If the Galatians had been Calvinists, how would they have responded to Paul's letter? The following letter illustrates how the Galatians might have responded to Paul if indeed they had been Calvinists.
The church of Galatia, the elect predestined to be born anew monergistically by God through the particular redemption of his Son, effectually called and secure in Christ for eternity.
To Paul, an apostle of Christ. Grace and peace to you.
We are astonished and amazed by your last epistle which came to us with great joy. But alas! upon reading your message our joy is turned into great sorrow. You warn us that we may not enter the kingdom of God? How can you say such things to the elect of God! Do you not know that we are chosen by Him for heaven? You warn us that God cannot be mocked and that we will reap what we sow! From where do these words come? Do you not know that we are predestined for the kingdom of heaven? How can you say that if we sow to the flesh we will reap destruction? Do you not know that we are the elect and destruction is not our destiny?
I remind you that you said in your letter that we had 'began in the Spirit.' You yourself reminded us that miracles were done among us through Him supplying the Spirit to us. You yourself reminded us that we are sons of God having been clothed with Christ and because we are sons of God, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts who cries 'Abba Father.' You yourself reminded us in this selfsame letter that we had been set free. You yourself admit that we were born anew.
And now you warn us that we might not enter the kingdom of heaven and we may rather reap destruction based on our behavior in Christ rather than God's election?!?! How can you tell such a bold lie dear Paul? For do you yourself not know that we who are saved cannot possibly end in the flesh? Do you not know that it is impossible for us not to enter the kingdom of God, we who have began in the Spirit? What sense can your words ever make to us? For we all know that those who have been born again (and you have attested that we were), cannot escape entering the kingdom of God. For God chose us to heaven and our behavior between now and then cannot change our destiny since it was determined before the creation of the world. Are you not aware of five point Calvinism?
There, we can only hope that your letter is a result of drinking too much of that Macedonian wine dear friend. Else we fear that you were never saved in the first place and we wonder how it is that you brought us new birth. We can only pray that no unsuspecting men consider your letter to the Galatian church as inspired by God. For it is impossible for us who were once born again to end up in any other place than heaven and such warnings to us that the born again not enter the kingdom have no partnership with reality. Your letter cannot be the word of God.
Can you imagine preaching Paul's inspired message to Calvinists? Imagine how Calvinists would react if you warned them they would not enter the kingdom of God if they continued in their present behaviour. They would reject the message because they do not believe that not entering the kingdom is a possibility. Thus they nullify the word of God, as preached by Paul, for the sake of their tradition.
