Hoekema’s theology came from the
Reformed tradition. He emphasized the
authority of Scripture as understood through historic
Reformed confessions. At the center of his theology was the
covenant of grace, which he saw as upholding both the
sovereignty of God and human responsibility. He rejected views that downplayed
free will, insisting that God’s grace enables faith, repentance, and obedience. His view of humanity emphasized the
image of God, damaged by sin but renewed through Christ. Hoekema also engaged contemporary
evangelical movements, especially
Pentecostalism and the
Charismatic movement. He affirmed the
Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in believers but rejected the idea of a second, post‑conversion
baptism in the Holy Spirit marked by
speaking in tongues. He argued that the New Testament presents Spirit baptism as part of conversion itself, and he viewed miraculous gifts like tongues as primarily tied to the apostolic era rather than as ongoing norms for the modern church. In
eschatology, Hoekema was a leading advocate of
amillennialism. He opposed
dispensational premillennialism and
postmillennialism, teaching instead that the
kingdom of God is both already present through Christ and not yet fully realized. He interpreted apocalyptic texts, including the
book of Revelation, as symbolic and in harmony with the rest of Scripture. ==Personal life and death==