Folks wonder why TULIP is being used as the format for my reply. Answer: I have a lot of sympathy with Calvinism, but there are things in it which do not fit the Bible. Rather than merely say so, it seemed more constructive to correct the misfitting ideas TULIP espouses. After all, the acronym was born from a hasty formulation in 1610 to put down a faction of Calvinism, so needs refining. Further, the acronym is a handy way to organize one's understanding of Scripture, and it correctly names the essential elements of salvation (though the meanings need to be revised and expanded to fit the Bible). In short, each letter of TULIP is too small in scope, and too man-centered in meaning, but these problems can be corrected.

You don't have to "buy" TULIP to profit from its structure, therefore. In fact, it's not a good idea to stand pat on ANY formulation of the Bible, whether it contains right understanding, or not. Open-mindedness is essential, for only God and the actual Bible are infallible. We all are groping, learning, and hopefully listening to the Holy Spirit in the state of 1Jn1:9 used.

Having said all this, it is necessary for me to conclude that Bible Doctrine and Calvinism are distorted by the "TULIP" traditionally espoused. So, this is a proposed rewrite, which attempts to correct: a) TULIP's insufficient emphasis on Sovereignty (a too-small understanding of God and salvation, really), and b) TULIP's misdiagnosis of what's "depraved". As a result, all of TULIP must be reconstructed, a version of which is also proferred here.

You can't believe what you don't see for yourself, and you can't see for yourself what you don't mull over. So, I leave out a lot of explanation"behind" the things said in this piece. So, I leave out a lot of Bible verses which apply. Therefore, to understand what's written here, you have to mull it over. Also, if you don't want to mull it over, by not saying too much I've wasted less of your time.

Finally, if what is said here is true, and you want to investigate the matter, I firmly believe God will prove it to you Himself, through the Power of the Holy Spirit, whenever you are in the state of 1Jn1:9 used, versus 1Jn1:8, or v.10. The idea: testimony of more than one witness. God corroborates any truth in the statements/testimony of anyone, for He loves the Truth. God forbid that anyone merely "buy" or "reject" what is said here for any other reason!

Calvinists and non-Calvinists should, as a result, have a much clearer idea of what "free will" is and is not: a refined understanding is critical, and the "T" here is the crux. More about "T" is in X, and X contains a summary of what is wrong with Traditional TULIP. Comments of particular interest to Calvinists are in blue fontface. Comments of maximum importance overall are in red or dark red fontface. More about the purpose of this site is at the end of VI.

Your collaboration, comments, and criticisms about this site are truly welcome! Please do e-mail me.

Also, for awhile you'll see that whole sections of "S" are incomplete or missing: I'm still trying to figure out how to word those subtopics, i.e., since some trinitarian Christians can't navigate the vocabulary of Trinity, viz., the idea of Three Gods of Identical Essence. Even though that's what "Trinity" means, trinitarians mistakenly view the wording as somehow polytheistic or otherwise heretical. So I have to figure out how to reword "Trinity" to allay their unfounded offense. ("Trinity" is a Bible concept, not the invention of some theologian: See 2Cor13:14 in the Greek. "God" is not hydra-headed, but of SAME ESSENCE, kinda like Triplets.."united" ("one") in Their Mutual Love for Each Other.)

For those of you who deem IV or V too short: if you're curious (or masochistic, heh), you can peruse the epic version of those two sections: click here.

I've gotten a lot of comments from people on this site. Some have grasped the real meaning of the site -- to turn over, comprehend, enjoy, the structure of our so-great salvation and our Legacy in Christ. On the flip side, I was amazed so many folks considered me a Calvinist simply because I had a site named "TULIPS?". Thirdly, some folks don't understand my words: so, I've tried to reword parts which stumped people. This site's language must be succinct, though: that way you can turn it over better in your brain, under the Teaching Ministry of the Holy Spirit. It's not about what "I" say, but how God uses anything you read or hear, for YOUR own benefit. So what "I" say should ideally be as succinct as possible (keeping "me" invisible, ideally, since this is a thing between God and the reader, and not about "me" at all). Better still, if you're not under a pastor, go to "VI", check the links there, and ask God to show you your right pastor.

CAUTION, please: don't use this site as a substitute for studying under your right pastor. This site's purpose, like all my sites, is merely adjunctive. Like fellowship, it's to USE what you've been learning, for recreation and further enjoyment in the Lord. (To spurn God's gift of right pastor incurs Divine Discipline upon the spurner. I am NOT a pastor, but merely a studied believer.)

Calvinists, of course, generally dislike this site, and not one of them has really read it (I've quizzed them). So, they don't realize its subpurpose is to help them see the problems folks (and the Bible!) have with today's Calvinistic dogma, rather than to bash Calvinism. Calvinists routinely block out definitions which don't fit their dogma, even the Bible's (viz., "all"). I can't help such Calvinists realize that 1610 TULIP's babyish, unintentionally-heretical definitions need to 'grow up', by writing more than what is here. God enables, anyway, not me: so I can only witness that I have an empathy for Calvinists, hence this site. What God does with it for them, is His Sovereign Affair.