Books on Calvinism, Predestination

Calvinism is sometimes referred to as Doctrines of Grace, Reformed Doctrines, Reformed Baptists, etc. Calvinism is becoming more prevalent in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Most Southern Baptists are not 5-point Calvinists, but they need to brush up on this issue.

Many non-Calvinist (or Moderate Calvinist) Baptist churches are being asked to consider 5-point Calvinists as pastor. Pastor Search Committees (Pulpit Committees) need to know what they believe and why they believe it.

For the record, if a Baptist church wants to knowingly call a Calvinist as pastor, that is their business and they are perfectly free to do so. The problem is when a church calls a Calvinist as pastor and doesn’t have a clue as to what he believes and what he plans to do in their church. I hear about such cases on a regular basis. In contrast, you can be assured that a Calvinist or Reformed Baptist church will be doubly sure the new pastor they call will be a strict Calvinist.

Some, not all, Calvinists have strangely been very critical when non-Calvinists present their beliefs about these issues. For example, some strongly attacked Jerry Vines’ John 3:16 Conference. But just as Calvinists have a right to present their beliefs in books and conferences, so does the other side. Non-Calvinists need to know solid reasons why so many reject 5-point Calvinism.

The books below will give pastors and laymen a good understanding of Calvinism from the viewpoint of a non-Calvinist. It’s great to read completely through them, but you may also want to skip around in them and keep them for future reference. If you get bogged down, just move to the next section. Have a pencil or pen ready and mark pages that answer questions you may have.

Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of God’s Sovereignty and Free Will by Norman L. Geisler; 2010.
Very good, easy to understand book by a well-known and respected conservative Christian apologist.

Whosoever Will by David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke, B&H (Broadman & Holman); 2010.
Compiled messages presented at a Jerry Vines’ John 3:16 Conference. Scholarly defense of the large majority of Baptists who are not 5-point Calvinists. Scholarly, yet for the most part easy for most to understand. Includes messages by Jerry Vines, Paige Patterson, Richard Land, David Allen, Steve Lemke, Kevin Kennedy, R. Alan Streett… Includes a chapter on The Public Invitation and Calvinism.

Salvation and Sovereignty by Kenneth Keathley, B&H.
Another good, scholarly book on Calvinism and free will. Foreword by Paige Patterson, president of SWBTS. Keathley is professor at SEBTS.

Trouble With the Tulip by Frank Page.
Good, brief, easy to understand book. Frank Page has been pastor, SBC president, and is now Executive Director of the SBC Executive Committee.

An Examination of Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism by R. L. Sumner, Biblical Evangelism Press, 5718 Pine Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606. $2.50 each, postpaid. Order multiple copies. 
Good booklet to give members of Pastor Search Committee. Good brief booklet to give anyone interested in the subject. Sumner is editor of The Biblical Evangelist (biblicalevangelist.org). 47,000 copies of this booklet in print.
Adrian Rogers ordered hundreds of copies of Sumner's book for his church. 

Predestined for Hell? Absolutely Not! by Adrian Rogers, Love Worth Finding, P.O. Box 38800, Memphis, TN 38183-0300, (lwf.org); 1999. $2 each.
Sermon booklet. Another good pamphlet to give a Pastor Search Committee (Pulpit Committee) or anyone else. Adrian Rogers was pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tennessee, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a leader of the SBC Conservative Resurgence that brought Southern Baptists back to their historic belief in the inerrancy of the Bible.

Calvinism: A Baptist and His Election by Jerry Vines, CD (under “Baptist Battles”) at jerryvines.com.
Vines is the retired pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida and former SBC president. He is a prolific author and one of the leaders in the SBC Conservative Resurgence.

Update:  What is Calvinism? by Peter Lumpkins, Free Church Press.  Brief overview of the issue.  Another good book to give church leaders and those with questions on this subject.  . 

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The above books can be ordered at your local bookstore, or on the internet at places like amazon.com or lifeway.com. A couple of them may need to be ordered directly at the addresses given.

-David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, September 5, AD 2011.

Related Articles:

Adrian Rogers on Predestination, Calvinism
Paige Patterson on Calvinism
SBC Resolution on Alcohol Use in America
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
The Calvinists Are Here; Gerald Harris, Christian Index
Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of Salvation
Other articles in lower right margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).

What Legalism Really Means

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight. -Romans 3:20

Charges of legalism are rampant in parts of the Christian world. Some seem to gain a lot of satisfaction in calling people names for Jesus. Specifically, some seem to delight in calling legalists those who are against the recreational use of mind altering drugs (alcohol, marijuana, etc.).

Some say legalism is believing something is wrong that is not explicitly stated in the Bible. If that is true, however, then those who oppose slavery are legalists. After all, the Bible does not actually say, “Thou shalt not own a slave.”

Some grant that you can have a quiet personal conviction, but if you say that practice is wrong for others, then you are a legalist. So apparently you can be personally opposed to slavery and be acceptable, but if you think slavery is wrong for others, you are now a card-carrying legalist.

With this definition those who oppose pornographic DVDs are legalists. After all, the Bible says nothing about DVDs, DVD players, TV, or Computers. Some people love loopholes.

With the above definition the list of legalists would be long. The biblical loopholes would be vast. The “non-legalists” can then say, “Ah, the Bible doesn’t exactly, specifically, precisely, in so many words, say not to do it, so go for it!” The Bible, however, gives clear teaching and principles that do cover issues like the ones above. (See Gulf Coast Pastor alcohol articles for July, 2009.)

To some, legalism is simply when you are against anything they’re for. Some have called anyone who opposes sex outside of marriage a legalist. One fellow called others legalists because they would not agree with his getting “spiritually married” to someone when he was still legally married to another.

Sure, people can get too picky, too judgmental, and demand that everyone do exactly what they say. But that’s not legalism. We should be able to consider whether biblical teaching applies to a practice without hurling charges of legalism and Pharisaism. And legalism is certainly not trying to live a godly life with biblical convictions.

On the other hand, some have turned the tables on the accusers: “A legalist is someone who loves Jesus more than you do.” ”When there is something in the Bible that churches don’t like, they call it ‘legalism.’”

The true definition of biblical legalism.Legalism is a false belief that attempts to merit favor with God by the works of the law, by doing good deeds. Legalism is condemned in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16. Rather than by the works of the law, we are to obtain favor with God through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus (Romans 3:21-28); then we are to do good works.

A few quotes:“…legalistic, a religion of achievement, giving ground for human pride (cf. Rom. 3:27-28; 9:11, 32; 11:6).” -Dictionary of Paul and his Letters, Intervarsity Press. 1993; p. 843.
“…legalism, the attempt to merit favor with God by good works.” -Ibid; p. 976.

“The Jewish legalists had perverted the divine intention of the law and made it into a way to gain God’s favor based on personal merit.” -Robert H. Mounce, Romans, The New American Commentary, Broadman, Nashville, TN, 1995; p. 208.

Speaking of Romans 3:20, “In this verse ‘law’ both times is without the definite article in the Greek; so it means ‘legalism.’” -Herschel H. Hobbs, Romans, Word Books, Waco, TX, 1977; p. 44.

“Biblically speaking, ‘legalism’ is trusting in the law for salvation. In Galatians (which is a good example of legalism), the Judaizers were saying that without circumcision one could not be saved. Paul blasted that idea to smithereens! ‘Legalism’ is a word greatly misused and maligned by uneducated preachers and Christians today, who refer to standards about holy living as legalism. If someone, shall we say, preaches against booze (or tobacco, or movies, or dancing, or whatever) some immediately shout ‘legalism,’ showing their ignorance.” -Dr. R. L. Sumner; Editor, Biblical Evangelist; author.

“More precisely, legalism is the false belief that keeping certain laws - whether biblical or not - can be used as a condition for meriting God’s grace, whether for justification or sanctification (see Galatians 3:3). But one can legislate wise laws about human behavior without being legalistic in the biblical sense of the concept. Otherwise, laws against drunk driving and illegal immigration - and a host of other things beneficial to society - would be legalistic and, thereby, wrong.” -Dr. Norman L. Geisler; president, Southern Evangelical Seminary; author.

Those who oppose what you are for, are not legalists; unless they maintain their practices are the way to get to Heaven. Argue your case on the merits, but don’t start calling the fellow who may be winning the argument, a legalist.

- by David R. Brumbelow, Gulf Coast Pastor, August 24, AD 2009

Charles H. Spurgeon on Alcohol
Alcohol Condemned in the Bible
Deuteronomy 14:26 - Does it Commend Alcohol?
 
Other articles in lower right hand margin under Gulf Coast Pastor Articles (Labels).