“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB). ——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contents:
1) Calvinism and the Old Testament (Don Wright) 2) Perish the Thought! (Dan S. Shipley) 3) Caring for Our Souls (video sermon, Tom Edwards) 4) News & Notes ——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
-1-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calvinism and the Old Testament<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don Wright
Most Bible believing people are familiar with Calvinism. If you are not, it is a doctrine that suggests that all human beings are born sinners because of the sin of Adam and Eve. Calvinists believe that the fall of Adam was the fall of all of mankind. It is interesting that they claim that we inherit Adam\u2019s sin even though it was Eve who sinned first. Nevertheless, Calvinism teaches that man, as a result of the sin of Adam, is born totally depraved, unable to do anything good from a spiritual standpoint.
Total depravity is the T of the acronym TULIP, which sums up Calvinism. The rest of the TULIP is as follows: unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Calvinism is taught by most churches that came out of the 16th century reformation movement, which makes up a large percentage of denominational churches today.
There are many scriptural problems with Calvinism, beginning with the fact that none of its tenets are taught in the New Testament. My personal observation is that, while the New Testament is a problem for Calvinism, the Old Testament might be an even bigger problem. To see this, we have to keep the first tenet of Calvinism in mind, which, as I stated above, is total depravity.
The doctrine of total depravity demands the conclusion that man is unable to hear the Word of God and believe it. In order for man to be saved, he must first receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, something that only God can provide, so that his heart is capable of believing in Jesus, or anything that is spiritually good.
First, let me say that this teaching of Calvinism is as anti-God as any doctrine an atheist could ever teach. It makes God an unloving, cruel, respecter of persons, Who purposely creates man in sin, and then condemns him to hell for not doing what he is incapable of doing in the first place. But, why is this a problem with the Old Testament? It is a problem because there are many Old Testament stories where individuals did good, even accomplishing the will of God, without any kind of outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Let us just take the story of Jonah for an example. Jonah was commissioned by God to go to the great city of Nineveh and preach to them (Jonah 1:2). Jonah did not want to do this; instead, he attempted to flee to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). This is when the trouble for Jonah began because man cannot hide from God (Psalms 139:1-12). God caused a great wind upon the sea and a mighty tempest overtook the ship that was carrying Jonah to Tarshish (ver. 4). This ultimately led to Jonah being hurled into the sea and swallowed by a great fish (vers. 7-17). Inside the belly of this fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord and was delivered. The fish vomited him upon dry land (Jonah 2). Finally, Jonah goes to Nineveh to preach the word of the Lord to them (Jonah 3:1-3). It is how they responded to that preaching that is a refutation of Calvinism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah 3:4-5 (ESV)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day\u2019s journey. And he called out, \u201cYet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!\u201d 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The Ninevites heard the Word of the Lord and believed it. There was no outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God did not work on their hearts miraculously. They were led to repentance by the simple preaching of the Word, the same way the people had their hearts pricked on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-37). Read the rest of the text in Jonah three, and it will be clear to you that these people believed God without divine help, except from the power of God\u2019s Word. Ver. 10 is particularly damning to Calvinism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonah 3:10 (ESV)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Do you see that? \u201cGod saw what they did.\u201d <\/em>God did not miraculously turn these people, they turned themselves from their evil ways. Clearly, they were not born totally depraved as Calvinism teaches. This is just one of many examples found in the Old Testament, showing people repenting without some special outpouring of the Spirit. If all of mankind fell with Adam, why is it only when we get to the New Testament era that people cannot believe in God without His miraculous help? The truth is, the story of Jonah and the response of the Ninevites to the preaching of the Word proves forever that Calvinism is untenable, for if man is not born totally depraved, the rest of the TULIP crumbles.
— Via Brown Street Beacon,<\/em> June 6, 2020 ——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
-2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perish the Thought!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dan S. Shipley
While visiting a local area hospital recently, I was amused at their curb-side signs which read: \u201cDon’t Even THINK About Parking Here!\u201d Such novel wording reveals an insight into human nature. When the motorist begins to contemplate leaving his car in a no parking zone, he is apt to think, \u201cIt\u2019ll only be for a little while,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m in a hurry,\u201d or \u201cwell, everyone else does it, why shouldn\u2019t I?\u201d Those who think thusly are likely to be found parked at the red curb. So, the admonition not to even think about it is appropriate \u2014 and not only for those tempted to park illegally.
Indeed, the Bible teaches of a serious correlation between our thinking and our temptations. \u201cFor out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings\u2026\u201d (Matthew 15:19). It is \u201cfrom within\u201d that all these evil things proceed and defile the man (Mark 7:21). As someone has observed, \u201cWhat we sow in thought, we reap in deed.\u201d How true! Thinking about it is the prelude to practically every sin committed. Like the motorist rationalizing about the no-parking zone, most find it easy to mentally \u201csell\u201d themselves on their temptations \u2014 especially, after many weakening thought-rehearsals. What sinner has ever failed to find his own \u201cextenuating circumstances\u201d to minimize or excuse his sin? \u201cEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes\u201d (Proverbs 21:2) \u2014 even when he does that which he knows to be wrong. Maybe he didn\u2019t plan to be wrong, but then he didn\u2019t plan NOT to either! This is not to say, of course, that all who have evil thoughts will necessarily involve themselves in evil deeds. It largely depends on what is done with the evil thought. If it is dismissed at once (\u201cdon\u2019t even THINK about it\u201d), it may do no harm. However, if it is nurtured, savored, and rehearsed, it is likely to find expression. As someone has said, \u201cWe can\u2019t help it if birds fly overhead, but we need not let them build nests in our hair.\u201d If we fail to control our thoughts, it is not likely that we will control our actions.
For this reason we need more teaching and preaching aimed at the HEART of ungodly conduct. True, evil deeds must be condemned, but we must not overlook the heart from which they are launched. If we can eliminate the hate we can eliminate the murder and countless lesser conflicts (1 John 3:15; Matthew 5:21-24). Handling lust at the beginning will prove an effective deterrent to fornication and adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). When we are able to remove envy, jealousy, and anxiety from the heart, we will have spared the world their troublesome manifestations \u2014 not to mention all the misery and heartache associated therewith. How much better off we would all be if we could just remember to not even think about such things! \u201cCan\u2019t help it\u201d you say?
Peter evidently thought men could control their thinking. He encourages \u201cgirding up the loins of your mind\u201d (1 Peter 1:13). Paul likewise admonishes \u201cbringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ\u201d (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to \u201cthink on these things\u201d (Philippians 4:8). Can\u2019t help it? Perish the thought!
Editor\u2019s Note <\/strong>[Wayne Goff]: Dan Shipley was a gospel preacher from Texas who also was an avid golfer. Dan played football for SMU, and later became a gospel preacher associated with Robert F. Turner in the paper they published entitled \u201cPlain Talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> Dan was a humble man with many wonderful traits. He passed away in 2011 at the age of\u00a0 82. He was also a personal friend of mine as we worshiped together in gospel meetings and played golf in East Texas. This article was published in July, 1981, but it is still perfectly appropriate today.
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