• George Ella on Doctrinal Matters

    Banner On Hypers

    Letter to the Banner of Truth (not printed) Dear Christian Friends, I was surprised to find myself labeled a Hyper-Calvinist in your February issue with your corollary that I am not amongst those who “confront their hearers with the immediate responsibility of trusting Christ, directly encouraging them to trust him, and appealing to them to do so now!” Naturally, when one starts with a false premise one draws a faulty conclusion. Actually, I abhor Hyper-Calvinism and have aired my views against it in many publications and lectures. I am particularly suspicious of the Supralapsarian kind as found in Calvin’s Institutes, Book III, Chap. XXIII:7 and his Articles Concerning Predestination. I reject Calvin’s studies regarding predestination and election which leave out the covenant of grace and…

  • George Ella on Doctrinal Matters

    Maurice Roberts And Hyper-Calvinism

    Those ‘Theological Swearwords’ ‘Antinomianism and Hyper-Calvinism’ Again Some years ago in the Evangelical Times, one of their directors, John Legg, referred to the terms ‘Antinomianism and Hyper-Calvinism’ as ‘theological swearwords’ and used them indiscriminately with his co-director Errol Hulse to describe my practice of preaching the whole of the gospel to the whole man wherever I was placed by God to do so. This irresistible calling led to my marching 35 kilometers a day through swampy marshland and glacier-covered territory with a map and compass to help me find the way and a fishing rod, snares and a small casting-net in order so I could feed myself so I could take the gospel to nomad Lapps and to my work on and for the Native…

  • George Ella on Doctrinal Matters

    The Gospel Of Deceit

    Calvinism confused Our Lord tells us to be balanced in our teaching, not giving that which is holy to the dogs, nor giving stones where bread is needed. This balance has been broken severely by the modern pseudo-Free-Offer movement. Spurgeon summed Calvinism up as ‘salvation by grace alone’, but views of Calvinists in relation to saving grace have drastically changed. Besides, Calvin would be appalled to learn that the saving Gospel which emanates from God but which is open to such contrary interpretations now bears his name. It would be thus better to drop the term. This article is therefore not a defence of Calvinism but a defence of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone. Two factions have emerged amongst modern Calvinists. One teaches…

  • Jared Smith on the Biblical Covenants

    1 Arrangement Of The Biblical Covenants

    Every biblical framework and theological system recognizes the prominent place given in the scriptures to the covenants. However, not every one agrees on the number, meaning and arrangement of the covenants. Here are four of the most popular views: Modern Dispensationalism—originating with John Darby in the early to mid 19th century, this system of teaching has become one of the leading views of 21st century Evangelicalism. It arranges eight covenants in “time-tight compartments”, each serving a primary and distinct role within a specific timeframe of history. New Covenant Theology—originating with those who were dissatisfied with the arbitrary time frames of Dispensationalism, this school of thought is one of the more recent theological developments. It arranges six covenants in a “stair-case advancement”, each serving a primary,…

  • Jared Smith on the Biblical Covenants

    2 The Spiritual And Perpetual Covenants—Works And Redemption

    Some of the points I cover in this teaching video: I believe the major biblical covenants may be arranged under two headings: (1) Two spiritual and perpetual covenants—Redemption and Works; (2) Four earthly and temporary covenants—Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic. The New Covenant, properly speaking, is not an actual covenant, but rather, an explanation of the Covenant of Redemption to the Jewish people as a nation, within the context of the Mosaic economy and its laws. In this study, an explanation is given for the two spiritual and perpetual covenants: First, aligning these covenants with the Framework of Sovereign Grace; Second, emphasizing how the Covenant of Redemption is one and the same with the Covenant of Grace; Third, showing why the Covenants of Works and…

  • Jared Smith on the Biblical Covenants

    9 The New Covenant

    Some of the points I cover in this teaching video: Having given an explanation of my view on the Spiritual and Earthly Covenants, I now come to the subject of the new covenant. I do not believe the new covenant is an actual covenant, established by God at some point in history, but rather, it is an explanation of the covenant of redemption, given to the Jewish people as a nation, within the context of the Mosaic economy and its laws. In this study, I set out my understanding of the issues with the help of a timeline and diagram, followed by an examination on how the scriptures use the language, “new covenant”. Jared Smith, Muntinlupa, PH (20/01/2023)