Episode 111: Wyatt Evans on his Conversion Story from Reformed Protestantism
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Lee Martin McDonald on the Reception of Athanasius's 39th Festal Letter (367)
Athanasius was probably the first
to use the term canon (κανών) in reference to a closed body of sacred
literature, and he also appears to be the first to list the twenty-seven books
of our current NT canon, though in a different order (the Catholic Epistles
follow Acts and precede Paul). As he indicated in the closing comments, one
should not conclude from the use of the verb κανονιζομένων (“canonized” or
“listed”) in Athanasius’s letter that all current and subsequent church leaders
agreed fully with his catalogue of sacred texts. He unhesitatingly accepted
the book of Revelation as a part of his biblical canon, but several other churches
in the East did not agree with him. Cyril of Jerusalem and Gregory of
Nazianzus, for example, left it out, and even today, as we saw above, the Greek
Orthodox lectionary does not include readings from Revelation. While the
canon set forth by Athanasius ultimately prevailed in the majority of the
churches in succeeding centuries – it was adopted with the help of Augustine at
the church councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397, 416) – there is no
evidence, however, that Athanasius’ letter had a determining impact on all
of the churches of his day whether in the east or even in his own region of
Egypt, but it is likely that his list was reflective of the majority of
churches with which he was acquainted in his generation. Certainly the list
was not something that he himself created, but it reflected the books that
most, not all, of the Christians acknowledged as Scripture. The multiple
manuscript discoveries in Egypt from this time and later periods do not support
the pervasive influence of Athanasius’ list even in Egypt, but as in most
cases, there was considerable overlap. Not until almost seven hundred years
later was the book of Revelation universally accepted into the NT canon of most
churches, though many churches appear to have simply ignored it if we consider
the content of the surviving manuscripts. We saw above the considerable
difference in the number of manuscripts containing the Gospels, Acts, Paul, and
the Catholic Epistles compared to Revelation. (Lee Martin McDonald, The Formation of the
Biblical Canon, 2 vols. [London: T&T Clark, 2017], 2:306-7, emphasis in
bold added)
Friday, October 16, 2026
Samuel Hawthornthwaite (1857) As a Hostile Witness to 19th-century Latter-day Saint Belief in Baptismal Regeneration
Samuel Hawthornthwaite, a former Latter-day Saint, in his 1857 book written against "Mormonism" acts as a hostile witness to early Latter-day Saint belief in baptismal regeneration (a doctrine many modern Church members seem to be embarrassed of):
No sooner was my head above
water, and I felt my feet again, than I made a rush from the watery element to terra
firma, leaving my companion to get out as best he could. The Saints struck
up a Mormon hymn, while two or three of the brethren gathered round me, and
gave me an extraordinary good rubbing with a rough towel, which in a few
minutes transported me from the torrid zone to a tropical climate. Before I
went into the water I was a Gentile and an alien, but now, being born again, I
entered into the brotherhood in first-rate style; the consequence was, they
flocked round me in groups, to wish me happiness on my advent into the new
family.
. . .
On the Sunday afternoon following
my water baptism, I attended the meeting of the Saints in the Hall of Science,
Manchester. This was a large square room, well filled with brethren and
sisters, who had assembled for the purpose of receiving the sacrament of bread
and wine, and holding their usual Church meeting. I no sooner entered the room
than I became the "observed of all observers," all eyes being fixed
upon me as their new-born brother. I seated myself in the most obscure part of
the room I could find, in order to screen myself from the scrutiny of my too
inquisitive relations. After singing and prayer, the presiding Elder gave out
the notice, that if there were any persons present who had been baptized and
had not had hands laid upon them for the gift of the Holy Ghost, they must sit
on a certain form placed near the stand. A person led me to the top of the
room, where I sat myself down on the form; the three principal Elders came down
from the platform and surrounded me; they then put their hands on my head, and
one of them delivered the following speech in a very solemn and distinct tone:
"Dearly beloved brother, we,
the servants of the Most High God, lay our hands upon your head in the name of
Jesus Christ, and by virtue and authority of the Priesthood invested in us, to
confirm you a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints; and,
inasmuch as you have been baptized for the remission of sins, we say unto you,
that your sins are all forgiven you. And also, by the same authority, we give
and confer upon you the gift of the Holy Ghost, which shall be in you as a well
of water springing up to eternal life; it shall show you things past, things
present, and things to come, and guide you into all truth. Which blessing we
seal upon you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and by
virtue and authority of the Priesthood invested in us. Amen." (Samuel Hawthornthwaite,
Mr. Hawthornthwaite’s Adventures Among the Mormons as an Elder, During the
Last Eight Years [Manchester, UK: Samuel Hawthornthwaite, 1857], 84, 85-86)
Maurice E. Vellacott on "the perfect" (τὸ τέλειον) in 1 Corinthians 13:10
CHAPTER 13 AND VERSE 10
1 Corinthians 13:10 indicates
that “when the perfect (teleion Greek) comes, the partial will be done
away.”
This clause is amplified by
Paul’s words, before and after, in 1 Corinthians 13: 9–13. After stating in
verse 8 that various manifestations of the Spirit would be rendered inoperative
or cease, he explains in 1 Corinthians 13:9 and 10: “For we know in part (“in”
is the Greek ek meaning “from” or “out of”), and we prophesy in part;
but when the perfect comes (Greek to teleion, “attaining an end or
purpose, complete” “meeting the highest standard”—BDAG, s.v. τέλειος, §1;
“brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to
completeness”—Thayer, s.v. τέλειος, §1), the partial will be done away (Greek brought
to an end).” The sense of the word points to the ultimate, not to some
intermediate state. Therefore, the phrase “when the perfect comes” (τέλειον/teleion),
likely refers to entering the eternal state—the new heavens and the new earth
(Rev. 21:1; cf. Isaiah 65:17–25).
There has been lots of debate on
the precise meaning of the Greek word teleion. Thomas Edgar (1996:246) sums up
his conclusion in the following insightful words:
If, as seems apparent in the
passage, the teleion [“perfect”] refers to the individual’s with the
Lord, this passage does not refer to some prophetic point in history. These
factors mean that this passage does not teach when gifts will cease or how long
they will last. It serves to remind the Corinthians of the abiding nature of
love in contrast to the gifts, which by their inherent nature are only
temporal, only for this life.
Put succinctly, Edgar (1996:246)
believes that the “perfect” (teleion) occurs when the individual
believer enters into the presence of the Lord, whether that be at the Lord’s
return or the believer’s passing on to heaven, whichever first. When the
believer meets the Lord Jesus face-to-face, there will be no need for the
spiritual gifts, because “then I shall know fully just as I also have been
fully known” (1 Cor 13:12; cf. 2 Cor 5:8–9). Calvin (1573:360), in answer to
when that “perfect” will come, says, “It begins, indeed, at death, for then we
put off, along with the body, many infirmities; but it will not be completely
manifested until the day of judgment.” Note that Calvin (1573:360) says that
the “perfect” begins at death, but its full application is not to that
intermediate state.
In other words, without fear of
being contradicted, we know that various “spiritual ministries” will fade into
complete irrelevance, at a different time for me than my grandchildren,
assuming they outlive me and that the Lord doesn’t return before I depart this
present earthly scene. (Maurice E. Vellacott, The Earliest View of New Testament
Tongues: Understood as Non-Supernatural, Learned Earthly Languages [Eugene,
Oreg.: Wipf & Stock, 2024], 227-28)
Arthur A. Tiger on the Pastoral Implications Concerning the Debate Among Protestants Concerning Arminian vs. Reformed/Calvinistic Theology
The pastoral implications
of TULIP create both comfort and controversy. The assurance that salvation
depends entirely on God’s sovereign choice, not human performance, provides
deep security for believers. The teaching that God ordained everything for His
glory gives meaning to suffering and providence. However, critics argue this system
undermines evangelism (why share the gospel if God already chose?), promotes
fatalism (why strive if everything is determined?), and makes God author of
evil (if He ordains all things). These practical concerns, not merely theological
abstractions, fuel ongoing resistance to Calvinist soteriology. (Arthur A.
Tiger, The Encyclopedic Handbook of Protestant Denominations: Systematic
Analysis of History, Theology, and Contemporary Challenges [His Story for
Us Publishing, 2025], 438-39, emphasis in original)
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Arthur A. Tiger on the Debates Among Protestants Concerning Soteriology
The doctrine of salvation stands
at the heart of Protestant theology, yet no area generated more passionate disagreement
among orthodox believers than the precise nature of how God saves sinners.
These soteriological debates, involving questions about divine sovereignty and
human responsibility, the nature of faith, the security of salvation and possibility
of apostasy, represent not merely academic theological disputes but fundamental
differences in understanding God’s character, human nature, and the very
essence of the gospel. With hundreds of millions of Protestants aligned
with different soteriological systems—Reformed, Arminian, Lutheran, Baptist,
Wesleyan—these debates shape preaching, evangelism, discipleship, and Christian
experience across denominational lines. (Arthur A. Tiger, The Encyclopedic
Handbook of Protestant Denominations: Systematic Analysis of History, Theology,
and Contemporary Challenges [His Story for Us Publishing, 2025], 437,
emphasis in original)
These debates matter profoundly
because they affect every aspect of Christian life and ministry. The Calvinist
preaching God’s sovereign grace to totally depraved sinners, the Arminian
calling for decisive faith response to prevenient grace, the Lutheran
proclaiming objective justification through Word and Sacrament, and the Wesleyan
pursuing entire sanctification through grace-empowered holiness each reflect
different soteriological convictions with practical consequences. The
contemporary resurgence of Reformed theology among young evangelicals, the
growth of “Traditionalist” Southern Baptists opposing Calvinism, and the popularity
of “Free Grace” theology demonstrate these ancient debates’ ongoing vitality
and divisive potential. (Arthur A. Tiger, The Encyclopedic Handbook of
Protestant Denominations: Systematic Analysis of History, Theology, and
Contemporary Challenges [His Story for Us Publishing, 2025], 438)
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