Theology For The Rest of Us gives quick simple answers to some of the toughest and most asked questions about God, Christianity, and the Bible. We answer questions on a variety of topics related to theology in a way that any person can understand, not just theology experts. This podcast is hosted by author and pastor Kenny Ortiz. This show covers topics such as systematic theology, prayer, new covenants, baptism, tithing, love, sex, gambling, legalism, spiritual gifts, the resurrection of Jesus, church history, relationships, fasting, Calvinism and Arminianism, eschatology, common heresies, the importance of global missions, and even some political topics. Episodes feature experts such as David Mathis, Andy Stanley, Aubrey Sampson, Don Whitney, Preston Sprinkle, Nate Akin, Barnabas Piper, and several other pastors, leaders, and content creators.
All content for Theology for the Rest of Us is the property of Kenneth Ortiz and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Theology For The Rest of Us gives quick simple answers to some of the toughest and most asked questions about God, Christianity, and the Bible. We answer questions on a variety of topics related to theology in a way that any person can understand, not just theology experts. This podcast is hosted by author and pastor Kenny Ortiz. This show covers topics such as systematic theology, prayer, new covenants, baptism, tithing, love, sex, gambling, legalism, spiritual gifts, the resurrection of Jesus, church history, relationships, fasting, Calvinism and Arminianism, eschatology, common heresies, the importance of global missions, and even some political topics. Episodes feature experts such as David Mathis, Andy Stanley, Aubrey Sampson, Don Whitney, Preston Sprinkle, Nate Akin, Barnabas Piper, and several other pastors, leaders, and content creators.
In this episode Kenny again tackles the "Calvinism and Arminianism" debate (which happens to be one of the most heated debates amongst Protestants). Herein episode 297, Kenny unpacks the doctrine of "total depravity" and explains how this doctrine is at the heart of the debate.
What is Total depravity? Total depravity is the doctrine that asserts that 100% of a human being's soul, mind, and will are radically impacted and corrupted by sin. There is not one element or part of the human essence or existence that is not impacted by sin, therefore rendering every human being incapable of ever seeking God of their own volition of free will. Total depravity is the "T" in the well-known acronym "TULIP" (which is often used to describe the five points of Calvinism).
Proponents of "total depravity" assert that human beings are sinful from the time of conception because we all have inherited sinful nature from Adam and Eve, and our sinful nature is so damaging that it causes us to be incapable of ever wanting to choose or seek God. In order for a person to ever want to seek God, God must first do something supernatural in that person's soul. However, Calvinism and Arminianism have differing ideas of how God does that supernatural thing. In short, both Calvinists and Arminians agree on the "T" of the five points of TULIP, but disagree on the next four points.
Arminians argue for a concept called "prevenient grace." They assert that God bestows a supernatural grace which leads a person to have the ability to believe in God, if they choose. which then leads to regeneration. However, Calvinists argue that the supernatural thing that God does is in fact regeneration, which then causes the person to be regenerated. Therefore, Arminians argue that faith proceeds regeneration, while Calvinists argue that regeneration proceeds faith.
Arminians argue that a person could receive prevenient grace and still choose to reject God, while Calvinists argue that 100% of the persons who receive God's proactive regenerative grace will choose to believe on him. Understanding these differences is essential to understanding this infamous debate.
Episode 297 also builds on the content of episode 295 wherein Kenny covers the "five points of Calvinism" and he assumes listeners have some understanding of those five points. This episode also leverages content covered in 296: "Calvinism vs. Arminianism" in which Kenny explains that we're often not framing the debate in the most helpful manner.
Theology for the Rest of Us
Theology For The Rest of Us gives quick simple answers to some of the toughest and most asked questions about God, Christianity, and the Bible. We answer questions on a variety of topics related to theology in a way that any person can understand, not just theology experts. This podcast is hosted by author and pastor Kenny Ortiz. This show covers topics such as systematic theology, prayer, new covenants, baptism, tithing, love, sex, gambling, legalism, spiritual gifts, the resurrection of Jesus, church history, relationships, fasting, Calvinism and Arminianism, eschatology, common heresies, the importance of global missions, and even some political topics. Episodes feature experts such as David Mathis, Andy Stanley, Aubrey Sampson, Don Whitney, Preston Sprinkle, Nate Akin, Barnabas Piper, and several other pastors, leaders, and content creators.
