Tackling Tulip: Exposing the Biblical, Theological, and Practical Errors of Calvinism

By Grant Ralston and Edward Ralston

Tackling TULIP will help Christians understand the errors of Calvinism and why this theological system should be rejected and refuted. This book includes a helpful investigation into the key passages that Calvinists use to defend their beliefs. Romans 9, Ephesians 1, and John 6 are examined in light of the Calvinistic interpretation and are not seen to teach what Calvinists assert. The theological errors that Calvinism presents are also exposed. Questions like “Do we have free will?” and “Did Christ die for everyone?” are answered in the affirmative by both church history and biblical revelation. Finally, the practical problems of Calvinism are explained. A belief in Calvinism eliminates the possibility for Christians to have assurance of salvation and tends to diminish the importance of holy living. Tackling TULIP will equip the body of Christ to defend against the erroneous theology of Calvinism.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973668107

Grant Ralston

Grant Ralston lives in Bloomingdale, Georgia, with his wife, Katrina, and son, Aiden. He teaches at Butler Christian Academy and has earned a Master’s in Christian Studies from Luther Rice College and Seminary. Ryan Ralston lives in Bloomingdale, Georgia, with his wife, Beth. He is the pastor of Savannah Holy Church of God, the principal of Butler Christian Academy, and the president of Heritage Bible College. He also has earned a Ph.D. from Carolina University in Organizational Leadership.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Grant Ralston and Edward Ralston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6809-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6811-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6810-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019908958

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/24/2019

CONTENTS

34498.png

Foreword

Introduction

Part 1 — The Biblical Problems of Calvinism

Chapter 1 — The Faithful Jews and John 6

Chapter 2 — Election and Ephesians 1

Chapter 3 — Reprobation and Romans 9

Part 2 — The Theological Problems of Calvinism

Chapter 4 — Did Christ die for everyone?

Chapter 5 — Is God a Sovereign Tyrant?

Chapter 6 — Is Free Will for Real?

Chapter 7 —Does Regeneration Precede Faith?

Part 3 — The Practical Problems of Calvinism

Chapter 8 — Assurance and Perseverance

Chapter 9 — The Danger of Calvinism

Conclusion

Bibliography

Glossary

FOREWORD

34498.png

Whosoever Will or A Whosoever Gospel

Mat 16:25 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Rom 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

J.H. Jowett trained preachers to articulate their entire sermon in one sentence. He felt the sermon couldn’t be constructed or articulated correctly until that sentence had been written. It is hard to imagine a sermon being able to be reduced to a single sentence, but it is true and very effective. The same practice could be applied to a book, lecture, or even a college class. What is the essence or big idea of what is being taught? If Tackling TULIP was boiled down to one sentence, I believe that sentence would be this: The gospel of Jesus Christ is for whosoever will!

The conviction that the gospel is for whosoever has come under greater attack in the American church in recent decades. Those who oppose the idea of a whosoever gospel believe that God has already selected who will be saved, and it has already been determined. The adherents of this doctrine are usually known as Calvinists or, more recently, have become known as followers of Reformed theology. Justin Taylor in 2012 shared 10 reasons why Mark Dever believes that Reformed theology has seen a resurgence in recent years. Adding to Dever’s list, Taylor adds the role that Christian publishing has played in the aiding of this growth. I agree with his insight. Tackling TULIP is an attempt to publish a concise biblical account of salvation that answers the false teachings of Reformed theology.

I know the authors of this book, and it was not written in condescending arrogance or shallow emotionalism, but rather a deep and broad presentation of the full gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not a mere rebuttal of a few isolated passages of Scripture Reformed theologians twist, but a full account of God’s revealed word concerning the good news for whosoever. The authors have presented a comprehensive account of the Scriptures that will help you understand salvation more completely. The authors (Rev. Ed Ralston and Rev. Grant Ralston) are a grandfather/grandson team! It is a privilege to watch my father and son work together on this important project.

I hope you will take the time to read Tackling TULIP for several reasons. First, I believe this book may be the most important book you will ever read because it deals with our salvation! Whether you are a young person in college, a studious pastor, or a follower of Christ growing in grace, I believe this book will be an invaluable tool for you. This book will become a reference for you for years to come.

Second, Reformed theology limits salvation to a few based on their perception of God’s arbitrary decision, leads to a life void of sanctification, and stops believers from seeking to live an empowered, Spirit-filled life. This doctrine has affected people I love, and it needs to be answered fully and completely.

Third, I have encouraged this generation to write books, lessons, and sermons to defend our theological positions. Many Calvinists have interpreted our lack of printed materials as a sign there is no answer to their theological positions. Nothing could be further from the truth, and Tackling TULIP is an answer to my prayers that this generation will produce more of this quality of work.

I was in Brazil earlier this year on a missionary trip and watched our team preach to thousands of people we had never met. What a joy it is to be able to preach the gospel and declare, God wants to save you or come to Jesus tonight to be saved. If I didn’t believe the gospel was a whosoever gospel, I wouldn’t be able to make those statements in sincerity or honesty. But I believe the Bible presents the heart of God pursuing all lost humanity with utmost abandonment! I believe God presented a whosoever-will gospel!

Dr. Ryan E. Ralston, President

Heritage Bible College

INTRODUCTION

34498.png

Nobody becomes a Calvinist through his own reading of the Bible. He must be introduced to Calvinism in order to see it in the Bible. He did not arrive at Calvinism through an independent, thorough study of the Scriptures. On the contrary, he had to be taught it, first, before he could see it in the word of God. That it is necessary to learn Calvinism before finding it in the Bible can be confirmed by examining the writings of John Calvin, the French Reformer who systematized these doctrines that later bore his name. He wrote a highly influential book, Institutes of the Christian Religion. In the preface to the reader of his 1539 edition, Calvin makes some interesting statements:

My object in this work was to prepare and train students of theology for the study of the sacred volume, so that they might both have an easy introduction to it, and be able to proceed in it, with unfaltering step, seeing I have endeavored to give such a summary of religion in all its parts, and have digested it into such an order as may make it not difficult for any one, who is rightly acquainted with it, to ascertain both what he ought principally to look for in Scripture, and also to what head he ought to refer whatever is contained in it. Having thus, as it were, paved the way, I shall not feel it necessary, in any commentaries on Scripture which I may afterward publish, to enter into long discussions of doctrine or dilate on common-places, and will, therefore, always compress them. In this way the pious reader will be saved much trouble and weariness, provided he comes furnished with a knowledge of the present work as an essential prerequisite.¹

Calvin boldly declares this work designed to train students of theology for the study of the sacred volume will make it easy for anyone to ascertain … what he ought principally to look for in Scripture. Someone furnished with a knowledge of the present work as an essential prerequisite will not have to exert much time and energy into studying other areas of doctrine. In other words, Calvin wants his readers to just trust him, no questions asked, and once they accept what he says in the Institutes, they will know what they should look for and what to believe about the Scriptures.

Furthermore, Calvin, in the preface to the first French edition of the Institutes, published in 1545, maintains a similar perspective. He writes:

I dare not bear too strong a testimony in its favor, and declare how profitable the reading of it will be, lest I should seem to prize my own work too highly. However, I may promise this much, that it will be a kind of key opening up to all the children of God a right and ready access to the understanding of the sacred volume … Since we are bound to acknowledge that all truth and sound doctrine proceed from God, I will venture boldly to declare what I think of this work, acknowledging it to be God’s work rather than mine.²

Clearly, Calvin thought rather highly of his book on theology. He believed that it would be a kind of key that would provide greater access into understanding the sacred volume. To put it another way, in order to truly grasp what the Scriptures are trying to teach, it is necessary to become acquainted with Calvin’s work, and once you have become aware of what you ought to principally look for in Scripture, you would then have ready access to the Bible and be able to comprehend it correctly.

While modern Calvinists probably would not admit the necessity of learning Calvinism before reading it in the Bible, it does seem to be a logical inference from Calvin’s own words. Nevertheless, whether a Calvinist admits it does not negate our contention that a simple, objective reading of the Scriptures does not lead to Calvinism. A person becomes a Calvinist because he learned it elsewhere and adopted the theological presuppositions, not because he prayerfully studied the Bible apart from any excessive influences.

Perhaps, you are unfamiliar with John Calvin and the theological system that bears his name. You have heard the term ‘Calvinism’ mentioned before, but your grasp on its essential tenets is fuzzy. What exactly is Calvinism? Calvinism is often summarized by the acrostic TULIP. TULIP stands for:

* Total depravity. This doctrine stresses that the effects of the fall make it impossible for human beings to choose Christ apart from God’s sovereign work of regeneration. Fallen men and women are spiritually dead, like a corpse, and cannot respond positively to God’s gracious attempts to reconcile them.

* Unconditional election. Before the creation of the world, God chose a particular group of people, named the elect, for eternal salvation. The corollary to his choice of some for salvation is that, in sorrow, he passed over those he did not choose. The reason God chose some and not others (or all) is not because of any foreseen faith or good works but simply because of his sovereign good pleasure.

* Limited atonement. Christ died only for the elect. He did not die for everyone. According to the Calvinist, it would have been an abject failure on Christ’s part to die for someone who would die lost and spend eternity in hell. Therefore, everyone for whom Christ died will be saved because he accomplished their salvation through his atoning work.

* Irresistible grace. When God decides to save a person, there is no force in the entire universe that can resist his will, including the will of the individual who is being saved. Once God changes the disposition of a human heart, he will come to Christ because that is what he now wants to do. Before God sovereignly regenerates him, however, he never would have come to Christ because he hated God, as all unregenerate persons do.

* Perseverance of the Saints. Those whom God has truly saved will necessarily persevere until the end of their lives. Any professing Christian who falls away before the finish line was never saved in the first place. Anyone born of God will never fall away because God will preserve them and bring their salvation to completion.

These five doctrines encapsulate much of what Reformed theology³ teaches. Although there are other distinguishing features to Calvinism, TULIP is a helpful way to summarize this theological system. Throughout this book, it will be our aim to demonstrate why Calvinism is erroneous biblically, theologically, and practically. We will address TULIP as it relates to the appropriate chapter. Our prayer is that by the end of this book, you will see the threat that Calvinism poses to the church of Jesus Christ and be equipped to refute these fallacious doctrines.

PART 1

34922.png

The Biblical Problems

of Calvinism

CHAPTER 1

34922.png

The Faithful Jews and John 6

Calvinists often appeal to isolated verses in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel to support their theological system. In an effort to construct the doctrines of total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints, those who subscribe to Calvinism take many passages out of context. John 6 is a frequent victim of this contextual abuse. Proper biblical interpretation must give respect to both the grammar and the context of the scriptures. While certain interpretations might be plausible grammatically, any understanding of a biblical passage that ignores the context is erroneous and should be dismissed by serious students of the Bible.

An egregious example of this contextual abuse committed by a Calvinist in relation to John 6 appears in R. C. Sproul’s Chosen by God.⁴ He appeals to John 6:44, which records the words of Jesus. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. Sproul proceeds to argue that "the key word here is draw."⁵ To him, this word does not suggest a wooing or enticement; instead, it suggests an irresistible dragging to Christ. Sproul then refers to Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament and asserts that this respected authority on the Greek of the New Testament defines the Greek word used here for draw as to compel by irresistible superiority.⁶

What is especially interesting is that while Sproul references Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, he does not provide a citation to assist the reader in finding the location of this definition in Kittel’s massive work. Perhaps the reason that he does not reveal this information is that he is afraid his readers will call his bluff. A brief look at what Kittel actually says about this Greek word, as it is used in John 6:44, is insightful:

[The force of love] is the point in the two important passages in John 6:44; 12:32. There is no thought here of force or magic. The term figuratively expresses the supernatural power of the love of God or Christ which goes out to all (12:32) but without which no one can come (6:44). The apparent contradiction shows that both the election and the universality of grace must be taken seriously; the compulsion is not automatic.⁷

Later, I will explain the meaning of John 6:44 in light of its surrounding context. However, I wanted to highlight two things. First, Sproul’s deceitful use of Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is unacceptable. While Kittel does acknowledge that the Greek word for draw does imply a compelling in certain instances, he specifically states that there is no thought of force in John 6:44 and that the compulsion is not automatic. By concealing this important information from his readers, Sproul has misled them.

Second, he also fails to consider the context of John 6. On the pages that Sproul discusses this key text, he never even attempts to explain how the drawing of the Father to Christ fits into the context. Instead, he launches into a debate over what it entails to be drawn by God to Jesus Christ. As mentioned previously, although an interpretation could be acceptable grammatically, it might be contextually inadequate. No passage of scripture stands in isolation or in opposition to the rest of God’s Word. Due consideration must be given to the context of every passage in the Bible to avoid producing and spreading distortions of God’s Word.

John 6 might seem to be an impenetrable fortress defending the doctrines of Calvinism. Can this passage be interpreted faithfully in a way that does not support Calvinism? Absolutely. It is our contention that only the blinding theological presuppositions of Calvinism will lead someone to see irresistible grace, total depravity, and the perseverance of the saints in John 6.

The Context of John 6

What is the context of John 6? One major contextual clue is John 6:38. Here, Jesus indicates that what he is teaching is primarily focused on his earthly ministry: "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."⁸ In this passage, Jesus is explaining what is occurring while he is down from heaven. He is not concerned with the notion that God has preselected a particular number of people to draw irresistibly while leaving all others without the ability to respond willingly to the revelation of God.⁹ He is particularly concerned with the events that are transpiring during his incarnation.

As shocking as it may sound to some people, Jesus did not come to this earth to be a world-renowned evangelist. Throughout his ministry, he did not seek to win thousands to faith in himself. On the contrary, repeatedly he instructed his disciples to not reveal that he was the Christ to anyone (Matthew 16:20; Mark 3:12). Certainly, after his resurrection, he would draw all men to himself (John 12:32), but he had a specific task to accomplish while he was down from heaven. John 6 describes, in part, what his ministry consisted of.

Furthermore, Jesus is constantly confronted by a group of Jewish people who claimed to know God but were not coming to him in order to receive eternal life (John 5:40). According to Calvinism, the reason these Jewish people were not accepting Jesus as the Messiah is that God had withheld the necessary grace. Apparently, these Jewish people were not individually elected for salvation, so God did not draw them to Christ. This interpretation is troubling, to say the least, since it portrays God as a tyrant who demands faith and repentance, renders it impossible for those not chosen to salvation to have faith and repentance, and then punishes them with eternal damnation for not having faith and repentance even though it was literally impossible for them to have faith and repentance in Jesus Christ. Fortunately, the correct interpretation of this passage respects the free moral agency of human beings and does