R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 By Dave Hunt
Calvinists are increasingly insisting that their peculiar dogmas represent t
he faith of "the Reformers who led the Reformation" and should be accepted b
y all evangelical Christians as true Christianity and as the biblical expres
sion of the gospel. There is much they stand for with which all Christians w
ould agree. There is much that almost all evangelicals think they agree with
because of misunderstandings, but actually do not, which will be clarified
in the following pages. And there is much with regard to the church, Israel
and the return of Christ to which those who believe in the imminent rapture
of the church would take strong exception. These latter views have nothing t
o do with the gospel and therefore will not be dealt with herein.
In the year 2000, the Alliance of Reformation Christians met in London and s
ent this message to evangelicals worldwide: "We therefore call upon those wh
o bear the label `evangelical' to affirm their faith once again in accordanc
e with the witness of Scripture and in continuity with the historic testimon
y of the church." 13 By "historic testimony of the church" they mean the pec
uliar doctrines which come from Augustine as interpreted and expanded by Joh
n Calvin and which were at one time forced by a state church upon all in Eng
land and Scotland and those parts of Europe where Calvinists were in control
. Historic documentation is provided in Chapters 5 and 6.
Today's Calvinists speak ever more earnestly and boldly about the need for a
"new Reformation," by which they very clearly mean a revival of Calvinism a
s the dominant view in Christendom. Consider some of the resolutions which m
ake up "The London Declaration 2000: Alliance of Reformation Christians - A
vision for biblical unity in the modern church, `The Evangelical Problem"': | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 2 Under "The Question of Truth,"
We therefore call upon evangelicals to return to the once-held biblical view
. .. that to lay claim to a particular doctrine [Calvinism] as true is not s
piritual arrogance but a biblical duty.
Under ` A Vision for Reformation,"
We therefore call upon evangelicals to affirm a vision for reformation which
is in accordance with the witness of Scripture and in continuity with the h
istoric testimony of the [Calvinist] church. Such a vision is of a church wh
ich is both Catholic and Reformed. By `Catholic' we do not mean `Roman Catho
lic...... [See Chapter 4, "Calvinism's Surprising Catholic Connection."] By
Reformed, we mean that we confess those doctrines about the authority of Scr
ipture and salvation by grace alone which our Reformed [Calvinist] forefathe
rs reaffirmed at the time of the Reformation. (Their emphasis)
Under "Four Affirmations," 1. includes the following:
We likewise affirm that we are Augustinians in our doctrine of man and in ou
r doctrine of salvation. This is because we believe that Augustine and his s
uccessors, including the [Calvinist] Reformers, faithfully reflect the Bible
's teaching regarding the total spiritual inability of fallen man to respond
to God, God the Father's gracious unconditional election of a people to be
saved, the design of the incarnate Son's atoning work as intended surely and
certainly to secure the salvation of that people [the elect only], the mone
rgistic grace of the Holy Spirit in regeneration [without understanding or f
aith on man's part], and the perseverance of the elect. Accordingly, we also
reject all forms of synergism or Semi-Pelagianism in which man is accorded
a cooperative role [even to believe] in his regeneration, e.g. Arminianism.
We reject equally any softening of Augustinian soteriology, e.g. Amyraldinia
nism (`four point' Calvinism), and any hardening of it, e.g. Hyper-Calvinism
.... The notion of one Catholic and Reformed [Calvinist] Church-one main, m
ajestic stream of historic Christian orthodoxy [Augustinianism/Calvinism] -
is thus integral to our understanding. This notion we affirm as true and fou
ndational to any evangelical outlook worthy of the name.
Under 2,
Reformed Catholics affirm the importance of the church and its history in an
y authentic vision of God's redemptive work in space and time. Evangelicalis
m today is infected with a deadly amnesia with regard to the historic [Calvi
nist] church .... We specifically reject the subjective and often disorderly
spectacle of charismatic-style worship, with its attendant practices, such
as alleged tongues-speaking, prophecies, `slayings in the Spirit,' etc.
Under 4.
. . . we bemoan the influence among evangelicals of a pietistic dispensation
alism in which the world is considered irredeemably wicked (and thus hardly
worth the effort of influencing), and in which the only hope is supposed to
be the imminent rapture of the saints. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 3 May God be with me
view
s
which
h
wh
Catho
By
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Under "The Question of Truth,"
: We therefore call upon evangelicals to return to the once-held biblical view
: . .. that to lay claim to a particular doctrine [Calvinism] as true is not s
: piritual arrogance but a biblical duty.
: Under ` A Vision for Reformation,"
: We therefore call upon evangelicals to affirm a vision for reformation which
: is in accordance with the witness of Scripture and in continuity with the h
: istoric testimony of the [Calvinist] church. Such a vision is of a church wh
: ich is both Catholic and Reformed. By `Catholic' we do not mean `Roman Catho
: lic...... [See Chapter 4, "Calvinism's Surprising Catholic Connection."] By
|
|
