ARMINIANISM VS CALVINISM

Transcription

1 ARMINIANISM VS CALVINISM ARMINIANISM: 1. Free Will or Human Ability 2. Conditional Election 3. Universal Redemption or General Atonement 4. The Holy Spirit Can be Effectually Resisted 5. Falling from Grace CALVINISM: 1. Total Inability or Total Depravity 2. Unconditional Election 3. Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption 4. Irresistible Grace or The Efficacious Call of the Spirit 5. Perseverance of the Saints ARMINIANISM A system of doctrine, named after a Dutch theologian Jacob Hermann Arminius, which rejects the Reformed view of God s sovereignty. It is worth noting that the position of Arminius himself was less objectionable than that of his later followers and he certainly evidenced no animosity toward Calvin, whose writings he esteemed second only to Scripture itself. His theological position was almost the same as John Wesley s. He held proper views of man s depravity and inability, and because of this, of the need for supernatural grace to effect salvation. This contrasts with the position adopted by later Arminians (see below, points 4, 5, 6; also The Five Points of Controversy). It is usual, but wrong, to think of Arminianism as merely the doctrine that Christ died for all men, without distinction, or that it is possible to lose justifying grace. These are tenets of Arminianism, but there are others of great significance, as for example: 1. God s knowledge of the future acts of free agents is mediate. 2. The decrees of God are conditional on some thing or things not themselves absolutely decreed. Particularly it is held that election is on account of foreseen faith. 3. God created Adam merely innocent, not in holiness i.e., his will* was in a state of balance between good and evil, not positively inclined toward good. 4. Sin consists in acts of the will. 5. Only the pollution, not the guilt, of Adam s sin is imputed to his descendants. 6. Man s depravity is not total. He is able to incline his will toward God and good. 7. The atonement,* which was not necessary but merely one way which God chose to show His love without prejudice to His righteousness, was offered equally for each and every man. 8. The atonement does not actually effect the salvation of those for whom Christ offered it, but merely makes their salvation possible. 9. Salvation becomes effectual only when accepted by the penitent sinner, whose repentance and faith precede his regeneration.* 10. The human will is one of the causes of regeneration. 11. Faith is a good work and a ground of acceptance with God.

2 12. There is no such thing as common grace* as distinct from special grace. The external call of the gospel is accompanied by a universal sufficient grace which may enable the sinner to repent and believe, but which may be resisted. 13. The righteousness of Christ is not imputed to the believer. 14. A believer is able to attain to perfect conformity to the divine will in this life; he may also fall from grace and be lost eternally. Some Arminians went even further and became very rationalistic. Arminius s original views were adopted by the Dutch Remonstrants whose position was condemned by the Synod of Dort.* The Remonstrants still hold to Pelagian notions and have lax views of the doctrine of inspiration* and the Trinity.* Wesleyan Methodism adopted Arminianism in a revised form known as Evangelical Arminianism, in which points (5) and (6) above are restated so as not to be so openly in conflict with the Reformed position. 1 CALVINISM B. B. Warfield defines Calvinism as theism and evangelicalism come to their own. That is to say, quite simply, that God saves sinners. He does not merely provide the possibility or opportunity for them to be saved. He does not do His part and leave man to do his part to accomplish salvation. No, God actually saves sinners, and that salvation is all of Him. Cornelius Van Til says that Calvinism s only system is to be open to the Scriptures. He adds, The doctrines of Calvinism are not deduced in a priori fashion from one major principle such as the sovereignty of God. This has been one of the most frequent arguments against Calvinism. The charge is that it fastens on to one Scripture principle, God s sovereignty, and proceeds to develop a logical system based on that principle, with little or no regard to Scripture. As Van Til indicates, such a charge is groundless. By taking the exact opposite of the long list of doctrines taught by Arminianism,* we arrive at a fair statement of the Calvinistic position. We may here note the following in particular: 1. The Five Points. What has just been said will make it clear that Calvinism is more than five points. The five points were actually answers to five points made by Arminians. Five-point Calvinism is frequently referred to as TULIP theology, using the T-U-L-I-P as an acrostic: Total Depravity; Unconditional Election; Limited Atonement (though Calvinists believe that Arminians, not they, limit the atonement; they prefer such terms as particular redemption or definite atonement); Irresistible Grace; Perseverance of the saints. (See Five Points of Controversy.) 2. Calvinists believe in the unrestricted, universal offer of the gospel (Van Til). 3. They believe in human responsibility, emphasizing that the true meaning of this term must be taken from Scripture and not from human philosophy. 4. They believe that man has a free will, which means Scripturally that man acts according to the determination of the inclination of his own will. Thus he is a free agent. But the inclination of the human will since the fall is inveterately opposed to God (Rom. 8:7). All man s acts of will proceed freely from this self-determination to sin. Calvinists hold that fallen man cannot originate a new inclination of will. Only God can do that when He regenerates a sinner. 1 Cairns, A. (2002). In Dictionary of Theological Terms (pp ). Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International.

3 5. Thus, as the Word of God teaches, salvation must be all of grace, originating with God in His eternal purpose and executed by Him without the merits or efforts of our fallen nature. 6. Paul s great statement in Rom. 11:36 sums up the entire outlook of the Calvinist: of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. 7. Needless to say, Calvinism did not originate with Calvin but has been given his name because of his magnificent work in restating the theology of Scripture 2 FIVE POINTS OF CONTROVERSY Often mistakenly called The Five Points of Calvinism. * In the years before the Synod of Dort,* ( ) there were grave controversies in which a group known as the Dutch Remonstrants* opposed the accepted Calvinistic system of the churches represented at the Council. These Remonstrants were led by Jacob Arminius, professor of theology at the University of Leyden from The Remonstrants, also known as Semi-Pelagians* and more generally, as Arminians,* set forth their position (1611) in five points. These are known as the five points of controversy, which defined the issues on which the followers of Arminius repudiated traditional Calvinistic theology. They are as follows: 1. Conditional Election: From all eternity God determined to bestow salvation on those whom He foresaw would persevere to the end in their faith in Christ. Likewise, He determined to inflict everlasting punishment on those whom He foresaw would continue in their unbelief and resist to the end of their life His divine help. 2. Universal Atonement: The Lord Jesus Christ by His sufferings and death made atonement for the sins of mankind generally and of every individual in particular. However, only believers actually partake of the benefits of that atonement. 3. Depravity: Because of his natural corruption, man cannot think or do any good thing, and so true faith (by which alone sinners can partake of the benefits of Christ s atonement) cannot proceed from the exercise either of man s natural faculties or of his free will. It is, therefore, necessary to his conversion and salvation that he be regenerated and renewed by the operation of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Evangelical Arminians still hold to the original Remonstrant statement on this subject, placing the work of the Spirit before the exercise of faith and repentance, though the Remonstrants themselves were led to more and more unscriptural positions by the successors of Arminius and Episcopius. 4. Resistible Grace: This divine energy of the grace of the Holy Spirit heals the disorders of corrupt nature and begins and perfects everything that can be called good in man, so that all good works in man are attributed to God and the operation of His grace. Nevertheless, such regenerating grace may be resisted and rendered ineffectual by the perverse will of the impenitent sinner. 5. Fall from Grace: Believers are furnished with abundant strength and help, sufficient to enable them to triumph over the seductions of Satan and the allurements of sin. However, by the neglect of this help, they may fall from grace, and if they die in such a state, must finally perish. The Remonstrants were at first doubtful about this last notion of falling from grace, but later adopted it as an established doctrine. 2 Cairns, A. (2002). In Dictionary of Theological Terms (p. 75). Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International.

4 The so-called Five Points of Calvinism were a direct answer to these points made by the Remonstrants. Calvinism does not consist of five points. The five points made by Calvinists were specific responses to the points raised by the Remonstrants. Calvinism goes far beyond them. 3 Calvinism vs. Arminianism Which View Is Correct? Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God s sovereignty and man s responsibility in the matter of salvation. Calvinism is named for John Calvin, a French theologian who lived from Arminianism is named for Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch theologian who lived from Both systems can be summarized with five points. Calvinism holds to the total depravity of man while Arminianism holds to partial depravity. Total depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin; therefore, human beings are unable to come to God on their own accord. Partial depravity states that every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, but not to the extent that human beings are unable to place faith in God of their own accord. Note classical Arminianism rejects partial depravity and holds a view very close to Calvinistic total depravity. Calvinism includes the belief that election is unconditional, while Arminianism believes in conditional election. Unconditional election is the view that God elects individuals to salvation based entirely on His will, not on anything inherently worthy in the individual. Conditional election states that God elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ unto salvation, thereby on the condition that the individual chooses God. Calvinism sees the atonement as limited, while Arminianism sees it as unlimited. This is the most controversial of the five points. Limited atonement is the belief that Jesus only died for the elect. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died for all, but that His death is not effectual until a person receives Him by faith. Calvinism includes the belief that God s grace is irresistible, while Arminianism says that an individual can resist the grace of God. Irresistible grace argues that when God calls a person to salvation, that person will inevitably come to salvation. Resistible grace states that God calls all to salvation, but that many people resist and reject this call. Calvinism holds to perseverance of the saints while Arminianism holds to conditional salvation. Perseverance of the saints refers to the concept that a person who is elected by God will persevere in faith and will not permanently deny Christ or turn away from Him. Conditional salvation is the view that a believer in Christ can, of his/her own free will, turn away from Christ and thereby lose salvation. Note many Arminians deny conditional salvation and instead hold to eternal security. So, in the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate, who is correct? It is interesting to note that in the diversity of the body of Christ, there are all sorts of mixtures of Calvinism and Arminianism. There 3 Cairns, A. (2002). In Dictionary of Theological Terms (p. 179). Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International.

5 are five-point Calvinists and five-point Arminians, and at the same time three-point Calvinists and two-point Arminians. Many believers arrive at some sort of mixture of the two views. Ultimately, it is our view that both systems fail in that they attempt to explain the unexplainable. Human beings are incapable of fully grasping a concept such as this. Yes, God is absolutely sovereign and knows all. Yes, human beings are called to make a genuine decision to place faith in Christ unto salvation. These two facts seem contradictory to us, but in the mind of God they make perfect sense. 4 4 Got Questions Ministries. ( ). Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

6 The Five Points of Calvinism and Arminianism The following is a comparison of the five points of Calvinism and the five points of Arminianism arising out of the Dutch Remonstrance controversy. The "Five Points" of Arminianism 1. Free Will or Human Ability The "Five Points" of Calvinism 1. Total Inability or Total Depravity Although human nature was seriously affected Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to by the fall, man has not been left in a state of savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, total spiritual helplessness. God graciously blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is enables every sinner to repent and believe, deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not but He does not interfere with man's freedom. free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, Each sinner possesses a free will, and his therefore, he will not--indeed he cannot-- eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose Consequently, it takes much more than the good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ--it not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes has the power to either cooperate with God's the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's Faith is not something man contributes to grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be salvation--it is God's gift to the sinner, not the regenerated by the Spirit before he can sinner's gift to God. believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation. 2. Conditional Election 2. Unconditional Election God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation. God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.

7 3. Universal Redemption or General Atonement 3. Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it. 4. The Holy Spirit Can be Effectually Resisted Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation. 4. Irresistible Grace or The Efficacious Call of the Spirit The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are In addition to the outward general call to called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He salvation which is made to everyone who hears does all that He can to bring every sinner to the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can a special inward call that inevitably brings them successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit to salvation. The external call (which is made to cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; all without distinction) can be, and often is, faith (which is man's contribution) precedes rejected; whereas the internal call (which is and makes possible the new birth. Thus, made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it man's free will limits the Spirit in the always results in conversion. By means of this application of Christ's saving work. The Holy special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow to Christ. He is not limited in His work of Him to have His way with them. Until the applying salvation by man's will, nor is He sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. dependent upon man's cooperation for God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to man. come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended. 5. Falling from Grace 5. Perseverance of the Saints Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point; some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ--that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost. All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.

8 REJECTED by the Synod of Dort This was the system of thought contained in the "Remonstrance" (though the "five points" were not originally arranged in this order). It was submitted by the Arminians to the Church of Holland in 1610 for adoption but was rejected by the Synod of Dort in 1619 on the ground that it was unscriptural. 5 REAFFIRMED by the Synod of Dort This system of theology was reaffirmed by the Synod of Dort in 1619 as the doctrine of salvation contained in the Holy Scriptures. The system was at that time formulated into "five points" (in answer to the five points submitted by the Arminians) and has ever since been known as the "five points of Calvinism." 5 Taken from Romans and Interpretive Outline by David N Steele and Curtis C Thomas ISBN Appendix D Pages used with permission from P&R Publishing Co. P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, N.J