Can You Be Reformed Without Being A Calvinist? w/ @SlaveckMoraru

Dr. Leighton Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, answers a question from @SlaveckMoraru on a recent broadcast about whether or not you can be #reformed without being a #Calvinist.

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[darrennelson]

I am always amazed when people say the Bible doesn't teach free will. It may be true that the Bible never tries to make a defense for free will, but I would argue that that is because free will is so fundamental a human intuition, and thus so obviously true, that no defense is needed. (In the same way the Bible never tries to make a defense of God's existence.) Virtually every single narrative in the Bible ceases to make sense if man cannot freely choose between alternatives – sometimes alternatives that God Himself presents people with. Free will explains so much so easily, while determinism requires the hyperspiritualization and convoluted explanations for normal, ordinary events.

[sunshinegirl]

I understand reformed to mean not Catholic. But tulipers have taken it over the same way Catholics took over the church. Here's why tulip doesn't work. It's an over-correction. Some of the reformers were trying so hard to be opposite Catholic that they fell into the ditch on the opposite side of the road so to speak.

[gintas]

Great summary and great for reminding anabaptists - there were two reformations - protestant reformation and radical reformation (anabaptists belong to these). Rarely you hear when people talk about this period mentioning anabaptists - which were heavily persecuted both by catholics and protestants but refused to exercise violence. Undeservedly neglected brothers in Christ.

[robinmoser]

A young man in our family has been very “ excited” about discovering “ Tulip” but has informed us, “ We don’t like to be called Calvinist but reformed.

[redfaux]

I find it amazing (and scary) that I can find more theology on this channel in 15 minutes...
Than I could get in 6 years at my former SBC church. Now that I'm out of it, I realize how starved I was. I was getting more Bible on my own study, more fellowship outside the church and in the world, than I was getting from 3 pastors. The Devil is real folks and he's in the church full time.

[thegoodberean]

I had a talk with a lady who insists that all Baptists are Calvinist because they are reformed. I said I am a Baptist, and I am reformed, but I am certainly not a Calvinist.
She asked me things?
And I tried to answer.
I explained to her, to the best of my ability, but in the end we part ways without her having convinced. Maybe she is totally sucked in to their ideology that she can't even get a grasp of what I'm saying.

I pray that we meet again so I can point her to this channel.

[sandypidgeon]

Leighton, I happened to see the tail end of James White's Bible study tonite on infant baptism, and, he noted that Calvin and Zwingli were political animals on this topic....It gave me a warm chuckle. How can anyone support the teachings of Augustine and Calvin as their latter lives were filled with simplistic politics? Keep up the great work. GOD Bless

[annakimborahpa]

1) My understanding is that the term 'Reformed' originally applied to those Protestants who disagreed with Martin Luther's teachings and broke away from his movement in the early 16th century. Since there were theological differences among these early 'Reformers', most notably between Switzerland's Ulrich Zwingli of Zurich and John Calvin of Geneva, logically one could be labeled 'Reformed' and also be either a Zwinglian or a Calvinist.
2) Later in the 16th century, Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius was trained in Calvin's teachings but subsequently modified them while remaining in the Reformed consortium of churches in Europe. Therefore, it seems only logical that the 'Reformed' title could also to apply to his followers who identify themselves as Arminians.
3) The Scot John Knox was trained in Geneva by John Calvin and returned to his home country to transform the existing church structure into a repository of Calvinism, so theoretically one could label Scottish Presbyterianism as 'Reformed.' However, I doubt if anyone is labeled a Knoxian, perhaps for not wanting to be associated with the author of The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, published in 1558, which argued against the institution of female monarchs. In this respect, Knox differed from Calvin's teaching on the legitimacy of gynarchy. Today, embracing 'the School of Hard Knox' might be considered theologically obnoxious.

[AidenRKrone]

My (informal) theological training was deeply steeped in Reformed theology. I read article after article and watched video after video that were presented from a Calvinistic perspective. When I learned more about soteriology and came to the conclusion that the Calvinist doctrines of limited atonement, irresistible grace, and unconditional election are not found in the Bible, I "reconverted" (to use a sloppy term) to Arminianism and gradually moved into Molinism. However, even though I'm no longer a Calvinist, much of my theology can still be considered Reformed. In fact, I think the Calvinists were right about a lot of things! The main reason why I refer to myself as a Protestant fundamentalist, rather than as a Calvinist or an adherent of Reformed theology, is because Calvinists have hijacked the Reformed tradition. Most people equate Reformed theology with Calvinism, and I think that's a false equivalence. Calvinism is a Reformed soteriological system, whereas Reformed theology _encompasses_ Calvinism _as well as_ other theologically conservative Protestant theologies.

[RPM]

The fact that Calvinists try to monopolize the reformation reveals something about the spirit of that movement. It's the same spirit that thinks it's okay to kill those who disagree with you...the same spirit that attempts to ostracize and silence those who question the narrative. I can't help but see the eery similarity between the spirit of Calvinism and spirit of Islam.

[thewayfarersjourney]

Yes. Arminius was Reformed but he is not a Calvinist.

[joefrescoln]

Anyone have a link to the Roger Olson article that Dr Flowers mentioned?

[jamescollver]

This is certainly right. To be reformed means you agree for the most part with all the reformed confessions, at least in part. I believe tulip and calvinism today, specifically hyper-calvinism, do not represent Calvin well. To be a calvinist means something different to John piper than it does John Macarthur. I would say, in this order, I am

1.Christian
2.charismatic protestant/evangelical
3 reformed
4. Non-denominational.

I happen to attend the same church as Tim Tebow. I am not in any way a calvinist. I take some of my points from provisionism and others from “calvinism”, but I would never call myself a calvinist; I prefer to say I am soteriologically literate.

I get along more kindly with men who are appropriately charismatic and not in the reformed camp than I do with those who are cessationist and are considered “reformed”. I think a misunderstanding of what it means to believe in “sola scriptura” has caused men to think God is a cessationist.

[tonyasaylor]

Where can I find the Roger Olson article mentioned? I have not been able to locate it on my own.

[festushaggen]

I believe I'm firmly in this category. I believe in God's calling and will to salvation and the will of man to freely choose God which is also God's will.
I love the exposition of John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul and Doug Wilson but I can't see election in scripture no matter how many times they teach iI. Too many passages contradict it and call "all, whosoever and the world" to repent and believe.
MacArthur has even admitted that he doesn't fully understand how God's will and man's will works in salvation which makes complete sense. Calvinism won't allow the 2 to work together. Scripture clearly does though.
Nevertheless, I see them as Christians and brothers in Christ and love them for all their work to further the kingdom.

[ivylagrone]

I know this is an old post, but if anyone reads this and can help, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Does anyone know where I can find the history/information on the men Dr. Flowers references that disagreed with the problematic Catholic doctrines?

[garythomas]

But a more pointed question would be, and one I was hoping this clip would address, can I be in a reformed church - happily- and not be a calvinist? Can I be Reformed, that is, can I exist within the current understanding of Reformed as Calvinist, and yet not hold to the tulip? I tend to think not . . . Another note, I love the current Reformed churches because of their conservatism and because of their wonderful emphasis on scripture, and also because of their stance on the word of faith movement and other things as well. But, alas, I am not a Calvinist. Perhaps I could fake it . . . perhaps not. 🙂

[TheCynicogue]

Only if you misuse the word reformed. Reformed has always been synonymous with Calvinist. Seems most people who wish to call themselves "reformed, not Calvinist" are just saying they're protestants, and we already have a word for that; Protestant.

[waitstill]

Soteriological distinctions is climbing the wrong later. "Heaven is not discussed in the Torah, in order to emphasize the necessity to do what's right because it's right, and not for the reward, or to avoid punishment." Rabbi Menachem Weiman

[Jamie-Russell-CME]

DR FLOWERS: Were Moses and Paul sincere when they asked God to blot their names fro. The Book of Life for sake of their brothers? Did not they know about God's Determinism?