I can do no other
Discover what Calvin and Arminius really taught about election, free will and God’s grace. We challenge common misconceptions, explore the difference between monergism and synergism, and ask the crucial question: who brings about salvation? And what does this mean for your assurance of faith?
I would like to take a look at this doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved.’ I have a difficult time to decide what theology around this topic is most waterproof. No human-being will ever be able to fully explain God’s amazing works. All we can do is thinking of nice theories and hope that our theory somehow manages to explain, at least, a bit of that what we believe.
Many refuse to believe in universally binding morals. They will absolutely rebel against the idea of someone or something that dictates an absolute moral standard. They quite often say that they only follow their own private conscience. This argument from conscience is very effective in this situation, since it does not presuppose moral objectivism.
Can we be good without God? In this video, you’ll discover why morality isn’t simply a human invention and how objective moral values point to a personal and moral God. We discuss the Moral Argument, examples of good and evil, and answer the question atheists often ask: can we act morally without God?
Universalism states that sooner or later all people will be saved for eternity. This position holds that the concepts of hell and punishment are inconsistent with a loving God.
The debate about Calvinism and Arminianism has flared up again in the Netherlands. I think it’s great that this conversation is happening again. Because it touches on the core of the gospel: How does God work in the salvation of people? But we rarely talk about the greater role of the Holy Spirit in the work of salvation.
What if one of the most damaging ideas circulating in the church isn’t about money or hell… but about the Holy Spirit? What if I told you that the teaching that you need to wait for some dramatic, second experience to really receive the Spirit is not only a misreading of the Bible, but has […] 
Roman 13… The most cited Bible text by oppressing rulers. It is also a fiercely debated text among Christians. Is Paul just telling us just to obey the rulers, period! Or is there something else going on? In all fairness I need to say that I did have trouble obeying my Dutch government when we […] 
Many of us like to distinguish between important and less important teachings within the Christian faith. But what are the necessities of the Christian faith? That’s what I like to explore together with you in this new series. Index Introduction to this series Part 2: God’s Revelation Part 3: About God Part 4: Creation Part […] 
Whenever I talk about certain teachings within the Church, I often say that this or that teaching isn’t causing you to be lost when believed wrongly. Many teachings are not on the same level as the doctrine of Salvation. In this article we will see what this doctrine entails. Whenever I talk about certain teachings […] ![THE RAPTURE [Dangerous Ideas Emerging in the Church of Christ]](https://i2.wp.com/www.apologeet.nl/wp-content/uploads/images/faq/opname-denken-GB-thumb.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)
Dangerous Ideas in the Church of Christ Introduction Many dear brothers and sisters I know believe in the rapture before the great tribulation or pre-trib rapture as they call it. The main text used for this comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with […] 
Article by I. Hofmann, July 2024. All right reserved. Published with permission on Apologeet.nl. Translation by J. Hofmann. Introduction Thomas Aquinas is a well-known Roman Catholic philosopher and theologian from the 13th century. He lived from 1225 to 1274 and was declared a saint in 1323, 49 years after his death. During his lifetime, he […] 
Heresies may seem like something belonging to a distant past, yet many ancient errors continue to reappear in new forms. In this series, we examine a number of important teachings from Church history and compare them with what the Bible actually teaches. Along the way, we discover not only how these errors arose, but also why it is important to examine the Christian faith carefully and learn to distinguish truth from error. 
Part 1 – What is heresy? Jehovah’s Witnesses are like the Dutch people… You’ll find them all around the world. Please don’t complain about this comparison. I myself am Dutch. And I know, the Dutch mostly go around the world to do business, which can be good, right? The Jehovah’s Witnesses mostly go around to […] 
Jan van Meerten is the driving force behind the website Fundamentum (oorsprong.info). Jan’s work goes far beyond his website. He has always been very active in all kinds of study days and conferences. It is thanks to Jan that I get informed, on a regulart basis, about what is going on in the more Reformed […] 
If you think defending the Christian faith is just a small discipline within theology, you might be surprised that there are several styles. These styles come with their own extensive literature. There are four main types of Christian apologetics: Classical, evidential, presuppositional, and fideism. In this video I would like to look with you at […] 
If you think defending the Christian faith is just a small discipline within theology, you might be surprised that there are several styles. These styles come with their own extensive literature. There are four main types of Christian apologetics: Classical, evidential, presuppositional, and fideism. In this video I would like to look with you at […] 
If you think defending the Christian faith is just a small discipline within theology, you might be surprised that there are several styles. These styles come with their own extensive literature. There are four main types of Christian apologetics: Classical, evidential, presuppositional, and fideism. In this video I would like to look with you at […] 
If you think defending the Christian faith is just a small discipline within theology, you might be surprised that there are several styles. These styles come with their own extensive literature. There are four main types of Christian apologetics: Classical, evidential, presuppositional, and fideism. In this video I would like to look with you at […] 
Introduction I recently received a comment on one of my posts on my website. The person wasn’t really polite towards me because apparently I am completely brainwashed with complete loss of self-identity and therefore critical thinking. Not only that but I am also in a psychosis, totally trapped in a delusional system. Don’t you just […] 
You might have heard of the five ‘solas’ of protestantism. It is basically a summary of what the protestants believe to be true after the reformation. Sola is latin for ‘only’ or ‘alone.’ I will explain a bit more about these ‘solas’ in a minute. But I mostly want to think with you about ‘sola […] 
I guess this is the follow-up of the last video in which we tackled the doctrine of ‘once saved, always saved.’ Can a Christian lose salvation? Good question! What is a Christian? First, I think it will be smart to determine what a Christian is. A ‘Christian’ is not someone who sits in church every […] 
Atheist Experience 30-03-2008i This wager thingy was still on my mind when I came across a YouTube channel called the ‘Atheist Experience.’ This channel is already running 13 years, so you could say that these guys are pretty experienced in them being atheistic and all. One of the faces of this channel is mister Matt […] 
You Wanna Bet on it? My kids love to climb trees. Overall, I’m okay with that, but I normally give them one very important but simple rule: You are not allowed to fall out! And whatta you know… They tend to break that one simple rule every time. One day, one of them came running […] 
A bit overdue but, better late than never. Last year, Brett send me a question about Deism. He said: In the Deistic model, a world with a God or a world without a God look the exact same. If God is a non-interventionist [in other words: When God is not intervening with the world], then […] 
In the last video, and the videos before I asked you whether you have any topics you would like me to discuss. So far, I have several. One of you want to talk about deism and why it is or isn’t a flawed idea. And Nortega came up with also a good topic. He said: […] 
This argument from miracles, and others, like the argument from religious experience and the argument from change, are not designed to prove the absolute existence of God they only claim a strong probability. Still, I include these kinds of arguments because they, together with all the other arguments, form a strong cumulative case. Other arguments […] 
This argument is closely related to the ontological argument. It starts from the idea of God. However, unlike the ontological argument, it does not say that real being is part of the content of that idea. Nope, it tries to demonstrate that only God Himself could have make this idea to develop in our thoughts. […] 
The material world we know is a world of change. My oldest son is about 1.76 metre. But he was not always that height. When he was born, he was about 51 centimetres. Yes, he changed a lot during the last 15 years. General Sherman is the biggest tree in the world. According to estimates, […] 
A Biblical Case for the Church’s Duty to Remain Open Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18). He is also King of kings—sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). The Church should stand immovably on those biblical principles. As […] 
We have discussed several arguments for God. Now we’ve come to the fifth argument and I think this one will tricker most resistance. The Religious Experience argument for the existence of God! A religious experience is when someone feels they have had a direct or personal experience of God. This argument basically says that if […] 
What do you think? Are we like orphans or are we citizens of our universe? Are we just an accident, a fluke, a product of mere chance? If we have to belief the secular world we are just a result of time, space, matter, chance and impersonal laws. No, the universe is just what it […] 
Do you know mister William Lane Craig? This is a hugely smart man, and listening to him sounds like you’re reading an official academic essay. I’ve written a lot of essays and I wish I could write them as fast as he formulates his sentences. Mister Craig is well known for his philosophical way of […] 
Introduction In his 1078 work Proslogion, Anselm of Canterbury came with the idea which is known as ‘the ontological argument’. In this argument God’s existence is not just possible or probable or very likely, but is logically ensured. Anselm defined God as “that than which nothing greater can be thought”. Anselm said that this being […] 
A short explanation of the Penal Substitution Theory These are just some notes a friend of mine took many years ago during our lectures. So they are not an extended explanation but just a brief overview. Penal (that Christ satisfied the penalty of the law, as the righteousness of the Father demanded) substitution (that he […] 
A short explanation of the Christus Victor theory These are just some notes a friend of mine took many years ago during our lectures. So they are not an extended explanation but just a brief overview. History Developed by Gustaf Aulén (May 15, 1879 – December 16, 1977) the Lutheran professor and Bishop of Strängnäs […] 
Available essays: Kritische beoordeling van bijzondere openbaring: God of griezel It is ‘of the essence… of the church to be a missionary community’ Exegesis on Genesis 12 Salvation throughout the Old Testament Evangelism – From then to now (creative presentation on the history of British evangelism and mission) Exegesis on Mark 15:33-39 Trinity (Critical essay) […] 
(A) priorities The scientific aspects of creation are important, but secondary to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Ruler, Creator, Redeemer and Judge. The teachings on the Creator and Creation are inseparable from the Gospel of Christ, they cannot be separated from it. (B) The fundamentals The 66 books of the Bible […] 
‘The Qur’an does not accept that [Jesus] was crucified, but states that he was taken directly to heaven. This is the one irreducible “fact” separating Christianity from Islam’ (Seyyed Hossein Nasr). Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 1499 9th May 2015 Introduction Nasr’s comment is given (among other occasions) in his book in comparison of other doctrines […] 
“How Might the Old Testament’s Concern for Justice Impact Contemporary Slavery?” Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 2468 7th May 2015 Introduction Slavery is not only a phenomenon of the past. It is estimated that 29.8 million people are forced to live in slavery around the world today. Modern slavery is present in almost every country. Wherever […] 
Essay “What was Jesus’ Understanding of the Significance of the Healings and Exorcisms he Performed?” Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 2500 14th of August 2013 Introduction Reading the Bible, one can hardly ignore the presence of remarkable miracles. In the New Testament we find Jesus proclaiming the kingdom of God and at the same time performing […] 
“Christ is the Image of the Invisible God” Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 1242 5th May 2014 Introduction Humans are created in God’s image but Christ is the image of God. How do we approach this aspect of Christ? Can it be that it explains what human nature is supposed to be, or does the New […] 
“The sacredness of life is in Christian eyes an absolute which should not be violated” (Lambeth Conference of Bishops, 1958) Can or Should One Apply This Statement to Abortion? Note: There is a postscript included after the bibliography.Please, read this to understand my point of view! Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 2479 20th January 2014 Introduction […] 
Case Study on Ethics It is 3 am and you are late getting home. As you approach the intersection you notice that no one is around. Do you drive through the red light? Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 1248 20th November 2013 Introduction What to do when the traffic-lights are red but there is no time […] 
Research File Consisting of three parts: PART 1: A Reflective Report on a Mosque Visit. PART 2: My Personal Reflection on Islam and Muslims. PART 3: Academic Essay on the Challenges of Communicating the Gospel among Muslims in the UK. Jurgen Hofmann Total word-count: 5299 21th June 2012 Note: Persons and institutions, who have given […] 
Development of Christian Faith in History Exploration of the Links of Atonement and Faith and Practise Today (Maximum 1000 words) Jurgen Hofmann Word count: 1087 19th June 2012 Introduction The atoning work of Christ has been a vivacious debated doctrine throughout the centuries. What is the overarching metaphor to describe Jesus’ sacrifice? In this paper […] 
Critical Essay Outline and comment on the development of the Trinity to the end of the Patristic era. (Maximum 2500 words) Jurgen Hofmann Word count: 2740 29th May 2012 Introduction The widespread doctrine of the Trinity is a well supported doctrine within the Christian faith. This was not always the case. The Trinity doctrine knows […] 
Exegesis – Mark 15:33-39 Jurgen Hofmann Word Count: 2145 28td February 2012 Introduction Each of the four Gospels gives a portrait of Jesus Christ and his works. The writers used different styles and emphases—the message however is the same in each writing: the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. In this paper a […] 
Creative Presentation on the History of British Evangelism and Mission Jurgen Hofmann Word Count written paper: 1031 13td February 2012 Your browser does not support the video tag. »» Please click here to watch the intro before continuing to read. Introduction Your browser does not support the video tag. »» Please click here to watch […] 
Critical Essay on the Theme of Salvation as it Emerges in the Old Testament (Maximum 3000 words) Jurgen Hofmann Word Count: 3039 16td December 2011 Introduction In this paper the theme of salvation will be explored, and how this theme emerges throughout the Old Testament (OT). When one is asked to say what the Bible […]
Exegesis on Genesis 12 (Maximum 2000 words) Jurgen Hofmann Word Count: 2078 14td November 2011 Introduction This paper will give an exegesis on Genesis 12. The exegesis will look in to the importance of the chapter within the Pentateuch. After this a short overview of the context will be given. The different events within the […] 
It is ‘of the essence…of the church to be a missionary community’ (p85 Mission-shaped Church – a Church of England Working Part Report by Church House Publishing, 2004) Assignment: Illustrate this statement from the New Testament, church history, and the contemporary church. From your examples discuss the role of the Holy Spirit in a missionary […] 
