The Greatest Threat to Civilization in the 21st Century: Protestantism’s Doctrine of Death
In researching the Reformation, one finds the “terror” of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) wanting in regard to its overall threat to civilization. Islam has always been inept in the politics of logic that despises life. Even many who agree with them will not buy into their means or politics. Per the usual since the 6th century, the likes of them only succeed in stirring up what little wrath there may be in the most passive among us.
A far greater threat, if not the threat, is Protestantism. While it is thought of by and large as a force for good in the world, if not the force for good in the world, its core logic is no whit different from Islam. Both are rooted in zero sum life value (not to be confused with life as zero sum game). The fallen creation is not merely weak by God’s metaphysical standards, it is utterly evil. If you can see it, feel it, smell it, taste it, or hear it—it is evil. The definition of faith is to believe that and nothing else, and a man’s highest calling is to set the masses free from placing value in this life. Protestant leaders are selfless souls in their own estimation, enduring the horrors of life for the sake of those who are in bondage to finding happiness here.
What people think they believe and how they function are two different things. This is where the intelligence of Martin Luther and John Calvin were far superior to their Islamic kinsmen. The latter think it important for people to know why they function the way they do; that wasn’t important to Luther or Calvin at all. In fact, they didn’t think the average person has the ability to know that anyway. Islam is considered fringe because they openly proclaim zero sum life. In contrast, Protestants claim to uphold the “sanctity of life,” but the core value is Luther’s doctrine of death. Islam is always too hasty—Protestantism is patient in its endeavor to plunge the whole world into its identity of darkness and death.
This fact is undeniable: while Protestants proclaim life, their father was a purveyor of zero sum life. Protestants have an appearance of loving life, and many actually think they do, but the core value of their hero and founder is death—this is an unavoidable metaphysical fact. We will first examine what Luther believed about life and reality, how that functions in life, and finally, why it is the greatest threat to the wellbeing of civilization in the 21st century.
The doctrine of zero sum life ALWAYS has three primary elements: material is evil and invisible is good; preordained mediators between the material world and the invisible world, and the goal of utopia. Though the varied assessments in each category are vast, the three fundamentals remain fixed with the SAME results: death and darkness. The only difference is the quality and experience in getting to the predictable end. These are ancient principles found in the cradle of civilization that play themselves out in myriad cyclic progressions of history. The Protestant Reformation was nothing new; it was a biblical version of the same worn-out caste system that has wreaked havoc on the earth since the Garden of Eden, and continues to do so in various and sundry expressions.
Obviously, the Protestant Reformation was not founded on Luther’s 95 Theses. That was a “Remember the Alamo” sort of thing. The doctrinal foundation of the Reformation came about six months later in Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation of 1518 to the Augustinian Order. In it, we find the three basic elements of ancient spiritual caste defined by zero sum life. Luther equated ALL human works with the natural and material:
Much less can human works, which are done over and over again with the aid of natural precepts, so to speak, lead to that end (Theses 2).
The manifest and visible things of God are placed in opposition to the invisible, namely, his human nature, weakness, foolishness (Theses 20).
That wisdom which sees the invisible things of God in works as perceived by man is completely puffed up, blinded, and hardened (Theses 22).
In other words, nothing that man does in this life can be based on wisdom from the invisible because he can’t comprehend it. He is enslaved to “natural precepts.” ALL visible things are defined by “human nature, weakness, foolishness.”
Because the material is supposedly evil, Luther believed that the deprecation of everything human and natural was the only way to experience wellbeing. Man cannot do anything good, but can experience wellbeing that comes from the invisible realm through suffering. Luther believed that Christ came to suffer in order to establish suffering and the annihilation of the natural as an epistemological gateway to the wellbeing of the invisible realm:
The manifest and visible things of God are placed in opposition to the invisible, namely, his human nature, weakness, foolishness. The Apostle in 1 Cor. 1:25 calls them the weakness and folly of God. Because men misused the knowledge of God through works, God wished again to be recognized in suffering, and to condemn »wisdom concerning invisible things« by means of »wisdom concerning visible things«, so that those who did not honor God as manifested in his works should honor him as he is hidden in his suffering (absconditum in passionibus). (Theses 20).
Viz, ALL knowledge of God is hidden in suffering. This is suffering as a plenary epistemology. Stated simply, spiritual wisdom cannot be known, but only experienced through suffering. The material cannot produce anything good which of course includes mankind. By the grace of God, mankind can experience the glory of heaven, but he cannot perform any work that has merit in the material realm.
This brings us to Luther’s preordained mediators for the great unwashed masses between the visible and invisible. He called them, Theologians of the Cross, or in other words, theologians of suffering:
That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the »invisible« things of God as though they were clearly »perceptible in those things which have actually happened« (Rom. 1:20; cf. 1 Cor 1:21-25).
This is apparent in the example of those who were »theologians« and still were called »fools« by the Apostle in Rom. 1:22. Furthermore, the invisible things of God are virtue, godliness, wisdom, justice, goodness, and so forth. The recognition of all these things does not make one worthy or wise (Theses 19).
He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross (Theses 20).
These are men specially gifted, if that’s your perspective, in interpreting ALL reality, or at least reality that means anything significant, through redemption or the suffering of the cross. This was Luther’s version of Plato’s philosopher kings. While Plato’s epistemology was based on immutable elements in the shadow world such as geometry and math, for Luther it was the cross of suffering. The gateway to freedom from the bondage of “natural precepts” is the study and meditation of suffering, and better yet, the experience of it.
This is where Luther prescribed law and Scripture as a tool to pursue suffering as an epistemology and way of life. The Bible’s purpose, according to Luther, is to show us the depths of our depravity and worthlessness:
The law wills that man despair of his own ability, for it »leads him into hell« and »makes him a poor man« and shows him that he is a sinner in all his works, as the Apostle does in Rom. 2 and 3:9, where he says, »I have already charged that all men are under the power of sin.« However, he who acts simply in accordance with his ability and believes that he is thereby doing something good does not seem worthless to himself, nor does he despair of his own strength (Theses 18).
Luther’s focus was on the wellbeing of the individual and not necessarily that of society, but obviously, individual wellbeing defines the collective wellbeing of community. The use of the law for self-depravation and the embrace of suffering are key to experiencing wellbeing. Humble, broken individuals lead to a humble society.
The payoff for this way of life is a well-known Reformed doctrine till this very day: Vivification. Luther saw the Christian life as a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. As man strives to see his depravity in the Scriptures and is driven to despair, the result is a recurring and deepening experience of future glory. This is the formal Reformed doctrine of Mortification and Vivification supposedly pictured in baptism. Hence, baptism doesn’t picture a onetime transformational event—the old self dying with Christ and then resurrected to new life, it is supposedly a picture of Christian life defined by perpetual death and rebirth:
He, however, who has emptied himself (cf. Phil. 2:7) through suffering no longer does works but knows that God works and does all things in him. For this reason, whether God does works or not, it is all the same to him. He neither boasts if he does good works, nor is he disturbed if God does not do good works through him. He knows that it is sufficient if he suffers and is brought low by the cross in order to be annihilated all the more. It is this that Christ says in John 3:7, »You must be born anew.« To be born anew, one must consequently first die and then be raised up with the Son of Man. To die, I say, means to feel death at hand (Theses 24).
Protestants of our day are in no wise confused about the doctrine Mortification and Vivification:
Progressive sanctification has two parts: mortification and vivification, ‘both of which happen to us by participation in Christ,’ as Calvin notes….Subjectively experiencing this definitive reality signified and sealed to us in our baptism requires a daily dying and rising. That is what the Reformers meant by sanctification as a living out of our baptism….and this conversion yields lifelong mortification and vivification ‘again and again.’ Yet it is critical to remind ourselves that in this daily human act of turning, we are always turning not only from sin but toward Christ rather than toward our own experience or piety” (Michael Horton: The Christian Faith; mortification and vivification, pp. 661-663 [Calvin Inst. 3.3.2-9]).
At conversion, a person begins to see God and himself as never before. This greater revelation of God’s holiness and righteousness leads to a greater revelation of self, which, in return, results in a repentance or brokenness over sin. Nevertheless, the believer is not left in despair, for he is also afforded a greater revelation of the grace of God in the face of Christ, which leads to joy unspeakable. This cycle simply repeats itself throughout the Christian life. As the years pass, the Christian sees more of God and more of self, resulting in a greater and deeper brokenness. Yet, all the while, the Christian’s joy grows in equal measure because he is privy to greater and greater revelations of the love, grace, and mercy of God in the person and work of Christ. Not only this, but a greater interchange occurs in that the Christian learns to rest less and less in his own performance and more and more in the perfect work of Christ. Thus, his joy is not only increased, but it also becomes more consistent and stable. He has left off putting confidence in the flesh, which is idolatry, and is resting in the virtue and merits of Christ, which is true Christian piety” (Paul Washer: The Gospel Call and True Conversion; Part 1, Chapter 1, heading – The Essential Characteristics Of Genuine Repentance, subheading – Continuing and Deepening Work of Repentance).
This is Luther’s utopian ideal: perpetual death and rebirth towards ultimate freedom from the natural.
What is the appeal of such a belief? It is the same as it has always been: this life that we are in bondage to does not have to be taken seriously; don’t worry, be happy. Life is worthless, and we are therefore not obligated to invest in it. This life is not what really matters, so don’t sweat it. Sure, if you want to excel in the shadow world, that’s fine, but it’s not really relevant. You can experience life in a completely relaxed mode because it is all just an illusion anyway. As with all trifold spiritual caste systems, EVERYTHING is predetermined, therefore, you are really not responsible for anything that happens. Neither is this point missed among Protestants as well:
What is the appeal of such a doctrine? I think it was stated best by the popular Reformed Mockingbird blog. They wrote an article entitled, The Subjective Power of an Objective Gospel. The following is an excerpt:
What, then, is the subjective power of this message? Firstly, we find that there is real, objective freedom, the kind that, yes, can be experienced subjectively. We are freed from having to worry about the legitimacy of experiences; our claims of self-improvement are no longer seen as a basis of our witness or faith. In other words, we are freed from ourselves, from the tumultuous ebb and flow of our inner lives and the outward circumstances; anyone in Christ will be saved despite those things. We can observe our own turmoil without identifying with it. We might even find that we have compassion for others who function similarly. These fluctuations, violent as they might be, do not ultimately define us. If anything, they tell us about our need for a savior (David Zahl and Jacob Smith: Mockingbird blog). (Paul M. Dohse Sr.: Pictures of Calvinism; TANC Publishing 2013, p. 34).
When it gets right down to the crux of it, this is the appeal in a nutshell. And what are the consequences for our 21st century culture? Dire. A return to the original articles of the Reformation and a proper understanding of it has been growing since 1970. In our day, “New Calvinism” which is a return to Reformation fundamentals has all but completely taken over the evangelical churches worldwide. The political consequences, especially in the United States, could be catastrophic.
Why? For the first time in world history, the American idea adopted a government for the people and by the people. It was the first government in history to reject the ancient threefold caste system of man’s inability, oligarchy, and utopia. The common three-fold caste system has never produced anything other than suffering and tyranny. Protestantism is merely one of many different versions of three-fold spiritual caste. American Protestants of the past have been a strength for freedom because of their integration with capitalism, but with Protestantism returning to its original European roots, that has already changed dramatically. New Calvinists are markedly anti-American, and this should not surprise us in the least.
Compounding the problem is the aforementioned issue of beliefs versus function. American Protestants profess to believe in individual responsibly and capability, but they function as those totally dependent on experts to understand reality. While they would verbally reject the three-fold caste system based on beliefs, they clearly function by all three elements.
This is confirmed by what evangelicals profess as set against blatant contradictions. The most glaring contradiction is the idea that America is a “Christian nation.” Worse yet, we must be a Christian nation because if we weren’t, that only leaves “secular,” and secular equals evil because, well, it’s not Christian. This is a mentality spawned from element one of spiritual caste: material is evil—invisible is good, and Christianity represents the invisible. My wife Susan, after being a Christian for more than 50 years, is beginning to recognize this. Though she would have always rejected the idea of spiritual caste as a lifelong professional educator, there was a time when she thought the only good teacher was a Christian teacher. In her mind, only Christian teachers had a proper grasp of reality. Where did she get such ideas?
In regard to groups that threaten American liberty, patriots would do well to add Protestants to the list. And unwitting Protestants who think they are patriots should wise up and do their own research. To the New Calvinists, anybody being in control is better than “We the people.” American exceptionalism is based on individual ability, not total depravity. For the most part, New Calvinists do not vote, and if they do, they vote socialist. Why? Because there is only one thing worse than communist rule in their minds: the collective will of totally depraved individuals. This ministry researches in the realm of New Calvinism, and anti-American rhetoric is a constant theme among them.
First, New Calvinism is a huge movement, and growing; second, if America goes south, so goes the world. Right now, America has, at the very least, a 45% leaning towards socialism, and the ever-growing New Calvinist movement will continue to chip away at the remaining 55%. What needs to be done?
Those who get it must stop arguing with New Calvinists on their own terms. They must be confronted in regard to their interpretation of reality and what their mentors really believed. In light of their massive and blatant contradictions to the plain sense of Scripture, why does this movement continue to grow by leaps and bounds? Answer: most Christians would say that we must interpret Scripture for ourselves, but we don’t function that way. If a leader states something that seems like a blatant contradiction to us, we chalk it up to our own inability and assume them to be the experts.
We must come to grips with the fact that these “experts” are no different from the chanting Buddhist monks sitting on the ground dressed in orange bath towels and shaved heads. Such do not benefit American freedom—you have never seen any of them in line at a voting location. New Calvinist numbers are growing at an alarming rate among what is left of evangelicalism, and that could very well tip the balance of influence and America’s future political landscape, and where America goes, so goes the world.
That’s why Protestantism is now the greatest threat to civilization in the 21st century.
paul
The Overseer’s Job Description
I recently wrote a two-part article on the qualifications of overseers or “elders” (see part 1 and part 2). It occurred to me the other day as I was preparing the lesson for the Tuesday Night Bible Study, that while we spend much time studying the elder’s qualifications, we don’t usually go on to the next step, and that is to ask the question, what actually is the job of an overseer. What does he do? What is his job description?
Now those of reformed and protestant orthodoxy will talk much about elders, or bishops, or shepherds, or apostles, or whatever they want to call themselves, using terms like “authority”, “ordained”, “gifted”, “rule”, and “obedience”. The emphasis is clearly one of a spiritual caste system, as Paul Dohse often makes reference. We are the “elders”; you are the lowly pew-sitters. We interpret; you follow and obey. After all, we have to give an account at the judgment, and you don’t want us to not have any joy in performing our leadership over you. That would not benefit you at all (paraphrasing the often abused Hebrews 13:17). The thinly veiled threat implied in that statement being that the elders have some say in how things work out for you come judgment day. It got me to thinking- does the Bible give us any list of duties of an overseer? The answer should come as no surprise to us, but, yes, it does! The Bible speaks very plainly what an overseer is to do and how he is to act.
The major body of the overseer’s job description is found in Acts 20:28-35
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
The apostle Paul is making his way back to Jerusalem. He makes a stop in Miletus which is near Ephesus, and he calls for all the elders of the Ephesian assemblies to meet him there. He gives them one last personal exhortation because he knows in his spirit that they will never see him again. Along with a stern reminder to them to remember everything that he has taught them, Paul also gives them a list of tasks for them to carry out. These are the things an overseer is to do:
Take heed…
This imperative command in the Greek literally means, “to hold the mind”. Pay attention! Be aware! This is the primary role and the very definition of “overseer”. The word “overseer” contains the word σκοπος (sko-pos), which refers to a watch or a sentry or a lookout. This is also the origin of the English word “skeptic”, or “skeptical”. One who is a skeptic is by definition cautious. He is always on guard. He doesn’t automatically believe what he is told. He confirms and verifies. He is on the lookout for lies and deceit.
Paul’s first instruction to the overseers was to be on the lookout for trouble to come into the assembly. He warned that grievous wolves would come in as soon as he left, and not just from outside, but from within as well. Wolves are pack animals. They never hunt alone. And often times they do not present themselves as wolves. Paul described wolves this way in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15:
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
This was the reason for Paul’s earnest exhortation to the overseers of Ephesus. They needed to take heed to protect the flock by watching out for wolves. They needed to take heed even among the overseers, for a wolf would seek to work his way in to a position of leadership among an assembly. There is nothing more deadly to the flock than for a wolf to be its shepherd.
Feed the assembly…
This is the word ποιμαινω (poy-my-noh), which means to tend as a shepherd. There is more than just feeding involved here. Notice now this relates to the first point. Paul again uses this familiar metaphor of tending to sheep to illustrate the same kind of care and watch over the assembly beyond just being on the lookout for wolves. If you want a full description of the shepherd’s role, just take a look at Psalm 23, paying special attention to the highlighted phrases:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Follow my example in labor…so (thus, in this manner) laboring
In this phrase, Paul may be indirectly referring to his example in how he performed the previous two roles, but he is specifically referring to the fact that he earned his own wages through independent employment. He did not depend solely upon the assemblies to support him financially. Rather, he saw the importance of the assemblies using their resources to support the poor, weak, and needy among them. Remember how we read in Acts chapters 2 and 4 how the assemblies brought all their offerings together and distributed to every man according to his need so that no one lacked? Paul reinforces this message by exhorting them to remember the words of Jesus – that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
The overseers were not to be a burden to the assemblies, but as much as was within their means, they were rather to see that the needs of the assemblies, both spiritual and physical, were met. Their role as overseers was not self-promotion or material gain but a Godly example after which the assemblies were to pattern themselves. The apostle Peter echoed these same sentiments in 1 Peter 5:1-4 when he wrote:
“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
Paul addresses two more roles of the overseer in his letter to Titus. In Titus 1:9 he writes:
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
Holding fast the faithful word…
I found this word in the Greek to be rather interesting. It is the word αντεχομαι (an-teh-koh-my), from the words “anti”, meaning against, and “echo”, meaning to hold. Literally the word means to hold against, or to stand in opposition to. Why would Paul be instructing overseers to stand in opposition to the faithful word that he’s been taught? The answer is, he isn’t. The context of the verse states that as overseers remain faithful to the word as they have been taught by the apostles, they are to stand in direct opposition to any false teaching. Stand in opposition to any false teaching that would be contrary to the words of scripture as you have been taught.
Paul writes in Romans 16:17-18,
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
This instruction applies to all believers, but is especially needful for overseers. Notice we are to “mark them”. This is the verb form of the word “skopos”, σκοπεω (sko-peh-oh), and it literally means to take aim at. Find the ones who teach false doctrine. “Scope” them out. Watch for them. Aim your sights in on them, as if you are looking through the “scope” of a rifle. Make them a target. Stand against them, and then avoid them. Notice it does not say to take them head on. Point them out, not for the purpose of removing them, but for the purpose of going around them. In doing so, you make them irrelevant. And this leads in to the last role of the overseer.
Exhort and convince the gainsayers
This is the way that we are to mark and avoid false teachers. There are actually two parts to this. The first is to exhort using sound doctrine. This is the familiar word παρακαλεω (par-ah-ka-leh-oh) that means to come along beside. This is in relation to believers. The overseer must come along beside other believers and remind them of the truth of what scripture says and encourage them to continue in it. In doing this, they present the contrast of the false teacher, convincing the “gainsayers.” A gainsayer is one who speaks against something, in this case the truth of scripture. The word “convince” is ελεγχω (el-eng-kho) and is better translated as “expose”. Exhorting believers to sound doctrine serves to expose those who speak against it. In this way, false teachers are marked so that they can be avoided, and the assembly is edified, because if believers are able to effectively spot a false teacher, then the false teacher no longer has any influence there.
You should notice that all of these roles of the overseer are defensive and not offensive. Neither are they self-serving. Everything is for the benefit of the assembly to protect them and edify them and bring them to maturity. There is no emphasis on authority or rule or obedience, in fact this is expressly prohibited. Rather the emphasis is on that of a servant. An overseer is not there to make sure the assembly follows orders. The assembly is made up of individual believers that must each grow into maturity. They must grow into maturity so that they can fulfill their commission- their role as ambassadors of reconciliation, bringing the Gospel of the Kingdom to the lost. An overseer’s job is to make sure that those in the assembly have what they need in order to carry out their role, to see that they are properly equipped, and to protect them from danger along the way.
Andy
New Calvinism’s Beef With Teaching Children to Ask Jesus Into Our Heart and Voddie Baucham’s Reformed View of Children
Originally published July 11, 2012
Now look, I believe children are born sinful, and I also believe children not properly reared can grow up to be monsters, but we need to also remember that every human being is born with the works/law of God written on their hearts and their consciences either excusing or accusing them. That’s why I don’t go for this total depravity stuff along with the dirty little secret that this also supposedly applies to believers. Man is by nature sinful, but if you go through life looking at the unregenerate as nothing more than barely a step above the animal world, they will know that and it will create issues in your life to say the least.
New Calvinism will die a social death. Authentic Calvinism always does because five things finally come home to roost:
1. Folks finally take a stand against the tyranny it produces.
2. Folks finally catch on to the fact that authentic Reformed theology is Gnosticism (Neo-Platonism) dressed up in Bible verses.
3. Folks grow weary of its pessimistic mindset/outlook on life that came from Plato and Augustine.
4. Folks get bored with the constant recycling of Christology as if that is the only subject in the Bible (Susan and I are hearing this a lot lately).
5. As a result of 1-4, people’s lives start going to hell in a hand basket. Authentic Calvinism always ends up yielding very bad results as it did in Geneva and Salem MA.
But for the first time since the conception of Reformed theology, there has never been a resurgence of it that has been this well systematized and funded (ie, New Calvinism). And, there has never been a time when American parishioners were dumbed down like they are in our day; so, number 2 is going to take a while. In other words, the former resurgent movements haven’t left enough damage for people to remember, and dots usually aren’t connected (ie, the Salem witch trials were an identical event to what took place in Geneva under Calvin’s reign of terror). So, every hundred years or so it makes a comeback and then dies out again. The goal is to limit the carnage and educate to prevent another resurgence.
Now back to my original point about children. New Calvinists get this Reformed, abysmal view of man from Plato and Augustine. And the following quote by New Calvinist Voddie Baucham depicted in the illustration should be all that needs to be said.
Keep New Calvinists away from our children.
Decoding Protestant/Calvinist Brainwashing
This chart needs a lot of work, but in regard to Christian living versus salvation, the cause for confusion in our day follows: Protestantism and Calvinism in particular fuse the different applications of single words together to mean one thing…for the most part…justification. Take the word “repentance”: it has a different meaning and application for the Christian versus the unbeliever. This chart is meant to get the ball rolling in the direction of teaching people to interpret the Bible according to the sanctification/justification dichotomy. Protestantism and Calvinism make sanctification and justification the same thing, and make under law/under grace the same thing, and call for an interpretation of Scripture in this way which makes their false gospel feasible. Again, this chart merely gets the ball rolling; I trust that your own independent study can improve upon it greatly.
Acts 14:21-15:6 | Lesson 38
Tuesday Night Bible Study
October 21, 2014
Study of the Book of Acts
Tonight’s Text – Acts 14:21 – 15:6Brief review
To perseverance To produce maturity
(Refer to “The Desire for and Qualifications of an Overseer, Part 1 and Part 2” on Paul’s Passing Thoughts)
χειροτονεω (kee-ro-toh-neh-oh) χειρ (keer) – “hand” τεινω (tee-no) – “to stretch.”
Casting a vote in an election – No apostolic authority – Laity selects their elder
Opening the door of faith to the Gentiles – Most important aspect – Not expected to happen.
III. Contention with Circumcision
– From Jerusalem – “They of the circumcision” – Authority to teach this doctrine?
– Law fulfilled by circumcision – Under law vs. under grace
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Paul's Passing Thoughts 
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