A Theological Response to G. K. Beale’s Article: “An Exegetical and Theological Consideration of the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart in Exodus 4-14 and Romans 9”

By Stephen Marcy, March 2008 / Revised March 2010, Oct. 2022 Beale’s Method and Purpose We need to state up front that Beale is a Calvinist,[1] and we also need to be clear that Calvinists believe in universal divine causal determinism.[2] I have demonstrated this as a fact in many places on this website and here … Continue reading A Theological Response to G. K. Beale’s Article: “An Exegetical and Theological Consideration of the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart in Exodus 4-14 and Romans 9” →

From Sandy Hook to Uvalde: A Moral Tragedy or Triumph of DNA?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus, John 11:25, 26 “In a universe of blind physical … Continue reading From Sandy Hook to Uvalde: A Moral Tragedy or Triumph of DNA? →

According to His Own Criteria, Is Erwin Lutzer’s Calvinist Soteriology Heretical?

Introduction Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, emphatically states the following. “There are many doctrines over which we can be charitable and simply say that we do not have to agree. But the Gospel is one that we need to agree on.” [1] He also states that “the Gospel of … Continue reading According to His Own Criteria, Is Erwin Lutzer’s Calvinist Soteriology Heretical? →

“My Hope America” – Reflections on Two Incompatible Gospels

On November 7, 2013 the Fox News Channel aired the “My Hope America” special in which Billy Graham confidently proclaimed the gospel message.[1] A key element of his message was “God loves you.” If this is truly a proclamation of God’s Word, then it expressed the truth about God’s disposition of love to all who … Continue reading “My Hope America” – Reflections on Two Incompatible Gospels →

A Christian’s Reflections on an Election in America

Introduction The title I originally chose for this article was “Christian Reflections on an American Election.” But being presently convinced - for reasons that I will give below - that there was very little about our 2020 Presidential election that was truly “American,” I changed the title to “Christian Reflections on an Election in … Continue reading A Christian’s Reflections on an Election in America →

1 Timothy 2:4-6: Leighton Flowers, Charles Spurgeon and the Hermeneutical Divide

The Christian Standard Bible translates 1 Timothy 2:4-6 in the immediate context as follows: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and … Continue reading 1 Timothy 2:4-6: Leighton Flowers, Charles Spurgeon and the Hermeneutical Divide →

Ravi Zacharias on How to Come to Grips with the Truth

Listen to Ravi’s lecture “The Uniqueness of Christ in World Religions, Part 1” for additional context on my remarks below. You can access it here. In a lecture on the uniqueness of Christ in world religions, Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias begins with a defense of the laws of logic and their indispensability for coming to … Continue reading Ravi Zacharias on How to Come to Grips with the Truth →

William Lane Craig’s Sound Evangelical Hermeneutical Principle

In his Defenders Series 3 Podcasts on the Doctrine of Man, Dr. William Lane Craig deals with the subject of the freedom of the will.[1] In three of these podcasts he compares the Calvinist and Catholic views and then provides what he believes is a more biblically accurate view through an exposition of Romans 9 … Continue reading William Lane Craig’s Sound Evangelical Hermeneutical Principle →

Christian Reflections on the Present Turmoil in America

Please listen to this timely message by Billy Graham on racism and the gospel. This sermon titled, “God and the Color of Man’s Skin,” was preached in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1965 during a time of racial unrest and the civil rights movement in the United States. You can listen to it here. Introduction We … Continue reading Christian Reflections on the Present Turmoil in America →

The Friends of Israel, the Sovereignty of God and Election

Introduction Although the controversy over God’s sovereignty and election in relation with human freedom and responsibility goes back to Augustine (354 – 430 A.D.), it is typically set in terms of the Reformation era debate between Calvinism and Arminianism. Generally speaking, the doctrine of divine sovereignty is understood as God ruling or reigning over … Continue reading The Friends of Israel, the Sovereignty of God and Election →