Calvinism Is Wrong About Ephesians 1

Acts 13:48 de-Calvinized by Dr. Leighton Flowers @Soteriology101

The topic of Calvinism is something that I have personally spent a lot of time studying and thinking about for the past decade. In recent years this theology has grown a lot in popularity, being propagated by popular and prominent pastors and christian leaders like John Piper, John Macarthur, RC Sproul and ministry organizations like the Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Ligonier Ministries and Apologia Studios.

This theology is based on a particular understanding of passages like Romans 9, John 6 and Ephesians 1, which are interpreted by Calvinists in a way that results in the conclusion that God has determined before the foundation of the world which individuals he will save and has ultimately created a countless mass of humanity throughout history for the purpose of condemning them to eternal torment in hell for committing sins that he himself determined that they commit. This may be a bit more of an abrasive and pointed way of putting it, but I think if you come to understand the claims and beliefs of the theologians mentioned above who teach these doctrines, you will see that this is an accurate and honest representation of their ultimate conclusions.

I personally find the view of God that is communicated in Calvinism to be immoral and a gross misrepresentation of what the bible actually describes God to be like. Although I do have moral and emotional apprehensions toward this theology, that is not ultimately the reason why I came to reject it. I came to reject it on biblical grounds. After examining the many Calvinistic proof texts like Romans 9 and Ephesians 1, I became convinced that Calvinists are simply misunderstanding and misinterpreting these texts.

I make videos about this topic because I believe that bad theology is harmful to people - emotionally, mentally and spiritually. My goal in making videos like this is not to demonize Calvinists who teach these things or to say they are evil heretics or anything of the sort, but to simply explain why I strongly disagree with their conclusions and offer what I consider to be a better way of understanding the many biblical texts that are often used to support these views.

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#calvinism #apologiastudios #noncalvinist #calvinist #LeightonFlowers #soteriology #Predestination #Calvinism #Provisionism #Calvinist #Salvation #calvinismdebate #christianity

[mikelyons]

Amen. Great concise explanation. Verse 3 tells the reader the blessings they are about to get: Adoption, Accepted in the Beloved, Redemption through His blood, Forgiveness of sins, Inheritance...

If you ain't In Him, you don't get any of those.

[obrien]

Exactly! Their false interpretation of Ephesians 1 literally contradicts their false doctrines of original sin and total depravity. It’s an untenable, self refuting theology at every turn.

[angelamitchell]

God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless. “In” is a preposition not a noun. A preposition shows before a noun, the direction, time or place. God chose us to be holy from the foundations of the earth and Christ is the place in “time” it would happen.
For instance, if the verse read: before the foundations of the earth God chose us “in” college to be doctors and lawyers . The choosing would be for us to become lawyers and doctors and it would be “in” college we would earn our schooling and degrees. God didn’t choose people to be in Christ and some not to be. But Christ is the means to which us who are in Christ are made holy. Which he chose from the foundation of the earth. 🙏

[jesuschristislord]

Thank you so much for this! The only person is leighton flowers and gene Kim talking about the true interpretation of these scriptures that Calvinist use wrongly. I thanked God when I saw your first video. Please keep doing them!

[nathanbrown]

I agree with you and I see where you're coming from. Wouldn't the fact of God adopting us through Christ and His atoning work include both the initial moment of salvation and future glorification?

[alonzomccloud]

V.4. " According as he... ( GOD THE FATHER )... Hath chosen... ( an act done in the pass ) Who has he chosen ? "Us." to whom was this letter addressed? The believers at Ephesians. I don't know what he is talking about, but this verse very clearly says, " he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Is clear. That's why he didn't show or open up his bible. Because this is ABUNDANTLY CLEAR.

[garrettwalker]

What about the verse before it? It literally says that God chose us before the foundation of the world, and the 5th verse just backs it up

[EliasB]

...and the question left out of this is how do we find ourselves in Christ? Is it based on our decision or His? Ephesians answers that. We are in Christ based on His choice of us, not the other way around. Simple :)

[BEABEREAN]

"us in him" is the object - that is God chose those who beleive. It doesnt say God chose us induvito be the ones who beleive.

[wretchedsavedbygrace]

The real question is What Is the gospel according to scripture??

[cecilspurlockjr.]

Predestined to the adoption for which we wait which is the redemption of the body unto glorification where we will be holy and blameless before GOD. Because we're in HIM, in CHRIST, praise HIS HOLY NAME JESUS.

[wretchedsavedbygrace]

I totally don’t see your interpretation but do go on 🫠Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Eph 1:5  he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

[carlpeterson]

So what you are saying is that God did not choose or predestine us. He chose a path and we just happen to have chosen to take that path. But then why does it say he chose us? If he only chose a path then he did not choose us. But it says he did. hmm

[sawyeranderson]

That was amazing 🧐 completely deny what the text plainly says and interject something completely unrelated... "Predestined for adoption" "chose in him before the foundation of the world." Identity? No where to be found

[marcuslogan]

your identity is in God whether your in christ or not...your made in the image & likeness of God...that didn't change after the fall....the spiritual state of man changed however that didn't rewire mankind's identity my friend...Theology is off

[Masteranycraft]

You cannot choose Christ, Christ chooses us then the holy spirit helps us to come and live for him. This sounds like you believe in the human will which is foolishness. No man with his or her free will can stand before God on judgement and receive citizenship into heaven

[cocosexy]

I'm not calvnist but you literally just made up all this. That's literally your own interpretation man. It literally says "for he chose (US) before the creation of the world.
It's not speaking about the blessings. You literally just making up words that aren't there. Seems to me that yours is a false interpretation.