An Apologetical Rebuttal to Dave Hunt’s “Calvin’s Tyrannical Kingdom” in his July 2012 Newsletter: A Scriptural and Historical Defense of the Reformation

The quotations are from Mr. Hunt’s article are from Calvinism’s Surprising Catholic Connection, pg. 10-11, July 2012 in his anti-Calvinistic newsletter.

“There is no question that Calvin imposed upon the Bible certain erroneous interpretations from his Roman Catholic background.”

What do you mean?  This statement is broad and elusive.   We know that the magisterial took some unbiblical practices with them, but not the essence of spiritual salvation.  I am not referring to spiritual salvation issues.  For example, he held the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary.  He was a magisterial reformer.  This would be a common thing to expect because he has just come out of Rome.  However, I think Mr. Hunt means that there “erroneous interpretations” in Calvin’s understanding of spiritual salvation.  Let’s look from the written Word of God Calvin’s doctrines and see if the Bible teaches them.

Total Depravity is the doctrine that says mean is radically corrupt and cannot choose the goodness of the Gospel (i.e., total inability) because he is dead in sin.

Romans 3:9-19 KJV

⁹ What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

¹⁰ As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood:

¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways:

¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known:

¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.

¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Ephesians 2:1-10 KJV

2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Unconditional Election is the teaching that says God saves us not because of anything good or bad that we have done but because of His free mercy.

Romans 9:11-24 KJV

¹¹ (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

¹² It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

¹³ As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

¹⁵ For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

¹⁶ So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

¹⁷ For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

¹⁸ Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

²⁰ Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

²¹ Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

²² What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

²³ And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

²⁴ Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

John 15:16 KJV
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

John 15:19 KJV
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1 Peter 2:9 KJV
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Limited Atonement says, in brief, that God saves the many and all of the elect of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Matthew 1:21 KJV

²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Isaiah 53:1-12 KJV

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

² For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

³ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Irresistible Grace is the teaching that says God saves us although we cannot cooperate with God and He gives us the spiritual application of His imputed merit and takes out the stony heart and gives us a heart of flesh.

John 3:1-15 KJV

3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

⁸ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

¹¹ Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

¹² If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

¹³ And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Ezekiel 11:19 KJV
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
 Ezekiel 36:26 KJV
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Romans 3:21-31 KJV

²¹ But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

²⁹ Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

³⁰ Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

³¹ Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Acts 7:51 KJV
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Preservation of the Saints means simply that we are kept by Christ through the Spirit from the will of the Father to the very end.

Jude 1:1 KJV

¹ Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Philippians 1:6 KJV

⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

We now get a sense of what the Bible teaches.  Calvin taught these doctrines of grace and we find no reason why Mr. Hunt would call them “erroneous.”  Calvin spoke of the difficulty of Scripture in some parts but he said we are to blame it on “the dullness and slowness of our senses” (Bouwsma, John Calvin: A Sixteenth Century Portrait, pg. 100).  We must realize that our depravity gets into everything we do; however, we need the deep influence of the Spirit and to allow Him to instruct from His Word.  This means that we call men to repentance and faith (Mark 1:15).  Calvin believed in the self-attesting of the Scripture and to compare Scripture with Scripture,

“The Reformers were dissatisfied, not with the quantity but the quality of the Bible study that was taking place.  And this on the grounds of the theological principles that governed the interpretations of Scripture.  The sovereign authority of Scripture over the church had been relativized by an unclear conception of the authority of tradition.  The effect was that Scripture was no longer regarded as self-authenticating and therefore as self-explanatory” (Parker, John Calvin: A Biography, pg. 100).

I think Calvin wanted the truth of Scripture seen. We do not see Calvin holding Augustine up over the self-authenticatingness of the Divine Word.  Calvin would use Augustine as a tool to guide him but not over the Divine Word.  Calvin would compare what the fathers taught in light of the Scriptures; however, he would not set precedence over the fathers against the divine authority of the Scriptures.  Let’s see what Mr. Hunt says next,

“Many leading Calvinists agree that the writings of Augustine were the actual source of most of what is known as Calvinism today.  Calvinists David Steele and Curtis Thomas point out that “The basic doctrine of the Calvinistic position had been vigorously defended by Augustine against Pelagius during the fifth century…”

This cannot be taken as an offense to Calvin.  This is a compliment to Augustine and Calvin.  Calvin should be complimented that he looks at someone who defended against Pelagius.  Pelagius believed in works salvation but Augustine spoke of the sovereign grace of God.  Would Dave Hunt side with Pelagius because he wishes to ignore Augustine?  Calvin did the right thing in siding with Augustine over Pelagius.  I suggest to you that what is being said is bunk.  Calvin argued for the free grace of God,

“We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which he determined with himself what he willed to become of each man.  For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others.  Therefore, as any man has been created to one or the other of these ends, we speak of him as predestined to life or death.”   (Parker, John Calvin: A Biography, pg. 142).

Augustine and Calvin taught the same doctrine, but surely with Calvin’s position on the supreme authority of Scripture we can see how Calvin came to this theological view.  Calvin does not choose Augustine over Scripture but Scripture and this happened to be what his mentor taught.  Surely, no one would doubt that Calvin and Luther were mentored by Augustine in his writings, but to say that he choose them over the sense of Scripture is unreasonable!  For Calvin to mention that Augustine was with him was more of a reason to believe Calvin; that is, Augustine was an authority on the theology.  There are subordinate authorities to the Divine Word.  The elders of the church are subordinate to the Scriptures and everything must be tested in light of it.  We must hold fast to that which is good. 

I think concerning the Donatists Augustine and Calvin made the right move.  The error of the Donatists is the no one is “morally pure.”  To rebaptize someone because the minister is involved in sin is unpractical.  God works through the sacraments and no one can stop His grace from coming through.  I suggest to you that no one is morally pure enough to handle the Word of God; however, God appoints sinner’s to preach and teach His Word.  I think Augustine was right to help put an end to the Donatists.  The only moral virtue that we have is the unified virtue of Christ alone.  There is no other virtue!  If Calvin gained greater insight from Augustine to run Geneva, I think it is a good thing. 

I think it is right to seek a church that is filled with believers; that is, everyone ought to be regenerated by the Spirit and Word through preordained good works (Ephesians 2:10); however, the reality of it is that the church is a mixed body like Augustine said.  With those who claim certainty for things Augustine says,

“There are humble religious, and there are proud religious.  The proud ones should not promise themselves the kingdom of God.  The place to which dedicated chastity leads is certainly higher, but the one who exalts himself will be humbled.  Why seek the higher place with an appetite for the heights, when you can make it simply by holding on to lowliness?  If you exalt yourself, God throws you down.  If you cast yourself down, God lifts you up.  One may not add to or subtract from the Lord’s pronouncement.”  (Just, Jr., and Oben, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, New Testament III, Luke, pg. 236).

I think to say that “everyone is born again” in my church is a Pharisaic thing to say.  We do not know who all the elect are; however, we are called to make our calling and election sure.  We ought to listen to Ambrose, who taught Augustine on calling people from the highways,

“He turned to the Gentiles from the careless scorn of the rich.  He invites both good and evil to enter in order to strengthen the good and change the disposition of the wicked for the better.  The saying that was read today is fulfilled, “Then wolves and lambs will feed together.”  He summons the poor, the maimed and the blind.  By this, he shows us either that handicaps do not exclude us from, the kingdom of heaven and whoever lacks the enticements of sinning rarely offends, or that the Lord’s mercy forgives the weakness of sinners.  Whoever glories in the Lord glories as one redeemed from reproach not by works but by faith.  He sends them into the highways, because wisdom sings aloud in passages. He sends them to the streets, because he sent them to sinners, so that they should come from the board paths to the narrow way that leads to life.  He sends them to the highways and hedges.  They, who are not busied with any desires for present things, hurry to the future on the path of good will.  Like a hedge that separates the wild from the cultivated and wards off the attacks of wild beasts, they can distinguish between good and evil and extend a rampart of faith against the temptations of spiritual wickedness” (Just, Jr., and Oben, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, New Testament III, Luke, pg. 239).

The allegation is made on pg. 10 that Calvin takes Augustine’s word over Scripture or somewhat equal to Scripture.  Again, Augustine’s ecclesiastical authority is subordinate to Scripture.  Calvin is quoting him as merely a church authority that held to Scripture.  Calvin does not read Scripture in light of Augustine but Augustine in light of Scripture.  Parker says in referring to the Reformers “it must not be thought that they deny authority to the church” (pg. 81).  That is, the Reformers believed the church as subordinate authority to the Divine Word.  That is why Calvin is quoting Augustine in a favorable manner.   Calvin held to the doctrine of sola scripture; that is, the Bible has supreme authority in matters of faith, morals and practice. 

Augustine taught predestination and Calvin taught the same; however, one cannot assume it’s just because of the precedence of the teacher alone but it is proved by the Divine Word alone (see above Scripture references).

The catholic church is the true, universal church; that is, Augustine did not mean the Roman Catholic church; however, it is said in the Creeds of the Church by Protestants today, but we do not say “its Rome” but “universal.”  The Institutes do not argue for Rome but the clear testimony of Sacred Scripture!  Augustine did not believe that saving grace came through the sacraments.  Here is a quote by Augustine on the free grace of God in spiritual salvation,

“Are all those who are called justified?  Many are called, but few are chosen.  But since the elect have certainly been called, it is obvious that they have not been justified without being called.  But not everyone is called to justification; only those who are called according to his purpose.”  (Bary and Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, New Testament VI, Romans, pg. 237).

“If God elected works, why does the apostle say that election is not according to works?...God calls in his mercy and not as rewarding the merits of faith…”  (Bary and Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, New Testament VI, Romans, pg. 251).

It is said that Rome is formed by Augustine.  The Scriptures warn us not to take things in it unto our self-destruction.  That is, people interpret Scripture wrongly and it leads them down to destruction.  There is no doubt that sinner’s merit hell and not heaven; however, it is the same way with Augustine.  Although the Scriptures and Augustine have no equal authority, it should be reasoned that men interpret them into their own destruction.  We must be extremely cautious in interpreting the words of Scripture and the early church fathers.  No one is infallible but through the Spirit of God we can interpret wisely. 

It is true that no one has salvation outside the invisible church.  The true church is the catholic church because it is universal; however, Rome is not the church of Christ and Augustine did not believe this.  How can you explain Augustine’s view on Matthew 16:18 where he interprets the “rock” as Christ Himself if he believed the authority of Peter as Pope? 

“We know what rock is; and yet a hard and obstinate person is called a rock, and a solid, immovable person is called rock. In praise you take the rock's solidity, in blame you take its hardness. We know the solidity of the rock, and we accept Christ as the rock: Now the rock was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4).”  (John Rotelle, Ed., The Works of Saint Augustine (Brooklyn: New City, 1990), Sermons, Volume III/1, Sermon 4.22, p. 197).

In other words, it is a different meaning altogether that Augustine is driving at.  Augustine was not perfect but it does not mean his writing is invalid.  He wrote many good things on the written Word of God.  Augustine was not the founder of Romanism but I would say the spirit of Diotrephes is the founder of Romanism in Third John in the New Testament. 

I suggest to you that Mr. Dave Hunt sides with Romanism in advocating semi-Pelagianism in his understanding of spiritual salvation.  We should understand spiritual salvation in His free mercy and grace.  If free will is added to spiritual salvation, there is room to boast.  If its God’s free Spirit and His Word that changes the heart, all boasting goes to the Holy Trinity alone.  This is the true message of grace.