Ryken vs. Ryken: Calvinist Inconsistency in Light of Billy Graham’s Gospel

Original Post 6/3/2020. Updated 1/22/2026 Dr. Ryken's 'Doctrines of Grace' or the Gospel of 'Good News'Dr. Ryken Describes Billy Graham’s Message as “Good News”Billy Graham’s Message of “Good News”Dr. Ryken Contradicts His Own Claims About Calvinism and Refuting Those Who Oppose It By Affirming Dr. Graham's Gospel MessageDr. Ryken and the Billy Graham Center DedicationWhich … Continue reading Ryken vs. Ryken: Calvinist Inconsistency in Light of Billy Graham’s Gospel →

Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware: The Calvinists’ False Dichotomy

Calvinists Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware edited a book in which prominent Calvinists contributed chapters on the various difficulties that plague their Calvinism. The book is titled Still Sovereign: Contemporary Perspectives on Election, Foreknowledge, and Grace.1 Schreiner and Ware wrote the preface and introduction. In the introduction, they write, “…we are convinced that the … Continue reading Thomas Schreiner and Bruce Ware: The Calvinists’ False Dichotomy →

Acts 18:10 : Pastor Josh Howerton’s Confusion Concerning Predestination / PART 2

IntroductionA) The Broader Context of ActsActs 2: Peter's First Sermon, and the Gospel MessageActs 2:23: The Deliberate Plan and Foreknowledge of GodActs 3: Peter's Second Sermon, and the Gospel MessageActs 4: The Interrogation by the Jewish LeadershipActs 4:24 and 28: Sovereign Lord and PredestinationActs 5: Lies, Healings, Prison, PersuasionActs 6 and 7: The Disciples Increase … Continue reading Acts 18:10 : Pastor Josh Howerton’s Confusion Concerning Predestination / PART 2 →

Acts 18:10: Pastor Josh Howerton’s Confusion Concerning Predestination / PART 1

IntroductionHowerton on Predestination Summary Thoughts Introduction In his June 30, 2025, "Soteriology 101" podcast, Leighton Flowers critiqued a sermon by Josh Howerton, the senior pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, TX. The podcast is titled, "Acts 18:10 is NOT teaching Calvinism." To establish the context for my remarks below, I encourage you to take time … Continue reading Acts 18:10: Pastor Josh Howerton’s Confusion Concerning Predestination / PART 1 →

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 PurposeHermeneutical ConcernsBeale’s Calvinist Determinism and Treatment of the Exodus PassagesInstances of InconsistencyExodus and Romans 9The Larger Picture of the Exodus AccountThe Hermeneutical IssuePaul, Exodus, and Romans 9The Character of God, Salvation, and the Gospel Beale’s Method and Purpose We need to … 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” →

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

Introduction and the Consideration of HeresyWhat You Believe Determines Your Eternal DestinyDechiphering Lutzer's Convoluted StatementThe Need for DiscernmentThe Heresy of Prosperity TeachingThe Heresy of Love and Unity Above All ElseA Study in Doctrine and the Law of Non-ContradictionWhat is the Gospel?Lutzer Helps Us Understand the GospelThe Question of HeresyConclusions on the Matter of Heresy Introduction … Continue reading According to His Own Criteria, Is Erwin Lutzer’s Calvinist Soteriology Heretical? →

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 timeless message by Billy Graham on racism and the gospel of Jesus Christ. 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. In this sermon, Billy preaches with clarity … Continue reading Christian Reflections on the Present Turmoil in America →

Open Letter to Dr. Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary

This letter was written on October 25, 2018 after last year's NCCA conference. October 25, 2018 Dr. Richard Land, President Southern Evangelical Seminary 15015 Lancaster Highway Charlotte, NC 28227 Dear Dr. Land, I want to thank you and SES for providing yet another informative and stimulating apologetics conference this year. I especially appreciated the … Continue reading Open Letter to Dr. Richard Land, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary →

An Open Letter to the Speakers and Attenders of the 2019 National Conference on Christian Apologetics (NCCA)

Revised in 2024 and 2025 The theme for the 2019 National Conference on Christian Apologetics (NCCA) was “Why Truth Still Matters.” The informational mailing read, “From gender and sexuality, to the existence of God, to the Bible, to the very existence of truth itself, reality is being questioned at its very core. In order … Continue reading An Open Letter to the Speakers and Attenders of the 2019 National Conference on Christian Apologetics (NCCA) →