Christianity in Crisis Video of the Week - Mark T. Barclay vs. Charles H. Spurgeon

I decided to post this today instead of Monday and my goodness we are in trouble serious trouble in America when preachers say they are experts on Theology and have not a clue what they are talking about!

Here we have Mark T. Barclay (aka. The General) talking about the Damnable Doctrine of Calvinism. Take a look...



Boy, oh boy, oh boy... Where to start. We see here two startling different definitions of Calvinism. Barclay says "I met Jesus once, let's go get a beer" and Spurgeon says "Justification by Faith". Barclay implies Calvinism is basically "Once saved always saved". If Barclay would sit himself down and do even just a basic study on Calvinism (Historical Christianity), he would find that Calvinists believe in the "Perseverance of the Saints".

Perseverance of the Saints does not mean "once saved always saved". This corruption of the doctrine has been popular in recent years, as we see here with Barclay, but has never been a true representation of the doctrine. "Once saved always saved" is more keenly given the name "Perseverance of the sinner" instead of "the saint". For it teaches that man can be saved by Christ and then sin habitually, do whatever he wants, and then still "persevere to the end". Perseverance of the saints does not teach this. Perseverance of the saints teaches that once God has renewed the heart of a sinner through the application of the redemption wrought by Christ upon the cross, he will continue to be saved and show forth the fruits of that salvation. The sinner perseveres because of Christ, but he continually shows himself as one who has been changed by Christ. God has saved the individual and will sanctify him until the end when he is ultimately glorified, and in heaven. It does not mean man has a license to sin. Those who think they have a license to sin are not changed and saved by grace. They are still in sin. Those who are saved by grace and changed, desire to show forth the fruits of that salvation. God motions the heart to good work, and continues that good work to the end.

John 6:37-39, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."

Phil. 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

1 Thess. 5:23-24, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

2 Tim. 4:18, "And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

Romans 8:29, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."


Lastly lets examine Barclay's statements "If you believe in the condemning, damnable doctrine of Calvinism". "That means it will damn your soul".

According to Barclay you will be damned to hell for believing in Calvinism (Historical Christianity). So, lets take a look at those who the General has condemned by his own lips. The names on here are staggering!!!

Historical Preachers/Teachers

John Calvin
John Owen
John Knox
Martin Luther
Jonathan Edwards
John Bunyan
A.W. Pink
A.W. Towzer
John Whitfield
John Gill
Augustine
The Puritans
The Dutch Reformed
The Disciples of Jesus (They preached Regeneration, Justification by Faith and Sanctification....The same doctrines Calvinists have preached for Centuries now)

According to "The General", Mark T. Barclay, preacher of righteousness, these believing Christian's are burning in hell today...There souls are damned!

Current Day Preachers/Teachers

Dr. R.C. Sproul
Dr. James White
Steve Camp
Dr. John Frame
Dr. Wayne Grudem
Sinclair Ferguson
J.I. Packard
Dr. D. James Kennedy
Dr. Albert Mohler
Paul Washer
Dr. Thomas Ascol
Dr. John Piper
Matt Slick


The lists for these could go on and on. There are so many I could keep listing for days. This really shows the absurdity of Barclay's condemning claim! The General needs to go back to the barracks and study the Bible and Historical Christianity before his next "Tour of Duty".


by His Grace alone,

Bill