Conditionality, Not Responsibility
David Engelsma responds to Rev. Wes Bredenhof's charge that the Protestant Reformed Churches deny human responsibility by emphasizing divine sovereignty in their covenant theology. Engelsma clarifies that the PRC's objection concerns whether the covenant of grace contains conditions that might compromise God's unconditional grace and election, not a denial of human responsibility or calling. This article provides important insight into the ongoing theological controversy between the Protestant Reformed and Canadian Reformed churches regarding the nature of the covenant and its relationship to God's sovereign grace.
In a recent blog post,1 the Rev. Wes Bredenhof, a Canadian Reformed minister, contends that the Protestant Reformed objection to the covenant doctrine of the Canadian Reformed Churches is, in fact, a denial of personal responsibility. By their criticism of the Canadian Reformed -- and "liberated" -- doctrine of the covenant, the Protestant Reformed Churches (PRC) are guilty of denying human responsibility, particularly with regard to salvation in the covenant of grace. The PRC are strong on...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org