What does Piper mean when he says he's a seven-point Calvinist?
By DG Staff
January 23, 2006
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/2006/1418_What_does_Piper_mean_when_he_says_hes_a_sevenpoint_Calvinist/
When John Piper says he is a "seven point Calvinist," he does so half jokingly and half seriously. Historically, there are five points of Calvinism, not seven. Piper isn't seeking to add two more points, but is simply calling attention to his belief in the traditional five points (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints) in a way that also points toward two additional "Calvinistic" truths that follow from them: double predestination and the best-of-all-possible worlds.
The "sixth" point, double predestination, is simply the flip side of unconditional election. Just as God chooses whom He will save without regard to any distinctives in the person (Ephesians 1:5-6; Acts 13:48; Revelation 17:8), so also he decides whom He will not save without regard to any distinctives in the individual (John 10:26; 12:37-40; Romans 9:11-18; 1 Peter 2:7-8). By definition, the decision to elect some individuals to salvation necessarily implies the decision not to save those that were not chosen. God ordains not only that some will be rescued from his judgment, but that others will undergo that judgment. This does not mean that someone might really want to be saved but then be rejected because they are on the wrong list. Rather, we are all dead in sin and unwilling to seek God on our own. A true, genuine desire for salvation in Christ is in fact a mark of election, and therefore none who truly come to Christ for salvation will be turned away (John 6:37-40).
So just as God doesn't choose to save certain people because they are better than others (unconditional election), neither does he choose not to save certain people because they are worse than others (unconditional reprobation, or double predestination). Rather, everybody is lost in sin and no one has anything to recommend them to God above anyone else. And so from this mass of fallen humanity, God chooses to redeem some and leave others.
The "seventh" point, the best-of-all-possible worlds, means that God governs the course of history so that, in the long run, His glory will be more fully displayed and His people more fully satisfied than would have been the case in any other world. If we look only at the way things are now in the present era of this fallen world, this is not the best-of-all-possible worlds. But if we look at the whole course of history, from creation to redemption to eternity and beyond, and see the entirety of God's plan, it is the best-of-all-possible plans and leads to the best-of-all-possible eternities. And therefore this universe (and the events that happen in it from creation into eternity, taken as a whole) is the best-of-all-possible-worlds.
The Inerrancy of Scripture
Sorry everyone it has been forever.
My heart breaks when I hear people speak of God as if he were limited by human rules and constraints. Recently I have heard things like “You know how the Bible says that God created the universe in seven days? Well then where do the dinosaurs come in? How did God create everything in seven days if the dinosaurs were around for millions of years?” First, of all that statement is illogical to me because of Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning GOD” that’s it that’s all I need to know. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Second, whether or not dinosaurs existed is irrelevant to the fact that the Bible says God Created the Universe in seven days.
The Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God (2 Timothy 3:14-17), we are fallible creatures that make mistakes too often for us to count (Romans 3:10-18,23). We all make mistakes it is human nature. Romans 3: 12 “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Not one of us is perfect not even ONE. My point is not that to discourage my friend or call anyone out (and I hope that is not how you take it). My point is there has been a lack of teaching to our generation about proper reading of scripture.
Knowing what your Bible says is of second importance to knowing how to read your Bible. I do not care if you have memorized every book in the bible it does not matter unless you have a proper understanding of what the author is saying. I have not memorized many verses in scripture but I have a decent knowledge of how to understand what those verses are saying.
I would simply be complaining if these three paragraphs were all I said. Context is the major thing that needs to be taken into consideration when reading our Bibles. Whenever I hear a verse quoted in a sermon, book, or just in conversation I ask three questions. Does this verse seem to contradict another scripture? (example: Psalms 5:5 and John 3:16) Who was this book written to? (usually at the start the book the author tells you exactly who he is writing to) What does this verse say in context of the chapter? (to go back to Psalm 5:5 and John 3:16 when you read to verse 18 it doesn’t contradict Psalm 5:5 any more) Scripture can not contradict itself so if it seems that way it is probably out of context. The last thing I make certain of when reading my Bible is all scripture has to glorify God, and actually the chief end of all things is to glorify God (Romans 11:36).
When we question one part of the word of God, the Bible, we leave the door open to question other things the Bible says. When we allow ourselves to think that Gods word is fallible and errant we allow Religious Relativism (all roads lead to God) and Philosophical Pluralism (There is no Absolute Truth, what’s true for you is true for you and what’s true for me is true for me) in to our lives. If this happens you would have to ask yourself what part of my bible will I cut out this week , where will my new boundaries be, and what is even sin anymore.
My heart breaks when I hear people speak of God as if he were limited by human rules and constraints. Recently I have heard things like “You know how the Bible says that God created the universe in seven days? Well then where do the dinosaurs come in? How did God create everything in seven days if the dinosaurs were around for millions of years?” First, of all that statement is illogical to me because of Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning GOD” that’s it that’s all I need to know. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Second, whether or not dinosaurs existed is irrelevant to the fact that the Bible says God Created the Universe in seven days.
The Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God (2 Timothy 3:14-17), we are fallible creatures that make mistakes too often for us to count (Romans 3:10-18,23). We all make mistakes it is human nature. Romans 3: 12 “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Not one of us is perfect not even ONE. My point is not that to discourage my friend or call anyone out (and I hope that is not how you take it). My point is there has been a lack of teaching to our generation about proper reading of scripture.
Knowing what your Bible says is of second importance to knowing how to read your Bible. I do not care if you have memorized every book in the bible it does not matter unless you have a proper understanding of what the author is saying. I have not memorized many verses in scripture but I have a decent knowledge of how to understand what those verses are saying.
I would simply be complaining if these three paragraphs were all I said. Context is the major thing that needs to be taken into consideration when reading our Bibles. Whenever I hear a verse quoted in a sermon, book, or just in conversation I ask three questions. Does this verse seem to contradict another scripture? (example: Psalms 5:5 and John 3:16) Who was this book written to? (usually at the start the book the author tells you exactly who he is writing to) What does this verse say in context of the chapter? (to go back to Psalm 5:5 and John 3:16 when you read to verse 18 it doesn’t contradict Psalm 5:5 any more) Scripture can not contradict itself so if it seems that way it is probably out of context. The last thing I make certain of when reading my Bible is all scripture has to glorify God, and actually the chief end of all things is to glorify God (Romans 11:36).
When we question one part of the word of God, the Bible, we leave the door open to question other things the Bible says. When we allow ourselves to think that Gods word is fallible and errant we allow Religious Relativism (all roads lead to God) and Philosophical Pluralism (There is no Absolute Truth, what’s true for you is true for you and what’s true for me is true for me) in to our lives. If this happens you would have to ask yourself what part of my bible will I cut out this week , where will my new boundaries be, and what is even sin anymore.
