The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

Not all Calvinists the SameIt is important to understand that there is a great variety ofdoctrine and practice among Calvinists, and by no means doI consider a man to be an enemy of the truth just because heaccepts some of the Calvinist theology. e book Spurgeon vs.Hyper Calvinists: e Battle for Gospel Preaching by IainMurray (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth Trust, 1995) does anexcellent job of describing some of the differences amongCalvinists. ere are soul winning Calvinists, Calvinists withgreat evangelistic and missionary zeal; and there areCalvinists who condemn these things. Some interpretCalvinism in such a way that they do not believe in offeringsalvation to or preaching the gospel to all sinners; they do noteven believe that God loves all men. According to Murray’sdefinition, these are “hyper Calvinists.”Charles Spurgeon refused to try to reconcile every seemingcontradiction in the Bible, and he was wise enough to knowthat he could not understand every mystery of God. He said:“at God predestines, and that man is responsible, aretwo things that few can see. ey are believed to beinconsistent and contradictory; but they are not. It is justthe fault of our weak judgment. Two truths cannot becontradictory to each other. If, then, I find taught in oneplace that everything is fore-ordained, that is true; and if Ifind in another place that man is responsible for all hisactions, that is true; and it is my folly that leads me toimagine that two truths can ever contradict each other.ese two truths, I do not believe, can ever be welded intoone upon any human anvil, but one they shall be ineternity: they are two lines that are so nearly parallel, thatthe mind that shall pursue them farthest, will neverdiscover that they converge; but they do converge, andthey will meet somewhere in eternity, close to the throneof God, whence all truth doth spring” (C.H. Spurgeon,New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 4, 1858, p. 337).43