🔴 Why Calvinism Gets Romans 9 Wrong (Election and Mission)

In this video, Dr. Matt O'Reilly explains why the Calvinist view of election fails to capture what the Bible says about God's purposes in choosing a people for himself.

Support Theology Project through PayPal:

SUBSCRIBE to get more videos & ENGAGE the Bible in new ways:

READ my books:

FOLLOW:

Dr. Matt O'Reilly is Lead Pastor of Hope Hull United Methodist Church near Montgomery, Alabama, and a fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians.

[angelaaltimus]

This is the clearest explanation of Romans 9 I have ever heard. You brought the pieces together perfectly. Thank you!

[jeromemausling]

Thank you for your contribution to this debate...I've identified as reformed for many years but am reforming as I grow older by God's grace. The Calvinist certainty I've held for so long is being eroded in ever increasing measures over the past two or so years...

[BibleLovingLutheran]

I'm glad to be free of the bondage of Calvinism

[TuxedoMagnum]

Also led here by Leighton Flowers! Excellent video, and helps clear up a lot of confusion. Looking forward to seeing more from your channel!

[travislee]

I heard your video on Dr. Laighton Flowers channel and wow! What a blessing. Subscribed and just wanted to say thank you. Things were made so clear from your video. God bless you in all you do.

[zfmwokf]

Dr. O’reilly, excellent video and explanation of election. Just today my pastor (a Calvinist) walked through the golden chain of salvation taken from Romans 8:28-30 during his sermon. I would love to see you exposit that in a future video. Thank you and God bless.

[rsagape]

Thank you, your presentation of this topic is very clear and on point, a great blessing to count with scholars as yourself.

[georgemoncayo]

Everything that happens in history has been decreed/Predestined before the world was created see Eph 1:11, Proverbs 16:33 and Amos 3:6. And yes even when terrible things happen, I know it's hard for some people to accept but look what happened when David sinned against God and one of Davids punishments was that God told him that he was going to use Davids own son to shame his Father by Absalom Absalom doing something immoral to his Fathers concubines in front of all of Israel, see 2 Samuel 12:11-12 God said "Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun." Notice how God said "I WILL DO THIS THING."That was fulfilled in 2 Samuel 16:21-22. Jesus did not die for every single person ever and Jesus didn't die to make people savable. He died to save his elect. In John 17:9 Jesus said that he does not pray for the world. The word world is used in different contexts, in that context he's talking about the non elect. In John 3:16 world means that he purchased people from every tribe, tongue and nation Rev 5:9 and for the children of God scattered abroad John 11:52. Some have been "long beforehand marked out for condemnation" Jude 4 and "appointed to doom." 1 Peter 2:8. About Pharaoh God said “For this VERY PURPOSE I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." Rom 9:17-18. Jesus said "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Matthew 11:25-27. So, 2 Pet 3:9 the "not willing that any should perish" if you read that letter in context, 2 Pet 1:1 says "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours." As far as salvation for all men verses, Paul was refuting the false notion of his time that God was only desiring to save just the Jews and 1 Tim 2:2 says to pray "for kings and all who are in authority" because as humans WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE ELECT ARE SO WE PRAY FOR EVERYONE! That's what it means in verse 4 by saying "all men." Amos 3:2 God said "of all the nations of the earth I have only known you." For centuries God passed over the majority of humankind because this verse isn't about knowledge it's about relationship. And it isn't because God foresaw Israel was more righteous then the other nations because sometimes Israel was more sinful then the pagan nations see 2 Kings 21:9. Only those who were predestined to be saved will be see Acts 13:48, Ephesians 1:4-5, Eph 1:11, Romans 9:11-23, John 6:37.

[hymnsake]

Leighton Flowers sent me here, glad to find this resource!

[GospelinAction]

That is very very true. I am teaching the whole of Romans 9 verse by verse on the same lines.

[andresbenavides]

What a great video. Thank you for posting it.

[rhavenlynn]

Thank you for your videos! I’ve always thought John 3:16 refuted Calvinism pretty well

[rudycataldo]

The statement that "the calvinist position is made without reference to that person's faith" is a misrepresentation. This doesn't take into account Ephesians 2:8-10, where Paul says that the very faith that believers have is a gift from God. That gift from God fits well with what Jesus said in John 6:44, that no one can come to him unless the Father draws them, and again in John 6:65.

[jaredlupton]

I think that the evangelistic passion of a Calvinist must be like a barely flickering candle about to go out.

[urawesome]

That doesn’t explain why Calvinism is wrong at all.

[ir]

Thank you Pastor for the clarification on the Election . This is precisely why there is so much confusion on doctrine's because of a school of thought many study the Bible with calvanist teaching without realizing .

[nealwright]

It is interesting to me that most Calvinists call anyone who doesn't agree with them Arminians. And, I believe, vice versa. I would posit that most Christians are neither (or a little of both)... most Christians believe God's sovereignty exists alongside man's free will; that predestination, as it pertains to election, was always "in Christ", and was always the result of God's foreknowledge (Romans 8); and that anyone who is in Christ is "sealed in Christ unto the day of redemption".

So, I'm here... and I don't answer to either name.

[NESHYBeast]

I listened carefully to your thoughts, and I can see how one could conclude that Calvinism is false based on your observations.
However there seems to be a key takeway in 1:40 when reading Genesis 12; it does not explicity say that everyone else, including Canaan, was rebrobate in the same way Romans 9 says "Jacob I loved but Esau i hated." I agree with you that the elect is meant to fulfill God's purposes in blessing others, but i also affirm that it means saving the elect out of Canaan. I think of people like Rahab's family who are elect and God used his people to save them. I hope that makes sense!

[libertarianonwheels]

God is sovereign and man is free. That's grace.

[milo_thatch_incarnate]

I'm a 21-year-old Christian, and I've been really grappling with the different views of predestination and election, and the crucial theological differences between Calvinistic Christianity and Arminian Christianity. Your video has been a helpful addition to my research; thank you.