a Doctrine in South Africa that come with the Freemason Voortrekkers. The Church with Free Mason Roots
Dutch Reformed and German Reformed. Both branches represent churches that separated from the Roman Catholic Church as part of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. The Dutch Reformed branch can be traced back to the Dutch settlers who gathered in New Amsterdam in 1628. The German Reformed branch was started by German immigrants who settled around Philadelphia in the early 1700s. These two branches have much in common, yet have remained distinct throughout their history.
The Dutch Reformed Church maintained ecclesiastical ties to Holland until 1819, when they were incorporated as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church. In 1867.
According to the church website, the church seeks “to strike a balance between accepting people the way they are and encouraging them to live by Christian standards of fidelity, forgiveness, and growth.”
Cornelius Plantinga, Reformed theologian and president of Calvin Theological Seminary, writes, “Our accents lie more on the sovereignty of God, on the authority of Scripture, on the need for disciplined holiness in personal Christian life, and finally, on Christianity as a religion of the Kingdom.”
Reformed theology is a body of doctrine that is taught by many different churches, including Presbyterian and some Baptist churches. This body of doctrine reflects the teachings of the Protestant reformers Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin and is also referred to as Calvinism.
What is Calvinism and is it biblical?
The five points of Calvinism can be summarized by the acronym TULIP.
T stands for total depravity,
U for unconditional election,
L for limited atonement,
I for irresistible grace, and
P for perseverance of the saints. Here are the definitions and Scripture references Calvinists use to defend their beliefs:
Total Depravity – As a result of Adam’s fall, the entire human race is affected; all humanity is dead in trespasses and sins. Man is unable to save himself (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10-18).
Unconditional Election – Because man is dead in sin, he is unable to initiate a response to God; therefore, in eternity past God elected certain people to salvation. Election and predestination are unconditional; they are not based on man’s response (Romans 8:29-30;9:11; Ephesians 1:4-6, 11-12) because man is unable to respond, nor does he want to.
Limited Atonement – Because God determined that certain ones should be saved as a result of God’s unconditional election, He determined that Christ should die for the elect alone. All whom God has elected and for whom Christ died will be saved (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11; 17:9; Acts 20:28; Romans 8:32; Ephesians 5:25).
Irresistible Grace – Those whom God elected He draws to Himself through irresistible grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God calls, man responds (John 6:37, 44; 10:16).
Perseverance of the Saints – The precise ones God has elected and drawn to Himself through the Holy Spirit will persevere in faith. None whom God has elected will be lost; they are eternally secure (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14).
While all these doctrines have a biblical basis, many people reject all or some of them. So-called “four-point Calvinists” accept Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints as biblical doctrines. Man is definitely sinful and incapable of believing in God on his own. God elects people based on His will alone – election is not based on any merit in the person chosen. All those whom God has chosen will come to faith. All those who are truly born-again will persevere in their faith. As for Limited Atonement, however, four-point Calvinists believe that atonement is unlimited, arguing that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just for the sins of the elect. “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Other verses in opposition to limited atonement are John 1:29; 3:16; 1 Timothy 2:6; and 2 Peter 2:1.
The five-point Calvinists, however, see problems with four-point Calvinism. First, they argue, if Total Depravity is true, then Unlimited Atonement cannot possibly be true because, if Jesus died for the sins of every person, then whether or not His death is applicable to an individual depends on whether or not that person “accepts” Christ. But as we have seen from the above description of Total Depravity, man in his natural state has no capacity whatsoever to choose God, nor does he want to. In addition, if Unlimited Atonement is true, then hell is full of people for whom Christ died. He shed His blood in vain for them. To the five-point Calvinist, this is unthinkable.
It’s not what they Teach but, what they do not Teach and Preach.
- They don’t Preach Baptism in Water
- They don’t Teach Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Christian baptism is one of two ordinances that Jesus instituted for the church. Just before His ascension, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). These instructions specify that the church is responsible to teach Jesus’ word, make disciples, and baptize those disciples. These things are to be done everywhere (“all nations”) until “the very end of the age.” So, if for no other reason, baptism has importance because Jesus commanded it.
Baptism was practiced before the founding of the church. The Jews of ancient times would baptize proselytes to signify the converts’ “cleansed” nature. John the Baptist used baptism to prepare the way of the Lord, requiring everyone, not just Gentiles, to be baptized because everyone needs repentance. However, John’s baptism, signifying repentance, is not the same as Christian baptism, as seen in Acts 18:24–26 and 19:1–7. Christian baptism has a deeper significance.
Baptism is to be done in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit—this is what makes it “Christian” baptism. It is through this ordinance that a person is admitted into the fellowship of the church. When we are saved, we are “baptized” by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, which is the church. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Baptism by water is a “reenactment” of the baptism by the Spirit.
Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship. In the waters of baptism, a person says, wordlessly, “I confess faith in Christ; Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification.”
Christian baptism illustrates, in dramatic style, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. At the same time, it also illustrates our death to sin and new life in Christ. As the sinner confesses the Lord Jesus, he dies to sin (Romans 6:11) and is raised to a brand-new life (Colossians 2:12). Being submerged in the water represents death to sin, and emerging from the water represents the cleansed, holy life that follows salvation. Romans 6:4 puts it this way: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Very simply, baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer’s life. Christian baptism is an act of obedience to the Lord after salvation; although baptism is closely associated with salvation, it is Important requirement to be saved. The Bible shows in many places that the order of events is 1) a person believes in the Lord Jesus and 2) he is baptized. This sequence is seen in Acts 2:41, “Those who accepted [Peter’s] message were baptized” (see also Acts 16:14–15).
A new believer in Jesus Christ should desire to be baptized as soon as possible. In Acts 8 Philip speaks “the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian eunuch, and, “as they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?’” (verses 35–36). Right away, they stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized the man.
Baptism illustrates a believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Everywhere the gospel is preached and people are drawn to faith in Christ, they are to be baptized.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicted by John the Baptist (Mark 1:8) and by Jesus before He ascended to heaven: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). This promise was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4); for the first time, people were permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and the church had begun.
First Corinthians 12:12–13 is the central passage in the Bible regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Notice that we can receive the baptizm by the Spirit—all believers that remain Sinless , fearless and Holy will received the baptism, synonymous with salvation, and it is a very special experience for only a few – set Apart for the Lord . While Romans 6:1–4 does not mention specifically the Spirit of God, it does describe the believer’s position before God in language similar to the 1 Corinthians passage: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
In conclusion, the baptism of the Holy Spirit does two things, 1) it joins us to the body of Christ, and 2) it actualizes our co-crucifixion with Christ. Being in His body means we are risen with Him to newness of life (Romans 6:4). We should then exercise our spiritual gifts to keep that body functioning properly as stated in the context of 1 Corinthians 12:13. Experiencing the one Spirit baptism serves as the basis for keeping the unity of the church, as in the context of Ephesians 4:5. Being associated with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection through Spirit baptism establishes the basis for our separation from the power of indwelling sin and our walk in newness of life (Romans 6:1-10; Colossians 2:12).
Could Calvinism be a stumbling block to the spread of the gospel of Christ?
Calvinism is the term applied to a belief in a high view of the sovereignty of God, especially as it relates to salvation. Calvinists are convinced the Bible teaches that man is sinfully corrupt throughout his entire being and cannot make himself acceptable to God through any amount of effort of his own. Calvinists hold that in eternity past God chose out some among mankind for His own. In the course of time, God grants repentance and faith to His elect so that they might be awakened to their sinful state and need for grace. Those He saves will be preserved for eternity by the Lord and will persevere in following Him; i.e., if they truly belong to Him, they cannot and will not ever fall away because He keeps them secure.
The point which causes some to believe that evangelism isn’t important is that of “limited atonement.” This point of Calvinism teaches that Christ died only for the elect. The theological argument offered is, if Christ in fact died for every single human in world history, then no one would go to hell since their sins are already paid for. Since we know Scripture teaches many spend an eternity separated from God, it must be that their sins were not covered in the atonement. Either that or there are people in hell for whom Christ died, a scriptural insupportable conclusion.
Some may say, “Christ paid for the sins of everyone, but it’s up to each person to decide for and accept Him.” That’s the whole issue between Calvinism (monergism) and Arminianism (synergism). For if man casts the deciding vote, then how is God sovereign? Furthermore, if Christ’s sacrifice needs man’s acceptance of it to validate it, then it can’t be the all-sufficient sacrifice the Bible says it is. (See Romans 5, Ephesians 1:3-14). The Bible tells us that we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19), not the other way around.
But Calvinism, and most anything else if out of balance, could hinder evangelism. The hypothetical argument raised against Calvinism is this: “Since God chose His own in eternity past; and, since He grants repentance and faith needed in order to come to Him; and, since all He has chosen will, in fact, come to Him (John 6:37); and all who come to Him are eternally secure; then, it follows that man isn’t involved in salvation.” But this is a wrong conclusion. Man is very much involved. God ordains the end—the salvation of lost man. But God also ordains the MEANS to the end— evangelism. God could have ordained any number of ways to communicate salvation. He has given a revelation of Himself in creation and conscience (Romans 1 – 2). But He has specifically chosen to communicate the Gospel message through believers sharing the message of salvation (Romans 10:9-17). So, whether one is a Calvinist or not, evangelism is the responsibility of all believers. Historically, Calvinism not only didn’t diminish the Calvinists’ burden for souls, it purified it! The Calvinists were among the greatest evangelists in the history of the church, motivated by love for their Lord and Savior who chose them and saved them “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
Before we truly understand the sovereignty of God in salvation, we often think the burden is on us to “produce” decisions for Christ. We act as if a person’s salvation is dependent on us. So when we share the Gospel and it is rejected, we somehow think we failed to talk that person into believing and that we need a more clever or polished presentation of the plan of salvation. We may be tempted to water down the Gospel next time in order to get the desired response. But once we understand the Doctrines of Grace, the pressure to force a “decision” is removed. Now, we witness because we want to be faithful to our dear Lord. Evangelism among Calvinists is driven by the familiar phrase “By His grace, and for His glory!”
But without Water Baptism after Re-Birth and Baptism of the Holy Spirit we CANNOT enter the Kingdom of God . and this is the PROBLEM with Calvinism – They do not teach and Preach what Jesus instructed
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The Dutch Reformed Church in AFRICA.
The Dutch Reformed Church in Africa (Dutch: Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika, abbreviated NHKA) is a Reformed Christian denomination based in South Africa. It also has congregations in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Along with the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) and the Reformed Churches in South Africa, the NHKA is one of the three Dutch Reformed sister churches of South Africa and now daughter Churches . The NHKA retains the old Nomenclature Nederduitsch, the word originally referring to the Dutch language. The word refers to the Low Saxon language today. The Dutch language remained the official language of the church until 1933 when the church started functioning almost exclusively in Afrikaans.
The Dutch Reformed Church was introduced to South Africa by the Dutch East India Company’s settlement at Cape Town in 1652. The first formal congregation was established in 1665 under the jurisdiction of the classis (presbytery) of Amsterdam. Despite the permanent takeover of the Cape Colony by the UK in 1806, the church remained semi-established with congregations supported from government funds. In 1824 an autonomous synod was established at the Cape, removing the church from control from the Netherlands. This autonomous synod would become the NGK. The unwillingness of Dutch ministers to serve in a British-controlled colony meant that Scottish Presbyterian ministers with British sympathies were introduced to the church
The Great Trek (1835–1846)
In the 1830s, Freemason Boers left the Cape Colony and established republics in the interior of South Africa in what came to be known as the Great Trek. The Voortrekkers in this movement decided to split off from the People in the Cape Colony. The Dutch minister, Erasmus Smit, who sent by the Nederlandsch Zendeling Genootschap from The Netherlands became the first NHKA minister on 21 May 1837. Congregations were founded in the colonies of Natal, the Free State (province) and the Transvaal Colony. In 1841 the American missionary Daniel Lindley took over the leadership from Smit who had at that time become very unpopular among the Voortrekkers. A Dutch minister, Dirk Van der Hoff, took over the leadership of the church in the Transvaal in 1853. The founding of the oldest South African university (Stellenbosch University) and the establishment of the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in 1859 allowed for ministers to be trained locally. While a merger on 7 December 1885 between the NHKA and the NGK seemed successful initially, an increasing number of church members opposed the merging of the two churches and returned to the former NHKA. Reverend M.J. Goddefroy played a central role in the re-establishment of the church.
The Anglo-Boer War (1888–1902) and the WWII
The Anglo Boer War played a major role in South African history and therefore also the history of the NHKA. Many ministers and church members died during the war or were sent as Prisoners of war in British Colonies. The British Scorched earth strategy meant women and children were placed in Concentration camps.It also meant that many churches and archival material was destroyed. After the war, the church was re-established and Dutch ministers (like L.E. Brandt) were once again sent to South Africa. This was a period of immense growth and by 1956 the number of churches had increased from 20 to 183 congregations. The church in South Africa also did not remain immune to the wars raging in the rest of the world. World War II affected many members. Most notably, professor Adrianus van Selms (1906–1984) who served in the NHKA at University of Pretoria became a Prisoner of war in Japan where he wrote numerous theological treatises.
During Apartheid Due to its Afrikaner Nationalist identity, the church has had a long and complicated history when it comes to Apartheid. The church defined itself as a “volkskerk” and evangelism was aimed primarily at the “Afrikaner volk”. The NHKA was initially an active member of the international ecumenical community but a break from the ecumenical movement came during the Cottesloe Consultation in 1960 which lead to the NHKA’s “Fifty Years of Isolation”. In 1982 the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) congress in Ottawa opened in a dramatic manner when South African Delegates under the leadership of Dr. Allan Boesak refused to take communion with the NHKA delegation. The NHKA sanctioned racial discrimination featured prominently during the meeting and the NHKA was suspended from the WARC. Support for the Apartheid Regime from the NHKA was not uncritically accepted by all, and many dissenters such as professors Adrianus van Selms, Cas Labuschagne, Berend Gemser and Albert Geyser left the church, with some like Geyser being accused of heresy. Other theologians and church leaders who remained within the NHKA and opposed Apartheid were stigmatized and harassed with a slew disciplinary actions. After the end of Apartheid, the church increasingly re-evaluated its stance concerning Apartheid and its theological grounding thereof. In 2001,the congress of the church accepted a confession in which it was stated that the church takes note of the crimes that were committed under apartheid, even by church members and that the church confesses its guilt before God and fellow human beings. The 67th General Church Assembly (AKV) decided in 2004 to re-apply for membership to the Reformed Ecumenical Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. The 68th AKV refused to take any binding decisions about re-applying. In 2010, with the eye on the 69th AKV, five ministers of the NHKA (professors Johan Buitendag, Ernest van Eck, Jimmy Loader, Andries van Aarde and Yolanda Dreyer) made a public statement condemning the theological justification of Apartheid. During the 69th AKV, a majority of the church’s ministers and elders voted that the NHKA’s support of Apartheid was in contradiction to the Gospel.The term “volkskerk” was also removed from the ordinances of the church. The decision led to a backlash from the NHKA’s politically right leaning minority and 13 congregations declared themselves independent from the NHKA and members of the “Geloofsbond van Hervormde Gemeentes”.
For over 400 years now South Africans was Mislead by Calvinism within the Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa . By leaving out the 2 Most important steps of our Salvation Called Water Baptism and Baptism in the Holy Spirit , the 2 Most important Steps to Heaven of 12 . It simply means that Calvinism within these South African – Sister and Daughter Churches blocked their Church members access to Heaven according to Jesus
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Generations of “Christian” Afrikaners believed and Died with the Misleading Doctrine teaching that they will be in Heaven one day after they have passed the Death Curtain. Hopefully Hoping they will be on the New Earth at least.