Dr Greg Boyd on Romans 9 and leaving Calvinism

Below is the video of Dr Greg Boyd's excellent sermon on Romans 9. The downloads for this sermon are available on the Woodland Hills Church website here.

He begins addressing Romans 9 at around 5:56 of the video, and at about 15:45 he shares his own testimony of how he left Calvinism.

Also see Dr Boyd's blog post: "How do you Respond to Romans 9?".

For more testimonies:

There are a number of testimonies from other former Calvinists I have come across and shared on this blog.  Here are the links to some those posts:

• Dr Clark Pinnock;
• Pastor Derwin Gray;
• Writer Ben Irwin;
• And of course, from my first post:
• Dr Scot McKnight, “Calvinism: My History 1”, Part Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven;
• Dr Leighton Flowers, “The five points that led me out of Calvinism”;
• Pastor Keith Coward, “Calvinist Pastor Turns from Calvinism to Arminianism after 20 Years as a Calvinist and Intensive Study”;
• Writer Zach Hoag, “Breaking Wesleyanabaptist: A Story of (Resistible) Grace”; and
• Pastor Austin Fischer, in his interview with Shane Blackshear and in his book, Young, Restless, No Longer Reformed: Black Holes, Love, and a Journey In and Out of Calvinism (or Google Preview).

Related Posts:

• Paul Eddy and Greg Boyd Explain the Corporate View of Election;
• NT Wright on Predestination, Election and Romans 9;
• Questions to ask as you approach Romans 9.

Recommended Sermon Series on Missions: Paul Lawler (Christ Church UMC), "Conversations: Living Intentionally in the Kingdom of God"

Another sermon series I want to recommend is "Conversations: Living Intentionally in the Kingdom of God" from Christ Church UMC.

Here is a snapshot of their church's vision:

Audio links to each message in the series are below. You can also download the audio or notes from the church website (the first message is from October 11, 2015).

1. The 360 Degree Kingdom;
2. The Kingdom & Intentional Living;
3. The Kingdom and The Mustard Seed;
4. The Kingdom and The Condition of Your Heart;
5. An Intentional Life;
6. The Kingdom of God and the Nations;
7. The Kingdom of God and Suffering.

Related Posts:

• Sermon Series: Todd Petkau, "Does Prayer Still Work?"

Preston Sprinkle, “A Case for Christocentric Nonviolence”

Preston Sprinkle’s manuscript, “A Case for Christocentric Nonviolence”, presented at the Evangelical Theological Society’s annual meeting, is available online.  

His book Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence is one of the few books by Calvinist authors that I recommend getting a hold of (you can also read TC Moore’s review here--as Moore notes, “perhaps most delightfully surprising is how directly he challenges the nationalistic idolatry and violent misinterpretations of those in his own Neo-Reformed camp like Mark Driscoll and Wayne Grudem. Before reading Fight, I don't recall ever reading another Neo-Calvinist author break ranks and so clearly call out their fellow Calvinists on any subject whatsoever.”).

Here is an excerpt from his manuscript:

I also find non-Christocentric versions of pacifism, or nonviolence, to be ethically and theologically anemic. If Jesus does not walk out of a grave and sit at the right hand of the Father, then we have no business loving our enemies. Unless Christ defeats evil by submitting to violence—by dying rather then killing—and rises from the dead to tell the tale, I will most certainly destroy my enemy before he destroys me. Without the death and resurrection of Jesus, all forms of nonviolence, I believe, are uncompelling. 

To be clear, I believe in Christian—or more explicitly, Christocentric—nonviolence. Christocentric nonviolence says that we should fight against evil, we should wage war against injustice, and we should defend the orphan, the widow, the marginalized, and oppressed. And we should do so aggressively. But we should do so nonviolently. 

In other words, Christocentric nonviolence does not dispute whether Christians should fight against evil. It only disputes the means by which we do fight. 

Now, rather than asking the questions: Are some wars just or should a nation wage war as a last resort, I want to ask and answer the question: should Christ-followers use violence as a means of confronting evil or defending the innocent.

The full manuscript is available here.

Further reading:

Books:

• Brian Zahnd, A Farewell to Mars: An Evangelical Pastor's Journey Toward the Biblical Gospel of Peace (Google Preview or, Find in a Library);
• Preston Sprinkle, Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence (Google Preview or, Find in a Library).

Online:

• Rachel Stanton, “The Early Church on Violence”;
• Austin Fischer, “Romans 13, N.T. Wright, and a Christian Response to Paris”

Lecture Series: Dr David Gooding, "The Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God"

Dr David Gooding's 5-part series on the Gospel--which includes very strong rebuttal of the Calvinist system--has been made available for free download from Myrtlefield House.  These lectures were originally presented at the 1995 "Rise Up and Build" conference.  The links to each part are below.

Dr Gooding is professor emeritus of Old Testament Greek at Queen’s University Belfast. A number of his books, including some which were co-authored with Dr John Lennox, are available for free online at Key Bible Concepts.

About this series

In the first lecture, Dr Gooding states that the major aim and motivation of this series is:

that we may, as we study that glorious gospel, come into deeper understanding of the character of God: His love and His justice; His goodness as well as His holiness and severity [...] so that in the first instance our hearts may well up, and our spirits likewise, in the more fervent and genuine adoration of the wonder that God is in Himself. And that our worship may be deepened, and with it there shall come that same divine compassion and attitude that God has shown to those that are around and as yet are lost. And we ourselves may be the more motivated to carry the gospel to them.   

Our motivation therefore is that as we ourselves, through the study of God's gospel, come into deeper understanding of His character we shall ourselves be saved from holding any views and preaching any ideas that would derogate from the glory of God and misrepresent His character. That, I know, is a very high aim, and not necessarily easily accomplished.

My prayer is that all of us would approach these lectures, and the Calvinism-Arminian debate in general, with that same motivation.

Dr Gooding also cautions, right at the outset, regarding his own presentation, stating:

I am encouraged by the fact that you are to be allowed questions, because not only will your questions contribute to my deeper understanding of these things and a more balanced view than perhaps I shall myself present, but they will allow me in the course of these seminars, myself to be a trifle more dogmatic at places than perhaps I ought to be, because you will have the opportunity to come back at me and to restrain my wilder enthusiasms, and together we shall work towards a better understanding of the truth.

One aspect I especially appreciate about this series is Dr Goodings emphasis on the Lord Jesus. For instance, in the second lecture, before opening to the gospel of John, he states:

We are to think of Christ as the revealer of God [...] We are to study the wonderful wisdom seen in the way our Lord went about approaching men and women. How and by what methods He sought to fulfil His divine commission, being the Word of God, now incarnate, come to make God known to men.   

As He went about His task, what were His presuppositions about the people that He talked to?  For His presuppositions were God's presuppositions, of course. In this, too, He makes manifest the Father.

One criticism I have is that, for the most part, Dr Gooding does not name the doctrines, theories or theological systems for which he advocates or has criticism. He almost never mentions Calvinism by name, usually only referring to it as "That other theory", or variations of this, and though defending Arminian doctrines like prevenient grace he never uses either label. In fairness, this was by design; he says at the beginning of the Q&A:

I didn’t pretend to offer you, in these seminars, a complete and fully worked out system of theology.  What I was simply doing was to call attention to certain Scriptures that seem to me to have very important bearings of this general topic. And important because they pertain to the honour and character of God. It’s our wisdom therefore that whatever system we may hold is constantly to come back to Holy Scripture as written.  And test--and if need be modify--our system according to Scripture.

And later:

Somebody asked me early on in these seminars why I didn't come out and say that it was Calvinism I didn't agree with. Well, one, because there are many grades of Calvinism, and tons of Christians hold views that are common with Calvinists who wouldn't like to be called "Calvinists" because they don't share everything.  

And some Calvinists think me an Arminian, you know.  And they think by putting a label on me that defines exactly what I believe, when I find the label they put on me doesn't describe me fairly at all. In the end we're better without labels aren't we? We mustn't say "I am of Paul", must you? Or, "I am of Apollos"? And you certainly mustn't say "I am of Calvin" or "I am of Arminius". They're all believers. Christians, we must love each other, mustn't we?  God blessed Whitefield; God blessed Wesley. Mighty men of God, that God used for the conversion of thousands.

These comments notwithstanding, I consider him to be consistent with 4-point Arminianism (like my own view; this is also consistent with those in the SBC who prefer the label "Traditionalist" but are 4-point Arminians in substance). On Calvinism, Dr Gooding has said elsewhere (link, at note 16):

For myself, I would have to confess that the strong Calvinist system of theology seems to me to be shot-through with logical fallacies... As far as I am aware, my own attitude to Calvinist doctrine does not come from any particular source, but is my own personal response: first of all to the study of Scripture, and then to the writings of teachers from both sides of the debate.

Here is the series (external links):

Part 1: The Justice of God’s Judgments: AUDIO or VIDEO;

Part 2: Christ, the Revealer of God, the Light of the World, the Creator of Faith, the Giver of Sight: AUDIO or VIDEO;

Part 3: Vessels of Wrath and Vessels of Mercy: AUDIO or VIDEO;

Part 4: The Father’s Gift to the Son, the Father’s Drawing, the Illumination of the Holy Spirit: AUDIO or VIDEO; and

Part 5. Q & A: AUDIO.

Related Posts:

• Prevenient Grace in the Hebrews Warning Passages and a Link to a Free eBook (excerpts from Dr Gooding’s primer on the book of Hebrews); 
• Dr David Gooding and Dr John Lennox, "God's Program for the Restoration of Creation".

Sermon Series: Todd Petkau, "Does Prayer Still Work?"

I was really encouraged and challenged in my prayer life by a recent sermon series from Riverwood Church.

I had meant to post it earlier, but I didn't find the time; then just this morning, two items came up which each reminded me of this series. First, today's Daily Text from Seedbed highlighted a portion of EM Bounds work, Power Through Prayer; Pastor Todd also highlights EM Bounds throughout the series (see the clip below, for example). Second, I received a notice that The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, the book after which the third message is named, is on sale through Kindle today and tomorrow.

Here is a clip describing EM Bounds:

Sermons:

You can watch or listen online here (you'll have to scroll down to October 12, 2015 for the first message in the series), or via iTunes. The links below will download the message from the church website:

1. "Not What We've Made It": download Video, or Audio;
2. "Go for the Gold": download Video, or Audio;
3. "Circle Making": download Video, or Audio;
4. "Symphonic Harmony": download Video, or Audio.

Sermon Series: Dr Brian Abasciano, "Ephesians 1"

Dr Brian Abasciano, author of the three-part study through Romans 9, is preaching through Ephesians chapter one. Here are the links:

1. Ephesians 1:1-3 ("Praise God for Blessing Us with Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ!");
2. Ephesians 1:4-6 ("Praise God for Choosing and Predestining Us in Christ!");
3. Ephesians 1:7-10 ("Praise God for Redemption, Revelation, and Righting All Things in Christ!");
4. Ephesians 1:11-12 ("Praise God Almighty Who Chose Us and Predestined Us in Christ for His Glory!");
5. Ephesians 1:13-14 ("Praise God for Sealing us with the Holy Spirit in Christ!").

A note to regular readers: as I mentioned at the end of my last post, I will likely not be posting regularly for the next few months, and if you comment it may take a few days before I see it or I'm able to respond.

Adam Hamilton, "Why? Making Sense of God’s Will"

I just finished the book Why? Making Sense of God’s Will by Adam Hamilton, who is the Senior Pastor of Church of the Resurrection. This short book (it’s only 4 chapters and under 100 pages), does an excellent job of providing a non-deterministic framework for understanding suffering, providence, unanswered prayer, and God’s will. I had never heard of Hamilton until Roger Olson’s post back in April "Adam Hamilton and Me", and this is the first of his books that I’ve read (in many ways he reminds me of an Arminian Tim Keller). It’s written pastorally and filled with stories; particularly impacting for me were the beautiful accounts of God using people to answer the prayers of others. This becomes one of the main proposals of the book, that, “God's primary way of working in the world is through people who are empowered and led by God's Spirit”. He explains:

God's primary way of ruling and acting on our planet is through people. When God wants something done in the world, God calls people to do it. When the poor are going to be fed, God doesn't rain down manna from heaven; God sends people. When the sick are going to be cared for, God sends people. When justice is going to be sought, God sends people to fight for it. When others are discouraged and in need of love, God sends people to offer encouragement and care. (Chapter 1).

To reconcile “God's goodness with the suffering we experience in our world” requires that we understand “three foundational ideas”, which Hamilton draws from the narrative of Adam and Eve in Genesis 1-3:

1. “God Places Humanity in Charge of Earth”;
2.  “To Be Human Is to Be Free”, including the observation, “the tree represents the freedom that God gives human beings to choose God's way or another way. God deemed the ability to choose to be an essential part of human existence”; and
3. Humans have “A Predisposition to Stray from God's Path”, where he explains, for example:

   I have to decide each day, often many times in a day, whether I will follow God's way or the path of the serpent. And when I choose the serpent's path inevitably some part of God's paradise in my life is lost.
   

   Adam and Eve's story is our story.

One of the premises which bring him to the proposal above is the idea that not everything that occurs in our world is the will of God:

But if we mean that everything happens according to God's plan, and that God wills everything that happens, this cannot be true. When we say that it is true, then I think we violate the third commandment (prohibiting the misuse of God's name) and misrepresent the nature and character of God. When non-Christians hear Christians say things like "everything happens for a reason" and "it must have been the will of God," they are left with an impression of God that is hardly loving and just, but instead a picture of God who wills evil and suffering in the world. (chapter 1)

Rather, what the Bible tells us is, “When we place our sorrows and suffering in God’s hands, we find God redeems the suffering and uses it for our good. … God takes the pain and the grief and the wounds of our past, and transforms them into objects of beauty.” (chapter 4)

Another suggestion which I found intriguing was his discussion of natural disasters, which he also ties back to the three foundations.  After explaining that forces such as earthquakes and monsoons result from the same "processes [which] allow our planet to support life. When human begins get caught in these giant forces of nature, there is death and devastation, but the forces themselves are essential to life on our planet", he notes:

It is when these forces strike areas in which many live in poverty that they bring the greatest devastation. Did God bring such terrible devastation upon poor people? Or was it the distribution of wealth in these places that leads to terrible devastation?

[...]

As human beings we are meant to hear the call of God to provide food and clothing and shelter for those in need. We wrap our arms around those who survive and help them put the pieces of their lives back together again.

[...]

Much of the suffering in our world is because God's people have yet to hear or answer God's call to go and to be God's hands and voice to help children in need.

  

The chapters are:

1. Why Do the Innocent Suffer?
2. Why Do My Prayers Go Unanswered?
3. Why Can't I See God's Will for My Life?
4. Why God's Love Prevails

You can view the Google preview here, or Find in a Library.

Adam Hamilton also taught a 4-part sermon series of the same title, which is available here. You can watch the series trailer below:

More resources on Providence and God’s Will:

Blogs:

• Roger Olson, "Arminianism and Providence".

Books and articles:

• Robert Picirilli, “Toward a Non-Deterministic Theology of Divine Providence”, in The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry; and
• Greg Boyd, Is God to Blame? – while I haven’t read this one yet, it is highly recommended by Roger Olson (here, for example, where he calls it “the best guess at why these things [such as the Holocaust] happen in God’s world”).

Related Posts:

• Highlighting an Arminian response to John Piper: Did God decree every sin you commit?;
• Zach Hoag, "Jesus shows me that God is a Father I can trust";
• AW Tozer, "The Freedom of the Will".