Archive for category The Bible
Martyr George Marsh 510th anniversary 2025
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Christianity, Martyr George Marsh, Reformation 2017 on June 26, 2025
2025 marks the 510th anniversary of the birth of Martyr George Marsh.
Marsh was born in Bolton, in 1515 into a family of farmers. He attended Deane Church and had a great zeal for Biblical faith and following the tragic death of his wife he became a curate in the Church of England. Serving under the reign of Edward V1 his ministry was grounded to a holt when the boy king died and Mary Tudor ascended to the throne.
Christians and leaders were hunted down and executed and on April 24th 1555 Marsh was burned alive in Boughton, Chester and his ashes were collected and laid to rest in a nearby leper colony.
His story was collected by John Foxe and included in the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and his martyrdom became widely known for many centuries.
His story remains of significant importance since it continually reminds us of the evils of bad religion and extremism. Yet Christian’s are still persecuted around the world so mankind hasn’t properly learned the lesson yet. It is for this reason that we must never forget our own history and we must always be aware that religion in the wrong hands can be very dangerous, especially when people get hurt.
George Marsh was a good man, and the Church of England failed to protect and preserve him. They should have embraced his zeal and passion for the truth instead of falling headlong into the bondage of the Roman Catholic Church.
Contrary to popular beliefs Britain has gained an enormous benefit from the cause of the reformation, and I have covered these points in a previous article.
So let us remember George Marsh and the martyrs who gave their lives in the cause of truth.
Today a number of dedicated memorials can be found in his memory in Deane Church grounds, Smithills Hall, St John’s Cathedral and at the site of his execution in Boughton, Chester.
May the memory and legacy of Martyr George Marsh live long.
“From Obedience To Freedom” Out Now!
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Church of England, Reform, The Bible, Theology on June 12, 2025
In my previous post I write about my new book on the Ten Commandments. In this book I explore the topic of the Ten Commandments from a New Testament perspective asking questions such as these: Have the Ten Commandments been abolished by the coming of Christ? Or are the two tablets mentioned in Exodus 20 the same as those found in Matthew 22: 37-40? If the answer is yes then there is no Biblical evidence to reject these commandments as irrelevant to the holy living of the Christian man.
In an original edition of this thesis, dating back to 2007, I had originally been inspired by an old Puritan book called The Ten Commandments by Thomas Watson. I loved reading the puritans back then.
Thomas Watson (1620-1686) was one of the most popular English preachers in London during the puritan era. I was certainly intrigued by this book during my earlier years of theological study. Since then however time moves on and my book has changed. It has gone through revision upon revision until I finally reached a point where I was ready to publish.
Obviously the topic is controversial on all sides. For some Christians there should be given no place whatsoever for any aspect of law in the Christian life. I disagree with that. Yet if that concept was true, then what are we left with in Christianity? Outright lawlessness or a life governed by obedience to Christ in faith. Surely there is nothing within any of the Ten Commandments to contradict what the New Testament says about holy living.
When I originally began to write this book I was much younger and I was very convicted within my soul and daily I yearned for more of Christ. My soul eagerly awaited the presence of my dear Lord and that passion can be caught within the pages of the book. However much has changed since then and I’m older. Nowadays I read Puritan books much less, however I have retained my passion for the writings of Richard Baxter. likewise the King James Bible remains my favourite translation. For this reason, I have continued to use the AV within the book and perhaps I’ll save the reasons why for some other post.
But in the meantime, I hope the Lord uses my book and that it inspires many believers to do right in the eyes of the Lord. We must love the commandments of our Lord and live them by faith in Christ. When we do this we will find inner freedom within the divine legislation.
I have experienced this freedom many times.
However, I am presently in the Church of England (in some sense) and I feel a continuous burden for the apostacy that is crippling it. Will I remain, and for how long I do not know? All I can say is that if there was ever a time for the Law of the Lord to be remembered and loved, that time is now.
My new book on the Ten Commandments
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Christianity, The Bible, Theology on May 10, 2025
For many years I have been writing a number of books and wanting to release them. Books can take a long time to put together and they won’t write or publish themselves, so I have decided it is now time to put them out there.
As a Christian I have very deep convictions about holy living and obedience to Scripture and I am constantly writing about them. Some of these writings are reflections and others are yet to be published. One of these books includes my present discourse on the Ten Commandments and their relationship to the Christian life. This work began many years ago and I have rewritten and revised it many times. When I first wrote it, the book began as a somewhat puritanical discourse and over time, I have improved the book while remaining true to the original concept.
In “From Obedience To Freedom” I have used the King James Version and I argue there is a place of freedom in obeying the Ten Commandments in simplicity and in faith.
In our world we are caught up in society and day to day life, in doing the law of man. Our culture is constantly trying to remove us further and further away from Christ and closer to the world. Sin is forever trying to cause the Christian to obey it. But no Christian is obliged to obey the laws of sin and for this reason the Ten Commandments are very helpful in bringing us closer to God. I argue there is much more to the Ten Commandments than mere rules and regulations, there is a place of inner freedom where the human soul can find liberty in law and within ourselves.
In Christ and His commandments we can be free from this world and that freedom can be found in obedience to our Lord. This is what my book is essentially about and I have now released it through Amazon and I hope my readers find it helpful.
Calvinistic Determinism Refuted
Posted by simon peter sutherland in "Calvinism", Theology on April 29, 2025
There is a doctrine gaining popularity today, known as ‘Calvinistic determinism’ or ‘theological determinism’. This concept claims that every event in the universe is predetermined by a divine will, suggesting that human actions and decisions are ultimately guided by God’s divine plan. It is often cloaked or hidden within the beliefs of many famous reformed preachers, who may emphasize God’s sovereignty and control over the universe without explicitly acknowledging the implications of their doctrine. At other times, it is plainly stated, leading to profound discussions among theologians and laypeople alike about free will, predestination, and the nature of divine foreknowledge, which raises questions about human responsibility and moral accountability in a world governed by such determinism.
In short, for those who do not know, determinism is a doctrine that claims that all human acts, both good and evil are pre-determined by God before the world began. God’s will is always done. Everything people do, be it good or bad, is all pre-determined and predestined by God before He made the world. It’s not a belief that says God knows everything you do, it’s a belief that says God determines, decrees and wills everything you do. In other words, He writes them.
It’s crazy!
But where did this doctrine come from and why are people so eager to believe it?
Well, basically, people do not always like the truth and some people are gullible and others are skilled at indoctrinating them. Some people are easily influenced by people they follow. They listen to their favourite preachers and their skilled rhetoric causes listeners to feed their views into the Bible. People assume that because a preacher strongly believes something, it makes it true. As a result, people assume the preachers beliefs are very Biblical, when in actual fact they are the exact opposite.
But are these deterministic ideas Biblical?
Well, the answer is yes and no. Yes in the sense that some Biblical events were determined by God, no in the sense that the events of Jeremiah 7: 31, 19: 5: 32: 35 and Isaiah 30: 1 and Galatians 5: 7-8 were not determined or decreed, or willed by God. In fact, in Jeremiah 18: 10 God reconsidered the good He intended to do, because Israel did not obey Him.
In order for God to determine everything that happens in this world He must decree, will and determine apostasy, the persecution and murder of Christians in Africa, false teaching, and some of the most evil acts of mankind can do, (evil acts I do not even want to mention) and then judge people for doing things that He has already determined them to do. If Calvinistic determinism were true God would be self contradictory. He would be determining people to break the commandments He has commanded them not to break.
But where do these ideas come from?
The answer is early examples originate in Augustine of Hippo, John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards. Augustine introduced theological determinism into Christianity in 412 AD and Calvin re-introduced them in the 16th century. Before that time determinism was a Gnostic and Stoic concept originated by Greek philosophers in the 7th and 6th century BC. Early Christian writers did not teach theological determinism. However, when Calvin re-introduced determinism into western Christianity (and adopted his ideas from St Augustine), his influence spread to puritans in the 17th century and Jonathan Edwards took this concept to another level, and when Banner of Truth republished a lot of old puritan books, preachers in America re-introduced their love of Jonathan Edwards and puritans to a new audience, and the so-called ‘reformed’ preachers in America began to influence a whole new generation of eager restless and reformed Christians.
Obviously not all Calvinists believe this level of determinism, but the original source is St Augustine and Calvin quotes Augustine more than any other theologian.
The reality is, it’s that same old thing again, influence. As Calvin adopted his deterministic logic from the writings of St Augustine, preachers today adopt their logic from the works of Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and their favourite preachers via podcasts, books, YouTube videos and so on.
But let us take a step further, if Calvinistic determinism were true God would not only determine everything that happens, He would have to decree and will everything that happens including these winds of doctrine. God would not only have to determine every good and evil act of mankind, but He would have to determine the podcasts and the books.
Preachers who oppose abortion would need to be opposing God because in reality God would not only be the one who wills and decrees the deaths of unborn babies who die in the womb and in infancy but He would be the one who determines them.
Do yourselves a favour and search up how many murders happen in America every year. In order for determinism to be true, God would need to have decreed, determined, and willed those horrific acts to take place down to the very number.
The Bible however does not affirm these repulsive beliefs.
In Jeremiah 32: 35 the abominations men did didn’t even enter God’s mind, so how could He determine them?
In 1 Corinthians 14: 33 Paul states that God is not the author of confusion so how could God determine and decree and will everything that happens? God would not only be the determiner of every human act but He would be the author of confusion, which is contrary to what the apostle claims.
Does that make sense?
In short, I am not even remotely interested in debating or discussing these forgone conclusions with theologians, pastors or preachers who advocate these repugnant doctrines. They are making the God I serve and love to be the author of evil and the determiner of the most disgusting and evil acts this world has ever known.
In short, I want to reach out to you, the general public, average Christians who find themselves confused and influenced by these preachers and do not know what to make of these filthy claims.
I want you to know that the God of the Bible has nothing whatsoever to do with the evil acts that men do. He gave His Ten Commandments and the commandments of Christ for people to obey not disobey. He gave us Christ to save us from our sins not determine them. He cares for you and He serves you in your times of great strife and upset and wants you to know that we live in a fallen world and in the midst of that fallen world God has given us His spirit to minister to the souls of men. Therefore, comfort each other with these words.
If you are influenced by these confused preachers who repeatedly contradict themselves and don’t know what they are talking about, do yourselves a favour, switch off from them and go and read your Bible.
The 500th Anniversary of the Tyndale New Testament
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Church of England, The Bible on March 10, 2025
2025 marks the 500th Anniversary of the very first Tyndale New Testament to have ever been published.
In 1524 William Tyndale had been self exiled from England where he headed for Germany and began translating his New Testament into English. It was there where Peter Quentell published his groundbreaking and monumental New Testament.
For those who may not know, William Tyndale (c 1494-1536) was an English priest and scholar and the very first person to translate the New Testament into English from the original Greek. Tyndale was educated at Oxford and Cambridge and became a chaplain in Little Sudbury. There he ran into conflict with a Roman Catholic priest and Tyndale left for London and eventually for Europe and Cologne. His aim of translating the New Testament into English was fulfilled in 1525 and 1526, and his greatest revision was accomplished in 1534. In 1536 he was executed for his faith in Vilvoorde. But his work did not end there. His translation became the bedrock of all English Bibles from the 16th century and even to the present day.
The Tyndale New Testament would impact, influence and formulate the English language more than any works of English literature apart from Shakespeare.
It is still quoted even today, and for many Christians around the world his work can be appreciated through his undeniable influence in the pages of the King James Bible. A staggering 93 per cent of the New Testament (in the KJV) is the work of Tyndale. The Old Testament is about 85 per cent.
Melvyn Bragg writes, “Shakespeare quotes from the Bible about 1,350 times. These quotations are from the Bibles he heard and read – the Great Bible, the Matthew Bible and probably the Geneva Bible – all of which were Tyndale in disguise.” (William Tyndale A very brief history. Melvyn Bragg. P. 89).
In 2017 I had the pleasure of meeting Melvyn Bragg and as he handed me a copy of his biography on William Tyndale I thanked him for his documentary on “The Most Dangerous Man in Tudor England”. This was an excellent film and the BBC would do well to broadcast it again this year for the anniversary.
Likewise churches up and down the country would do well to remember Tyndale this year and start using either his New Testament or the King James Version once again.
I am not a King James onlyist but I believe the Church of England made a big mistake when it removed the King James Version from all services. It makes no sense to me that such a great and monumental translation should be abandoned and replaced with the extremely inferior NIV translation. I believe the King James Version should be regularly used, even if for special occasions or seasons. And where has the abandonment of old English translations got the Church? It has fallen into disrepair and apostasy and utter chaos, and her identity is lost. No wonder, it is because they removed the great translation.
But let us ask, what version has translated Genesis 1: 1 better than Tyndale? Read for yourselves his opening lines,
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The world was void and empty; and darkness was upon the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the water.”
And who can forget the beauty of the Lords Prayer.
19th century English hymn discovered
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Hymns, Music, Theology on January 16, 2025
The tradition of composing Christian hymns goes back centuries and back in times of antiquity ministers of local churches actually wrote their own hymns for their own congregations. For example, John Newton wrote Amazing Grace while he was minister at Olney and that hymn was first sung in that place.
Such is the case with an original handwritten hymn I have discovered.
The hymn is written in English on a small piece of paper and dates to 1842 and likely originated in Wales. Written by a minister for Sunday school teachers the author based this hymn on John 21: 17 and 1 Corinthians 9: 27. The word “castaway” is used repeatedly in the hymn and is likely based upon the King James Version of Paul’s letter. In this Scripture the apostle advocates a strict subjection of his own body, lest after preaching to others he himself “should be a castaway”.
The sad reality is that this passage of Scripture has been abused. But such is not the case with this hymn. It is a sad reflection and is written out of deep concern, by a minister, for his Sunday school teachers. The Wesleyan interpretation of Scripture implies the hymn most likely has its origins in that denomination and it is not found in any Wesleyan hymn books. So it appears to have never been published. The hymn does not have a tune, which is normal since many hymns in those days did not have accompanying melodies. Many congregations used the popular tunes of the day to sing the words. Such would have been the case with this hymn.
I’ll post more about it as time goes on and research continues, but in the meantime, if anyone knows of any hymns from this era that contain references to 1 Corinthians 9: 27, please feel free to get in touch.
The Promise of God for all mankind
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Census of Luke, Christmas, Christmas or Nisan, Documentaries, Eschatology, Theology on December 18, 2024
Many years ago, when I was a boy, I was asked what my favourite New Testament Gospel was, and I replied “Luke’s Gospel”. For me, I think that claim still stands. The Gospel According to St. Luke is still my favourite of the four Gospels.
Luke’s Gospel gives us the greatest account of Christ’s birth. I say this because I believe chapters 1 & 2 contain the actual words of Mary herself given to St Luke. Luke’s Gospel gives us the reference to the census of Quirinus. I have discussed this census in a previous article showing that it may have been referenced in the Mausoleum of Augustus on the funerary Res Gestae Divi Augusti in Rome.
Luke was a very reliable historian as my documentaries have shown. In Kos and the Gospel According to St. Luke I demonstrate elements of his accuracy by visiting the Greek island of Kos and discuss how he interviewed surviving witnesses to the life of Jesus Christ. Luke references his accuracy himself in Luke 1: 1-4 and Luke’s desire was for the Roman official (Theophilus) “to “know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”
Luke follows up his Gospel with part two (Acts of the Apostles) and those who know it are assured of the certainty of the events that happened.
As previously mentioned “I believe chapters 1 & 2” of Luke’s Gospel “contain the actual words of Mary herself given to Luke.” The nativity account contains elements of feminine Greek and in Mary’s account of the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth the angel says to Mary “behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1: 31-32. NKJV)
This statement concerning the kingdom of Christ and Him being given the throne of David was not some reference to a futuristic kingdom that Jesus sets up when He returns to earth at the second coming. Luke tells us that this kingdom was established during the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and was revealed to the people of Judea and Jerusalem by St Peter in his sermon contained in Acts 2: 14-39.
In Acts 2: 30-31 Peter says “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sword with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he forseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption” and in verse 32 Peter states that the things which they saw when the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1) is what they “now see and hear.”
The important point to note here is that the promise made to Mary in Luke 1: 32-33 has been fulfilled for all mankind. God in Christ Jesus has set up His kingdom and it has no end and as Peter stated to the people in Judea and Jerusalem, “the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2: 39)
This Christmas remember what Christ has done for us and for all mankind. Let us turn our backs upon the things of this world and whatever you do keep your eyes upon Christ, and know that He is our Saviour, and our God, if we believe in Him and receive forgiveness for our sins and make Him Lord of our lives.
This is Reformation day 2024
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Church of England, Reform, Reformation 2017, The Bible on October 31, 2024
In a previous article back in 2017 I wrote about what the reformation has given us. I listed the reformation benefits we have received in society and in the church and these include the New Testament in Greek, the English New Testament, the complete English Bible including chapter and verse numbers, the freedom to interpret the Bible for ourselves. Freedom to challenge tyranny. The establishment of hymnbooks, Christian music, religious liberty, freedom of speech, and since many abolitionists were theologically reformed we have received the abolition of the slave trade. The list could go on to reveal 100 facts associated with the reformation. This is because the idea of reform is very Biblical. The Bible gives us accounts of how God has been making His plan for this world throughout history and in the Bible we read of those happenings unfolding. It is simply the greatest Book that has ever been written.
Throughout Scripture we see the Lord speaking through His people to bring about change and reformation among those who professed to be the children of God. We read of how the original plan for man in Eden was to dwell in paradise, but Adam chose his own way and fell, because of sin and the story continues of how God was bringing about a restoration of His original plan but man failed almost every time. Because of this God sent His prophets to bring about a reformation to inspire the people of God to repent and turn back to Him because they have lost the way.
In Jeremiah 7: 2 we read of how the prophet says “Hear the word of the Lord” and in verse 3 “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.” (NKJV) Here the prophet was talking to the people of ancient Israel and his words speak just as powerfully today as they did back then. In verses 4 and 8 he warns the people that they are trusting in lying words that cannot profit them. The prophet said all this because people were living lives that were contrary to the Will of the God they claimed to believe in and follow (verse 9) and then they would go to the temple and say they were delivered to do abominations (verse 10).
As the Biblical stories continue the prophets foretell the coming of Christ who is the way to restoration and eternal life and without Him there is no hope.
Fast forward hundreds of years throughout church history (not the Bible) and we see the same scenario, man falls and continues in his sinful ways. Man fails to live up to the standards of the Almighty, and God (by His Holy Spirit) stirs His obedient people to speak out and stand fast for the faith.
In the 16th century, a German priest by the name of Martin Luther had been stirred up by the corruption he had seen in the church of that time, and he was absolutely appalled when the priests were selling indulgences to the poor to raise money for the building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Luther saw how crooked this practice was and on October 31, 1517 he is believed to have nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the castle church in Wittenberg. In this document Luther addressed his points of concern and wanted to debate them. Luther’s protest was genuine and the document didn’t stay nailed to the door for very long, locals got hold of the document and it was printed and circulated. Word got back to Rome and Luther would be summoned and eventually stand trial and be excommunicated. Although it affected him mentally Luther spent his time in isolation while translating the New Testament into German. It was a powerful act of defiance to the established church that then existed. This translation would impact the German language in the same way Tyndale’s New Testament would impact the English language. But it would not stop there, church after church would eventually spring up and Luther’s daringly powerful act had started a reformation that could not be undone. It inspired generations all over the world.
Luther’s actions would change the face of history forever. This is because the word reformation is by definition the act of bringing about improvement and change for the better in political, religious or social matters. This is what Luther did. Because of Martin Luther millions of people worship in churches inspired by his reformation. Oddly enough, the Church of England is one of them. I say oddly enough because Henry V111 was opposed to Luther and Tyndale yet still the reformed influence spread.
The Church of England was founded in 597 AD however in 1534 there was a big split and the church separated from Rome and the Pope. This move was undoubtedly the right and Biblical thing to do since Rome was denying the text of the Bible in favour of the authority of the Pope. Not much has changed. Today if not for the reformation few would have the nerve to change or challenge anything or progress our nation to becoming a more decent, fair and just society.
Yet today, it doesn’t feel like the world is becoming any better since we are living in perilous times. The world appears to have become a very dark and cynical place. The church appears to be no better. At least when you look to the bishops for guidance. Few know which way to turn and our nation (here in England) has forgotten the reformation. Rather than celebrate the very act of reformation day, many people choose to promote halloween and follow evil and death rather than life, it seems more commercial than right. Likewise, the church has fallen further into apostasy in an attempt to appease and please the world and keep itself relevant.
Yet we should not be surprised at this, the Bible got it right all along, as it is written, “This is the judgement: the light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light” (John 3: 19)
But for all the church’s attempts to please men, it is not working. Reform is ongoing and will continue and no matter which way people turn the Bible will never cease to be the final authority for all genuine Christians.
There are no two ways about it, if you follow Christ you will live for eternity and if you sow corruption you will reap it. So too will those who profess Christ in one breath while denying Him in another, those leaders will not escape the judgement. They too will pay a much higher price and receive a greater judgement than those they have lead astray (James 3: 1)
It has been said if you marry the spirit of the age, you will soon find yourself divorced by it. So too will the church that follows the world rather than the text of the Bible. If you fail to stand as Luther did in good conscience and Godly conviction, God will never use you in the future and your memory will be forgotten. Darkness will follow you all the days of your life. You will return to the dust from which you came.
Amyraldism calmly considered
Posted by simon peter sutherland in "Calvinism", Theology on October 25, 2024
Over the years I have expressed my deepest concerns relating to a doctrine known as ‘Limited Atonement’. This 5 Point Calvinist theory claims that Jesus Christ did not die for all mankind but only for the elect. If Christ died for all mankind (they say) then no one should be in hell for whom Christ died, thus He didn’t die for all, He died only for those whom the Father had given Him. Believing that Christ died for all (they say) is universalism.
I disagree with these claims entirely. There is no Scriptural proof that the sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ on the cross automatically saves anyone. No one is saved by the cross of Christ alone since believers are saved by grace alone through faith (Ephesians 2: 8) so faith is the means by which we are saved and there is no Scriptural evidence that Jesus purchased our faith at the cross.
A person can argue that faith or salvation is a gift of God (ibid) and I wouldn’t disagree but there is no suggestion that faith or salvation (as a gift) is limited only to those whom God has predestined and chosen. For me, this claim is more systematic than Scriptural and retains some serious Biblical inconsistencies. For me, and for J. C. Ryle, the doctrine of Limited Atonement is inconsistent with the Bible and some theologians who propagate it are more systematic than the Bible they represent. Yet many proponents of the ‘Calvinist’ teaching actually reverse the truth by claiming that those who don’t believe in the 5 Point Calvinist interpretation of ‘Limited Atonement’ are the ones who are inconsistent. This is untrue. For me, and for many Christians, the New Testament is extremely clear that Christ died for all mankind and to deny that fact can be dangerous. The reason I say this is because a person is putting argumentation above Scripture, thus leaving room for any persuasive argument to be believed, even if it contradicts Scripture. Yet many 5 Point Calvinists claim that their beliefs are the pure teachings of Scripture and they wait patiently for others to catch up and be persuaded.
Obviously I’m not one of those who have been persuaded and if a doctrine cannot be consistently proven by all Scripture, I’m not obligated to believe it. So for me, I have reached an opposite conclusion to the 5 Points of Calvinism. For me, I am actually very uncertain if 5 Point Calvinism is even accurate to the teachings of the man it is named after. There are times when I find it very doubtful that Calvin ever taught the same version of limited atonement that modern 5 point Calvinists teach? I haven’t found the majority of 16th century reformers affirming it either.
For me, Calvinism (as it is nicknamed today) is little more than Owenism. By “Owenism” I am referring to puritan John Owen (1616-1683). A man who, in 1648 published a book called “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ”. In this book Owen affirms the doctrine of Limited Atonement in no uncertain terms. The book blends in perfectly with the doctrines affirmed in England during the times of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Like the Westminster Confession, Owens theology offers no salvation for the none elect, they are utterly doomed. Born to be damned and to enter hell for disbelief in a Saviour who did not die for them to begin with.
It is an awfully distasteful doctrine and one that should be spat out.
Having read Calvin, and studied many other 16th reformers, I have been (over the past few years) somewhat pleasantly surprised to learn of the 17th century man named Moses Amyraut (1596-1664) a French reformed theologian who noticed the inconsistencies of Calvinist theology and propagated moderations. Like Richard Baxter, John Bunyan and Richard Horne, the believer can be blessed by the challenges presented by Moses Amyraut who find themselves troubled when ‘Calvinists’ deny the exceedingly clear Biblical statements that Christ died for the sins of the whole world.
Amyraut challenged Calvinians and presented a view that is much more conceivable than Limited Atonement and taught that Christ did in fact die for the whole world but God in His foreknowledge knew those who would believe in Jesus Christ and elected them based upon that foreknowledge. This is entirely consistent with Romans 8: 29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,”. Note that St Paul presents foreknowledge prior to predestination. Thus preserving the doctrine of unconditional election while not excluding anyone from receiving Christ.
For me, if Christ died only for the elect the great commission is null and void and the gospel should not be preached or offered to “every creature” (Mark 16: 15) and Acts 17: 30-31 makes no sense. Why would God command all men to repent (as Paul proclaimed in Athens) if man was incapable of doing so because he is not elect? Why would the great commission be offered to every creature if salvation was not available for every creature?
The logical conclusion is that salvation is offered to all because it is available for all and I am very pleased to know that reformed theology does not exclusively belong to the limited atoners. Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Arminians, all fit into this broad theology labelled ‘Reformed’.
I remain convinced that if any person merely read the Bible for itself, without feeling pressured to read other books and listen to preachers rhetoric, no one would ever discover such a harsh and uncaring doctrine as Limited Atonement.
Did Martin Luther believe in Limited Atonement?
Posted by simon peter sutherland in Reform, Theology on October 15, 2024
On 31st October 2024, it will be Reformation Day. This event is a public holiday in 5 states in Germany but in the UK Reformation Day is largely forgotten and replaced with Halloween. With this in mind I’m minded to write something about it.
For those who may not know Reformation Day is an anniversary of the day (October 31, 1517) when Martin Luther (1483-1546) nailed his ninety five thesis to the church door in Wittenberg. Back then the church was like our church is today, apostate and in desperate need of reform. Priests and Popes were corrupting the church and few had the nerve to stand up to them. But Luther, God bless him, stood strong and famously nailed his thesis to the church door and the sound of his hammer echoed through the chambers of the establishment.
Recently I watched the 2003 film Luther starring Joseph Fiennes and it has brought back a lot of fond memories for me. That film was very influential when I first began studying Luther and reading his books and autobiographies about him. I’d recommend people view that film and read his books rather than waste their time with all that Halloween nonsense.
But as the saying goes ‘nobody’s perfect’ and the same can be said for Luther. For me Martin was far from perfect, and that’s the point. Reformers do not need to be perfect humans they just need to have faith and believe the Bible. There are times when I really agree with Luther and think that he has been misrepresented by many people. For me, a great deal of these misunderstandings stem from cherry picking sections of Luther quotes without really considering the possibility that he might have changed his mind later on.
While in discussion recently it came up of how Luther and Calvin would have agreed with each other over doctrine and this brings me to the main point of this article. My discussion was in response to the Calvinistic interpretation of Predestination which logically affirms the doctrine of Limited Atonement. As always I make my point that there are differences of opinion concerning the meaning of Predestination and the 16th century reformers didn’t all agree with the Calvinism of that century. For me, Calvin is a little like Luther sometimes in that he might have changed his mind at times. For me, Calvin reads as though he did believe in Limited Atonement and certainly Predestination, while other times he appears to believe that Christ died for all mankind. These views can be found in Calvin’s Commentaries.
Yet there are times, (certainly in Luther’s books) where Martin appears to believe that Christ died for all, yet other times he implies all means the elect? This would imply that he didn’t believe Christ died for all, so there’s certainly conflict in understanding his position. This brings me to the answer of my own title: Did Martin Luther believe in Limited Atonement? Well, the answer is yes and no, I don’t think he did and other times I’m not so sure, here’s why.
While at Wittenburg in 1515, Martin Luther began to lecture from the New Testament and from Paul’s epistle to the Romans. It was during Luther’s studies for these lectures that he famously found that salvation is by grace alone and through faith.
In the popular modern versions of Luther’s commentary on Romans, such as J. Theodore Mueller’s translation, certain beliefs and passages have been omitted from the publications to avoid confusion with Luther’s actual beliefs. For, his beliefs often changed and improved with his knowledge of scripture. In his lectures on Romans and 9: 20-21 Luther says this:
“God will have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2: 4), and he gave his Son for us men, and he created man for the sake of eternal life. And likewise: Everything is there for man’s sake and he is there for God’s sake in order that he may enjoy him, etc. But this objection {to God’s sovereignty in salvation} and others like it can be just as easily be refuted as the first one: because all these sayings must be understood only with respect to the elect, as the apostle says in 2 Timothy 2: 10, “All for the elect.” Christ did not die for absolutely all, for he says: “This is my blood which is shed for you” (Luke 22: 20) and “for many” (Mark 14: 24) – he did not say: for all- “to the remission of sins” (Matthew 26: 28) (Martin Luther, Lectures on Romans, translated and edited by Wilhelm Pauck. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1961. P 252)
The question remains for my readers: Did Luther believe in Limited Atonement or did he believe Jesus died for all mankind? Decide for yourselves. I think he may have originally believed in Limited Atonement (in 1515) and changed his mind later on.
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Simon Peter Sutherland
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Simon Peter Sutherland 