What is the doctrine of Calvinism?

I'm not sure that anything you posted is contrary to Arminianism. Anyway, here's a web page that contrasts the two systems. If you have any specific questions just holler.

Calvinism and Arminianism contrasted

 

Here is a good statement put out by the elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church where John Piper is pastor.

What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism

Also, keep in mind that this is just where Calvinism touches soteriology. There is much more to Calvinism than TULIP, although I don't believe everything Calvin believed.

 

This is a very good read, thanks. I like this part in particular and it (unfortunately) bears an uncanny resemblence to some of the arguments put forward here against Calvinism.

 

You obviously have not been following this debate for long. This passage has been thrown around and debated already a few times. Here is my response.

In verse 1 Paul tells Timothy to urge the believers to pray for all men. Then in verse 2 he tells him what he means by "all men." What he means is "for kings and for all those in authority." In other words, he is not talking about every single individual, he is talking about types or groups of people.

In verse 4, the same phrase (all men) is used. Since, in the immediate context, it means all types or groups of people and not every single individual, then this is true of verse 4 as well. God wants all types or groups of people to be saved. This, in fact, is what we see happening as the gospel of the kingdom is preached throughout the whole world and at the throne in Revelation 7:9 are seen men from every nation, people, tribe and tongue.

 

Incidentally, if this passage means that God desires every single individual to be saved and Christ gave himself as a ransom for every single individual, you have a major problem. You have a God whose will is thwarted and He doesn't get what He desires. You have a Christ who paid a ransom for people who still go to hell. It doesn't say He paid a potential ransom, it says He paid a ransom.

 

Unconditional Election is the doctrine which states that God chose those whom he was pleased to bring to a knowledge of himself, not based upon any merit shown by the object of his grace and not based upon his looking forward to discover who would "accept" the offer of the gospel. God has elected, based solely upon the counsel of his own will, some for glory and others for damnation (Romans 9:15,21). He has done this act before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4-8). This doctrine does not rule out, however, man's responsibility to believe in the redeeming work of God the Son (John 3:16-18). Scripture presents a tension between God's sovereignty in salvation, and man's responsibility to believe which it does not try to resolve. Both are true -- to deny man's responsibility is to affirm an unbiblical hyper-Calvinism; to deny God's sovereignty is to affirm an unbiblical Arminianism.

This i believe to be true
It is called a mystery, a Paradox one which MAN will never figure out or understand, no matter how hard they try. so why bother?

 

Hebrews, chapter 2

"9": But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Titus, chapter 2

"11": For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

"12": Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

"13": Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

"14": Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

 

Isn't it funny how free willers pound on words like "all" and "every" when it comes to salvation, but never seem to come to terms with the same kinds of words when used to describe total depravity?

 

Providence too: "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory."

 

netpretreley:
Those scriptures are to men and women, not children and I am not a Free-willer.

 

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?currSection=sermonsspeaker&sermonID=1029022190

Good message from the late L.R. Shelton. Only 26 min. long. One of several in a series.

 

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks.

 

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. </font>[/QUOTE]I'm perfectly comfortable with both sides of that equation. Are you?

 

</font>[/QUOTE]Amen and amen. I agree. It is also of interest that they insist that "all" must mean every person in the world, none excluded, each time it is mentioned in Scripture. Well how about this passage:

"Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins." Mat. 3:5"

Was all of Judea baptized by John?

 

And this also: "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people"

How about Herod? Did he find the news of the birth to be joyous?

How about the Pharisees? Did they joyously received Christ?

 

Yes...All who believed in those areas were baptized.

Yes...good tidings of great joy to all people now whether they chose to accept it as good news is their free will. Herod could have rejoiced like he lead the Wise Men to believe he was, but he chose hypocricsy.

I guess I'm a "Free Will"-er if I'm to understand that by this it means that a individual has a free will to choose or reject Christ. Not a predetermined election that this individual would choose or not choose Christ.

Pre-knowledge is not Pre-election...when dealing with an omniscient God we can't force Him to our limited level of 'rational' thinking.