Click on the chapter titles to go to that chapter. You can then scroll to find the subsections within that chapter. I am continually working to make this table more user-friendly. For example, some have clickable links, allowing them to be accessed from this table and also within the chapters. You may also use this “Search” feature.
Chapter 1 – The Main Thesis: The Hermeneutical Divide
Chapter 2 – Sovereignty and Salvation: A Summary of the Non-Calvinist View
PART 1 – ASSESSING CALVINIST DOCTRINE AND THOUGHT
Chapter 3 – The Calvinist Theological and Soteriological Doctrines
A Brief Summary of Calvinist Theology and Soteriology
God’s Eternal Decree and Sovereignty
Predestination, Unconditional Election, and Effectual Calling
The Calvinist’s TULIP Soteriology
A Preliminary Critique of Calvinist Determinism
Conclusions
Chapter 4 – Why the Calvinist Views of Sovereignty and Salvation Are Certainly False
William Lane Craig’s Five-Fold Critique of Calvinist Determinism
Chapter 5 – The Nature and Scope of the Calvinist Difficulties
Existential and Epistemological Concerns
Hermeneutical & Interpretive Concerns
Chapter 6 – What is at Stake? The Character of God and the Truth of the Gospel
Walls, Dongell, and Allen on the Importance of the Controversy
Calvinists Claim Calvinism is the Biblical Gospel
Two Mutually Exclusive Gospels
Moody and Bryson on What is at Stake in This Controversy: The Gospel
The Evangelical Church in Intellectual, Soteriological, and Gospel Denial
The Full Revelation of God’s Thoughts and Saving Will for Us “In Christ”
The Spirit as the Spirit of Truth Affirms the True Gospel
The Theological and Hermeneutical Divides
Critical Hermeneutical Concerns for Reformed Calvinists
PART 2 – INTERPRETATION AND HERMENEUTICS
Chapter 7 – The Indispensability of Reason and Logic in Biblical Interpretation
Milton S. Terry on Reason in Interpretation
The Proper Relationship between Faith and Reason
Norman Geisler on the Nature and Use of Logic
Calvinists Inconsistently Affirm Logic and Reason
Confusing Reason with Rationalism
The Mysteries of the Faith: Beyond Reason or Against Reason
Tolerance, Love, and Respect are Not Incoherence or Theological Relativism
The Role of Philosophical Reflection and Moral Intuition in Exegesis and Hermeneutics
Baggett, Walls, and Lewis on Whether God is Good as We Know Goodness
Craig and Moreland on the Indispensable Role of Philosophy
Robert Audi: Reason, Logic, and Justified Beliefs
Robert Audi: Natural Theology, Natural Reason and the Resolution of Religious Disagreement
Ravi Zacharias on Critical Thinking and Logic
David Allen, Leighton Flowers, Exegesis and Contradiction: 1 Timothy 2:1-6
David Allen, Leighton Flowers, God’s Love and Logical Entailment
Vincent Cheung, David Allen, Leighton Flowers, and Logical and Moral Entailments
C. A. Campbell and the Role of Reason in Religion and Faith
C. A. Campbell: Defining a Contradiction and J. I. Packer’s Bad Advice
J. I. Packer: Paradox, Antinomy and Real Contradiction
Concluding Thoughts on J. I. Packer’s “Antinomy” and Suppression of Reason
Chapter 8 – Calvinist Attempts to Justify Sovereignty as Theistic Determinism
Introduction
Determinism: The Fundamental Problem in Calvinist Thought
William G. MacDonald on Eph. 1:11, Personhood, and Grace
Calvinist James Montgomery Boice on God’s Sovereignty
The Implications of Being Created in God’s Image
Incoherence Equals Misinterpretation
Bruce Little Critiques Calvinist Gordon Clark as Incoherent
Calvinists Dismiss Coherence as Necessary to Proper Interpretation and a Sound Hermeneutic
Crucial Questions for Calvinists on Interpretive Coherence
A Non-Deterministic Understanding of God’s Sovereignty
A. W. Tozer and William MacDonald on God’s Sovereignty
Calvinists Maintain Their Determinism Regardless of Its Negative Implications
A Case in Point: The Atonement
How Can a Text Have Two Incompatible Meanings?
Compatibilism
John Feinberg on Compatibilism
Three Observations on Agency and Will
Compatibilism: Agency, Personhood and a Free, Individuated Will
C. S. Lewis on God Altering People’s Characters
Calvinist Compatibilism: Divine Preemption of the Human Will
William Lane Craig on Compatibilism’s Denial of Indeterminacy and Contingency
Jerry Walls: Compatibilism is a Real Contradiction
“The Huge Implication,” with Insights from C. S. Lewis
“The Calvinist Conundrum”
“Consistent Calvinists” – A. W. Pink, ‘God Does Not Love Everybody.’
“Inconsistent Calvinists” – J. I. Packer
What is a Real Contradiction?
“Core Calvinism” and the “Bona Fide” Offer of the Gospel to All Persons
Curious Bedfellows and the Three Insuperable Difficulties for Calvinist Determinism
Os Guinness: “The Bible Teaches Both” and “Use as Needed”
How We Know Os Guinness is Wrong
Os Guinness: Inconsistent Reasoning, Calvinism, and The Gospel
“Apparent Contradiction”: Why This Calvinist Rationalization is Wrong
David Basinger Refutes “Theologians of Paradox” and “Apparent Contradiction”
More on “Apparent” Contradiction and Some Conclusions
“Tension”: The Content of the Gospel, and Lutzer’s Inconsistency
“Mystery”: David Basinger Critiques John Piper
Kenneth Keathley on Legitimate ‘Divine Mystery,’ C. S. Lewis, and R. C. Sproul
“Mystery” Obscures God’s Saving Will and Purposes
“Incomprehensibility”: John Piper, William Lane Craig, and A. W. Tozer
More on the “Incomprehensibility of God”
The Use of Reason is Not An Endorsement of Rationalism
What Does “Faith Seeking Understanding” Mean?
The Taxi-Cab Fallacy
The Futility of “Means” and “Second Causes” to Justify Theistic Determinism
The Futility of “Second Causes”
A “Second Cause” or Human Primary Cause?
The Futility of “God Works through Means”
Calvinist Determinism, God as the Author of Sin, and the Delusion of “Ought To”
Calvinists Can’t Complain
A Summary Outline of the Calvinists’ Interpretive Incoherence and Fallacious Arguments
The Biblical Implausibility of an Inevitable Comprehensive Theistic Determinism
God Predetermined the Way and Means of Salvation, Not Who Would Be Saved
The Nature of God’s Sovereignty
Can Incoherent Interpretations Be Valid Interpretations? The Calvinist Must Justify Their Hermeneutic
Concluding Thoughts
Chapter 9 – Reason as Problematic for Calvinist Interpretation
Schreiner and Ware – Logic or Exegesis: The False Dichotomy
Exegesis: An Excuse to Avoid the Probative Force of Logical and Moral Reflection
Faith Seeking Understanding or an a priori Doctrine Seeking Justification
Schreiner and Ware Ignore Logic and Morals, Claim Complexity, and Flee to Mystery
Determinism Motivates to Pray
Determinism as a Bulwark for Suffering
What Is the Purpose of Schreiner and Ware’s Book?
Non-Calvinists Can’t Tolerate Mystery?
Schreiner and Ware Know They Have Insurmountable Problems
Philosophy and the Authority of Scripture
The Popular Reactions to Calvinism
Helm, Calvin, and Castellio on Reason and Common Sense
Schreiner and Ware, Logic or Exegesis: The False Dichotomy Continued
Piper on James 4: How Exegesis Devoid of Coherence Distorts the Meaning of a Text
Gospel Joy
Sacrificial Love
Fearless Witness
Confident Planning
What Piper Failed to Address
John Lennox on Exegesis, Theistic Determinism and Interpretive Consistency
Lennox and Carson: What Calvinists Fear Most – The Scrutiny of Logical Reflection and Moral Intuition
Philosophy as the Handmaid of Exegesis
Eric Hankins and Leighton Flowers: Logic Demands We Reject Calvinism
Hankins and Grudem: Reprobation as a Necessary Implication and Ways of Avoidance
Flowers, Hankins, and Craig: Logical Contradiction is Proof That a Doctrine is Wrong
The Matter of Western v. Eastern Logic: Schreiner Both Affirms and Denies Logic
The Evangelical Philosophical Society (EPS) to the Rescue
Chapter 10 – The Calvinist Suppression of Logical Reasoning, Moral Intuition, and Common Sense
Introduction
Calvin and the Suppression of Reason
J. I. Packer and the Suppression of Reason
The Crucial Hermeneutical Questions
Packer Asserts That We Cannot See His Obvious Interpretive Contradiction
Packer and Calvinists are Wrong Because of the Law of Non-Contradiction
Packer Argues for ‘Antinomy’
More Problems with Packer’s Approach
Packer’s ‘Antinomy’ Defense and Interpretation of Divine Sovereignty are Not Credible or Valid
Packer Must Reorient People’s Thinking: Here’s How He Does It
John Piper Doesn’t Find Free Will in the Bible
Is Piper and Packer’s Incoherence Hermeneutically Significant: The Hermeneutical Divide
An Extremely Serious Matter: Calvinists Teach People to Disregard God’s Good Gifts
J. I. Packer on Prayer: Why Every Christian Believes in Calvinist Determinism and Some Just Don’t Know It
Packer on Prayers of Petition and Thanksgiving
Packer Rejects ‘Human Logic’ and Exemplifies the Suppression of Reason
Packer Credits Non-Calvinists With More Than They Deserve
Packer on Prayer For One’s Salvation
J. D. Greear and the Suppression of Reason
J. D. Greear: “If You’re Dumb…This Totally Makes Sense”
Kevin DeYoung and the Suppression of Reason
Kevin DeYoung on Logical and Moral Reeducation
Predestination: True and Good, But “Barbaric,” “Horrible,” “Iniquitous and Cruel,” and “Despairing”
Excursus: John Piper’s Mental and Emotional Torment
Excursus: Austin Fischer Records Piper’s Struggle With Calvinism
Back to the Kevin DeYoung Interview
The Implications of Calvinism for the Content of the Gospel and Evangelism
R. C. Sproul, John MacArthur, and Ligon Duncan and the Suppression of Reason
MacArthur’s Suppression of Reason
Peterson and Williams and the Suppression of Reason
Facts and Logical Entailments are Stubborn Things: Ammend the Dilemma
The Suppression of Reason: When Calvinism is Most Cult-Like
Piper, Fatalism and the Suppression of Reason
Piper and the Suppression of Moral Intuition
Piper Avoids the Objector’s Explanatory Power That Undermines Piper’s Doctrine of Predestination
Piper Leads Us Into the Fog of Inscrutability and Mystery
Calvinists Cannot Reason Themselves Out of Their Incoherence
Piper and the Suppression of Reason
Martin Luther and the Suppression of Reason
More on Luther and the Suppression of Common Sense and Natural Reason
The ‘Good News’ v. Calvinism
Why People are Calvinists
Bryson, Feinberg, and Palmer on Accepting the Nonsense of Calvinism
Richard Mayhue and John MacArthur and the Suppression of Reason
The Problematic Nature of MacArthur and Mayhue’s Interpretive Perspective
Romans 9-11: MacArthur and Mayhue Ignore the Non-Calvinists’ Interpretations
Martin Luther’s Despair
John Calvin: Subduing the Pride of the Human Spirit
The Lack of Assurance of Salvation: Martha Hazel’s Obituary
Calvinism: A Post-Arminian Conversion Theology
Chris Date: What Gospel Message Did He Initially Hear to be Saved
Ephesians 1: Homer A Kent, Jr. – The Suppression of Reason and the Erosion of the Gospel
Calvinist Theological Proclivities vs. a Hermeneutic of Coherence
Schreiner, Ware, and Luther: The Suppression of Reason
Tough Questions Calvinists Refuse to Answer
How to Discern a True Biblical Theology From a False Theology
“Faith Seeking Understanding” With Input From C. S. Lewis
Hermeneutics, the Evangelical Church, and the Gospel
Final Conclusions
Chapter 11 – Examples of Calvinist Interpretive Incoherence
Introduction to Chapter 11
Example 1 – David Allen and John Owen on John 3:16
Example 2 – Jeremy Evans’ Intellectual Movement Away From Calvinist Thought
Example 3 – Millard Erickson: A Moderate Calvinist Assesses Limited Atonement
Example 4 – Practical Ministry: Ecclesial Incoherence, Impact Prayer Cards and the Sanctity of Life
Calvary Church: Doctrinal and Ecclesial Inconsistency and the Bible Teaches Both
Practical Implications: Impact Prayer, Evangelism, and Moderate Calvinism
Impact Prayer: The Plan of Salvation and Evangelism
Impact Prayer: God’s Sovereignty and Petitionary Prayer
Moderate Calvinism and the Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life
Some Practical Implications: Doctrinal and Theological Indifference
Example 5 – D. A. Carson’s Bad Advice to Young Reformed Preachers
Calvinism and Hermeneutical Relativism
Calvinism and the Problem of Truth Correspondence
Example 6 – D. A. Carson’s “In The Last Analysis” A Priori Commitment to Unconditional Election
Example 7 – D. A. Carson: ‘Response’ Determines Destiny
Example 8 – James Ayers Cannot Come to Terms with Calvinist Predestination
Example 9 – Erwin Lutzer’s Inconsistency on Election and Predestination
Losing Your Mind and Soul: Intimidation. Confusion and the Suppression of Reason
God’s Love and Human Value
Natural Disasters: We Escape Judgment by Repentance
Proving Your Unconditional Election
Testing Deterministic Unconditional Election by Contingent Conditional Faith
Example 10 – Erwin Lutzer on How You Can Know You Are Among the Elect
Come to Christ and Know You’re a Member of the Elect
The Gospel Irrelevance of Unconditional Election
Hermeneutical Conclusions
Example 11 – Erwin Lutzer’s Blatant Contradiction
Example 12 – Erwin Lutzer: How His Calvinism Expunges His Good News
Example 13 – J. I. Packer’s ‘Double-Talk’ and the Insincerity of the Gospel
Example 14 – Kenneth O. Gangel on 2 Peter 1:10 and 3:9
Example 15 – Greg Koukl on How He Became a Christian
Example 16 – Greg Koukl on Why Jesus Spoke in Parables
Example 17 – John S. Feinberg on Determinism vs. Fatalism: A Distinction without a Difference
Example 18 – Fred H. Klooster on the Sovereignty of God
Example 19 – J. D. Greear’s Gospel Inconsistency
Greear on Ephesians 1
Back to Greear’s Book: Gospel and Calvinist Soteriological Incoherence
J. D. Greear on a Gospel-Centered Church
Example 20 – Greg Gilbert’s Book “What is the Gospel?” and Theological Inconsistency
What Is the Gospel?
Conclusions
Example 21 – John Piper on the Gospel and the “Royal Decree” of “Your Sovereign”
Example 22 – Os Guinness: Both Are True, Use Them As Needed
Example 23 – Mohler on Naturalistic Determinism and Theistic Determinism: A Distinction without a Difference
Example 24 – John MacArthur on Victimization: How He Defeats His Own Calvinism
Example 25 – Josh Moody: An Examination of “No Other Gospel”
Calvinists Hide Their Calvinism: The Ethical Problem and Double-Talk
Example 26 – Ryken v. Ryken: Calvinist Inconsistency In Light of Billy Graham’s Gospel
Billy Graham’s Message of “Good News”
Dr. Ryken and the Billy Graham Center Dedication
The Wheaton Challenge
Chapter 12 – A Hermeneutic of Coherence: Principles and Issues in Exegesis and Interpretation
Inspired Scripture as Our Common Ground and Authority
The Matter of Validation
The Hermeneutical Divide, Coherence, Context, the False Dichotomy, and the Thesis Being Defended
The Westminster Confession on Coherence, Perspicuity, and Scripture Interprets Scripture
Hermeneutics and Exegesis Defined
Coherence as Integral to Authorial Intent, Context, and Comprehensiveness
Authorial Intent
Authorial Intent and Coherence
Context and Coherence
The Error Lies in the Calvinist Hermeneutic
The Gospel is at Stake
Comprehensiveness, Consistency, and Coherence
The Hermeneutical Circle or the Hermeneutical Spiral?
E. D. Hirsch
E. D. Hirsch and Certainty
E. D. Hirsch on the Hermeneutical Circle and Interpretive Responsibility
E. D. Hirsch on Genre and the Hermeneutical Circle
E. D. Hirsch on Exegesis, Context, Plausibility, and Coherence
E. D. Hirsch on Validation, Probability, and Plausibility
E. D. Hirsch and a Logic of Validation
E. D. Hirsch on Particular Exegesis, Interpretation of the Whole, and Probability
Grant Osborne
The Hermeneutical Spiral and Interpretive Coherence
An Example of the Demand for Interpretive Coherence: B. A. Milne on Matthew 25: 13-46
Grant Osborne on the Science, Art, and Spiritual Act of Interpretation
Grant Osborne: Coherence and the Role of Philosophy in Theology
Calvinism: A Hermeneutical and Theological Failure
Grant Osborne: On Coherence, Comprehensiveness, Consistency, and Non-Contradiction
Philosophical and Gospel Implications
Carson, Osborne, and Hirsch: Preunderstanding, Coherence, Adequacy, and Comprehensiveness
An Example of Calvinist Incoherence: Are Our Eternal Destinies Fixed or Unfixed?
Distinctive Challenges for “Evangelicals”
A Review of E. D. Hirsch’s Observations and Their Application to the Evangelical Church
Concluding Observations: The Highest Priority for the Evangelical Church
Chapter 13 – The Interpretive Rationale of Non-Calvinists
Leighton Flowers and David Allen: The Extent of the Atonement, Election, Logic, and Consistency
Unlimited Atonement Doesn’t Help the Calvinist: The Problem of Unconditional Election
How Calvinism Perverts and Silences the Gospel
Christ’s Death for “The Many,” “The Sheep” and “The Church”: Unconditional Election or the Negative Inference Fallacy?
John Lennox Assesses Boettner and Sproul on the Divine Decree and Unconditional Election
Donald Lake: 1 John 2:2 – The Atonement, Obvious Meaning, Textual Harmony, and Avoiding Eisegesis
Donald Lake: Louis Berkhof and Limited Atonement
Clark Pinnock: Consistency and “Tension” or Contradiction
John Lennox: The Fall of Adam, “Two-Wills” Theology and Patent Contradiction
I. Howard Marshall’s Critique of “Two Wills” In God
Some Questions for Calvinists
The Non-Calvinists’ Essential Hermeneutical Principle
The Non-Calvinists’ Hermeneutical Advantage
The Gospel is at Stake
Is Calvinism Convincing?
PART 3 – TOWARDS A MORE BIBLICAL SOTERIOLOGY
Chapter 14 – The Nature of Grace in Scripture
Introduction: Interpreting Key Doctrines and Pertinent Texts
The Calvinist Understanding of “Grace”
Exodus 32 – 34: God’s Nature as Gracious
God’s Relational Self-Disclosure as Gracious
The Biblical Concept of Saving Grace: Christological and Universal
The Public Manifestation of God’s Saving Grace in Jesus of Nazareth
Titus 2:11 and 3:4: The Grace of God Has Appeared
Ephesians 1:8, 9: Grace Lavished Upon Us and the Mystery of His Will Revealed
Grace in 2 Corinthians Chapters 5 and 6
Romans Chapter 5: Access into Grace
Romans 5:6 – Christ Died for the Ungodly
Romans 5:8 and Issues of Assurance and “Manifest Evidences”
Romans 5:17: The Abundance of Grace
Chapter 15 – The Nature of Faith In Scripture
What is Faith?
Abraham: The Father of Faith
Jesus on Faith
Faith in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
What About Ephesians 2:8-9?
John 3:15-18: Whosoever Believes
John 12:39-40: Stubborn Rejection, Hardening, and the Nature of Faith
Summary Findings on the Nature of Faith in Scripture
Calvinist Determinism and Faith
The Calvinist Misunderstanding of Faith As a “Work” or “Meritorious”
Who Does the Believing?
Is Faith the Result of One Person Being More “Virtuous” Than Another?
The Calvinist’s Flawed Christology
Luther on Faith: A Failure of Interpretive Coherence and Truth Correspondence
Luther’s Confusion Regarding the Character of God
The Hermeneutical Implications of Calvinism’s Incoherence
Dr. Philip Ryken: The “Greatest of All Gifts”
Harold Camping: “I Hope God Will Save Me”
Calvinism and Evangelism
Faith and Trust Based On Assurance of Divine Good Intention
Faith in Romans
The Hermeneutical Challenge
Romans Chapter 1: Man’s Sin Nature and Free Will
Romans Chapter 2: Salvation by Grace Through Faith
Romans Chapter 3
Romans 3:21-26 – Salvation: A Gift to Be Received
Romans 3:27-30 – One God Means Salvation by Faith for Both Jew and Gentile
Romans Chapter 4
A Summary of Calvinism, Faith, and The Gospel
The Truth of the Gospel 