I agree. There are Hyper-Calvinists. Spurgeon, who was the most dynamic evangelist and teacher of the 19th Century was a harsh critic of the extreme elements of Calvinism. I dare say that most, if not all of the Calvinists on this forum would heartily stand by Spurgeon' s condemnation of Hyper-Calvinism.
Arminianism as it is taught today is a bastardization of the teachings of Arminius and most dedicated Arminians today are really Semi-Pelagians and when you challenge them with scripture they tend to get angry and defensive. I believe that is ultimately tied to their egos because their notion that because they were wise enough or somehow good enough that they were able to submit to Christ whereas all those other stupid unwise people rejected Christ.
. I totally understand the dangers of Calvinism
Dangers? In my decades of listening to preachers and studying theology I had always discovered that the best preachers and teachers and even evangelists were all pretty much Calvinist in their teachings. Let me list a few and you can tell me what you believe was "dangerous" about what they taught and what they preached.
Ray Stedman
Charles Spurgeon
John MacArthur
D. James Kennedy
I dare say that most of the Protestant Churches that have fallen into sheer Apostasy are those which are Arminian or Calvinist-rejecting Churches. There are churches founded under Calvinistic doctrine that have drifted into Apostasy but those churches first left their commitment to the Confessions before they left Christianity and joined hands with Satan.
After 35 years in that environment
May I inquire as to what denomination you were affiliated and what about it turned you so sour to what we here refer to as the doctrines of Grace (the five solas so to speak).
I was born a Mormon. I became an atheist for a time after studying Mormonism and determining that it was a Fraud. I was saved through the evangelistic teachings of Calvary Chapel and I am still affiliated with them despite their stated objection to both Calvinism and Arminianism. It is interesting to note that nearly all Calvary Chapel preachers model their evangelical messages utilizing Charles Spurgeon as their template for their messages. Since Charles Spurgeon was the most dedicated defender of Calvinism in the 19th Century and since the preaching which brought me to Christ was derived from his sermons and teachings, I fail to see the danger of which you speak.
There you go with your assumptions again. No where have I ever disagreed with the doctrines of grace. God’s grace is rather clear in scripture.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
But Calvinists say that it appears to only those elect.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
But Calvinists would have to say “well, that’s not really true because if God willed it all men would be saved”. After all, God only calls those who He elects right? Surely He doesn’t mean that wants all men to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But once again Calvinists would have to argue with Peter and say that’s not really true. After all, God willed that some should parish and He may be long suffering with the elect but that part about “all coming to repentance” really doesn’t mean all it just means all of the elect. So Peter got that one a little wrong.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
But Calvinists would say “mhe, don’t worry about that. If God has you as one of the elect you can’t be drawn away by Satan.” After all, if you are one of God’s elect warnings like that are for someone else right?
>> I fail to see the danger of which you speak.<<
If the saved are predestined to be saved and the lost are lost and nothing is going to affect that, why evangelize? Aren’t we working against God by preaching the gospel to those He “passes by” by His choice? Why would Jesus say to “go out into all the world”? Why waste our time evangelizing if all is predestined. After all, those who are elect will be saved no matter what and those who God has chosen to “pass by” will never respond anyway. Why does God have us preach to people who He “willed” not to respond? Why would anyone listen to your message anyway? If they are one of the elect they will be saved without it and if they are “passed by” they will only be wasting their time listening to you anyway. So “let’s drink and be merry for tomorrow we die”. Right?
Why don’t you just admit that we really don’t understand that whole predestination thing and trust that God’s ways are something we really can’t understand? Realize that without God’s grace and working in our lives we wouldn’t be saved but that we don’t fully understand why some respond positively and others reject God. If God says that He wills that all would be saved why don’t you just accept that and admit that we don’t understand why some are not and others are? That whole attitude that God randomly elects some and randomly passes by others causes problems with commands by God to “go into all the world” and also results in fatalism in the attitudes of those who are not now part of the fold. After all, if their saved their saved and if they are not they are not and there is nothing they can do about it either way.
That has been my experience as well. I always went to good "bible believing" churches that gave good teachings. Many of them utilized Calvinist books like MacArthur, Sproul, Spurgeon, Piper in their bible studies. Some of the best commentaries that I often referred to are people like Matthew Henry or John Gill.