Back to the beginning

In response to my previous article “ Irresistible “ I received much correspondence in the form of direct emails. While most were encouraging, there were some that requested more information, some that expressed concern, and others that simply condemned it as “evil”. For those who genuinely wanted to know more, I purposed to write a number of supporting articles to explain the conclusions I came to. This is the first of them.

The fact that I don’t usually use big theological words and argue my statements with eloquence, but prefer to write in a way that most can understand, does not mean my thoughts are shallow or my audience is simple-minded. But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge. – 2Cor 11:6

One of the emails I received referred to Calvin’s arguments as final settlement of the debate. My friend wrote “why bring up a debate that ended centuries ago that gave good scripturally sound conclusions? …”

Seeing that so much of mainstream Christian doctrine is based on the arguments of people like Augustine and Calvin, it would be a good place to start.

For many years, I, just like my friend, rather naively thought that the battle to determine the orthodox Christian doctrine was won by the best arguments – or as my friend put it: “good scripturally sound conclusions” The reality however is that the sword and political power often overpowered logic and scriptural arguments.

Seeing that Calvin was mentioned before, I will take but one example from his life. Calvin knew Miguel Servitus – a fellow believer, a brother in Christ. Miguel had some theological differences with Calvin. How do you think this great Christians theologian settled the argument? A slow burning fire, made from green wood for the specific purpose of prolonging suffering, was prepared for Miguel … it took three hours before he finally died. Calvin organised the arrest and execution of this brother in Christ. Here is part of a letter that Calvin wrote:

Servitus lately wrote to me and coupled with his letter a long volume of his delirious fancies, with the Thrasonic boast that I should see something astonishing and unheard of. He would like to come here if it is agreeable to me. But I do not wish to pledge my word for his safety. For, if he comes, I will never let him depart alive, if I have any authority.

This seems a very distant attitude and life compared to that which Jesus came to reveal. In fact Jesus gave us the following very clear guidelines:

But beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside they are plundering wolves. From their fruits you shall know them. Do they gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree produces good fruits, but the corrupt tree produces evil fruits. A good tree cannot produce evil fruits, nor a corrupt tree produce good fruits. (Mat 7:15-18 LITV)

We have a choice: we can either stand in awe at the greatness of these historic figures – pillars of the institutional church – and therefore judge the scriptures by their words, or we can stand in awe of Jesus’ words and judge their doctrines by His words.

If the fruit of these ancient theologians’ lives are anything to go by, we have more than enough reason to re-visit everything they ever had to say! Their doctrine produced the most heinous acts of violence and hatred.

Calvin was by no means an exception – from the earliest leaders of the institutional church, like Augustine, murder, hatred and almost everything that Jesus stood against was vividly displayed in their lives. Ironically, throughout history, there has never been a greater enemy of the Christian faith, than Christian institutions. The same murderous spirit that Jesus referred to – John 8 – in the religious leaders of His day, found expression again in the religious leaders of the first Christian institutions and unfortunately continues in such institutions to this day.

Why? Why did these professing “Christians” become the very instrument of satanic oppression? At the very root of this problem, is the doctrine that Calvin and Augustine held to, which unfortunately became the foundation of orthodox Christian doctrine. At the core of these vengeful acts, was their concept of who God really was! And as we shall see, many of the Christians they burned to death had a very different – and more biblical – view of God.

We still have many of the early writings of these early Christians and much of it is now available via the internet, here is one such site: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/

In summary I can say that what differentiated these Christians from the likes of Augustine and Calvin, was a deep conviction that the very nature of God is love and the final triumph of God’s love would be nothing less than the reconciliation of all things to Himself – as portrayed in so much of Paul’s writings.

For example, St. Clement of Alexandria (150-215) wrote of God’s omnipotent love which is always and everywhere active, both in this life and the next. Origen, St Gregory of Nyssa, and Didymus of Alexandra all gained the reputation of “men of exceptional kindness and all-embracing love” – a reputation very different to those who enforced their doctrines through institutions. All these men believed in the ultimate triumph of love; in the irresistible love of God.

At the heart of Augustine and Calvin’s doctrines lay the concept of a vengeful, though they may term it differently – just – God. Somehow, probably through their own internal struggles, they thought of God as one who has a continual struggle within Himself between mercy and justice. Sometimes His merciful side wins, other times His just side wins. Their vision of Him was reduced to a schizophrenic being, that wanted to get even and wanted to forgive.

Their concept of punishment was not based of the revelation of a loving Father wanting to correct those He loves, but of an offended almighty being who could never be appeased, thus not even eternal punishment could satisfy Him. This gave rise to a doctrine of never-ending suffering way beyond what is written in scriptures.

Despite all that we can say about these men – and we all had very perverted concepts of God ourselves – I am convinced that the love of God triumphed in the end in their lives also. It must have been a great relief for them to meet their Maker and realize that He is nothing like the one they wrote about. I have no doubt that Calvin and Miguel are best of friends today! However, I’m also convinced that they would like us to learn from their experiences and not allow religious “dung” to cloud our vision, harden our hearts and eventually in the name of Christian religion do the exact opposite of what Jesus taught and that is:

But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, (Mat 5:44 MKJV)

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Eph 5:1-2 MSG)

This was just an introduction, the rest will follow.

Love you all – those who don’t agree also!

Andre Rabe