Grafted Theology

  Why Do Some Believe and Others Don’t? A common Calvinist question goes something like this: “Why do some people believe the gospel while others reject it?” Calvinism answers: “Because God irresistibly grants saving faith to some and withholds it from others.” I plan to address this question, but before answering, I want to flip the question back for a moment: Why does a Calvinist believe in Calvinism while others, like myself, do not? Were you divinely and irresistibly graced with the belief in Calvinism, or did you come to that belief through studying Scripture, evaluating arguments, and reaching your own conclusions? What Calvinism Implies About Theological Error If you say you were irresistibly decreed to believe Calvinism, then you must also admit that God decreed for me to reject it. And if we can all acknowledge that none of us holds perfect theology, then under Calvinism, God has decreed that everyone believes some form of falsehood, making Him the determiner of t...

1 Corinthians 10:13 vs. Calvinism 1 Corinthians 10:13 presents a significant challenge to Calvinistic determinism. It reads: “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (NASB 1995) This passage affirms two core truths: Believers will not face any temptation that is beyond what they are able to endure. With every temptation, God will provide a way of escape so that they will be able to endure it. The grammar and context of the verse make these truths especially strong. The verb “will provide” (ποιήσει) is a future indicative which indicates that God definitively and actively provides the way of escape for every temptation. Further, the purpose clause “so that you will be able to endure it” (εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ὑμᾶς ὑπενεχκεῖν) shows the divine intent is not merely theoretical but practical...

- Romans 9 in Context - Romans 9 is one of the most frequently cited chapters in support of Calvinistic theology, particularly the doctrines of unconditional election and predestination. But when read in context, alongside Romans 8-11, it becomes clear that Paul is not laying out a deterministic framework for individual salvation. Instead, he is responding to a real and urgent concern: Why have so many Israelites rejected the Messiah? And if they have, what does that mean for God’s promises? This chapter is not about arbitrary selection but about God’s faithfulness, Israel’s misunderstanding of righteousness, and how God’s covenant purposes are fulfilled through faith in Christ. Romans 8 Summary Paul’s argument in Romans 9 does not arise in isolation. It flows directly from the truths he established in Romans 8. There, he draws a sharp contrast between those who live according to the flesh and those who live according to the Spirit. The “law of the Spirit of life” has set believers fre...