Recently a hyper-Calvinist updated his Facebook status with the following: “If you give money to evangelical missions to reach the unregenerate your heart is veiled and the truth is hidden from you. Stop the giving. STOP THE GIVING. STOP THE GIVING! STOP THE GIVING! Cut off their money flow. Don’t finance unbelieving regenerate missionary enterprises.”

No, I’m not making it up; that’s really what he wrote. What is a hyper-Calvinist? Historically, hyper-Calvinism has contended that the Holy Spirit regenerates the elect apart from the hearing of the Gospel and that one can be regenerate without believing—perhaps without ever believing. They argue that Gospel preaching does not result in people getting saved—rather it locates those already born again. Hyper-Calvinists traditionally have been anti-missions, and as the above quote shows, such sentiments still exist. Note his hostility to missionary efforts—four times he writes “stop the giving.” Evidently he believes his mission is to stop those who attempt to obey the Great Commission.

Do not confuse Calvinism with hyper-Calvinism. Every Calvinist with whom I have a friendship firmly rejects the lunacy expressed in the above quote. Many great missionaries have been Calvinists—William Carey and Lottie Moon spring to mind. This Molinist is happy to link arms with his Calvinist brethren for the glorious task of reaching the nations. And when hyper-Calvinists try to discourage missions we should not remain silent. Let us do the exact opposite of his admonition. Let’s give more to missions. Let’s increase our commitment, increase our sacrifice. Let’s lead our churches to spend ourselves for the Great Commission.