Stylos is the blog of Jeff Riddle, a Reformed Baptist Pastor in North Garden, Virginia. The title "Stylos" is the Greek word for pillar. In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul urges his readers to consider "how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar (stylos) and ground of the truth."
Image (left side): Decorative urn with title for the book of Acts in Codex Alexandrinus.
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Theology in Particular: The Four Gospels with Jeffrey Riddle
Brother Riddle, this is a great rejoinder to Decker's blog article. You took what deserved little more than "this essay is built on a false premise and cannot support its conclusions" and turned it into many teachable moments. Very good.
I also took the time to read the "Ten Tenets of Hyper-Calvinism" blog article you mentioned. That tenth point is a real hodge-podge. Those things might have perhaps some correlation with some hyper-Calvinists, but not any causation by hyper-Calvinism. Even the author had to clean that up somewhat in the last sentence of that point!
"Hyper" prefixed to a belief often just means "more than I am" -- as in more Calvinist than me, in this case. Based on his points two & three, I might be a hyper-Calvinist. I am not a fan of the "offer" terminology, thinking of it more as an exhortation to hearers to believe the gospel, rather than "offering" Christ to them.
I would be interested if you have any thoughts on point two, that hyper-Calvinism denies the two wills of God. Two wills does not sit well in my theology of God, who is in one mind and worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Job 23:13; Eph. 1:11). I realize revealed will and secret will is common terminology, and understand trying to explain different things about God's will that may seem contradictory to men, but calling it "two wills" seems like a mistake Perhaps it is more like two sides of one coin than two wills. Two aspects of one will? Any thoughts on two wills? Would you see the 1689 Baptist Confession embracing and teaching that idea?
2 comments:
Brother Riddle, this is a great rejoinder to Decker's blog article. You took what deserved little more than "this essay is built on a false premise and cannot support its conclusions" and turned it into many teachable moments. Very good.
I also took the time to read the "Ten Tenets of Hyper-Calvinism" blog article you mentioned. That tenth point is a real hodge-podge. Those things might have perhaps some correlation with some hyper-Calvinists, but not any causation by hyper-Calvinism. Even the author had to clean that up somewhat in the last sentence of that point!
"Hyper" prefixed to a belief often just means "more than I am" -- as in more Calvinist than me, in this case. Based on his points two & three, I might be a hyper-Calvinist. I am not a fan of the "offer" terminology, thinking of it more as an exhortation to hearers to believe the gospel, rather than "offering" Christ to them.
I would be interested if you have any thoughts on point two, that hyper-Calvinism denies the two wills of God. Two wills does not sit well in my theology of God, who is in one mind and worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Job 23:13; Eph. 1:11). I realize revealed will and secret will is common terminology, and understand trying to explain different things about God's will that may seem contradictory to men, but calling it "two wills" seems like a mistake Perhaps it is more like two sides of one coin than two wills. Two aspects of one will? Any thoughts on two wills? Would you see the 1689 Baptist Confession embracing and teaching that idea?
Thanks. Have a blessed day.
Brother Riddle, I want to apologize for posting this response under completely the wrong post!
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