Our Reformed brother in Christ, Ken Temple, recommended an online resource (John Piper's, "Contending For Our All"), in one of his recent posts (here). He did not provide a link to the book due to the quirkiness of Blogger's combox, so I went to Piper's Desiring God website earlier this morning to obtain the url and provide it for Ken (and others). I have linked to this site for quite sometime now under the "EVANGELICAL AND GENERAL CHRISTIAN LINKS" label on the right side bar; however, I have not visited the site for a number of months—to my surprise, I discovered that well over a dozen of Piper's books are now available in pdf format for FREE!!! Being the bibliophile that I am, I have been downloading books like crazy, and I thought I would share these 'gifts' with all. ENJOY!!!
Link to Desiring God Online Books
Grace and peace,
David
With the name of Allah, Peace be unto those who follow the guidance from their Lord.
ReplyDeleteSince you are in a giving mood. You did wish to discuss one day the split between the Shi'a-Sunni. Here is a pdf book that you might be interested in.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5AVSWE7I < The Defense Against Disaster-Al 'Awaasim Minal Wawaasim by Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al Arabi.
Grace and Peace!
David,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you found these books - I have been recommending Piper for a long time and I am surprised that you just now noticed this.
I think that his article/chapter/message on Athanasius in "Contending for Our All" and the reasons for using non-biblical language (he focused on homo-ousias; and I would also apply the principles he explains with applications to the words Triad, Trinitas, hupostasis/persona)to describe biblical meanings is the best explanation I have ever read.
Desiring God is an amazingly giving ministry that offers so many things for free.
I hope Dr. Piper's books help you spiritually. They are all excellent and maybe John Piper is the very best at explaining God's Sovereignty and Calvinism to others. I think his book on justification provided an excellent answer to N.T. Wright and the "new perspective on Paul".
Piper's godly character, love for the Lord and enthusiasm and zeal for spiritual things, His emphasis on God's glory and holiness and a willingness to suffering; his humility (confession of Pride), openness and confessions of his sins and quirks and his passion for missions and mercy ministry and pro-life examples are a very powerful witness for God's glory in the gospel of Christ.
With the name of God, Peace be unto those who follow the guidance from their Lord.
ReplyDeleteFinally Ken and I agree on something. I agree with Ken's analysis of Dr. Piper. The man is truly amazing and he is a person 'after God's own heart' if you will.
To the Grandverbalizer19 -
ReplyDeleteCool ! I am so glad you see that and think that!
Now, I would encourage you to listen to him more and study what he teaches, before any more critiques of Christianity or the Bible.
By the way, Calvin never said "unbaptized babies go to hell" and I don't think you know what the Five Points of Calvinism are - but you can study Piper and see what those things mean.
He is also a Reformed (meaning Calvinist in regard to God's Sovereignty, Election, Predestination) Baptist (believer's baptism or credo baptism - that one must repent and believe first, then be baptized; he holds the same position that I do and Dr. James White. smile)
David,
ReplyDeleteI made some important comments in the post below, about your "setting the record straight" about Bahaism, etc.; but the first one went into the spam folder.
With the name of Allah, Peace be unto those who follow the guidance from their Lord.
ReplyDeleteKen says,
"By the way, Calvin never said "unbaptized babies go to hell" and I don't think you know what the Five Points of Calvinism are - but you can study Piper and see what those things mean."
Ken you always manage to take something good and turn it into an argument. You know FULL WELL that I understand the five points of Calvinism, and I know full well that you are a four pointer. It's you who do not realize that.
Calvin indeed believed that unbaptized babies were damned. The Presbyterians though you differ with them on this (being a four pointer under the guise of being a five pointer) understand Calvin.
It is you the 'reformed baptist' who do not understand Calvin.
The Presbyterian camp are the only consistent Calvinist. Have a great day, and I know you may not like my devastating critique of a faith that calls to tri-theism but continue on it shall!
And more and more people are waking up! Thank God the kind of e-mail I am finally receiving!
Grandverbalizer19 -
ReplyDeleteI wish you true peace through Jesus Al Masih, through repentance and faith in Him and His love and sacrifice and resurrection alone.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . . Matthew 11:28-30
Romans 5:1-11 - through faith in the one who gave His life for His enemies - which you have admitted is greater love. John 10:18
1. Please provide us with a quote and reference where Calvin said that "unbaptized babies go to hell".
2. Do you understand the different between infant baptism of Presbyterians (= a sign of entry into the covenant community of believing parents, but it does not justify or sanctify or save?)
vs.
baptismal regeneration of Roman Catholics and EO ? (it justifies and sanctifies and causes the child to be born again/regenerated so that if they die before faith, they might go to heaven. The view you ascribe to Calvin seems to be the Roman Catholic/EO view.
3. What are the Five Points of Calvinism?
Please list them. Infant baptism is not one of them, so you are wrong about me.
With the name of Allah, Peace be unto those who follow the guidance from their Lord.
ReplyDeleteFive points of Calvinism.
TULIP
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Preservation of the Saints.
To me I say the reformed baptist are 4 point Calvinist because they reject total depravity by their rejection of infant baptism.
Where did Calvin believe that unbaptized babies were damned? Sure.
"Hence, even infants bringing their condemnation with them from their mother's womb, suffer not for another's, but for their own defect. For although they have not yet produced the fruits of their own unrighteousness, they have the seed implanted in them. Nay, their whole nature is, as it were, a seed-bed of sin, and therefore cannot but be odious and abominable to God. Hence it follows, that it is properly deemed sinful in the sight of God; for there could be no condemnation without guilt." (2.2.8 Institutes)
Now based upon Sola Scriptura what is the age that the bible mandates that a child is to be immersed in water according to the 'reformed baptist' position?
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I (Allah) ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Luke 1:15
"For he will be great before the Lord. But he must drink no wine and strong drink at all, and he will be filled with holy spirit right from his mother’s womb.”
GV19
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying your position. Now I understand.
But Calvin does not mention baptism in the quote from the institutes.
But we (Reformed Baptists) do believe in Total Depravity -that all people are sinners and guilty and unable to choose good over evil from conception. Psalm 51:4-5; Romans 5:12; Genesis 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Ephesians 2:1-3.
Presbyterians do not believe that infant baptism washes away sin; that is the Roman Catholic position.
But, at least now I understand where you are coming from.