Hyper Phobia

No Calvinist today, except for some Hardshells, want to be labeled as a "Hyper Calvinist." To be accused of being such is to be accused of committing the worst of theological sins. This term is being tossed around like the proverbial "hot potato." No one wants to be stuck with the label. It is a powerful emotive word that when heard provokes a variety of emotions, often negative.

It seems to me that those who are the most often suggested as being Hyper, men like James White, "protesteth too much."

Hardshells are universally acknowledged to be Hyper Calvinists. So too are the "Strict Baptists" and the old "Regular Baptists."

If we all agree that these sects of Baptists are fine specimens of Hyper Calvinism, then perhaps we should identify the leading soteriological tenets of Hardshellism.

Here is a list of those tenets.

1. Christ in no sense at all died for the non-elect.

2. Christ in no sense preached the gospel to the non-elect.

3. The gospel is only to be preached to those already born again.

4. The salvation that occurs as a result of faith and repentance is not eternal salvation or regeneration.

5. One must be first born again or regenerated before he can believe or be converted.

6. There is often an appreciable gap in time between being regenerated and being converted.

7. Not all those who are regenerated will be converted.

8. Regeneration and new birth occurs apart from human means (at least the "first stage"), and apart from the means of the preached word.

9. Most of the elect die without hearing the gospel or without becoming Christians.

10. All men do not have an obligation to believe, repent, and be saved.

11. There are no offers of salvation in the gospel, especially to the non-elect.

12. Many of the elect are regenerated in infancy.

13. Regeneration is not a conscious experience.

14. No aspect of eternal salvation is conditioned on any human person or action.

15. The adult and the infant are regenerated in the same manner, apart from the word.

16. Regeneration is a work of God done directly, immediately, and apart from the "free will" of man, but conversion is a work of the "free will" of the born again child of God. The first is irresistible (Non-Conditionalist Faction), but the latter is resistible.

17. Faith is not necessary to either regeneration or any part of eternal salvation.

18. Justification by faith has nothing to do with eternal salvation but is only a timely experience for only some of the regenerated elect.

19. Eternal justification occurred when Christ died on the cross.

20. A denial of common grace.

Now, to the degree that a person believes these things, to that extent he is a Hardshell or Hyper Calvinist. And, to the degree that the "shoe fits," one should "wear" it.