Bmf 51 tulip

TULIP REFORMED
THEOLOGY
(BMF 51)
BMF collections - 2015

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Table of Contents
T.U.L.I.P. or, The Five Points of Calvinism..............................................................1
The Sovereignty of God..........................................................................................6
The Gospel ...........................................................................................................12
Sovereign Election................................................................................................26
Reformed theology ..............................................................................................32
10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Reformed Theology..............................36
Apa itu Teologia Reformed?.................................................................................41
Bagaimana sejarah keKristenan?.........................................................................43
Apa itu dosa asal? ................................................................................................47
RENUNGAN MISI: MENJADI SAKSI .......................................................................51
SEPULUH CARA INTERNET MENGUBAH PENGINJILAN DAN PELAYANAN MISI ...54
LAGU-LAGU JOSIA ABDISAPUTERA ......................................................................60
TULIP..................................................................................................................64
TULIP ....................................................................................................................85
5 Poin Calvinisme - Bag 1: Kerusakan Total (Total Depravity) .............................95
Total Depravity (Kerusakan Total)........................................................................96
MANUSIA TIDAK DAPAT MELAKUKAN KEBAJIKAN ..........................................99
TOTAL DEPRAVITY .............................................................................................101
TOTAL DEPRAVITY (KERUSAKAN TOTAL)............................................................108
Unconditional Election (Pemilihan tidak bersyarat) ..........................................116
Re: Unconditional Election.........................................................................121
LIMITED ATONEMENT(PENEBUSAN TERBATAS)................................................142
Ayat2 Alkitab yang tampak bertentangan .........................................................152

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LIMITED ATONEMENT(PENEBUSAN TERBATAS)................................................ 158
LIMITED ATONEMENT(PENEBUSAN TERBATAS)................................................ 162
IRRESISTABLE GRACE (ANUGERAH YANG TIDAK DAPAT DITOLAK)................... 175
Ketekunan Orang-orang Kudus ......................................................................... 185
Preseverence of the Saint (Ketekunan Org2 Kudus) ......................................... 196

1 |T U L I P
T.U.L.I.P. or, The Five Points of Calvinism
by Rev. Barry Gritters
Dead in Sin?
Is the faith of our fathers living in your life? In your church? We sing the
song: "Faith of our fathers living still..." and no doubt the faith is living.
But the question is, "Where is that faith living and confessed?" And,
"What is the faith of our fathers?" It was expressed over 350 years ago by
our church fathers at the Synod of Dordt (in the Netherlands).
We use the familiar acrostic: TULIP to help us remember what our fathers
said the Bible teaches:
T - Total Depravity
That means simply MAN is DEAD. The Bible says that you and I are dead
in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-6) unless we are born again. DEAD!!!
More than that, the man or woman who is dead in sin hates God, and his
"carnal mind" is "enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7). His will is stubbornly
steeled against God. This Biblical idea changes a lot of modern talk about
salvation.
Consider what that means:
Can a man do good works then, if he is not a Christian who is born again?
No. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).
Can a man want to be born again and follow instructions on "how to do
it?" No, for that would be like saying that a man in a grave can desire to
come out of the grave, or follow instructions on how to be made alive. It
would be like trying to lure him out of the grave. "It is the Spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:33).
Can any man "accept Christ" as his personal Savior, so that he becomes
saved after that? Of course not. Accepting Christ is a good work done only
by a Christian. Only AFTER God makes a person alive, can he and will he
accept Christ. "No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath
sent me draw him" (John 6:44).
Can you "offer salvation" to anyone? That is surely impossible. One might
as well offer food to a dead man than salvation to a dead sinner (Eph.2:1-
2).
ONLY GOD CAN MAKE US ALIVE. AND GOD DOES THAT
SOVEREIGNLY - WITHOUT OUR AID, WITHOUT OUR ASKING.

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From beginning to end, "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9). This is the
faith that we preach, because it is Biblical, because it is the FAITH of our
fathers, which we love, still living in our hearts, and because it gives God
all the glory!
Not My Choice
U - Unconditional Election
This means simply: God chooses to give some people eternal life, without
looking for anything good in them as a condition for loving and saving
them.
Before any man or woman is born -- in fact, before the world was made --
God decided who would go to heaven and who would not. Before they did
good or bad, God chose some to be His people and rejected others.
"CONDITIONAL election" would mean that God chooses to be His those
who first love and choose Him. But the Bible says: "You have not chosen
me, I have chosen you" John 15:16. (Please also look at Romans 9:11-21.)
Acts 13:48 says that "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed."
Only, when we speak this language is the horse placed before the cart.
CONDITIONAL election puts the cart before the horse, because it says
that man believes and THEN is ordained to eternal life. Read carefully
John 10:26 for another plain "horse before the cart" passage. Can one
imagine what the denial of this doctrine would mean? If we remember that
before we are saved, we can do nothing good (John 15:5; Ephesians 2:1-
6), the only conclusion is that we could never choose God. And never
would. And never would be saved.
But God is sovereign and chooses whom He will choose. And after He
chooses us, we choose Him daily. All we are and all we have is given us
by God.
Again, this is the faith that we preach, because it is Biblical, because it is
the faith of our fathers, living still in our hearts, and because it gives God
all the glory!!!!
For All Men?

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L - Limited Atonement
The great gospel message that so many today are urgently carrying to
distant lands is that Christ made atonement with His death. But there are
two critical points at which this message is so severely distorted that it no
longer carries the gospel message.
THE FIRST DISTORTION concerns what Christ's death did. The Biblical
truth of the Atonement is that His death paid for sins. Yet so many today
teach that Christ's death was only an example for us to follow, and if one
merely follows His example he will be saved. Or it is taught that Christ's
death did not actually pay for any specific sins, but made it possible for all
sins to be paid for.
But the Bible says that Christ's death on the cross actually paid for sins.
Acts 20:28 says that God bought the church with His own blood. See also
Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 7:26-27.
THE SECOND DISTORTION of this biblical truth is that Christ died for
all men. Some teach that Christ made it possible for all men to be saved.
But the questions that must be asked are: "If Christ died for all men, why
are not all men saved?" "Can not God do what He desires to do?" "Is there
something defective in Christ's death?" "Must man desire to be saved
first?" But a man who is totally depraved can not will to be saved. He
hates God and wants nothing to do with Christ's death. So it must not be
said that Christ died for all men.
The Bible says that Christ laid down His life for His sheep, and only them.
John 10:11. The ATONEMENT is LIMITED to the elect of God. Every
sin of every one of Christ's sheep is paid for. Those sins and those alone
have been paid for. That is the only gospel because that is the Bible.
Dragged Kicking & Screaming to Heaven?

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I - Irresistible Grace
The fourth Biblical truth in the five points of Calvinism teaches that God's
grace to save a person cannot be resisted. Grace is God's free and
unmerited power to save a person from his sins which would otherwise
lead us to hell. Grace brings him to heaven who naturally would end in
eternal hell.
That grace is irresistible. That means that if God gives grace to you, there
is nothing in the world that you can do to resist it and thwart God's
intention to take you to heaven. The certainty of salvation for God's elect
is seen in John 6:37 where Jesus says: "All that the Father hath given me
shall come to me..." There is no doubt that they will be saved. Verse 44
says that those who come to God come because God draws them. Not our
will, but God's will is first and powerful.
Now, some ridicule this truth of the Bible and say that it makes man go to
heaven against his will. "He kicks and screams all the way to heaven." But
that is not how the Bible presents God's grace. God makes His people
"willing in the day of His power" Psalm 110:3. For a wonderful
illustration of that truth, just consider the converted Apostle Paul. "By the
grace of God' he was what he was (I Corinthians 15:10). And immediately
after his conversion he said willingly, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to
do?" Acts 9:6. That surely was not against his will.
God's grace is sweet and irresistible. He makes us love it and want nothing
else. He is as irresistible to us as a husband to his newly-wed bride. Come
with us and hear God's wonderful grace proclaimed in Christ any Lord's
Day.
Living Like the Devil?

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P - Preservation of the Saints
The last of the five points of Calvinism teaches that God preserves His
people so they can never be lost. To put it simply, it means this: "Once
you are saved, you are always saved."
God's Word is full of proof for this beautiful truth. And though many deny
it, and tell you that you can be lost and saved many, many times, and
therefore can never be sure of your salvation, the Bible says otherwise.
Talking about His elect sheep, Jesus said: "And I give them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand" (John 10:28). See John 6:39, 17:2, 11,12; Romans 8:37-39; II Tim.
1:12; 4:18, etc. etc.
Some object to this doctrine because it supposedly makes men "carnally
secure" in their salvation. That is, if I know nothing can make me go to
hell once God has saved me, I will "live like the devil." There have been
some who have used this beautiful truth as an excuse to live like the devil.
But they are not Christians. Nor do they understand this truth. Because this
truth also implies "PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS." Those who
never fall away are saints. They are holy. And they are given power to live
holy lives. They "continue in well-doing." Anyone who says he can "live
like the devil" has not experienced the saving power of Christ and does not
know the meaning of Philippians 1:6, "He that hath begun a good work in
you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." God will continue
working good works in us until Christ returns. Don't think otherwise.
Is there any hope for Christians without this doctrine? We don't need to be
"scared to heaven." We need comfort. Because we know that if it were up
to the Christian to remain saved, he would never be able to do it. You
know yourself!!!! There is no power in me apart from God's grace.
We would like to introduce you to more sound, Reformed literature. We
have free pamphlets which can be obtained for the asking. Check our list
of additional pamphlets. To find out more about this subject, read
"Calvinism...the Truth."
Return to the article and pamphlet listings.
Return to the literature page.
Return to the Protestant Reformed Churches home page.
Last modified, 16-Jul-2000
http://www.prca.org/pamphlets/pamphlet_41.html

6 |T U L I P
The Sovereignty of God
by Rev. Gise J. Van Baren
Many people in our day deny God and His control over all things. These
insist upon walking in their ignorance -- for they refuse any testimony
from the Bible. Many Christians, however, also appear to be unsure of
the extent of the power and control of God. They are willing to concede
that God tries to save sinners -- but they are not certain whether God can
really and fully accomplish His purpose. They agree that God sends all
good things -- but are loath to maintain that God sends wars and
sickness. They are ready to say that God guides good men -- but hesitate
to confess that wicked men are also under His direction and control.
One of the truths which has been historically and emphatically confessed
by Reformed, Calvinistic churches is that of the Sovereignty of our God.
Sovereignty refers to absolute, total rule and control over all things, a
rule which God alone possesses. God's Sovereignty is not limited. Nor is it
given to Him. But it is without limit, and it is God's personal right. God is
not the Ruler of some sort of democracy in which He rules by the will of
the people. His rule and authority belong exclusively to Himself -- and
God fully exercises this rule in His creation. He is the Sovereign One.
Nothing and no one escapes His rule.
This is a vital truth. Without it, or in distorting it, one cannot but propose
doctrines or beliefs contrary to God's Word. Consider this once in the
light of what the Bible itself teaches.
First of all, the Sovereignty of God includes the fact that He has formed
by His powerful Word the whole of the universe -- and He preserves its
existence. This fact staggers the imagination! The universe itself is so vast
that man knows not how to describe its beginning or its end. The number
of stars is so large as to be uncountable. The energy expended by all
these heavenly bodies in the universe can not be measured by man.

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There are those who claim to be ignorant concerning the origin of this
universe. Some suggest that perhaps it is eternal. But the Bible tells us
simply, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.
1:1).And Hebrews 11:3 states, "Through faith we understand that the
worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear." Imagine! God created the
vast universe -- and He Himself is far above it, nor is He limited by it. So
also did Solomon pray in dedicating the temple at Jerusalem, "But will
God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of
heavens can not contain thee; how much less this house that I have
builded?" (I Kings 8:27).
But the Sovereignty of God is not limited to the formation of all things by
His powerful Word. He is Sovereign in that He directs and governs all
things that take place. God places the sea within its bounds: Job 38:8, "Or
who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued
out of the womb?" Or again, He causes the rain to fall and the grass to
grow, "Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the
earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains" (Psalm
147:8).Striking, is it not, that the Sovereign God causes each drop of rain
to fall where He wills; He causes each flake of snow to descent according
to His good-pleasure. This is not the extent of His power, however, God's
power extends over the birds of the heavens and even over the hairs
which fall from one's head. Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a
farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your
Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matt. 10:29-
30).
But still more amazing, though disputed by many, is the fact that God's
power directs wars, pestilence, disease, and winds which come upon the
earth. Not only does He as God send peace, but He also causes war. He
not only gives health, but He also sends sickness and death. God says in
Isaiah 45:7, "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace and
create evil; I the Lord do all these things." Again we read in Psalm 46:8,

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"Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in
the earth." When Christians, then, hear of or encounter the terrible
hurricanes or tornadoes, when they behold the destruction of disease,
when they see the devastation of wars -- let them confess: "The hand of
the Lord directs all these things!"
There is a yet more amazing wonder in this fact of God's Sovereignty. He
rule extends even over evil men -- yes, and over the devil himself. Many
deny this. It is often suggested that God influences and directs good men
-- but that evil men and the devil are minor forces outside of the rule of
God. It is conceded that God can frustrate the evil designs of these forces
of darkness, but the claim is that these are nevertheless independent
forces. If this view were correct, there would be a serious limit to or
abridgment of the Sovereignty of God. Fact is, however, that God is also
sovereign with respect to wicked men. They cannot lift up one little
finger, they cannot perform one evil act, but that this is under the
absolute control of God.
That this is true can also be shown clearly from Scripture. We read in
Exodus, chapters 3 and 4, that Moses, who earlier had fled from Egypt,
was caring for the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro. This had been his
occupation during the past 40 years. Suddenly, God changed the life of
Moses. God met him at the burning, but unconsumed, bush in the
wilderness, and instructed him to go to Pharaoh with the command to let
God's people go. But then God told Moses, "When thou goest to return
into Egypt, see that thou do all these wonders before Pharaoh which I
have put in thy hand; but I will harden his heart that he shall not let the
people go." It is not true that Pharaoh first hardened his heart -- and then
God further hardened it. Before Pharaoh was even aware of the
existence of Moses, God emphasizes: "I will harden Pharaoh's heart"
(Exodus 4:21).As a result of this act of God, Pharaoh hardens his heart.
Though God hardened Pharaoh's heart, yet Pharaoh himself is held
responsible and is terribly punished, through the ten plagues, for his sin.
And why should God harden Pharaoh's heart? The apostle Paul answers

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with the words of Romans 9:17, "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my
power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth."
Other instances are mentioned in Scripture. There is the account of I
Kings 22, where Ahab sought advice through his false prophets
concerning his plan to fight against Syria. These false prophets
unanimously urged him to go to battle -- with the assurance of victory.
But then Ahab called God's prophet Micaiah. Micaiah explained to Ahab
that it was God Who placed a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's false
prophets -- in order to lead Ahab to his destruction in this battle. God was
Sovereign even over those false prophets.
But there is more too, for even the devil himself is under the direct
control of God. Possibly the clearest evidence of this is found in the book
of Job. In the first chapter we read that Satan appeared before God. God
reminded Satan of Job who was "a perfect and upright man, one that
feareth God and escheweth evil." "Ah," says Satan, "but does Job serve
God for nothing? Touch what he has and he shall curse thee." God then
tells Satan in verse 12, "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon
himself put not forth thine hand." Thus did God give Satan specific but
limited power to carry out the evil design of trying to cause Job to curse
God.
But there is a yet more wonderful, amazing evidence of the Sovereignty
of God revealed in Scripture. This Almighty God, through His own power
alone, saves His people from sin and death and brings them to heavenly
glory. Many mistaken preachers will claim that Jesus stands outside the
sinner's heart and insistently knocks upon the door. The decisive action
leading unto salvation must be taken by man. But that is not the
presentation of Scripture. In Jeremiah 31:18, 19 we read, "Turn thou me,
and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was
turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my
thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, but I did bear the reproach

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of my youth." And we read concerning the preaching of the missionaries
Paul and Barnabas, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad
and glorified the Word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to
eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48).And on another missionary journey,
Paul spoke to women worshipping at a riverside near Philippi. One of
these women, Lydia, believed. Concerning her, we read, "Whose heart
the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken of
Paul" (Acts 16:14).
Further, it was the Sovereignty of God which was evident at the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ. When one views what happened at the cross,
one might be inclined to suggest that matters had gotten out of hand. It
almost seemed as though God had lost control. It appeared as though
Satan was about to have the victory. Yet that is exactly what did not
happen. God had all things under control at the cross. What took place,
took place in harmony with His grand purpose. So also did Peter explain
to the audience at Pentecost when he told them, "Jesus, being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken
and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). God had
determined that the cross must come -- but wicked men took and
crucified the Christ. Thus did God use the evil action of wicked men to
accomplish His glorious purpose.
It is also this same sovereign, almighty power of God whereby He
preserves His people in the salvation He gives unto them. We read in
Philippians 1:6, "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."
The Sovereign God has revealed His absolute control over all things in
saving a people from sin and bringing them to heaven with all of its
glories.
Is it important that the faithful Christian maintain this Scriptural
presentation of God's Sovereignty? Most definitely! The very reason that
the whole of the universe exists is that God's Name might be highly
exalted. All that has taken place, all that shall yet occur, must serve the

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purpose of glorifying God. No one or nothing may attempt to take away
from the Sovereignty of our God.
It is the characteristic mark of all heresy that the truth of God's
Sovereignty is compromised. Man would introduce that which exalts
man, that which exalts man's power or ability, that which claims that man
has a certain ability to earn or merit something of God. Or man
deliberately attempts to detract from God's absolute rule by suggesting
that others, outside of God, possess an independent power.
But it is the mark of a faithful Christian and of the true church that these
believe and confess the Scriptural truth of the absolute Sovereignty of
God. All doctrine, every confession, must be founded upon the truth of
God's Sovereignty. Whatever detracts in any way from this truth must be
rejected. True doctrine must follow out of and reveal the truth that God
is the Sovereign One.
The Christian must live and walk in the consciousness of this truth too. All
too often one would think of himself as independent -- free from the
power and authority of God. He does not seek God's face in prayer as he
ought. He does not support the cause of God's kingdom as a faithful child
of God is called to do. He finds pleasure in this world with all of its lusts.
Such an one lives as though God is not the Sovereign One.
What a wonderful truth is this confession of God's Sovereignty! My God is
He Who hears and can answer my prayer. My God directs all things for
my good (Rom. 8:28).Because my God is absolutely sovereign, there are
no real accidents which befall me. And I shall surely dwell in the house of
the Lord forever -- my Sovereign God sees to this through His Son Jesus
Christ.
What comfort, what assurance, it is for the Christian to know and confess
God's Sovereignty. There is nothing, then, that can ever separate me
from the love of God. "For," says God's Word, "I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in

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Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).That is true because God is the
sovereign God. Thank God that He is!
Rev. Gise J. Van Baren
The Gospel
Rev. Herman Hoeksema
For one that is acquainted with Scripture the importance of the subject of
this pamphlet, the Gospel, will be self-evident. The subject is of the
greatest import in itself and not merely in the light of the consideration
that there always was and still is a good deal of misunderstanding with
regard to the question what is the gospel and how ought it to be
preached. Just a few references from the Bible will prove this statement.
Very frequently Scripture speaks of the gospel, either directly or
indirectly. It defines it as "the gospel of God," Rom.1:1; II Cor. 11:7; I
Thess. 2:8, 9; I Pet. 4:17. It is God's gospel, not ours. He conceived of it;
He realized it; He proclaims it. Consequently, if we would preach the
gospel it may be regarded as of prime importance that we learn from Him
what it is, what its contents are, and how it ought to be proclaimed. As to
its contents it is called the gospel concerning the Son of God, Rom. 1:3, 9;
Mark 1:1. In the Gospel, therefore, God declares something about His
only begotten Son, and we must be anxious that by our presentation we
do not distort the image of the Son presented by it. It is, accordingly, also
called the gospel of Christ, or of Jesus Christ, the anointed Savior, Rom.
15:19; I Cor. 9:12; II Cor. 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Gal. 1:17. It is further defined
as the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, and our presentation of it

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may not tend to mar or bedim that glory, I Tim. 1:1; and the glory of
Christ shines forth from it and must be declared by it, II Cor. 4:4. It is also
the gospel of the Kingdom, Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14, and this Kingdom as
to its idea, origin, realization and future, must be correctly set forth,
whenever the gospel is preached. And such further definitions as: the
gospel of the grace of God, the gospel of your salvation, the gospel of
peace, Acts 20:24; Eph. 1:13; 6:15, further serve to impress on our minds
the fact, that he that deals with the gospel has to do with something
divine, very precious, exalted in origin and contents, which may easily be
marred and corrupted by the handling. And, considering that it is
incumbent upon the Church of Jesus Christ to preach the gospel, this
gospel of God, of His Son, of Christ, of the Kingdom, of grace, of salvation,
of peace, of the glory of God and of Christ, to all creatures, according to
the command left her by her Lord; considering that at all times and
especially in our own, there are many would-be preachers of the gospel,
that present it as if it were the cheapest article on the public market, you
will readily admit, that our subject is an important one.
Hence, I propose to set forth before you:
THE GOSPEL
I. In Its Idea.
II. In Its Contents.
III. In Its Historical Fulfillment.
IV. In Its Proper Proclamation.
I. In Its Idea
Scripture frequently employs two terms that are as closely related in
their significance as they are, in the original Greek, similar in sound. They
are the words espangelia, and euangelion, the first meaning promise, the
second being the word we translate by our gospel. That they are closely
related in our thought is evident from the rather common expression that
is frequently used and is employed, too, by our confessions, viz., the
promise of the gospel. It emphasizes that the gospel contains a promise.
But this close relation between promise and gospel will become still more

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evident and will be seen in a somewhat different light if we turn to
Scripture and discover that according to it the gospel is essentially the
gospel of the promise. Directly this is expressed in Gal. 3:8 and Acts
13:32. In the former text we read: "The Scripture, foreseeing that God
would justify the heathen by faith, preached the gospel before unto
Abraham, saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed." Notice, that in the
last expression you have the promise. Now, according to the text, when
this promise was given to Abraham, the gospel was preached unto him.
The gospel and the promise are, therefore, identified in such a way, that
the giving of the promise by God through Scripture to Abraham is the
preaching of the gospel. And in Acts 13:32 we read: "And we declare unto
you glad tidings, or preach the gospel unto you (euangelidzometha), how
that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled
unto us, their children, in that He raised up Jesus again. It will be evident,
that the promise made unto the fathers and realized unto us their
children is the same as that mentioned in Gal. 3. And it is also evident,
that here as in the former passage the apostle speaks of declaring that
promise as being the preaching of the gospel or proclaiming glad tidings.
The gospel then, is essentially, according to its idea, the gospel of the
promise, and to this promise we shall have to call your attention in order
to explain the gospel according to the very presentation of Scripture.
Very frequently the Bible speaks of the promise. Sometimes it refers to it
in the plural to express the riches of its implications; more often in the
singular to denote its unity and identity, but always it is the same
promise. It is the promise that is given to Abel, Enoch, and Noah to
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For, having mentioned these saints of the old
dispensation and having spoken of their life and death or translation by
faith, the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews tells us: "These all died in
faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off,
and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that
they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth," vs. 13. And having
reviewed the life and battle by faith of many more of the great cloud of

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witnesses, and including them all in his view, the author of the Hebrews
finally states: "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise," vs. 39. It is evident from these passages that
all through the old dispensation there was a promise, given unto the
saints, which they embraced and believed, by which they lived and died,
for the which they were willing to be strangers and pilgrims in the earth,
suffer hunger and exile and imprisonment, endured cruelty and
mockeries and scourgings, were slain with the sword and sawn asunder,
wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, afflicted, destitute, and
tormented. And in the greatness of their faith and endurance and the
severity of their sufferings we may see reflected the beauty and riches of
the promise they possessed and saw afar off. Gal. 3 is a classic chapter on
this subject of the promise. It emphasizes that the promises were made
to Abraham and his seed, and that this seed of Abraham is centrally and
essentially Christ, vs. 16. It is plain, that Christ, the Seed, Who is the
fulfillment of the promise, is at the same time, also the chief recipient of
the promise. It states that the law which came four hundred and thirty
years later than the promise to Abraham, could not possibly make the
latter of none effect, vs. 17; and that God gave the inheritance to
Abraham by promise, vs. 18. It reaches the conclusion, that if we are
Christ's then are we Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise,
vs. 29. As to the contents of this promise Scripture speaks of it as the
promise of the Holy Spirit, which is given to Christ, Acts 2:23; and to them
that are of Him by faith, Gal. 3:14; the promise of life, I Tim. 4:8; II Tim.
1:1; the promise of eternal life, I John 2:25; the promise of Christ's
coming, II Pet. 3:4; the promise of entering into His rest, Heb. 4:1; the
promise of becoming heir of the world, Rom. 4:13; the promise of raising
up a Savior from the seed of David; Acts 13:23. Hence, it also speaks of
the Spirit as the Spirit of promise, Eph. 1:13; of children of the promise,
that is, of children that are born in the line of the promise, by the power
of the promise and according to the promise and upon whom the
promise rests, Rom. 9:8; it points out the heirs of the promise, and the

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co-heirs of the promise, for not all men have received the promise, Heb.
6:17; 11:9, etc. And at the beginning of the new dispensation it
announces: "For, unto you is the promise and to all your children and to
all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call," Acts 2:39.
Now, it is important, that we clearly understand the nature of a promise.
It is by no means the same as an offer. Also in the latter the person that
makes the offer declares his willingness to do something for or bestow
something upon the person to whom the offer is made, but for its
realization the offer is contingent upon the willingness of the second
party, upon his consent to the offer. But a promise is different. It is a
declaration, written or verbal, which binds the person that makes it to do
or forbear to do the very thing promised. It is an engagement regardless
of any corresponding duty or obligation on the part of the person to
whom the thing is promised. A promise, therefore, implies the
declaration of a certain good together with the positive assurance that
this good shall be bestowed upon or performed in behalf of the person to
whom the promise is made. This certainty of the promise is, as regards
the promise in Scripture, emphasized by the fact, that it is God Who
makes the promise. God conceived of the promise; He it is that realizes
the thing promised; He declares the promise. This implies, in the first
place, that the promise cannot be contingent, for God is God, and His
work certainly cannot be contingent upon the will of the creature. And,
secondly, this signifies that the promise is as faithful and true as God is
unchangeable. He will surely realize the promise. When He binds Himself
to do or to bestow anything, He is bound by Himself and all His divine
attributes to realize the promise unto them to whom it is made, for He
cannot deny Himself. And this idea of the promise necessarily implies
that it is made to a definite party. An offer, that is contingent upon the
acceptance and consent of the second party may be general; a promise
that binds the promising party and that is certain of realization requires a
definite second party. And thus it is in Scripture. For, the promise is
centrally made to Christ, and through Him to the seed of Abraham, to the

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children of the promise, to those that are called heirs and co-heirs of the
promise. And that this is certainly the idea of the promise is clearly
expressed in Scripture. For, we read in Heb. 6:13, 14, 17: "For when God
made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he
swore by himself, saying: Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying
I will multiply thee...." Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show
unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed
it by an oath! To the heirs of the promise the promise is certain, because
it is rooted in the immutable counsel of the Most High!
Now, the idea of the gospel is that it is glad news about this promise of
God. Glad news of glad tidings is the meaning of the word euangelion.
Glad news it is for two reasons. In the first place, because of the present
misery of the heirs of the promise. They are in the world and in that
world they are subject to sin and corruption, to suffering and death. Their
present experience is one of sorrow and grief, of affliction and torment,
of misery and groaning. And the promise holds before them the
deliverance from their present state of misery and destitution. And
secondly the gospel is glad news because of the unspeakably great riches
of the inheritance that is promised. For, the promise holds before the
heirs not such a deliverance from sin and death as will restore them to a
former state and condition but fills their hearts with a hope of glory such
as never was conceived in the heart of man. It stands to reason that this
glad news concerning the promise could only be imparted by Him that
conceived of the promise, that is God. God proclaimed the promise. He
preaches the gospel. The gospel that speaks of things which eye hath not
seen and ear hath not heard and which have never been conceived in the
heart of man, can only come through revelation. But this revelation of
God, this divine proclamation of the gospel, always took place through
the agency of men. Hence, he preaches the gospel, who can with
authority declare, in the name of God glad news about the promise,
about its certainty of fulfillment, about its riches of blessings, about its
progress in the realization of it in history. All through the history of the

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world there are in the world the heirs of the promise. And they know the
promise. They are anxious about it, long for its realization. They inquire
about its contents and the nearness of its fulfillment. And he that could
answer this anxious inquiry and bring some glad news about the promise,
was preaching the gospel.
II. In Its Contents
This must also determine, as will be self-evident, the contents of the
gospel of God. If the gospel is glad news about the promise, that is about
a positive assurance of God to the seed of Abraham, the heirs of the
promise, that He will bestow a great good upon them, realize for them a
glorious inheritance, it follows that the contents of the gospel must
always be such with respect to the contents of the promise; and he that
declares anything else than the riches of the promise is not preaching the
gospel but vain philosophy of men. It must be such with respect to the
certainty of the promise; and he that changes the sure promise into an
uncertain and contingent offer is corrupting the promise of God and the
gospel of the promise. And it must be such, finally, with respect to the
promise; and he that presents the matter as if the promise of God were
made to all men, or to an uncertain number of men, is not preaching the
gospel and makes God a liar. For, God does not realize the promise
except unto those to whom He promised, that is, the seed of Abraham,
the heirs according to the election of grace.
Now, the contents of the promise, according to Scripture, is Christ and all
His riches of salvation and blessing. For, it is the promise that God will
raise up a Savior out of the seed of David; that this Seed of David shall
bear the sins of His people, that God shall raise Him from the dead and
give Him glory, exalt Him on the throne of His father David and give Him
the ends of the earth for His possession. He is the promised Seed. The
promise, therefore, according to Scripture, implies the assurance of
righteousness and peace, of forgiveness and sonship, of deliverance and
sanctification, of eternal life and glory, of the incorruptible, undefilable
inheritance that fadeth not away. It implies for Christ and all that are in

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Him, that they shall be heirs of the world, inherit the new and heavenly
kingdom and dwell in God's heavenly tabernacle forever. And, therefore,
the promise also implies the gift of the Holy Spirit, first to Christ, then
also to them that are of Him, that by this Spirit all the blessings of Christ
may be realized upon the Church. For, it is a mistake to present the
matter as if God merely promised the objective blessings of salvation to
the seed of Abraham, or even to men in general, so that it depends upon
their consent, whether or not the promise shall be realized unto them.
Very definitely the gift of the Holy Spirit is included in the promise. It is
God's promise, it is the promise that God will pour His Spirit upon all
flesh. And through this Spirit He effectually works the salvation in Christ
in the hearts of all His people, in the way of regeneration, calling, faith,
justification, sanctification, perseverance and glorification. Through that
Spirit they are translated from darkness into light, and are kept in the
power of God unto the salvation that is to be revealed in the last time. All
this is included in the promise, that is, in the positive declaration on the
part of God that He will surely bestow these blessings and benefits of
salvation upon all His people.
And this promise is, at the same time, the contents of the gospel. It is the
gospel of God, that is, the gospel of which He alone is the Author and
which He proclaims. He alone is able to declare it, even though it is
revealed and preached through the agency of men. And as to its
contents, it is the gospel concerning His Son, the gospel of Christ. Christ
alone, therefore, may be preached in the proclamation of the gospel. For
that reason it is also the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, for in and
through Christ the glory of that blessedness is revealed; and it is the
gospel of the glory of Christ, for God gave to Christ His own glory. That
glory of the blessed God, through the glory of Christ and through the
glory of the Church of which He is the head, must be realized in the
gospel. It is the gospel of the Kingdom, for the Kingdom of heaven in its
spiritual and final realization is the end of the promise, that must be
proclaimed in the gospel. It is the gospel of the grace of God, for all the

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work of God in behalf of the realization of the promise is a manifestation
of His sovereign grace, sovereign in its conception, sovereign in its
objective realization in Christ, sovereign in its application to His people. It
is the gospel of peace, for in it the Lord of heaven publishes peace and
bringeth good tidings. And so, finally, it is the gospel of your salvation, for
it declares the fullness of your salvation from sin and death into the
glorious liberty of the children of God!
We come, therefore, to the conclusion, on the basis of the Word of God,
which alone can be our light, that the gospel is glad news about the
promise of our salvation, about the sure promise of God, that He will
surely deliver us from all sin and guilt, corruption and death, and
translate us into the highest conceivable, or rather humanly
inconceivable bliss of His heavenly Kingdom and covenant. And the
gospel declares: (1) That God objectively realized all the fullness of His
salvation in and through Christ Jesus, His humiliation and exaltation; (2)
That God subjectivity realizes and applies all the blessings of salvation
through the Spirit of promise; (3) That He realizes this work of salvation
to whomsoever He will, that is, His people, the elect, they that believe in
Christ, the humble and broken-hearted, the weary and heavy laden, all
they that mourn in Zion.
III. In Its Historical Fulfillment
As to the historical realization of this gospel of the promise, we must first
of all notice, that two factors are concomitant. In the first place, God
realizes the contents of the promise, the promised inheritance,
historically, step by step. And, secondly, as the realization of the promise
advances and approximates its consummation, He also declares the
promise, proclaims the gospel, reveals to His people the work of His
salvation. That is, He explains to His people the work of salvation step by
step; and at the same time He points them forward, in ever clearer terms
of revelation to the final inheritance that is to be realized in the day when
the promise shall be fulfilled.
Bearing this in mind, we call your attention first of all to the gospel in the

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old dispensation. In the first Paradise there was undoubtedly an image of
the promise, an earthly picture of the heavenly things God would prepare
for His people in Christ Jesus. For, there the tabernacle of God was with
men. The first man is of the earth earthy, but is nevertheless an image of
the second; Paradise is an image of the heavenly tabernacle of God and
the tree of life is a picture of the eternal tree of life in the new creation.
The sun shone brightly, but with earthly splendor in that early morn of
creation. But the sun went down, the first things passed away, and the
night of sin and death settled upon the world. The first man Adam did not
remain faithful to the covenant of God, fell into the dark abyss of sin and
guilt, from which he could nevermore save himself. And in his loins were
the elect. And these elect, the Church of Christ, he dragged with him in
his fall. But God had provided some better thing for His people, a better
thing that could not otherwise be realized than through this night of sin
and death. For, He put enmity between man and the seed of the serpent.
He realized His everlasting Covenant. And as He realized it, He also
immediately proclaimed it to His people in that mother of all promises: I
will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and
her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel
Henceforth, the children of the promise would have to walk in the night,
but in that night they walked in the light of the promise, and walking in
that light they lived in hope and stretched themselves to the realization
of that promise. In the light of the promise and in that hope they brought
forth children, always looking forward to the promised Seed. In the light
of that promise and in the strength of that hope which is the substance of
all their life, they struggled and fought the battle, they condemned the
world, they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth
and were looking for the city that hath foundations whose builder and
maker is God.
And frequently it looked dark, very dark for the realization of the promise
and the heirs of the kingdom in the world. Dark it was in that predeluvian
world, where the Church was persecuted till but a few, that is eight souls,

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were left. But they held on to the promise and received the victory, and
in Noah the Church became heir of the world in righteousness.
Henceforth the earth would no more be cursed. Grace pierced with its
blessed light through the darkness of God's wrath and drew the beautiful
rainbow across the firmament, the promise of final victory for Noah and
his seed. Dark it appeared when the world united around the
contemplated tower of Babel and God separated Abraham His friend to
go to a land which He would show him. But Abraham believed God and it
was accounted to him for righteousness. Though he and Isaac and Jacob
never possessed a foot of ground in the promised land, yet they lived in
hope and died in the faith that the land of Canaan they would possess.
And they shall possess it. We must not say that Abraham and his seed
shall not possess the land of Canaan, for God's promises are yea and
amen in Christ. Only the Jews are not the seed of Abraham, but Christ is
and His people are; and that earthly land on the Mediterranean is not the
Promised Land, for they all looked for a better, that is, a heavenly
country. Dark it looked when the heirs of the promise were threatened
with extinction in the land of Egypt, but they had the promise and God
revealed that He would advance toward the realization of it. And He did
realize the gospel as He preached it unto them. He delivered them with a
mighty hand, received them into His covenant, gave them the land of
promise, and in the land of promise He showed them the promise
everywhere in a figure. In prophet and priest and king, in the land and its
bounties, in altar and sacrifice and the service of the sanctuary in general,
in all they saw and did and received, they had the glorious gospel of the
promise preached unto them. In that promise they lived in hope, when
gradually the shadows disappeared, the holy city was destroyed, the
temple was burned, and the heirs of the promise groaned and lamented
in a strange land. Dark was the period of the Babylonian captivity, for it
seemed as if God had forgotten the promise. But the light of the gospel
shone more brightly as the night grew darker. In hope against hope they
looked forward. They would ask: Watchman, what of the night? Do you

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have any news of the promise? When shall the morning come? When
shall the dawn of the promise break through our sad night? And all
through the dark night growing darker even after the return from
Babylon, they were saved by hope.
It is, undoubtedly, upon that dark background that we must picture to
ourselves the joy of the shepherds in the field of Bethlehem, keeping
watch over their flock by night. Dark it was in respect to the promise. And
these shepherds lived in hope of the promise. Perhaps, in that very hour
they were bemoaning Israel's misery and wondering about the time of
the realization of the promise. What a joy, then, when no human
prophet, but an angel must be the agent of God to preach the gospel
unto them. God had spoken to Zion: Up! Be enlightened! And Immanuel,
the promised and long expected Seed, had been born of a virgin, from
the seed of David, according to the promise. And His people must know!
Therefore, God preaches unto them through His angel, and brings them
glad tidings of great joy concerning the promise, namely, that it was now
fulfilled! Unto you He is born! And once more it grows dark, amazingly
dark, when He, of Whom they had hoped that He would deliver Israel, yet
did not understand the nature and the way of His deliverance, passed
away, under the wrath of His enemies in the darkness of the bloody tree!
But God realized the promise. He raised Jesus from the dead for our
justification, exalted Him in the highest heavens, gave Him a place at His
right hand. And He gave him the Spirit of promise, and this Spirit of
promise He poured out into the Church. And by this Spirit of promise He
realizes all the blessings of the promise unto all the seed! And always God
explains to His people the work of His grace, declaring unto them the
blessed gospel, glad news about the promise, that now it is fulfilled and
that the Kingdom of heaven is come, indeed!
And even now the promise has not reached its final consummation. Still
the heirs of the promise are in the world. Still they are walking as pilgrims
of the night. Still they are strangers in the world and they seek the things
that are above. Still they are killed all the day long and God might indeed,

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be ashamed to be called their God, were it not for the fact, that He has
prepared them a city. And the coming, the final realization of that city
and the beauty of its glory He declares unto the heirs of the promise,
while they are in the midst of the darkness of this present night, in order
that even now they might walk in hope and lift up their head in the
expectation of the fullness of glory promised unto them with an oath of
the God of their salvation! The gospel is glad news about the promise and
reaches into the heavenly city that shall descend out of heaven from
God!
IV. In Its Proper Proclamation
Even from the foregoing it will be perfectly evident that, as far as the
proclamation of the gospel is concerned, it can never be an offer of
salvation. The gospel is the glad news God gives us of His promise. It must
be preached, proclaimed, therefore. It can never be offered. But thus it is
also constantly presented in the Scriptures. Jesus preaches the gospel of
the kingdom, Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14. Paul preached the gospel among
the Gentiles, Gal. 2:2; he preached the gospel of God among the
Thessalonians, I Thess. 2:8, 9. Or, he spoke unto them the gospel of God
with much contention, I Thess. 2:2. Or again, he testified of the gospel of
the grace of God, Acts 20:24. And frequently also the word "evangelize"
or to declare glad tidings, is used to denote the preaching of the gospel of
God in Christ, I Cor. 15:1; II Cor. 11:7; Gal. 1:11; Rev. 14:6. But never do
we find in all the word of God that the gospel is offered, or that it
presents the promise of God as a well-meaning offer of salvation to all
that hear the preaching of the gospel. This surely is an invention of men.
And as we remarked before, this stands to reason. A promise cannot be
offered. An offer is a conditional proposition. It depends and is
contingent on its consent by man. But a promise is binding on Him that
promised. And this is especially and emphatically true of the promise of
the gospel. In the first place because it is God that promised and He
cannot lie. He is faithful and true and will surely realize His every word.
Secondly, because the things promised cannot possibly be realized or

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partly realized by men. If the gospel were the preaching of a conditional
offer there is nothing in the condition man can possibly fulfill. He cannot
of himself believe the promise; he cannot even will of himself to believe
in Christ. He cannot repent and turn unless God first realizes the promise
unto him. In other words, the promise of God is either unconditional, or it
is impossible of realization. And in the third place, the promise is given,
not to all, but to a certain party, to the seed of Abraham, to those that
are of Christ, to them that are in sovereign grace elected unto salvation
from before the foundation of the world.
And this leads me spontaneously to my final remark, namely, that the
preaching of the gospel must needs be such, that it points very definitely
to those for whom the promise is intended. A gospel for all is a gospel for
none. It may soothe the conscience of the wicked and send him to hell
with an imagined hope; it will not comfort the elect, for the simple
reason that such preaching does not mention them as heirs of the
promise. The gospel must be so preached that it very definitely declares
to the heirs of the promise that it is for them. Indeed, do not
misunderstand me, the particular gospel must be proclaimed within the
hearing of all. Partly, because we do not know the elect; partly because it
is the will of God that even the reprobate shall hear the gospel of
salvation by way of faith and repentance, that sin may appear to be sin
indeed, the gospel in its preaching must be general. But in this general
preaching of the gospel the heirs of the promise must be called by name,
in order that they may know that the sure mercies of David are for them.
Not as if they can be mentioned by their natural name. But under and
through the preaching of the gospel God gives them a new name, a
spiritual name, by which they may know that He intends the promise for
them. Objectively they are the elect. But according to their spiritual
name, wrought by the Holy Spirit of promise in their hearts, they are the
weary and heavy-laden, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness,
the poor in spirit, they that mourn, the contrite and broken-hearted, they
that have learned to place all their hope and expectation only in the

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blood of Jesus Christ their Lord, Who loved them and died for them and
was raised for their justification! To them the promise of God is yea and
amen. They shall never be ashamed. They shall be kept in the power of
God unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. And the
preaching of the gospel must surely comfort them that mourn, in order
that they may have light in darkness and the joy of hope in the midst of
this weary night of the suffering of this present time!
Sovereign Election
Rev. Gise J. Van Baren
Election as a doctrine of the church is often either little understood, or
emphatically contradicted. There is either ignorance of this truth, or a
deliberate misunderstanding of it.
What is the scriptural truth of election? We could define election as
God's eternal, sovereign, gracious decree by which He chooses a church
as the body of Christ, with all of its individual members, each in his own
place, to eternal salvation and glory.
Let us examine the various parts of this definition more closely.
In the first place, election is that decree of God by which He chooses a
definite number of individuals to salvation and glory. God is not uncertain
of who will be saved and will spend eternity with Him in heaven. He
knows each of His people by name, since He has chosen each of them;
and those names He has recorded in the Book of Life. Scripture speaks of
election this way in Acts 13:48: "As many as were ordained to eternal life,
believed." Again, concerning Jeremiah we read (1:5), "And before I
formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth of
the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the

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nations." Now I know that this applies to Jeremiah in particular, but it is
very evident in this passage that God did sanctify him and did prepare
him before he was ever born. God chose Jeremiah. Again, we read in
Romans 9:13, "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
That is not a n indefinite number, but God pointed out definite
individuals. Before they were ever born, God said, "I have loved Jacob; I
have hated Esau."
In the second place, the doctrine of election teaches that the members of
the church are chosen as a body of Jesus Christ, with each member in his
unique place. There are illustrations in Scripture which present the
church as a body. The apostle Paul speaks of that church in I Corinthians
12:12: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."
Now a body is a living organism. One cannot add members to that body
or take any away. As soon as one tries that, he has an incomplete body or
a monstrosity. A body normally has ten fingers, two hands, two arms, two
eyes, one nose--that is all. Take away any of these members, or add to
them, and one does not have a complete body anymore. God also
chooses unto Himself a church as the body of Christ, that is, individual
members each in his own particular place in that body. God has a place
for each member, each elect of God, in that body. One's place may not
always seem very important in man's eyes, but it is his unique place. Just
as the little finger is an insignificant member, it is neverthele ss necessary
in order to make the body complete; that finger has a place and function.
So too, the truth of election emphasizes the fact that God chooses each
individual member for a specific place in Christ's body -- and that place he
must and will fill.
In the third place, election is centered in Jesus Christ. One can never
speak of election apart from Him. We read in Ephesians 1:4, "According
as He hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the
world...." That is the truth one finds throughout Scripture. God chooses
His people as members of Christ.

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In the fourth place, election teaches that God chooses a people unto
eternal salvation and glory. God does not simply choose, but He has an
end or goal in mind. That eternal goal was that He would bring His people
to heaven. I quote, for instance, from Romans 8:29-30: "For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called,
them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." So
the final purpose of that eternal election whereby God chooses His
people is that He may glorify them through Christ to the honor of His own
Name.
Finally, election takes place in eternity. It is not an action taken only in
time. It is an act of God that took place in His counsel or plan before time
even began. Consider once again the passage of Ephesians 1:4:
"According as He hath chosen us in (Christ) before the foundation of the
world..." What does this mean? This phrase suggests that God chose
before there was any creation, before there was time or space. Before
the foundation of the earth, there is only God. He has chosen, then, a
people in Christ from all eternity in His counsel. This is the testimony of
Scripture.
In connection with the truth of election, the question is often asked, "Is
election conditional or unconditional?" That is, did God choose His
people on the basis of some action they must perform first -- or did He
choose them freely and independently? Was election conditioned on
something man must first do -- or did God choose certain people simply
because it was His good pleasure to do so? Scripture itself teaches that
election rests solely upon the decree of a sovereign God, and has nothing
to do with any action man must first perform.
Sad to say, however, this is not the thinking of many today. The view that
seems to have swept the church world of our day is that election is
dependent on the will of man and not God. Election depends on the act
of man in accepting Christ. God chooses those who first choose Him. This

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view has its roots in the Netherlands, and was first propounded in the
year 1610. Its most influential proponent at that time was a man named
James Arminius. Since his time this error concerning election has become
synonymous with his name. It is called Arminianism.
Arminius himself wrote concerning this view of election, "But it (election)
signifies the decree by which God determines to bestow salvation on
someone, then Faith foreseen is prior to election. For as believers alone
are saved, so only believers are predestined to salvation. But the
Scriptures know no Elect, by which God precisely and absolutely has
determined to save anyone without having first considered him as a
believer. For such an election would be at variance with the decree by
which he hath determined to save none but believers" (Writings of
Arminius, Vol. I, page 380).
Obviously, Arminianism, when it speaks of election, speaks of it as
conditional. Arminianism will not say that God elects, and therefore we
believe; but it says that God elects those whom He foresees will believe.
Arminianism maintains that election is dependent ultimately upon a
positive response by man. When man accepts Christ, and perseveres in
that, then God says, "I will elect you." Perhaps this idea of Arminianism
can be illustrated. Suppose one were to place before you a weight of
1,000 pounds and were to command you to lift that 1,000 pound weight
above your head. You would rightly say, "I can not." But were one to
erect a system of pulleys with a rope, attach the rope firmly to that
weight, then say again, "Lift that weight," now you would no longer be
able to say, "I can not." Rather, you must now say either, "I will," or, "I
won't." Obviously, it is now within your power to lift that weight. It is in
this way that the Arminian also views the sinner. When man fell, he could
do nothing. He could not accept Christ. He could not believe. But then
God bestowed upon all men a certain grace (comparable to the system of
pulleys in the illustration), so that all men have within them the power to
believe if they will. But if they refuse, they are forever lost.
What must one say of this teaching of Arminianism? It ought to be clear

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that Arminianism essentially denies the sovereignty of God. That God is
Sovereign means simply that God is God: He rules over heaven and earth.
He will never relinquish His power to any creature. He will direct all things
according to His sovereign purpose. God rules. The view of Arminianism
denies this. An Arminian will insist that he too believes that the sinner is
saved only by grace. But do not overlook the fact that, according to
Arminianism, every sinner has this grace of God. What then makes one
man to differ from another? Not God's grace, but the will of man which
either uses or refuses God's grace. One exercises his will for Christ,
another against Christ. The final determination as to who is elect rests
then upon man's act. Such a teaching denies the sovereignty of God, for
then the Sovereign, infinite, eternal God must sit in His heavens and
await the decision of m an in order to find out who will and who will not
inherit His Kingdom. That is a terrible error.
Calvinism insists upon the Scriptural truth that God unconditionally elects
a people unto Himself from all eternity. Not only John Calvin, but also the
earlier church fathers, insisted upon the same thing. St. Augustine, 354-
420, maintained that: "Faith, therefore, from its beginning to its
perfection is the gift of God. And that this gift is bestowed on some and
not on others, who will deny but he who would fight against the most
manifest testimonies of the Scripture? But why faith is not given to all
ought not to concern the believer, who knows that all men by the sin of
one came into must just condemnation. But why God delivers one from
condemnation and not another belongs to His inscrutable judgments.
And 'His ways are past finding out.' And if it be investigated and inquired
how it is that each receiver of faith is deemed of God worthy to receive
such a gift, there are not wanting those who will say, 'It is by their human
will.' But we say that it is by grace, or Divine predestination."
Augustine's view was firmly founded on Scripture. Throughout, Scripture
teaches that election is not conditioned upon any work or act of man.
Acts 13:48 states, "For as many as were ordained to eternal life,
believed." Now, which is first: belief or ordination? Plainly the latter. Or

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we read in John 15:16: "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you
and ordained you, that you should go forth and bring forth fruit...." And
in I John 4:10: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved
us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Election is surely
unconditional according to all the teachings of Scripture.
Do you find comfort in such a truth? Some have insisted that this doctrine
provides no comfort. For, say some, if one believes election, then the
result will be that he becomes very careless and profane on this earth. If
God eternally determined that a person is going to heaven, then what
difference does it make what he does? If he wants to sin, he will be saved
regardless. Though he do no good works, he will be saved anyway. Thus
have many falsely presented this truth of election!
But such is a distortion of this doctrine. It is true: God has freely,
eternally, sovereignly determined that His people will enter into glory.
Among that people is numbered the thief on the cross -- a most horrible
sinner. Among them is numbered Peter who denied Christ three times.
Among them is numbered ourselves -- also terrible sinners. But does the
doctrine of election allow one to sin if he pleases? Scripture teaches that
God has chosen us in order that we should be holy and without blame
(Eph. 1:4). See also Ephesians 2:10. Election produces fruit: where there
is no fruit of righteousness, there is no evidence of election. Woe to the
person who dares to say, "I sin because it does not make any difference --
I am already either elect or reprobate." To paraphrase words of Christ, it
will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for one who never knew
the truth of election, than for one who knew it and used it as an excuse
to sin!
The sad situation today is that many Reformed men what to hide this
doctrine. These insist that it is too difficult for the common people -- and
one surely must never speak of it on the mission field. But Scripture
never hides the truth of election -- it is plainly taught. In fact, Paul writes
of it in detail to the churches of Rome and Ephesus especially. These
churches were composed largely of Gentiles who had never had contact

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with the Word of God before. They were taught of election. If it was not
too difficult then, ought it to be too difficult today for the people of our
educated society?
How about yourself? Are you one of God's elect? That question has
troubled many people. Are you concerned about your election -- truly
concerned? The reprobate wicked never care whether or not they are
elect. These only deny all of God's Word. But if you are concerned about
your election, then you give evidence already in your life and heart of the
fruit of election.
Just a few more questions. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do
you love His church and His truth? Do you hate all of your own sin? Then
there is really no question, is there? You see within you the fruit and
proof of election. You are still a sinner as are all God's people. Sometimes
we wonder, "How could God choose one such as I?" Yet the fruits of
election are evident. If you believe, you have the evidence that God has
eternally chosen you in Christ. He did not choose you because you
believe, but your belief is the evidence and proof that He has chosen you.
Do you believe? Then blessed are you, for yours too is the kingdom of
heaven.
Reformed theology
James Montgomery Boice
Reformed theology gets its name from the sixteenth century Protestant
Reformation, with its distinct theological emphases, but it is theology
solidly based on the Bible itself. Believers in the reformed tradition regard
highly the specific contributions of such people as Martin Luther, John
Knox, and particularly John Calvin, but they also find their strong
distinctives in the giants of the faith before them, such as Anselm and

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Augustine, and ultimately in the letters of Paul and the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Reformed Christians hold to the doctrines characteristic of all
Christians, including the Trinity, the true deity and true humanity of Jesus
Christ, the necessity of Jesus' atonement for sin, the church as a divinely
ordained institution, the inspiration of the Bible, the requirement that
Christians live moral lives, and the resurrection of the body. They hold
other doctrines in common with evangelical Christians, such as
justification by faith alone, the need for the new birth, the personal and
visible return of Jesus Christ, and the Great Commission. What, then, is
distinctive about reformed theology
1. The Doctrine of Scripture.
The reformed commitment to Scripture stresses the Bible's inspiration,
authority, and sufficiency. Since the Bible is the Word of God and so has
the authority of God Himself, reformed people affirm that this authority is
superior to that of all governments and all church hierarchies. This
conviction has given reformed believers the courage to stand against
tyranny and has made reformed theology a revolutionary force in society.
The sufficiency of Scripture means that it does not need to be
supplemented by new or ongoing special revelation. The Bible is the
entirely sufficient guide for what we are to believe and how we are to live
as Christians.
The Reformers, and particularly John Calvin, stressed the way the
objective, written Word and the inner, supernatural ministry of the Holy
Spirit work together, the Holy Spirit illuminating the Word to God's
people. The Word without the illumination of the Holy Spirit remains a
closed book. The supposed leading of the Spirit without the Word leads to
errors and excess. The Reformers also insisted upon the believers' right to
study the Scripture for themselves. Though not denying the value of
trained teachers, they understood that the clarity of Scripture on matters
essential for salvation makes the Bible the property of every believer.
With this right of access always comes the responsibility of careful and
accurate interpretation
2. The Sovereignty of God.

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For most reformed people the chief and most distinctive article of the
creed is God's sovereignty. Sovereignty means rule, and the sovereignty of
God means that God rules over His creation with absolute power and
authority. He determines what is going to happen, and it does happen. God
is not alarmed, frustrated, or defeated by circumstances, by sin, or by the
rebellion of His creatures.
3. The Doctrines of Grace.
Reformed theology emphasizes the doctrines of grace, best known by the
acronym TULIP, though this does not correspond to the best possible
names for the five doctrines.
T stands for total depravity. This does not mean that all persons are as bad
as they could possibly be. It means rather that all human beings are
affected by sin in every area of thought and conduct so that nothing that
comes out of anyone apart from the regenerating grace of God can please
God. As far as our relationships to God are concerned, we are all so ruined
by sin that no one can properly understand either God or God's ways. Nor
do we seek God, unless He is first at work within us to lead us to do so
U stands for unconditional election. An emphasis on election bothers
many people, but the problem they feel is not actually with election; it is
with depravity. If sinners are as helpless in their depravity as the Bible
says they are, unable to know and unwilling to seek God, then the only
way they could possibly be saved is for God to take the initiative to
change and save them. This is what election means. It is God choosing to
save those who, apart from His sovereign choice and subsequent action,
certainly would perish.
L stands for limited atonement. The name is potentially misleading, for it
seems to suggest that reformed people want somehow to restrict the value
of Christ's death. This is not the case. The value of Jesus' death is infinite.
The question rather is what is the purpose of Christ's death, and what He
accomplished in it. Did Christ intend to make salvation no more than
possible? Or did He actually save those for whom He died? Reformed
theology stresses that Jesus actually atoned for the sins of those the Father
had chosen. He actually propitiated the wrath of God toward His people
by taking their judgment upon Himself, actually redeemed them, and

35 |T U L I P
actually reconciled those specific persons to God. A better name for
"limited" atonement would be "particular" or "specific" redemption.
I stands for irresistible grace. Left to ourselves we resist the grace of God.
But when God works in our hearts, regenerating us and creating a renewed
will within, then what was undesirable before becomes highly desirable,
and we run to Jesus just as previously we ran away from Him. Fallen
sinners do resist God's grace, but His regenerating grace is effectual. It
overcomes sin and accomplishes God's purpose.
P stands for perseverance of the saints. A better name might be "the
perseverance of God with the saints," but both ideas are actually involved.
God perseveres with us, keeping us from falling away, as we would
certainly do if He were not with us. But because He perseveres we also
persevere. In fact, perseverance is the ultimate proof of election. We
persevere because God preserves us from full and final falling away from
Him.
4. The Cultural Mandate.
Reformed theology also emphasizes the cultural mandate, or the obligation
of Christians to live actively in society and work for the transformation of
the world and its cultures. Reformed people have had various views in this
area, depending on the extent to which they believe such a transformation
possible But on the whole they agree on two things. First we are called to
be in the world and not to withdraw from it. This sets reformed believers
apart from monasticism. Second, we are to feed the hungry, clothe the
naked, and visit the prisoner. But the chief needs of people are still
spiritual, and social work is no adequate substitute for evangelism. In fact,
efforts to help people will only be truly effective as their hearts and minds
are changed by the gospel. This sets reformed believers apart from, mere
humanitarianism. It has been objected to reformed theology that t anyone
who believes along reformed lines will lose all motivation for evangelism.
"If God is going to do the work, why should I bother?" But it does not
work that way. It is because God does the work that we can be bold to join
Him in it, as He commands us to do. We do it joyfully, knowing that our
efforts will never be in vain.

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The Reformed Reader Home Page
Copyright 1999, The Reformed Reader, All Rights Reserved
10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Reformed
Theology
Is Calvinism the cold, rigid approach to Christianity it’s made out to be?
by Corrie Mitchell
Reformed theology — or Calvinism — gets a bad rap. Calvinists are often
seen as condescending, believing themselves to be part of God’s “elect.”
It’s a cold, rigid theology that leaves no room for grace, oppresses women,
and eliminates the need for evangelism. Or is it?
A number of people (see here, here, and here) have written of a Calvinist
revival happening in Christianity. The theology’s main proponents are
some of the most prolific, publicized (and polarizing) voices: Tim Keller,
Matt Chandler, John Piper, John MacArthur, and Mark Driscoll, to name a
few. Though Calvinism and its counterpart, Arminianism, are roughly
equal in numbers of adherents, Calvinists get most of the press — much of
it misleading.
So, here are 10 things to know about Reformed theology:
1. Reformed and Calvinist are generally used interchangeably.
First, Calvinism is a system of theology, not a denomination. And it was
one stream of theology to come out of the sixteenth-century Protestant
Reformation. Lutheran, Anabaptist, Anglican, Presbyterian, and Reformed
churches all sprung up as a result of the teachings of the Reformers, who,
in addition to Calvin, included theologians like Martin Luther, John Knox,
and Ulrich Zwingli.

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Broadly speaking, Calvinism encompasses the whole of Reformed
theology and its doctrinal distinctives. Many more churches hold to
Reformed teaching than just the Reformed Church of America and the
Christian Reformed Church. For example, some of today’s most
outspoken Calvinists are Southern Baptist.
2. Reformed theology is more than the five points (or TULIP).
Calvinism is often distilled into the moniker TULIP — Total Depravity,
Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and
Perseverance of the Saints. But, this systematic packaging is reductive and
doesn’t nearly represent all that Reformed Christians believe. It is not
creed, nor was it chosen by Calvinists to summarize their beliefs. In fact,
the teachings that later become TULIP were a response to the Arminian
Five Articles of Remonstrance.
While the five points summarize well the Calvinist principles of faith, they
don’t say much about how that faith is expressed. They don’t express the
high role of the sacraments — baptism and the Lord’s Supper — as a
means of grace, a physical portrayal of the promise of salvation that is the
gospel. And while the five points are true, they are not the truth. Speaking
on being a Calvinist, John Piper says, “We begin as Bible-believing
Christians who want to put the Bible above all systems of thought.”
(Also of notable importance to Reformed theology are the five solas —
scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, God’s glory alone.
See the Westminster Confession of Faith for a more comprehensive
exploration of the doctrines to which Calvinists ascribe.)
3. There is a broad spectrum of beliefs within Reformed Christianity.
Calvinism is a 500-year-old theology that people may think they’ve
defined with an easy-to-remember acronym, but it’s still an ongoing point
of contention. Not all Calvinists are five-pointers — some are seven-point
Calvinists, as John Piper half-jokingly calls himself, and still others don’t
necessarily “wave the Calvinist flag,” but hold to a Reformed
understanding of the Bible.

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There are New Calvinists (also called the Young, Restless, Reformed) and
“Old” Calvinists, the Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed
Church of America — an eclectic mix of doctrines falls under the
Reformed superstructure. There are Reformed Christians who believe
human free will and divine predestination are binary, and those who find a
way to reconcile the two. Some Calvinists hold to the idea of reprobation
(or double predestination), and many more don’t. As divisions exist within
Christianity, so too among its Reformed.
4. Reformed theology is humbling, but it’s also about ultimate joy.
God’s glory and our joy are inextricably linked. So, while the Reformed
view of God’s ultimate sovereignty humbles the believer, who has nothing
to do with his own salvation, it does not diminish his worth. Christians are
carrying out an ultimate purpose that results in God’s glory and our
satisfaction.
Reformed theology reorients the believer to a God-centered view of
reality. As Michael Horton writes, “God is not a supporting actor in our
life movie. We exist for his purposes, not the other way around.” The end
purpose of human life is to glorify God. The reason this isn’t bleak for us
is that God is glorified by our enjoying him eternally. In Desiring God
John Piper explains it this way, “God is most glorified in us when we are
most satisfied in him.” Enjoying. Satisfied. These are good things for us.
5. The Reformed view of women is not oppressive.
To a lot of people (especially outside of the church), the Reformed view of
specific gender roles seems retrograde. Yet, a number of modern, fully
educated women accept as biblical the Reformed church’s view of
complementarianism — essentially that man was made to reflect Christ’s
sacrificial relationship to the church and woman to reflect the church’s
submissive relationship to God.
What complementarianism really means has been twisted, not least by
people inside the church. In no way does “submissive” mean a woman
must be a silent, covered-up, stay-at-home housewife who shouldn’t be
involved in ministry and whose only purpose in life is to marry, have
children, and blindly follow her husband. Rather, Mary Kassian writes,

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“Who we are as male and female is ultimately not about us. It’s about
testifying to the story of Jesus. We do not get to dictate what manhood and
womanhood are all about. Our Creator does.”
(For more, read Thabiti Anyabwile’s on how complementarianism is made
clearer by the Great Commission.)
6. The Reformed view of the Bible as “inerrant” doesn’t mean “literal.”
While Reformed theology teaches that the Bible is the inerrant word of
God — that it is true, accurate — that doesn’t necessitate a literal reading
of every word in the Bible. Though inerrancy and literalism are often
joined together, they need not be to still affirm the authority of the
scripture. Says Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul, “The focus on the
veracity of what Scripture actually affirms also allows us to take into
account the use of poetic imagery.”
In the same vein, if Jesus spoke in parables, why should we not see in
parts of scripture the God-intended use of metaphors, hyperboles,
symbols, or any other literary device? Their use doesn’t make the
scriptures any less accurate, any less inerrant.
7. Reformed theology is a celebration of God’s grace.
More than anything, Reformed theology exalts God’s grace by hinging
entirely upon it. Total depravity means there is no way apart from God
that any human would seek God on his own. We are completely “dead” in
sin. Yet, the beauty of Reformed theology is that God came after us
anyway and makes us alive through the gift of faith by his grace — a
grace powerful enough to overcome our resistance to it. Here’s an analogy
I heard recently that describes the Reformed view of grace:
You’re dead at the bottom of the sea, lungs full of water. God jumps in,
pulls you up, and makes you alive again — and he does so because of his
great love. We are entirely at the mercy of God’s grace to rescue us.
8. Reformed theology manifests in a variety of cultural expressions.

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The stereotype of Reformed Christianity is that it’s full of old, stodgy
white guys. While that certainly exists within Reformed Christianity, it’s
not exclusively so. I go to a highly multicultural (largely Hispanic)
nondenominational church that holds to Reformed theology and has
members who bring tambourines that they shake from their seats during
worship, others who clap and mumble “thank you, Jesus” throughout the
sermon, and a pastor who performs communion and reads a benediction at
the end of each service. All of that is to say, Calvinism is attracting many
more than the “typical” players — further shown by its representation
within Christian hip hop.
9. The Reformed idea of “election” doesn’t negate evangelism.
It’s commonly assumed that if God has chosen from eternity who is saved,
evangelism is rendered pointless. But Calvinists believe that God chooses
to work through his people and through their preaching of his word to save
those he has chosen. (See Romans 10.) God’s sovereignty over salvation,
says Reformed theology, fuels the desire to evangelize. The pressure is off
the Christian to persuade a person to believe — he trusts God to save even
those who seem to him the furthest from faith. Because God chose to save
independent of character or behavior, the Reformed preach to all, as no
one is beyond the hope of salvation that was ordained from eternity.
Michael Horton, author of For Calvinism, says that election is what makes
evangelism worthwhile. Without it, none would choose Christ, none
would choose salvation — “we would all be left in our sins and there
would be no point to evangelism.”
10. Reformed theology ≠ Jesus.
Often, Calvinists are accused of being cocky, arrogant, abrasive — usually
toward those who don’t share the Reformed theology they believe to be
exclusively accurate. The danger comes in elevating the theology, the
doctrine above Christ. In the end, Reformed theology doesn’t perfectly
answer or satisfy every question we have, for God is bigger and beyond
any system or framework that we contrive.
I like the way pastor Art Azurdia reorients us to Jesus by saying, “The
evidence of God’s mercy in your life isn’t determined by how much

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theology you know, by how many books you read, but by your active
goodness to people in misery and in need.”
Apa itu Teologia Reformed?
Jawaban: Secara luas, teologia Reformed termasuk semua sistem kepercayaan
yang menelusuri akarnya kembali ke Reformasi Protestan pada abad ke-16.
Tentu saja para Reformator itu sendiri menelusuri jejak doktrin mereka kembali
kepada Alkitab, sebagai mana yang dinyatakan dalam kredo “sola scriptura”
mereka, jadi Teologia Reformed bukanlah sistem kepercayaan “baru” namun
adalah usaha untuk melanjutkan doktrin apostolik.
Secara umum Teologia Reformed berpegang pada otoritas Alkitab, kedaulatan
Allah, keselamatan oleh anugrah melalui Kristus, dan perlunya penginjilan.
Kadang kala teologia ini disebut pula teologia Perjanjian karena penekanannya
pada perjanjian yang dibuat Allah dengan Adam dan perjanjian baru yang
datang melalui Yesus Kristus (Lukas 22:20).
Otoritas Alkitab. Teologia Reformed mengajarkan bahwa Alkitab diinspirasikan
dan merupakan Firman Allah yang berkuasa, cukup dalam segala hal yang
berhubungan dengan iman dan kelakuan.
Kedaulatan Allah. Teologia Reformed mengajarkan bahwa Allah memerintah
dengan kendali yang absolut terhadap segala ciptaan. Dia telah terlebih dahulu
menentukan semua kejadian dan karena itu tidak pernah digagalkan oleh
keadaan. Hal ini tidak membatasi kehendak dari makhluk ciptaan maupun
menjadikan Allah sebagai sumber dosa.

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Keselamatan oleh anugrah. Teologia Reformed mengajarkan bahwa Allah dalam
anugrah dan kemurahan-Nya telah memilih untuk menebus manusia,
membebaskan mereka dari dosa dan kematian. Doktrin keselamatan Reformed
biasanya diwakili oleh singkatan TULIP (juga dikenal sebagai Lima Poin
Kalvinisme):
T – total depravity (kejatuhan total). Manusia sama sekali tidak berdaya dalam
dosanya dan berada di bawah murka Allah dan sama sekali tidak dapat
menyenangkan Allah. Kejatuhan total juga berarti bahwa manusia tidak dapat
secara alami mencari untuk mengenal Allah, sampai Allah dalam karunia-Nya
menggerakkan manusia untuk melakukannya (Kejadian 6:5, Yeremia 17:9, Roma
3:10-18).
U – unconditional election (pemilihan tanpa syarat). Allah, dari sejak kekekalan,
telah memilih untuk menyelamatkan sejumlah besar orang-orang berdosa, yang
jumlahnya tak terhitung (Roma 8:29-30; 9:11; Efesus 1:4-6, 11-12).
L – limited atonement (penebusan yang terbatas). Juga disebut “penebusan
khusus.” Kristus menanggung hukuman dosa untuk orang-orang pilihan di atas
diri-Nya sendiri dan karena itu membayar kehidupan mereka dengan kematian-
Nya. Dengan kata lain, Dia bukan hanya membuat keselamatan “mungkin,” Dia
sebetulnya meraih keselamatan itu bagi orang-orang yang sudah dipilih-Nya
(Matius 1:21; Yohanes 10:11; 17:9; Kisah Rasul 20:28; Roma 8:32; Efesus 5:25).
I – irresistible grace (anugrah yang tak dapat ditolak). Dalam keadaannya yang
jatuh, manusia menolak kasih Allah, namun anugrah Allah yang bekerja dalam
hatinya membuat dia menginginkan apa yang sebelumnya ditolaknya. Anugrah
Allah tidak akan gagal menggenapkan karya keselamatan kepada orang-orang
pilihan (Yohanes 6:37, 44; 10:16).
P – perseverance of the saints (ketekunan orang-orang kudus). Allah melindungi
orang-orang kudus-Nya supaya tidak jatuh; dan karena itu keselamatan bersifat
kekal (Yohanes 10:27-29; Roma 8:29-30; Efesus 1:3-14).
Perlunya penginjilan. Teologia Reformed mengajarkan bahwa orang-orang

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Kristen ada dalam dunia untuk mempengaruhi dunia, secara rohani melalui
penginjilan dan secara sosial melalui hidup kudus dan berperi-kemanusiaan.
Keunikan-keunikan lain dari teologia Reformed umumnya meliputi pelaksanaan
dua sakramen (baptisan dan perjamuan kudus), pandangan bahwa karunia roh
sudah berhenti (karunia roh tidak lagi diteruskan kepada gereja), dan
pandangan bukan-dispensasional terhadap Alkitab. Sangat dihormati oleh
gereja-gereja Reformed adalah tulisan-tulisan John Calvin, John Knox, Ulrich
Swingli, dan Martin Luther. Pengakuan Iman Westminster mengejawantahkan
tradisi teologia Reformed. Gereja-gereja modern dalam tradisi Reformed
termasuk Presbiterian, Kongregasionalis, dan beberapa kaum Baptis.
Baca lebih lanjut: http://www.gotquestions.org/Indonesia/teologia-
reformed.html#ixzz3Q0nuC0yd
Bagaimana sejarah keKristenan?
Jawaban: Sejarah krKristenan pada dasarnya adala sejarah peradaban Barat.
KeKristenan memiliki pengaruh yang luas dalam masyarakat umum – kesenian,
bahasa, politik, hukum, kehidupan keluarga, penanggalan, musik, dan cara
berpikir kita semua ini telah diwarnai oleh pengaruh keKristenan hampir 2000
tahun lamanya. Karena itu kisah tentang Gereja adalah sesuatu yang penting
untuk diketahui.
Sejarah KeKristenan – Permulaan Gereja
Gereja dimulai 40 hari sesudah kebangkitan Yesus (sekitar 30 A.D.) Yesus sudah
berjanji bahwa Dia akan mendirikan gerejaNya (Matius 16:18), dan dengan
datangnya Roh Kudus pada hari Pentakosta (Kisah 2:1-4), Gereja (“kumpulan
yang dipanggil keluar”) secara resmi dimulai. Tiga ribu orang menerima khotbah
Petrus pada hari itu dan memilih untuk mengikuti Kristus.
Petobat-petobat pertama kepada keKristenan adalah orang-orang Yahudi atau
peganut-penganut Yudaisme, dan gereja berpusat di Yerusalem. Karena itu

44 |T U L I P
keKristenan pada mulanya dipandang sebagai sekte Yahudi, sama seperti orang-
orang Farisi, Saduki, atau Essenes. Namun demikian, apa yang dikhotbahkan
para Rasul berbeda secara radikal dari apa yang diajarkan oleh kelompok-
kelompok Yahudi lainnya. Yesus adalah Mesias orang Yahudi (Raja yang Diurapi)
yang datang untuk menggenapi Hukum Taurat (Matius 5:17) dan mendirikan
Perjanjian Baru yang berdasarkan pada kematianNya (Markus 14:24). Berita ini,
dan tuduhan bahwa mereka telah membunuh Mesias mereka sendiri, membuat
banyak pemuka Yahudi menjadi marah, dan beberapa orang, seperti Saul dari
Tarsus, mengambil tindakan untuk memusnahkan “Jalan” itu (Kisah 9:1-2).
Adalah amat tepat untuk mengatakan bahwa keKristenan berakar pada
Yudaisme. Perjanjian Lama meletakkan landasan bagi Perjanjian Baru dan tidak
mungkin untuk memahami keKristenan secara penuh tanpa pengetahuan akan
Perjanjian Lama (lihat kitab Matius dan Ibrani). Perjanjian Lama menjelaskan
kebutuhan akan seorang Mesias, mengandung sejarah umat kepunyaan Mesias,
dan menubuatkan kedatangan Mesias. Perjanjian Baru adalah mengenai
datangnya Mesias dan karyaNya untuk menyelamatkan kita dari dosa. Dalam
hidupNya, Yesus menggenapi lebih dari 300 nubuat yang terinci, membuktikan
bahwa Dialah yang dinanti-nantikan oleh Perjanjian Lama.
Sejarah KeKristenan – Pertumbuhan Gereja Mula-Mula
Tidak lama setelah Pentakosta, pintu gereja terbuka kepada orang-orang bukan
Yahudi. Rasul Filipus berkhotbah kepada orang-orang Samaria (Kisah 8:5), dan
banyak dari mereka yang percaya kepada Kristus. Rasul Petrus berkhotbah
kepada rumah tangga Kornelius yang bukanlah orang Yahudi (Kisah 10) dan
mereka juga menerima Roh Kudus. Rasul Paulus (mantan penganiaya gereja0
memberitakan Injil di seluruh dunia Greko-Romawi, sampai ke Roma sendiri
(Kisah 28:16) dan bahkan mungkin sampai ke Spanyol.
Pada tahun 70, tahun di mana Yerusalem dihancurkan, kitab-kitab Perjanjian
Baru telah lengkap dan beredar di antara gereja-gereja. Untuk 240 tahun
berikutnya, orang-orang Kristen dianiaya oleh Roma, kadang secara acak,
kadang atas perintah pemerintah.
Pada abad kedua dan ketiga, kepemimpinan gereja mejadi makin hirakhis

45 |T U L I P
seiring dengan peningkatan jumlah. Beberapa ajaran sesat diungkapkan dan
ditolak pada zaman ini, dan kanon Perjanjian Baru disepakati. Penganiayaan
terus meningkat.
Sejarah KeKristenan – Bangkitnya Gereja Roma
Kemudian pada tahun 312 A.D. Kaisar Roma, Konstantin mengaku mendapatkan
pengalaman pertobatan. Sekitar 70 tahun kemudian, pada masa pemerintahan
Theodosius, keKristenan menjadi agama resmi dari kekaisaran Romawi. Para
Bishop diberi tempat terhormat dalam pemerintahan, dan pada tahun 400 A.D.
istilah Romawi dan Kristen pada dasarnya sama.
Setelah Konstantin, orang-orang Kristen tidak lagi dianiaya. Pada waktu itu,
orang-orang tidak percaya yang mengalami penganiayaan, kecuali kalau mereka
“bertobat” kepada keKristenan. Pertobatan yang dipaksa semacam ini
mengakibatkan banyak orang yang bergereja tanpa mengalami perubahan hati
yang sejati. Orang-orang ini membawa berhala-berhala mereka dan kebiasaan-
kebiasaan mereka, dan gereja berubah: ikon-ikon, desain arsitektur yang ruwet,
perjalanan ziarah, dan pemujaan orang-orang suci ditambahkan kepada ibadah
gereja mula-mula yang sederhana. Kira-kira pada saat yang hampir sama,
beberapa orang Kristen meninggalkan Roma dan memilih untuk tinggal secara
terpencil sebagai biarawan, dan baptisan bayi diperkenalkan sebagai cara untuk
menyucikan dosa asal.
Dalam abad-abad berikutnya, berbagai konsili gereja dilakukan untuk
menentukan doktrin resmi gereja, untuk mengecam perlakuan salah terhadap
para pelayan Tuhan, dan untuk mendamaikan pihak-pihak yang bertikai. Dengan
makin melemahkan Kekaisaran Roma, gereja menjadi makin berkuasa dan
makin banyak pertentangan antara gereja-gereja di Barat dan Timur. Gereja
Barat (Latin), berpusat di Roma, mengklaim otoritas kerasulan terhadap semua
gereja. Bishop Roma bahkan mulai menyebut diri “Paus” (Bapa). Hal ini tidak
dapat diterima dengan baik oleh Gereja Timur (Gerika) yang berpusat di
Konstantinopel. Perbedaan teologis, politis, prosedural dan bahasa
mengakibatkan Perpecahan Besar pada 1054 di mana Gereja Katolik (Universal)
Roma dan Gereja Ortodoks Timur saling mengucilkan satu dengan yang lainnya
dan memutuskan hubungan.

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