As I urged you when I Went
Into Macedonia--Remain in Ephesus
that you may charge some that they
teach no other doctrine nor
give heed to fables and endless
genealogies, which cause disputes
rather than Godly edification
which is from faith.
1Timothy 1:3-4; cf. Titus 1:14
This problem within the Church is not a new problem, even Paul had to address this issue of doctrinal errors. Beginning with the liberalization of Christianity, especially in the early days of this country, by men who held to a doctrine that are nothing more than fables derived from men who are held in high regard today, men such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates. These Greek teachers have had a tremendous influence upon certain leaders within the Church and you and I have been affected by such false teaching. But, it is not enough for me to say that this is true, it is up to me to give the viewpoints of the two men, Jacobus Arminius, and John Calvin, so that you can make up your mind. The man who had a great influence upon the Church and the secular world was Plato who taught that by reason man could know, know God. We will see how that teaching has affected certain theology.
From the works of Jacobs Arminius, The Works of James Arminius, Vol.I; I will extract what he wrote and his position on Predestination I. This extract has been retrieved from http://www.ccel.org/Arminius/works I/iii.ii.; 4/7/2012.
Arminius in Section #1; states: The first opinion, which I reject, but which is espoused by those [Supralapsarians] who assume the very highest round of this Predestination, (Italics mine).
Let me give this: First, so that there is no misunderstanding I will define the word Supralapsarianism and also three other views of Soteriology, i.e., Infralapsarianism, Amyraldism, and Arminianism; these are summary of these views. First: Supralapsarianism: Elect some, reprobate the rest; create, permit the fall, provide salvation for the elect, and call elect to salvation. Two: Infralapsarianism: Create, Permit the fall, elect some, pass over the rest, provide salvation for the elect, and call elect to salvation. Three: Amyraldism, allow me to address this view for it is not often mentioned: "Amyraldianism . . . implies a twofold will of God, whereby He wills the salvation of all humankind on condition of faith but wills the salvation of the elect specifically and unconditionally. The theological difficulty of God's will having been frustrated by the fact that not all are saved is met by the argument that God only willed their salvation on the condition of faith. Where an individual has no faith, then God has not willed the salvation of that person?" Amyraldism is an offshoot of Calvinistic theology (sometimes called “4-point Calvinism” or “moderate Calvinism”). It is named after its creator, Moses Amyraut, a 16th-century French theologian, who was influential in the development of the doctrine of “hypothetical redemption” or “hypothetical universalism.” This doctrine, in essence, softens the Calvinistic doctrine of limited atonement. This doctrine holds: Create, permit fall, provide for salvation for all, elect some, pass over the rest, and call the elect to salvation. Fourth: Arminianism: Create, permit fall, provide salvation for all, and call all to salvation, save those that believe.
For further clarification between the two views of Soteriology, Supralapsarianism, and Infralapsarianism: The distinction between the two views has to do with the logical order of God’s eternal decrees and not to the timing of election because neither view is held that the elect were chosen after Adam’s fall; God had made His choice before the world: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:4-5). Not only do the proponents of these two views agree, so do many of the Arminians. For further clarity the Supralapsarianism view is that God contemplated man as yet having fallen, and chose some to receive eternal life and rejected all others. In this view then, the reprobate are the non–elect and are vessels of wrath fitted for destruction: “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make know the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory” (Romans 9:22-23). All were first ordained to that role, and then the means by which they fell into sin was decreed, or ordained, therefore this suggests that God’s decree of election preceded His decree to permit Adam’s fall, so that their sin which brought upon them damnation is first of an act of divine sovereignty, and only secondarily an act of divine justice. Some would mistakenly call Supralapsarianism “double predestination” but this is misleading and ambiguous for all that is decreed is eternally settled for it is clear Biblically the destiny of the reprobate: “they stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they were appointed” (1Peter 2:8b; cf. Romans 9:22). To declare that Supralapsarianism is a form or double jeopardy or Predestination is not true for historic Calvinism does not hold to that view. It is interesting to note that Supralapsarianism has gained in popularity in the past decade. Infralapsarianism gives the suggestion that God’s decree to permit the fall of Adam preceded His decree of election. So when God chose the elect and passed over the non–elect, He had already determined them to be fallen creatures.
In the opinion of Jacobus Arminius he rejected Supralapsarianism.
I will go slow so that you can study what is written and due to some names, and words that may be foreign to you. You may not understand all that these men hold for their theology, but, you are being taught one of these in your Church, to you, your spouse, your children, relatives, and friends; so you must take this serious as will be shown how these theologies are being exercised in the Church and in the congregants. How important? Let Paul speak: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron" (1Timothy 4:1-2).
The groundwork has been laid, starting next week I will give the theological position of Jacobus Arminius, then I will follow with that of John Calvin. Finally, I will give comments on both views. Get ready, this is exciting because this study is what has been commanded: "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of hearers. be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2Timothy 2:14-15).
But you must continue in
the things which you have]
learned and been assured of,
knowing from whom you have
learned them.
2Timothy 3:14
Grace be with you
Richard L. Crumb
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