“And, brothers, I make known to you the gospel preached by me, that it is not according to man. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12).
Consider the heart and very life-blood of the gospel: The efficacious atonement of Jesus Christ. There are many professing Calvinists who SAY they love the truth that Jesus Christ’s death demands and ensures the salvation of all whom He represented at the cross. Some of them will preach the efficacious atonement of Jesus Christ as if it were actually an essential gospel doctrine. But when the Word of the cross is clearly and uncompromisingly proclaimed as foolishness to those being lost (i.e., those who believe Christ died for every sinner without exception) and the power of God to those being saved, then its nature as an optional gospel doctrine becomes disgustingly apparent in the estimate of said Calvinists.
As long as the Word of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-24) is considered to be an optional gospel doctrine, these pernicious theological connoisseurs will sip it like old sweet wine fetched from the optional gospel doctrine wine cellar. But if you preach the lostness of all who deny that the cross of Christ is the dunamis of God to salvation, then they will forcefully spew that once supposed “sweet wine” out as a SKANDALON and foolishness.
The aforementioned “tolerant Calvinists” would say they agree that the Word of the cross is not according to man, but according to the revelation of Jesus Christ. But when Jesus Christ is preached as the wisdom and power of God and that His cross is actually and efficaciously dunamis to ALL who believe (1 Corinthians 1:17-31; 2 Corinthians 4:6), then watch them RAIL against it as some sort of idiosyncratic side-show. Thus their true sentiments are savagely and brutally revealed to all with eyes to see and ears to hear. The thoughts of their Christ-despising hearts have been revealed.
“And Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, Behold, this One is set for the fall and rising up of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against…so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).
“As many as desire to look well in the flesh, these compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).
“But what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those desiring an occasion, so that in that which they boast, they be found also as we. For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And did not Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light? It is not a great thing, then, if also his ministers transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
Agrammatos 