That is, unless they were converted under non-Calvinist ministry first. Those who were converted and then "converted" to Calvinism will be ultimately judged for teaching heresy and maligning God. That's the gist of a Q & A in this month's Berean Call, portions of which I post below.

Here's the conclusion to Hunt's lengthy answer:


No wonder Hunt is now PNG with all major Christian publishers, considering this reasoning. I don't think any of the most vociferous critics of Calvinism among the SBC leadership would countenance this. It's something you'd expect to see from some of the most extreme participants in the Baptist Fire forum. The only thing that keeps Hunt from being 4 point Arminianism's answer to Outside the Camp is that he hasn't yet said that anyone who thinks that Calvinists are saved are also damned. But given OSAS, that wouldn't be possible, so I would submit that Hunt's position is about as extreme as it could possibly be considering his theological framework.

I suppose those who walk the aisle, "accept" Christ" and then later join the Church of Satan will also be saved, but simply judged for their apostasy and blasphemy. That's the logical conclusion of Hunt's thought here.

Question for the board: Has Hunt been saying this all along, that Calvinists aren't saved? Once he loosed his first nonsensical broadside against Calvinism in the Berean Call about 4 years ago("What A Soveriegn God Cannot Do"), I quit paying attention. Just by reading this, it's clear that James White is right on the money in saying that Hunt doesn't understand Calvinism at all and is attacking a Hyper-Calvinist straw man. Has he even read the WCF? It's this kind of thinking that leads him to argue that Spurgeon wasn't a Calvinist

BTW I was actually converted from blasphemy and denying the deity of Christ by reading a couple of Hunt's books on occultism and Romanism. God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.....

After years of studying and agonizing, the young Spurgeon was finally converted in a Primitive Methodist chapel, being exhorted by a lay preacher to "look and live!". He went back the next week and heard a message arguing the wrong view of Romans 7 and decided he couldn't go back.

This month's issue has prompted me to finally cancel my subscription to the Berean Call. They do still offer helpful critiques of seeker sensitive/Purpose Driven ministry, psychology, occult/New Age influence in the church, ECT, etc, when they find time to get off their Calvinist-bashing hobby horse, but better and more thorough critiques can be had elsewhere. Actually my cancellation helps them since they send the newsletter out free of charge.

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Chris
OPC member
Now attending Grace Community Baptist Church
Mandeville, LA

"Faith alone saves, but it is a faith that works." - S. Lewis Johnson

He's a loon.

Waiting for the blog world to explode on this one......

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K. Joel Gilliard
Theologically Correct dot Com
http://www.theologicallycorrect.com
Sunday School Teacher (Elementary 2), Gaithersburg Community Church (EFCA)
http://www.gchurch.org
The Blog: THINK! - Wrestlin' With Wordz -N- Ideaz
The Upcoming CD: The Definition

Is this surprising?

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Scott Bushey
Husband to Tina, father to Nicole, Danielle and Zoe
Member First Presbyterian Church of Margate PCA

Did someone say Dave Hunt? Read my review of Debating Calvinism on Amazon...

I have nothing else to say about the man who tosses out slander and bad theology.

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Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession

I received the email version around the beginning of the month, but as usual didn't read it. I received the print version in the mail today and I'm not sure what prompted me to read it, other than curiosity.

I don't know that the blog world will necessarily explode unless Hunt indeed goes further here than he has previously. I'm thinking that the question was prompted by some suggestion Hunt made in the past that those who have only ever believed the "Calvinist gospel" are unsaved.

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Chris
OPC member
Now attending Grace Community Baptist Church
Mandeville, LA

"Faith alone saves, but it is a faith that works." - S. Lewis Johnson

Well, like I said, I quit paying attention after the first Berean Call attack on Calvinism that preceded publication of "What Love is This", which I never bothered to purchase or read.

I didn't know that Hunt had ever gone so far as to say Calvinists aren't saved, but I really haven't been tuned in to the debate.

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Chris
OPC member
Now attending Grace Community Baptist Church
Mandeville, LA

"Faith alone saves, but it is a faith that works." - S. Lewis Johnson

Isn't it ironic that the the arminians are calling us unregenerate?

Thought the Synod of Dort settled that issue.

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Jeff Bartel
Mechanical Engineer
Member - Trinity Reformed Church - RPCNA

"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

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Steve Tijerina
<a href="http://www.nccopc.org/" target="_new" style="text-decoration: underline;color:blue;">New Covenant Community Church (OPC)</a>
New Lennox, IL

[i]Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
(Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)

Well if regeneration happens after a person makes a decision for Christ then surely those of us who were brought up in Calvinist homes (me for example) have never been regenerate.

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Rev. Daniel Kok
Pastor of Grace Reformed Church (URCNA)
Leduc, Alberta CANADA
Church Blog

"there is no creature, either in heaven or on earth, who loves us more than Jesus Christ"
Belgic Confession, Article 26

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

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Jeff Bartel
Mechanical Engineer
Member - Trinity Reformed Church - RPCNA

"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

That's Hunt's argument.

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Chris
OPC member
Now attending Grace Community Baptist Church
Mandeville, LA

"Faith alone saves, but it is a faith that works." - S. Lewis Johnson

See this thread

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Jeff Bartel
Mechanical Engineer
Member - Trinity Reformed Church - RPCNA

"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Dave hunt surely is bitter from all those debates he lost.This is his way of getting some cheap shots in to those who have beaten him in debates.

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Joe Burgess
Grace Bible Church - http://www.gracemessenger.com/
Olive Branch,MS

"Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?" - St. Polycarp

I'm new here so if this has been rehashed before you can just point me to that thread. So here it goes.

I can not for the life of me understand how anyone who has read Spurgeon even marginally can say that he was not a Calvinist. My mom bought the 4 volume set of his sermons for me for Christmas. After reading just 10 sermons his stance on Calvinism and the sovereignty of God is blatantly obvious.

After being told by some Arminians that "Oh, we like Spurgeon" I can only conclude the following.

1) They have never read Spurgeon and are just name dropping

2)They have read Spurgeon and are just being (incredibly) intellectually dishonest

3)They are liars

Did he not take the position that only from an understanding of Calvinsim that one could be saved, and now Dave Hunt is turning that around? Am I missing something here??

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Sean Rhoades
Crystal Waters Fellowship
Riverside, CA

I think Hunt is worse on innerancy than Wright. He concocted a fictitous "hebrew original" of Acts so that he could get around Acts 13:48.

http://reformatabaptista.blogspot.co...vinist_26.html

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Mark
Atlanta, GA
http://www.hereiblog.com

It says I don't have permission to view site.

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JC
URCNA
PA

"Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again." --Jack Kornfield

NM, got it

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JC
URCNA
PA

"Forgiveness is primarily for our own sake, so that we no longer carry the burden of resentment. But to forgive does not mean we will allow injustice again." --Jack Kornfield

I still receive the Berean Call newsletter in the mail, and I couldn't believe this one. I seriously think Hunt has some kind of mental health issue going on. What was really appalling were his statements about Calvinists believing in baptismal regeneration, and his ad hominem slurs regarding Calvin and (Servetus??). I quickly threw the newsletter into the recycle bin, but I should have kept it as the grandest example of strawman reasoning I've ever seen.

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The Piper will lead us to reason...

Rick Larson
Hope Christian and Missionary Alliance Church
Apple Valley, MN.

It's about as bad as I've ever seen. With this vicious, ill-informed attack, he's basically destroyed his ministry, at least among Calvinists (also among non-Calvinists who realize Hunt's off base here) some of whom were once among his biggest supporters. Some, no doubt, will probably think all of his writings are equally baseless, which isn't the case. Because of the attacks he's come under by Calvinists, Hunt erroneously draws parallels to the furor over "The Seduction of Christianity".

Several prominent evangelical leaders lauded Hunt's book. I wonder if they actually read it? His usual publisher, Harvest House, would not publish it and he couldn't get any other major publisher to pick it up. Of course, he blames this on Calvinist influence. Actually he should be thankful to James White for doing "Debating Calvinism", which gave Hunt further exposure (albeit negative) that he otherwise likely wouldn't have gotten.

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Chris
OPC member
Now attending Grace Community Baptist Church
Mandeville, LA

"Faith alone saves, but it is a faith that works." - S. Lewis Johnson

Thank goodness I chose Christ in a synergistic church before being forced (against my will, I might add) to embrace Calvinism. At least I only have to face a little bit of God's anger rather than all of His wrath like you Presbyterians!

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This actually did surprise me. I had read his What Love Is This? when it was first released, and though he attacked a caricature there as well, he really did not go this far, and I actually still gave him more credit in my mind than I do now.

__________________
Chris


A passion to know and reflect Christ by living and demonstrating the truth and richness of the historic Reformed faith

Visit My Website Here

Christopher Blum
Member of Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Germantown, TN
Currently attending Trinity Presbyterian Church of Northern Kentucky (PCA) in Burlington, KY

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Well, I said that's all I have to say-- but one recurring thing that will-worshipping Arminians like Dave Hunt love to do... is try and throw monkeywrenches in soteriological debates by claiming that Calvin or Spurgeon did not believe in limited atonement or more aptly particular redemption. There is clearly a general calling to proclaim the Gospel to all, and most all Calvinists proclaim it-- it's not as if we have an electometer to single out the elect or any cognizance of who will be saved. Time and time again, they rehash this non-sense as if they've finally caught us doctrines of grace adherants off guard and found our achilles' heel.

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0241.htm

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Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession

Dave Hunt has been drinking the Kool Aid AND taking the red pill..or is it the blue pill?

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Grace Farmer
Member, Mid Cities Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Bedford, Texas