Horton puts more Flowers in the Garden

     ​The anacronym TULIP has become popular, but it can come with many misconceptions. Horton helps to understand why it falls short as a summary of what it means to be reformed. 

      In my view it is: 1) New. Not historical at all as an American invention in 20th century. 2) while cute and I like Tulips, it gets the order wrong. The Synod of Dordt actually combined two of the headings as well. 3) the phrase limited atonement might be one of the most unhelpful theological terms. If you are not a universalist (and you shouldn't be), that is someone who thinks everyone is going to heaven, then you limit the atonement in some way. 4) we often forget, it was a response to what others were saying. I like where Horton points out Calvin was not unique and he, like others, wrote about it when others brought it up. Predestination was not the theological center for them. 5) The reformed summaries are much larger than 5 points! The garden has more than just one tulip in it. 
      Listen to this short Horton video and understand Tulip better, than read his book or Saving The Reformation by Robert Godfrey.