saintandsinner77
Puritan Board Freshman
Many of you may have read or know about this quote from Spurgeon:
I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross. (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856).
Though I am a 5 pointer and love Spurgeon, the gospel is defined in the Scripture as follows:
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures . . .” -1 Corinthians 15:1–4
Whoever trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ alone based on this good news, shall be saved. A person does not need to understand or hear about unconditional election, irresistible grace, for example to be converted (though I believe they are all Biblical). In fact, many former Arminians who are now Calvinists (like myself) did not understand the aforementioned points when they were converted, but simply turned in faith to Christ for mercy and forgiveness after being convicted of their sin and guilt. In fact, in one of Spurgeon's sermons, he acknowledged that Wesley was a believer.
So, why would Spurgeon make this equation, though people can be saved through believing the gospel and receiving Christ without understanding Calvinism?
I have my own opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else. I do not believe we can preach the gospel if we do not preach justification by faith without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing unchangeable eternal, immutable, conquering love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel unless we base it upon the special and particular redemption of His elect and chosen people which Christ wrought out upon the cross. (Charles Spurgeon, The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 1, 1856).
Though I am a 5 pointer and love Spurgeon, the gospel is defined in the Scripture as follows:
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures . . .” -1 Corinthians 15:1–4
Whoever trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ alone based on this good news, shall be saved. A person does not need to understand or hear about unconditional election, irresistible grace, for example to be converted (though I believe they are all Biblical). In fact, many former Arminians who are now Calvinists (like myself) did not understand the aforementioned points when they were converted, but simply turned in faith to Christ for mercy and forgiveness after being convicted of their sin and guilt. In fact, in one of Spurgeon's sermons, he acknowledged that Wesley was a believer.
So, why would Spurgeon make this equation, though people can be saved through believing the gospel and receiving Christ without understanding Calvinism?