Hyper-Calvinism

by Peter S. Ruckman

One of the things that will kill a church’s or an individual believer’s zeal for evangelizing the lost is an over-emphasis on the doctrines taught by John Calvin. Of the five points of Calvin’s “TULIP,” four are unscriptural heresies. This work is not a blanket condemnation of all Calvinists, but in it, Dr. Ruckman does examine the false teachings involved in Calvin’s views of Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, and Irresistible Grace. As in all his works, Dr. Ruckman will give you what the Scriptures say in such matters and not merely what they are presumed to teach. He will show you how Calvin’s system is one of religious philosophy and not Biblical theology.(Print 46 pages)

46 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2011

About the author

Peter Sturges Ruckman (November 19, 1921 – April 21, 2016) was an American Independent Baptist pastor and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute in Pensacola, Florida (not to be confused with Pensacola Christian College, also in Pensacola, Florida).

Ruckman was known for his position that the King James Version constituted "advanced revelation" and was the final, preserved word of God for English speakers.

Reviews

[Mason Burchette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ruckman continues his legacy of bitterness in this tirade against John Calvin. Ruckman makes the same elementary mistakes that many Arminians do when confronting Reformed doctrine by attempting to make God a puppeteer by placing him in the same time constrained system as His creation, a fallacy which leads to the failure of nearly all of his subsequent conclusions. As many Arminians, Ruckman also makes a category error by consistently equating free will to creaturely will. This leads him to present an argument to prove man has a free will because God holds man responsible for his sin. Of course all “Calvinists” believe man is responsible for his sin and Ruckman concludes his point by asking the same question that Paul answers in Romans 9, which Ruckman later fails to properly exegete by dismissing Paul’s entire discourse and isogeting verses 15-16.

Ruckman attempts to dismantle each of the five points of the Synod of Dort (which he fails to reference) by accusing reformed theology of “hop-scotching” verses. Ruckman then continues to isogete verses and even partial verses from numerous places in Scripture, with absolutely no reference to the context of those books, throughout the entire booklet.

This 46 page booklet is hardly a refutation of any reformed doctrine and even it’s 46 pages could be significantly reduced if the non-substantive named calling and name listing were removed.

[Robert A. Mathewson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free will is the deciding factor

Free will in both testaments. Salvation is not complicated. An extreme calvinism attitude kills your love for God and the 2nd coming. I'll take a extremely moderate view of Calvinism and let it go at that.

[Michael Stamper]

Gotta love the Doc....spot on for anyone wanting to divide the Scriptures 2nd Timothy 2:15