Tolerant Calvinists With Their Own Brand of “Hyper-Calvinism”

By Scott Price

 

I’ve lost count of the times the accusation “Hyper-Calvinist” was hurled at me over the years. But it’s weird how the label has never ever been applied to me concerning any lack of zeal for evangelism. Quite the opposite to be more precise. Let me get more specific and hopefully this will cause some to think in areas you haven’t before.

 

 

The Label of Hyper

First, let me say that John Calvin is not my standard for doctrine, or practice. Concerning grace or the sovereignty of God, Calvin did not come up with anything new, nor did Luther or Augustine. SOME devoted followers imply they did and many who oppose the doctrines exclaim they did. But, the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace is an ancient truth, even an eternal truth, flowing from the mind and mouth of God Himself. The Old Testament Prophets, Christ and the Apostles all believed and taught sovereign grace. The Reformers did not come up with anything new at all, but many truths throughout history resurface or are rediscovered in a generation and made known, perhaps more than in other generations.

 

 

Some of us who hold to the Doctrines of Grace will not wear the label “Reformed”, in that, we won’t claim the Roman Catholic Church is “Mother Church” that they started and had authority. Some of us don’t sprinkle babies, don’t hold to Covenant Theology, are not Sabbatarians nor practice Reformed liturgy. So, technically the label might stick since we are in disagreement with many of Calvin’s beliefs tied to church and church practice. Again, he’s not the standard.

 

 

The Classic Fatalist or Hyper-Calvinist

Historically, the label was meant for those who were anti-evangelistic or anti-missionary. To put it in more simply – they didn’t believe there was a need for the gospel as part of salvation. Some “High-Calvinists” may have been accused of this in the past but some of the reason was the compromise in doctrine they saw among the missionary societies.

 

Some of the Primitive Baptists have been the torch bearers in the area of Hyper-Calvinists. Those who have been called “Non-Absoluters” and hold to what’s called “Conditional Time Salvation” or “Two Salvations”. The Non-Absoluter part means they do NOT believe in absolute predestination. They reject the predestination of events or actions and they also reject Double Predestination.

 

 

These Primitives believe God has two salvations, one eternal and the other in time that is conditioned on man’s faith. Since they hold to eternal salvation they think they can reject the means of the gospel. Why preach or why pray?, since they thought the elect were eternally saved no matter what. That “no matter what” part meant even if they never were converted to Christ. They believe there is no need for the sheep to know their Shepard, for Christ to be glorified in their hearts.

 

 

The Primitives are the worst of the Tolerant Sovereign Grace folks, saying they believe Arminians are saved. They believe WHEN God uses the gospel it can be a false gospel. So they believe God can either use no gospel or a false gospel, since they think the elect only are guaranteed eternal salvation not salvation in time, conditioned on faith.

 

 

A Comparison

The typical Evangelical Calvinist or Reformed person isn’t too far from the Conditional Time Salvation Primitive Baptist. They tolerant a false gospel for various reasons and at the same time, either make salvation conditional themselves or tolerate the conditionalism of Arminianism. Whenever I react to their compromise or they react to my articles or posts, then comes the charge of Hyper-Calvinism.

 

 

1) I stand dogmatically for the biblical truth that God uses gospel as a means in salvation (John 3:36, James 1:18, I Peter 1:23-25), which He calls the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16), therefore the gospel MUST be preached to call His sheep. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word (Rom 10:17)

 

 

2) That gospel has to be the REAL gospel or true gospel (John 17:3, I John 5:20). Arminianism is full of lies, works, conditions, perverting the Person and the work of Christ as well as making a mockery of the Father and Spirit (I John 2:21, Gal 1:6-9, II Cor 11:3-4, Matt 7:15, Matt 24:24).

 

 

Question

So, why the accusation against me for demanding, as the Bible does, that the one and only gospel must be preached, when those who are tolerating a false gospel should be the ones wearing the label of Hyper-Calvinist for saying a false gospel will work just fine?? It’s beyond label of Hyper, it’s a bold faced lie and blasphemy against God.

 

 

Taken from my Face Book “Notes” section 12/27/16