Tag Archives: Paul Washer

The Calvinism Dictionary (Official) – Kerrigan Skelly

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Dictionary

I’ve spent over a decade studying Calvinism and talking to Calvinists.  I’ve read books from Calvinists, listened to their debates and sermons, and I’ve watched their videos.  I’ve had hundreds (if not thousands) of discussions from Calvinists.  I ALREADY KNOW that there will be some Calvinists who will read this blog post and saying, “You obviously don’t understand Calvinism!” or “This is a straw man argument against Calvinism!” or “You are misrepresenting Calvinism!” or “The people you’ve been talking to aren’t the real Calvinists!”  I’ve heard these things a million times.

You know what I’ve experienced, though?  Most people who I’ve talked to, who call themselves Calvinists, don’t even seem to know what Calvinism is.  They probably watched some popular video on YouTube, listen to a popular podcast, read a well-known Calvinist’s books and assume that they are some kind of expert on Calvinism.  Then I come along and bring out the TRUTH about Calvinism and what it leads to (“Consistent Calvinism”) and they want to act like I don’t know what I’m talking about.

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Conditional Security Proven From The Bible! Part 2 – People in the Bible Who “Lost Their Salvation” by Kerrigan Skelly

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This the second part of proving the doctrine of Conditional Security, from the Bible.  If you want to read Part 1, then GO HERE.  Last time, I gave plenty of Scripture showing how someone can TRULY know that they are a Christian.  God wants us to have assurance of salvation.  He doesn’t want us to be insecure about our salvation.  I also posted a video where I talk about a number of passages from the Bible, that emphatically prove the doctrine of Conditional Security.

This time, I want to go through some examples in Scripture where people actually departed from the faith.  They either stopped following Jesus while He was still alive or they departed from the faith after Jesus rose from the grave.  Either way, these are examples of people “losing their salvation” and therefore are Biblical proof that the doctrine of Conditional Security is true.

 

The Disciples from John 6

John 6:66:  “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” 

Many DISCIPLES turned back from Him.  Keep in mind that in Scripture, “disciple” is synonymous with believer or follower of Christ.  One can’t be a “disciple” without being a follower and vice versa.  Yet, after a difficult saying from Jesus, these “disciples” ” went back and walked with Him no more.”  So, these “disciples” used to “walk with” Jesus and they decided to “go back” or “backslide.”  People can twist it any way they like, but the Scripture says what it says.

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10 Things Consistent Calvinists SHOULD Say (But Usually Don’t) – Refuting Calvinism | Kerrigan Skelly

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This post is in the same theme as my last “10 Things” post (SEE HERE FOR ON THAT POST), except that this one is the EXACT OPPOSITE of the last one.  Sometimes Calvinists remind me of Mormons.  Now, I know that sounds insulting, but please let me explain.  Mormons, often times, try to “hide” some of their more “hard to believe” doctrines from new converts or people they are trying to convert.  They won’t talk about polygamy, the blood atonement doctrine, that Joseph Smith said that the “rest of Christianity” was apostate, that you could have your own planet someday, that God used to be a human being or that Jesus and Satan are brothers.

I see the same thing happening with Calvinists, a lot of the time.  They rarely ever mention their “hard to believe” doctrines while witnessing to the lost, while preaching in the open air or in their prayers.  They rarely ever talk about Unconditional Election or Unconditional Reprobation, on the streets.  They rarely ever talk about Limited/Definite Atonement, while they are witnessing to someone.  They rarely ever mention Irresistible Grace, while they pray.

Why is that?  Are they ashamed of such doctrines?  Do they not think that such doctrines are important?  Do they really believe in them?  In light of these experiences of mine, I have made a list of 10 things that consistent Calvinists SHOULD say, but usually don’t say.  As with the last list, this list doesn’t include all Calvinists.  There may be some Calvinists who would and do say these things.  I couldn’t possibly include all Calvinists, since I don’t know all Calvinists and haven’t had an experience with all Calvinists.  I am simply going by my extended experience with Calvinists, over the last 8 years or so.

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Why Do People Die (Physically)? – The Doctrine of Original Sin – Kerrigan Skelly

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appointment

One question that seems to come up often, in the discussion on the doctrine of original sin, is “Why do people die?”  Another offshoot of this question is, “If babies aren’t born sinners, then why do they die?”  The implication is that the reason why everyone dies physically, is directly because of their own personal sin.  In the case of the infant, they die because Adam’s sin is also “their sin”, i.e. the “doctrine of original sin”.  In the case of adults, they die because of their own personal sin, that they continue in until the day they die, i.e. the “doctrine of perpetual sinfulness.”

Both of these “answers” to the question of, why people die are wrong.  Both are insufficient answers to the question.  If everyone dies because of their own personal sin (whether they actually committed it or they “committed it” in Adam), then we have a GREAT PROBLEM.  This one problem should be enough to utterly demolish such unbiblical thinking.  Are you ready?

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John Calvin Quotes – The Calvinism of John Calvin – Are Calvinists REALLY “Calvinists”?

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John Calvin Quotes

As I have dealt with Calvinists throughout the years, there has been one objection that has stood out the most.  There is one thing that I hear them say, more than anything else.  They say this on YouTube videos, on Facebook posts, through email correspondence with them, etc.  They are constantly accusing people of misrepresenting Calvinism, of not knowing what Calvinism “REALLY IS” and of engaging in straw man arguments against their doctrines.

You know what I think the problem is?  I think that that most “Calvinists” aren’t REALLY Calvinists.  They don’t even know what “Calvinism” is.  I’ve been studying Calvinism for about 10 years now.  I’ve studied a lot about Calvinism, both from Calvinists and from those against Calvinism.  I’ve watched videos from both sides, listened to sermons from both sides, read books and articles from both sides, etc.  For the most part, those who are against Calvinism have properly represented it.  There have been those who have engaged in straw man arguments, but they have been few and far between, from what I have seen.

I think that many people who call themselves “Calvinists” haven’t studied much about Calvinism.  They probably heard a passionate sermon from Paul Washer (and YES, HE IS a Calvinist), read an article by Charles Spurgeon, read a book by John Piper, listened to a James White debate, watched an R.C. Sproul lecture or read a John MacArthur Commentary.  Then they put their theological “stake in the ground” and say, “I’m a Calvinist”.  Also, some people are just “bandwagon” Calvinists.  They see it as a popular trend in the circles they are in and “jump in”.  I wonder what will happen when it’s no longer a “popular trend”?

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10 Things A Consistent Calvinist Can NEVER Say – Refuting Calvinism | Kerrigan Skelly

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Consistent Calvinism

In the last 8 years or so of dealing with Calvinists and Calvinism, I’ve found that many Calvinists are not very consistent with their theology.  Of course there are some who are consistent with their theology, but they are few and far between.  As I’ve debated with and attempted to reason with Calvinists, I’ve meditated upon things that they would say to me.  There are many things that they really shouldn’t say, if they were consistent were their theology.  Here’s a list of things that I don’t think a Consistent Calvinist should say:

1) “Jesus died for you” – They believe in the doctrine of “Limited/Definite Atonement” (the “L” of T.U.L.I.P.).  This means that they believe that Jesus ONLY died for the “elect” – those that God chose for salvation, before He even began to create the Universe. Calvinists will also say that they don’t know who the elect are.  If they don’t know who the elect are and Jesus only died for the elect, then they couldn’t possibly say this to ANYONE.

2) “God loves you” – Calvinists constantly cite Romans 9:13, in the hopes of proving “Unconditional Election” (the “U” of T.U.L.I.P.) – as I said above, this is the idea that God chose very few people for salvation and that He did this before He even began to create the Universe.  Of course they twist this verse and commit eisegesis, since they are looking at Romans 9 through their “Calvinist eye glasses”.  Yet, if the “U” of T.U.L.I.P. is correct and their interpretation of Romans 9:13 is correct, then there’s no possible way that they could say this to ANYONE.

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What Is “Works Salvation”? | Refuting Calvinists, Antinomians & Judaizers | Kerrigan Skelly

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WorkSalvation

Quite often, I get accused of believing in “works salvation”.  This is not to be unexpected, in this age of apostasy.  False doctrine and false teachers are abounding all around us.  Much of this is happening under the guise of being “true Christianity”.  Because of all of this, many people don’t even understand what the writers of the Scripture mean, when they use the term, “works salvation”.  Usually, people believe one of the following four definitions, for “works salvation”:

1) “Works salvation” is saying that you have any part in your salvation at all.  In other words, if you believe in free will, then you believe in “works salvation”.  If you believe that YOU did the repenting and YOU did the trusting in Jesus Christ, then that is “works salvation”.  If you believe in “synergism”, then you believe in “works salvation”.  This is the position of the Monergist or the Calvinist (at least, most of the ones that I have talked to).  They’ll often quote John 6, Romans 9 & Ephesians 1, giving their Calvinistic interpretation of them.

2) “Works salvation” is saying that you must repent of your sins, in order to be saved.  All you need to do to be saved, is “believe in Jesus” (they’ll quote Romans 10:14-15 for you).  Saying that you must turn from your sins to be saved, is “works salvation”, even though they believe that you must turn from at least one sin (unbelief), in order to be saved.  This is the position of antinomian or typically the King James Only Fundamental Independent Baptist (I have absolutely nothing against the KJV Bible).

3) “Works salvation” is saying that you are responsible for “maintaining your salvation” or “staying saved”.  In other words, if you say that you can “lose your salvation”, “depart from the faith”, “be cut off”, etc., then you believe in “works salvation”.  If you believe that you must live a holy life to be a true Christian, then you believe in “works salvation”. This is the position of anyone who believes in any form of unconditional eternal security, once saved always saved or perseverance of the saints. Some Calvinists may say that you “need to live holy” to be a Christian, but that is just double talk, since they say that we “all sin everyday, in though, word and deed”.

4) “Works salvation” is saying that committing sin can cause you to “lose your salvation”.  Only “completely rejecting Jesus” can cause you to “lose your salvation”, but “sin” can’t.  This is the position of SOME people who call themselves Arminians (NOT all of them).

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Were the “Early Church Fathers” Calvinistic, In Their Soteriology? Part 1 (Conditional Security)

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Ante-Nicene-Fathers

As I have dealt with Calvinists and Calvinism over the past 7-8 years, they always seem to want to present their soteriology (doctrine of salvation) as “The Historical Christian Faith”.  When a Calvinist says such a thing, it makes me laugh (at least on the inside).  It shows that they are either ignorant of what the Early Church Fathers believed and are just parroting what their favorite “theologian” has said or they are just outright lying.

Either way, such a statement couldn’t be further from the truth.  And just to be clear, when I say, “Early Church Fathers” (ECF’s) I am referring to the Ante-Nicene Fathers.  In other words, I am referring to the Church leaders who wrote extensively, prior to the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.).

With all of that in mind, I want to give you some quotes from the ECF’s regarding one tenant of Calvinism – “Perseverance of the Saints”.  This is also know as the “P” from the acronym “T.U.L.I.P.”, which is used to represent the Calvinistic doctrine of soteriology. “Perseverance” of the Saints is more rightly called “Preservation of the Saints” or “Unconditional Eternal Security”, since God “preserves them” and since there is nothing they can do to “lose their salvation”.

No matter what you choose to call it, it was not what the Early Church believed in.  The only group of people who believed such doctrines during this period of time, were the Gnostics, who were heretics.  Jude 3 says, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”  If this verse it to have any meaning at all, we should be able to see some form of Calvinistic soteriology in the Early Church Father’s writings.  Unfortunately, for the Calvinists, we don’t.

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