Calvinist theology and JW beleifs

by bboyneko 7 Replies latest jw friends

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  bboyneko

  I heard calvinist theology and JW beleifs are very similair, including aggresive door to door preaching, limited number go to heaven, exclusion of non-members and isolation, etc. ANyone fill me in more? Im sick and feel too blechy to research it myself.
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  Justin

  Yes, there are certain similarities. Calvinists believe in what they call the sovereignty of God, which to them means that God is in complete control of all that occurs, including the salvation of any given person. If someone is saved, this means that they were predestined to salvation. Strictly speaking, one can do nothing to initiate the saving event, but must be called of God, whereas even modern Evangelicals think that one has the option of whether or not to believe in Jesus. (It is also true that JWs who claim to be of the anointed class have made an individual decision to serve God, but their being anointed is God's choice and so they are similar in that respect to the Calvinist elect.) So the Calvinist doctrine of the "elect" is similar to the JW 144,000 with the heavenly hope, although Calvinists do not have an earthly hope for others to fall back on. Nor do they claim to know the number of the elect, as they do not take the 144,000 literally - only God knows.

  The Calvinist God is apparently more concerned with his own glory than he is in displaying love toward his creatures. While Calvinists do not claim that this involves glorifying a literal name for God - such as Jehovah - it is quite similar to the JW view that God's main purpose is the sanctification and vindication of his own name.

  As for any other similarities you have mentioned, I am unaware of them. I hope I have stated the case fairly, and if any Calvinists read these posts they may correct me if I have been mistaken.

  Justin
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  ChristFollower

  JW theology and Calvinist theology are at complete opposites of the spectrum.

  JW theology is closely related to arminianism which is the opposite of Calvinist beliefs.

  The founder Russell, made up his own religion that was explicitly opposed to the Westminister Confession of Faith and Calvinist belief. Remeber all the JW teaching against "once saved always saved"?

  Remember the Reformation? Remember Martin Luther? John Calvin was another reformer during the Reformation that has influenced the church.

  Here is the 5 points of Arminianism. If you know anything about JW's, you will see that they believe all five in one form or another.

  Arminianism - Similar to WT theology
  1. Free Will or Human Ability

  Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does so in such a manner as not to interfere with man's freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.

  2. Conditional Election
  God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.

  3. Universal Redemption of General Atonement

  Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe in Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.

  4. The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually Resisted

  The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) precedes and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's ree will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.

  5. Falling from Grace

  Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, (in the case of JW's, failing to go to meetings, FS, etc) etc.

  All Arminians have not been agreed on the point some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ -- that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.

  Calvinist belief on these five points are as follows - and have nothing to do with JW theology.
  1. Total Inability or Total Depravity

  Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not -- indeed he cannot -- choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ -- it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and givew him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation -- it is God's gift to the sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.

  2. Unconditional Election

  God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obediance on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.

  3. Particular Redemption of Limited Atonement

  Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spririt to all for whom Christ died, thereby guaranteeing their salvation.

  4. The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace

  In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The external call (which is made to all without distinction) can be, and often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor is He dependent upon Man's cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.

  5. Perseverance of the Saints[/b]

  All who were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.
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  Siddhashunyata

  Calvinists>>>>Puritans>>>>Congrgationalists>>>> + 2nd Adventism = W.T.B.&T.S. (See picture and model of exemplary young puritans in Rutherfords book "Children"). P.S. add to the above: turn of the century advent of psychology and advertising then steep 50 years in Victorian and post Victorian culture, garnish with the Industrial Revolution and serve.
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  LittleToe

  Justin has proposed the view of the Hyper-Calvinists, who took Calvin's viewpoints and ran with them to an extreme corner.

  ChristFollower rightly pointed out that JW's are much closer to the Arminian viewpoint, which is diametrically opposed to that of Calvin.

  As with so many things, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

  FYI, I am currently attending a Calvinist church. Scotland is part of the heart of the Protestant Reformation.

  5 points of Arminiunism:
  L - Limited Depravity
  I - I Choose Christ
  L - Limitless Atonement
  A - Arrestible Grace
  C - Carnal Security

  5 points of Calvinism:
  T - Total Inability
  U - Unconditional Election
  L - Limited Atonement
  I - Irresistible (efficacious) Grace
  P - Perseverance of the Saints
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  ChristFollower

  btw, I am a Calvinist and belong to the Presbyterian Church of America.
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  LittleToe

  Hi Jay,

  I just read your page.
  I'd like to email you, but your address is locked. Would you mind emailing me?
  [email protected]

  LT
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  LittleToe

  bboy:
  I just realised that your question was only partially addressed.

  1. aggresive door to door preaching
  2. limited number go to heaven
  3. exclusion of non-members and isolation

  In answer, to the best of my knowledge:

  1 - They do operate some outreach, but it isn't comparable to the "aggressive" JW style preaching. Usually it is an offer to pray with the household.
  2 - They don't put a number on it.
  3 - The church may restrict one's from going forward to the Lord's Table, for fear of the risk of profaning it. Other than that there is little comparable to the censure experienced in the JW's.
  Members are those who have been baptised by a Christian denomination (not JW or Mormon), have made an open profession of their faith in Jesus Christ as their saviour, and have gone forward to the Lord's Table. Anyone else, who attends, are called adherents.
  Some adherents have been baptised (perhaps Christened) and would make a profession of faith but, for reasons best known to themselves, have not "gone forward".

  Of course all the foregoing may have variance in differant areas.
  Calvinism covers quite a number of Reformed denominations.