Faith Bible Church: Test Answers

What Are the

"Doctrines of Grace"?

Part Six

Table of Contents

Part One: Take the "Test"

Part Two: Evaluating your Test

Part Three: You Answers in Historical Context

Part Four: Why is This Important to Me?

Part Five: The So-Called "Five Points"

Part Five: For Further Reading

For Further Reading

If your thinking has been challenged by the Scriptures presented above, we encourage you to read further and consider how a biblical bunderstanding of God's soveignty includes all of the above points, especially as they relate to practical Christian living. The articles and books suggested below will help you to do that.

When reading older material on this subject, including some of the works below, one must bear in mind the following: (1) The T.U.L.I.P. acronym that was later popularized to explain the five points described above did not come into vogue until later in the 19th century. Thus, many early works will present the same Biblical truths, but in a different format. (2) Most of those who took the Arminian (or semi-Pelagian) position prior to the 20th century did not believe in what later was called "eternal security": they believed a Christian could backslide to the point of losing his or her salvation. Thus, the Calvinistic writers often spent much of their effort refuting this unbiblical doctrine. (This is especially notable in Spurgeon's "Defense of Calvinism," below.) This may seem strange to us in our day when the prevailing modern Arminian thought has added "eternal security" to its tenets, and it may cause many today who do not understand the sovereignty of God and all it implies, to mistakenly consdier themselves "Calvinists." (3) As with any biblical doctrine that has by necessity been debated in the past, things were written in the heat of controversy that may have been retracted or softened later if their authors had had the opportunity to do so. We must continually remind ourselves that "earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) is sometimes a messy business, requiring even the inspired Apostles to use strong language including sarcasm (for example, 1 Corinthians 4:8-9) to defend God's precious truth. May our response to their words and methods be forgiving when necessary, so that we may carefully consider what they are presenting without being too easily offended at how they are presenting it.

Articles:

"Arminianism and Evangelism," from The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray. A look at Spurgeon's view of evangelism in light of his Calvinistic theology, in light of the Arminian practices so prevalent in "evangelism" today.

"Decisional Regeneration," by James E. Adams. A discussion of modern evangelistic techniques that contradict the Biblical truths above, and thereby do more damage than good.

"Election," by J.C. Ryle. In this article we see the doctrine of election presented from the heart of a man who loved the Scriptures and loved the souls to whom he ministered.

"Objections to God's Sovereignty Answered," by A.W. Pink.

The Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther. This is an abridged version of Luther's famous treatise against the notion of man's free will, written in reply to Erasmus, who in taking the Arminian (or semi-Pelagian) position was arguing for the Roman Catholic Church.

"Objections Commonly Urged Against the Reformed Doctrine of Predestination," from The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Lorraine Boettner.

"A Defense of Calvinism," by C.H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon's famous defense of Calvinism which he believed formed the basis for the very definition of the gospel.

"Sovereignty and Salvation," another well-known sermon by Spurgeon in defense of Calvinism.

"Divine Election Illustrated from the Parable of the Great Supper," by evangelist Asahel Nettleton. In this short excerpt from a sermon, Nettleton uses the great parable to show how man's natural tendency, when invited to accept the terms of the gospel, is to "make excuse."

Sermons:

Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace, transcript of series of sermons available online, preached at the C.H. Spurgeon's new Metropolitian Baptist Tabernacle in London in 1861. The Spurgeon Archive describes the series as follows: "These messages are part of the inaugural ceremonies held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, when it first opened. Spurgeon had already preached the first sermons there, beginning March 25, while the building was not yet quite finished. This, however, was the official opening ceremony, and Spurgeon presided, choosing several fellow pastors to expound the doctrines of Calvinism."

Books:

The Five Points of Calvinism, by R.L. Dabney. Full text available online.

The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray. Published by Banner of Truth books. (We consider chapter 4, "Arminianism & Evangelism," which may be viewed on this site, to be a MUST READ!)

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Lorraine Boettner. Full text available online.

Back to Table of Contents.



	What Are the "Doctrines of Grace"? Part Six Table of Contents Part One: Take the "Test" Part Two: Evaluating your Test Part Three: You Answers in Historical Context Part Four: Why is This Important to Me? Part Five: The So-Called "Five Points" Part Five: For Further Reading For Further Reading If your thinking has been challenged by the Scriptures presented above, we encourage you to read further and *consider how a biblical bunderstanding of God's soveignty includes all* of the above points, especially as they relate to practical Christian living.** The articles and books suggested below will help you to do that. When reading older material on this subject, including some of the works below, one must bear in mind the following: (1) The T.U.L.I.P. acronym that was later popularized to explain the five points described above did not come into vogue until later in the 19th century. Thus, many early works will present the same Biblical truths, but in a different format. (2) Most of those who took the Arminian (or semi-Pelagian) position prior to the 20th century did not believe in what later was called "eternal security": they believed a Christian could backslide to the point of losing his or her salvation. Thus, the Calvinistic writers often spent much of their effort refuting this unbiblical doctrine. (This is especially notable in Spurgeon's "Defense of Calvinism," below.) This may seem strange to us in our day when the prevailing modern Arminian thought has added "eternal security" to its tenets, and it may cause many today who do not understand the sovereignty of God and all it implies, to mistakenly consdier themselves "Calvinists." (3) As with any biblical doctrine that has by necessity been debated in the past, things were written in the heat of controversy that may have been retracted or softened later if their authors had had the opportunity to do so. We must continually remind ourselves that "earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) is sometimes a messy business, requiring even the inspired Apostles to use strong language including sarcasm (for example, 1 Corinthians 4:8-9) to defend God's precious truth. May our response to their words and methods be forgiving when necessary, so that we may carefully consider what they are presenting without being too easily offended at how they are presenting it. Articles: "Arminianism and Evangelism," from The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray. A look at Spurgeon's view of evangelism in light of his Calvinistic theology, in light of the Arminian practices so prevalent in "evangelism" today. "Decisional Regeneration," by James E. Adams. A discussion of modern evangelistic techniques that contradict the Biblical truths above, and thereby do more damage than good. "Election," by J.C. Ryle. In this article we see the doctrine of election presented from the heart of a man who loved the Scriptures and loved the souls to whom he ministered. "Objections to God's Sovereignty Answered," by A.W. Pink. The Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther. This is an abridged version of Luther's famous treatise against the notion of man's free will, written in reply to Erasmus, who in taking the Arminian (or semi-Pelagian) position was arguing for the Roman Catholic Church. "Objections Commonly Urged Against the Reformed Doctrine of Predestination," from The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Lorraine Boettner. "A Defense of Calvinism," by C.H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon's famous defense of Calvinism which he believed formed the basis for the very definition of the gospel. "Sovereignty and Salvation," another well-known sermon by Spurgeon in defense of Calvinism. "Divine Election Illustrated from the Parable of the Great Supper," by evangelist Asahel Nettleton. In this short excerpt from a sermon, Nettleton uses the great parable to show how man's natural tendency, when invited to accept the terms of the gospel, is to "make excuse." Sermons: Exposition of the Doctrines of Grace, transcript of series of sermons available online, preached at the C.H. Spurgeon's new Metropolitian Baptist Tabernacle in London in 1861. The Spurgeon Archive describes the series as follows: "These messages are part of the inaugural ceremonies held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, when it first opened. Spurgeon had already preached the first sermons there, beginning March 25, while the building was not yet quite finished. This, however, was the official opening ceremony, and Spurgeon presided, choosing several fellow pastors to expound the doctrines of Calvinism." Books: The Five Points of Calvinism, by R.L. Dabney. Full text available online. The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray. Published by Banner of Truth books. (We consider chapter 4, "Arminianism & Evangelism," which may be viewed on this site, to be a MUST READ!) The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, by Lorraine Boettner. Full text available online. Back to Table of Contents.