A Denomination More Arminian than Wesleyan?
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2017 3:13 pm
I've been reading a great book on Jacob Arminius's teachings about soteriology called "Grace, Faith, and Free Will" by Robert E. Picirilli. To put it in a nut shell, he makes some references to the fact that many self-proclaimed Arminians today, proclaim Arminianism more as a "Not-Calvinist," proclamation, assuming that all Free-will churches embrace Arminianism as Arminius taught it. In other words, Arminianism has become as diluted as say, the term 'Christian' - that, to the non-believer, Christian could encompass a myriad of things. And to the modern, theological-thinker, especially for the hard-nosed Calvinist, the term Arminian is sadly up there with terms like, "heretic," half the time.
The five articles of the Remonstrant might even make such an Arminian blush at times with the language used. Don't hear me wrong, there is probably 85% agreeable material to most Arminians who don't read Arminius to what he said, if not more (in other words, that percentage is a shot in the dark). And certainly foreknown, free-will contingent and conditional salvation is preeminent.
Picirilli lays out in the book that "direct descendants," of Arminius's teachings in the Remonstrant Church of Holland, like many centuries-old denominations, have all but departed Christianity long ago (see Remonstrant Brotherhood on wikipedia for a snapshot).
I wonder though, if there are any denominations that firmly embrace a Sovereignty, Grace and Gospel-centered, 'Reformed Arminian' point of view that isn't as - say - practical-theological type like Wesley. See this article for "Reformed Arminian" designation:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/arti ... -arminian/
I don't say this to slam, say, Nazarenes, Methodists, and Pentecostals - who no doubt carry the Gospel Message. But often times, these churches are saturated by evangelicalism - and the trends of the next greatest book, or teaching, or self-help sermons.
Perhaps one thing that has drawn me to the Calvinist teachings, is the fact that many of the Reformed pastors I have listened to, have an intense love for the Gospel itself, and most are expository preachers. Granted, it is preached in a Calvinistic slant, but justification by faith is preached, which was quite different from my upbringing in the Nazarene church where justification by faith may've been the topic of the sermon here and there, mixed in with, "How to pray better," or "What to do when your worried," or "Overcoming fear..." - you know, different topics. When it seems evident to me in Paul's letters that He desired to really know nothing among whoever he preached to but Christ and Him crucified.
Charles Spurgeon once said, "I have never found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if ever I find one . . . I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a saviour of Christ in it," which I think echoes Paul's admonitions.
All this to say, Picirilli states that Free-Will Baptists (his own denomination) have more Arminian-than-Wesley-inspired churches, but I wonder if there are other denominations like this, or if it's always going to be just a congregation thing?
The five articles of the Remonstrant might even make such an Arminian blush at times with the language used. Don't hear me wrong, there is probably 85% agreeable material to most Arminians who don't read Arminius to what he said, if not more (in other words, that percentage is a shot in the dark). And certainly foreknown, free-will contingent and conditional salvation is preeminent.
Picirilli lays out in the book that "direct descendants," of Arminius's teachings in the Remonstrant Church of Holland, like many centuries-old denominations, have all but departed Christianity long ago (see Remonstrant Brotherhood on wikipedia for a snapshot).
I wonder though, if there are any denominations that firmly embrace a Sovereignty, Grace and Gospel-centered, 'Reformed Arminian' point of view that isn't as - say - practical-theological type like Wesley. See this article for "Reformed Arminian" designation:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/arti ... -arminian/
I don't say this to slam, say, Nazarenes, Methodists, and Pentecostals - who no doubt carry the Gospel Message. But often times, these churches are saturated by evangelicalism - and the trends of the next greatest book, or teaching, or self-help sermons.
Perhaps one thing that has drawn me to the Calvinist teachings, is the fact that many of the Reformed pastors I have listened to, have an intense love for the Gospel itself, and most are expository preachers. Granted, it is preached in a Calvinistic slant, but justification by faith is preached, which was quite different from my upbringing in the Nazarene church where justification by faith may've been the topic of the sermon here and there, mixed in with, "How to pray better," or "What to do when your worried," or "Overcoming fear..." - you know, different topics. When it seems evident to me in Paul's letters that He desired to really know nothing among whoever he preached to but Christ and Him crucified.
Charles Spurgeon once said, "I have never found a text that had not got a road to Christ in it, and if ever I find one . . . I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a saviour of Christ in it," which I think echoes Paul's admonitions.
All this to say, Picirilli states that Free-Will Baptists (his own denomination) have more Arminian-than-Wesley-inspired churches, but I wonder if there are other denominations like this, or if it's always going to be just a congregation thing?