priests, have the authority to forgive sin on earth, you are dead wrong. And, if you think excommunication is a Catholic thing only (the idea that being ejected from church membership is the taking away of salvation), and not a Protestant thing, you are beyond dead wrong.

So, you can be a proud Calvinist while having no way to know your future destiny by merely staying faithful to church membership and obeying those “who have the rule over you.”  It is sort of like having a get out of election free card. So, you can choose God’s election by remaining faithful to the church. Brilliant.

And, obviously, if church is the only way to heaven, you must see no evil, hear no evil, or speak any evil against the church. Besides, Calvinists are all totally depraved anyway…

…and proud of it.

paul