There was only one 5-point Calvinist at the small private bible college I attended. While most professed 3 points, some only held to 1 point or no points. Most scholars would classify this school and its sister seminary as Arminian. Historically, Arminianism was condemned at the Synod of Dort in 1619, over 400 years ago! However, some of these students along their theological journey began to say that Arminians just haven’t studied the bible enough.
American Evangelicalism is fractured and in error in many places in one way or another. Christianity and bible knowledge in other countries is even worse. What is the cause and what are the remedies for our current society?
If the bible contains the answer, and it does, why are bible believers and readers so confused? That truth is not easily attained by superficial reading is probably the primary reason. Many people think they know the bible’s message, but actually, they don’t. Just look at any of the recent surveys of what Evangelicals believe for proof of their errors.
Along with reading the bible superficially, there is the problem of not being aware of the greater context of what is being said. The New Testament was written in view of the previous revelation and Moses’ Old Covenant. Many folks today read the bible with philosophical-tinted glasses as well. People approach the bible with prior philosophies that they may be unaware of and so miss the real message or point of what is said in scripture. Also, many readers will over-apply the bible to their lives. If one reads the bible just to find some sort of application to their lives (when there is none), then they are just guilt-tripping themselves and thus falling into error.
Uncovering the truth in scripture is difficult. It is meant to be. Transformative knowledge is only for the desperate who will ask God for enlightenment. They are the ones who will seek it out diligently. They will knock on the door of truth until it opens. Also, God will not give much insight to folks if they are compromised by sin in their lives.
I conclude with two illustrations. Those two sister schools I attended and graduated from developed a strange idea as I look back on them. This idea was, that since there were different epochs or ages in the bible, that the goal for the seeker was to find out what was required for the age they were in and do the mechanism and thus be saved. While there is a hint of validity in this idea (we don’t bring sacrifices for slaughter to be burned), it focues too much on human effort instead of the grace of God bringing the seeker to Himself. Of course both can be true that God uses means for the salvation of His own.
During the pandemic we happened to live in a rural area and found a rural church to attend. Not a single person wore a mask and neither did they social distance themselves at all. We were the only ones masked. Due to previous and ongoing health issues in our household, we quit attending public church and held bible studies at home. This is a valid thing to do. Jesus said that where two or three were gathered in His name, that He was there as well. The husband is the primary priest in his household and should lead scripturally.
Of course we went back to that church after vacinations and precautions (masks, distancing) and found that the church had been devastated due to deaths from Covid. When I hear a pastor say that the bible says to not forsake meeting together and that mandates to not gather should be ignored, I am hearing a misguided pastor. This pastor has misjudged both the bible and his responsibility.
Heb. 10.25 speaks about some folks who habitually do not attend the church’s gathering despite any good reason. This is not like some commands in the bible that are crucial like faith in Christ. In my experience the reason most often given for blind adherence is that if its in the bible, one should follow it without reservation. This idea, in general, is false. There are reservations sometimes.
Paul summed up the Old Covenant’s promise in two places in his epistles, Rom. 10.5 and Gal. 3.12: The person who does these things will live by them. Yet, no one was saved by ever keeping the Mosaic Law. Why was the Law given to Israel and only to Israel? To show them their sin that they then would turn to the Temple (with its signs) and offer the prescribed sacrifice picturing the work of Jesus.
I believe it is deeply engrained in many that salvation and sanctification are had by some kind of human effort, it is not. The effort in a Christian’s life is in response to the grace given by God. His yoke is easy, and His burden light. Don’t stumble over Christ by your own self righteousness. Gal. 3.19 declares that the promise of the Law was for Christ and not humans. While Adam fell and stayed mortal, Christ fulfilled the Law and was resurrected.
