The Bible Versus Calvinism

by Jack Cottrell

This volume contains items that I have written on the subject of Calvinism. I have had a strong interest in this doctrinal system ever since I was an M.Div. student at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (1962-1965). WTS at that time was a premiere Evangelical seminary, but was also most adamantly Calvinist in its theological orientation. During my years as a student there, I can remember no more than five other students besides myself that were not Calvinists. My teachers were respected Evangelical scholars as well as strict Calvinists.This affected me in two ways. First, I learned the teachings of Calvinism “from the inside,” as it were, and from its most learned representatives (e.g., John Murray and Cornelius Van Til). Second, I was strongly motivated to analyze and critique Calvinist doctrine in the light of the Bible. As a result, I became fairly well known in the Evangelical community, and known as someone who is able to set forth a viable alternative to Calvinism. My 1984 volume, What the Bible Says About God the Ruler, was especially intended to interact with Calvinism and set forth such an alternative.Also, over the past fifty years or so, I have spoken often and written many smaller works on Calvinism, which more than warrants this present selection of materials focused on the subject.

Genres: Theology

212 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2018

Reviews

[John Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter what you believe on the issue, this book will challenge your thinking on the issue. It's easy to find all kinds of scholarly, detailed defenses of Calvinism in popular Christian books/blogs today. For whatever reason, it's hard to find the same level of scholarship and detail on the other side. This is the best I've read on the topic.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Cottrell was my principal professor in my master of theology program, and remained a friend and mentor until his death. I had the opportunity to sit in his classroom many times in both undergrad and grad school. While the most profound influence he had on me was in teaching me the true biblical meaning of saving grace, probably the second-most important thing I learned from him was how the biblical teaching on the process of salvation differed from the popular-- even prevalent--Calvinistic view.

I have spent a lot of time in the years since teaching people in the church where I serve the errors of Calvinism. Why is this important? Because I believe two crucial things are at stake in this debate-- the reputation of God and our assurance of salvation. If God unilaterally determines everything, including who will and who won't be saved, how can He be just? And if those who apparently fall away from God prior to their deaths were never really saved in the first place (the Calvinist explanation), how can anyone truly know whether they're saved or not until the moment of death?

Dr. Cottrell's book, The Faith Once for All, his systematic theology, is the one book to read if you're just going to read one. But the collection of essays in The Bible Versus Calvinism are the best place to start if you struggle with understanding how a loving God could be the "cause" of everything that happens in the world (as Calvinism teaches), including the suffering and deaths of innocents and the ultimate damnation of billions of people who never had an actual opportunity to be saved. This volume will help you to see the flawed exegesis which underpins Calvinism, and how a correct understanding of what the Bible teaches vindicates God and brings assurance of salvation to all who of their own free will have put their trust in Jesus.