Dear Editor:
I read with consternation an article in the Magee Courier, dated August 9, in which a minister of the Gospel called out Calvinist believers, saying, “Calvinism is heresy.” These words are inflammatory and offensive to many followers of Christ. Ordinarily, I would not address this subject in a newspaper, but since serious charges have been made in this paper, it seems appropriate that a response be given here.
Calvinists believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error as it was given in the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Is this heresy? We believe that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect and sinless life and that He shed His blood to pay the penalty for the sins of any and all who repent of their sins and put their trust in Him. Is this heresy? We believe Jesus rose from the dead after three days and that He ascended into heaven. We know Him to be our Savior and Lord. Is this heresy? We believe Jesus is coming again. Is this heresy? We believe we are justified by faith alone. Is this heresy? We believe in evangelism. Is this heresy? Anyone who thinks Calvinists do not believe these truths is profoundly misinformed. I am grieved over the charge of heresy, as are many who love our Savior and honor His Word. It feels a lot like slander. There are plenty of heretical teachings in the world, but Calvinism is not among them.
We Calvinists do believe some Bible truths that are not widely understood. First, we believe God determined who will be saved before the foundation of the world. How can we not? As Ephesians 1:4 declares, “…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” Furthermore, “In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. (Eph. 4-6) It does not take a knowledge of Greek to understand these things.
Second, the author of the August 9 article seems to imply that Calvinists are ignorant of the Word in that he never met one who translated the New Testament from the Greek. I do not wish to be ugly, but that is one of the dumbest things I have ever read. Many of those who helped translated the King James Version of the Bible were Calvinists who worked off of Greek texts. In addition, innumerable books have been written over the centuries by Calvinists who defended their beliefs by appealing to the Greek text of the New Testament. As a minister in The Presbyterian Church of America, I was required to go to seminary and take courses in Greek so that I could teach the Word more accurately. All PCA ministers must have some knowledge of Greek.
Many Bible scholars are more proficient in Koine Greek than I, but I must confess I am not impressed by the expertise demonstrated by the author of the recent article. He seems to assume that there is only one possible definition to every Greek word, which is ridiculous. For instance, in discussing John 3:16 and particularly, the definition of “world,” as in, “God so loved the world,” he defines “world” or “kosmos,” as “the sum total of all mankind.” Any good Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, however, will offer a wide variety of definitions for the term kosmos, from earth, to an ornament, to sinful mankind, to mankind in general, to each human individually to the Gentile world as opposed the Jewish world. For the Calvinist, it is not a leap to understand John 3:16 to mean that God loves the world in general (the kosmos), so that He promises eternal life to any particular individual who, (whosoever) believes in God’s Son. Should a Calvinist who understands John 3:16 in a different way than the single interpretation tolerated by the author of the recent letter to the editor, be branded a heretic?
Third, despite what others may think, Calvinists do believe every Scripture cited in the article of August 19. We believe John 3:16, and yes, we are aware that “Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13) It seems, however, that those who revile Calvinism have overlooked many Scriptures that clearly teach that no one is able to call upon the name of the Lord apart from a supernatural work of God’s grace. For example.
Jn. 3:27 – “…A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.”
Jn. 5:21 – “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.”
Jn. 6:29 – “… this is the work of God, that you believe, in Him whom He has sent.”
Jn. 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Jn. 6:63 – “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail….”
Jn. 8:47 – “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”
Jn. 10:26-27 – “but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
Finally, we Calvinists are fully persuaded that while salvation is the work of God, He uses the preaching of the Gospel to bring His elect to saving faith. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed: And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:13-15)
Dr. Michael J. Ahlberg
Pastor, Sharon Presbyterian Church (PCA), Magee, MS
(Phone: 601-849-2007)
