Calvinist Historian Herman Bavinck

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Herman Bavinck

In the early church, at a time when it had to contend with pagan fatalism and gnostic naturalism, its representatives focused exclusively on the moral nature, freedom, and responsibility of humans and could not do justice, therefore, to the teaching of Scripture concerning the counsel of God. Though humans had been more or less corrupted by sin, they remained free and were able to accept the proffered grace of God. The church’s teaching did not include a doctrine of absolute predestination and irresistible grace.10

  1. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend, vol. 2, God and Creation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004), 348. He references Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian among the ante-Nicene fathers, and John of Damascus among the later Eastern teachers.

Cited from Desiring God website

This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God
 
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Herman Bavinck



  1. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend, vol. 2, God and Creation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004), 348. He references Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian among the ante-Nicene fathers, and John of Damascus among the later Eastern teachers.

Cited from Desiring God website

This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God
Of course. Good to see you're learning things.

The early church also didn't teach the novelty known as, PROVISIONALISM.
 
Of course. Good to see you're learning things.

The early church also didn't teach the novelty known as, PROVISIONALISM.
Actually you have no evidence of that

and so your statement is completely gratuitous

this however was admitted

This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God
 
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This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God

And at one point the early church denied the Trinity.
What exactly is your point?

The Bible teaches predestination and irresistible grace, and that's all that matters.
 
And at one point the early church denied the Trinity.
What exactly is your point?

The Bible teaches predestination and irresistible grace, and that's all that matters.
But not Calvinist predestination and certainly not irresistible grace

BTW the whole church never denied the trinity
 
Actually you have no evidence of that

and so your statement is completely gratuitous
The early church didn't teach the novelty known as, PROVISIONALISM.

The reason there is no evidence of that is, the early Church never taught it.
 
Actually you have no evidence of that

and so your statement is completely gratuitous

this however was admitted

This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God
He has as much evidence as the other has
 
But not Calvinist predestination and certainly not irresistible grace

BTW the whole church never denied the trinity
So what. At one point the majority of the church was Arian.
The early church didn't teach the novelty known as, PROVISIONALISM.

The reason there is no evidence of that is, the early Church never taught it.
Some of it did teach Provisionalism. His name was Pelagius
 
Of course. Good to see you're learning things.

The early church also didn't teach the novelty known as, PROVISIONALISM.
Lets see

They taught free will, ability to believe the gospel given common grace, unlimited provisional atonement

Sounds like provisionalism to me

In fact it was previously called traditionalism after the tradition of the first four hundred years

Do you have anything other than denial to offer Howie
 
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Lets see

They taught free will, ability to believe the gospel given common grace, unlimited provisional atonement

Sounds like provisionalism to me

In fact it was previously called traditionalism after the tradition of the first four hundred years

Do you have anything other than denial to offer Howie
So you're Roman Catholic. Got it.
 
Of course you won't argue with Tom, even though you disagree with him on free will.
But you WILL argue with me, even though you agree with me on eternal security.
I don't argue on ES with you we agree lol. The same with TD
 
Herman Bavinck



  1. Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend, vol. 2, God and Creation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004), 348. He references Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian among the ante-Nicene fathers, and John of Damascus among the later Eastern teachers.

Cited from Desiring God website

This Calvinist historian admits the early church did not teach absolute predestination and irresistible grace but taught free will to accept the grace proffered by God
Of course not it came from the gnostic augustine so he is correct. the Free Will of man was the accepted teaching of the Apostles, their disciples and the ECF's. I'm so glad the Lord took me out of the theology of the dark ages that most resembles its mother church.

hope this helps !!!
 
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