The Five Points of Calvinism

• TULIP

e Five Points of Calvinism

instructor’s guide

Bethlehem College & Seminary

720 13th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55415

612.455.3420

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modiﬁed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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instructor’s guide

Table of Contents

Instructor’s Introduction Course Syllabus Introduction from John Piper

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Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6
Introduction to the Doctrines of Grace

Total Depravity

Irresistible Grace Limited Atonement Unconditional Election Perseverance of the Saints

5
27 57 85 115 141

Appendices

Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C

Historical Information Testimonies from Church History Ten Eﬀects of Believing in the Five Points of Calvinism

173 175 183

Instructor’s Introduction

It is our hope and prayer that God would be pleased to use this curriculum for his glory. us, the intention of this curriculum is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. is curriculum is guided by the vision and values of Bethlehem College & Seminary which are more fully explained at bcsmn.edu. At the Bethlehem College & Semianry website, you will find the God-centered philosophy that undergirds and motivates everything we do. May God be glorified in us as we are satisfied in him alone!

• Course Description

e TULIP: e Five Points of Calvinism course is an attempt to carefully

present the biblical teaching on the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. Students will systematically study the ﬁve points of Calvinism (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints) by examining the relevant biblical passages. e student’s learning will be solidiﬁed through answering study questions, considering provocative quotations, and engaging in class discussions. Ultimately, our goal is that students who take this course will be awakened to the glory of God’s sovereign grace.

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• Objectives

is course is designed to accomplish speciﬁc objectives. A student successfully completing this course should be able to:

▷▷▷

Magnify the worth of God in a more meaningful and personal way by treasuring him in their heart above all else. We recognize that this, the ultimate objective of the course, is impossible apart from the grace of God in the working of the Holy Spirit, who exalts the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Understand the Scriptures more fully as a result of searching them diligently throughout the course. Every lesson will compel the student to read and meditate on the Word. Our desire is to encourage students to be Bereans (cf.

Acts 17:11).

Comprehend and thoughtfully interact with ﬁve points of Calvinism as they are presented in this curriculum. To this end the student will answer comprehension questions, respond to common objections, and formulate their own questions.

▷▷

Discuss and apply the biblical truth that is presented in the curriculum. Synthesize and summarize what they have learned through the course. is last objective will be accomplished by the completion of the course’s ﬁnal project.

• Implementation

As the instructor of this course, it is imperative that you are completely familiar with the curriculum. We therefore recommend that you read this entire section carefully and then skim through the rest of what is contained in this binder.
is course is designed to be taught in 6 lessons, ideally in 2 hours of in-class instruction and with approximately 2.5 hours homework each week. To achieve the kind of undistracted focus and academic rigor that maximizes learning, we recommend that this course be taught as a weeknight class. We anticipate, however, that this curriculum might be adapted for a Sunday school, small group, or discipleship setting. If this is necessary or most appropriate, we urge you to establish an expectation among your students that this course will require more concentration and commitment than a typical Sunday school class would. A tone of serious and earnest study should be set by the instructor before the course even begins.

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Before the first class session, you will need to decide when and where this course will be offered. Record this information on the syllabus in the box labeled “Course Information.” You may also want to include your contact information in this box. e schedule incorporated in the syllabus does not have assigned dates. Please write the intended dates for each lesson in the corresponding column or boxes. Once you have completed filling out the syllabus, photocopy it so that you may distribute one copy to each student enrolled in the course. e Student’s Workbook does not include a syllabus, so your students will not have a syllabus until you distribute one. Photocopying the syllabus is the only photocopying that is required of you by this curriculum.

First Lesson

During the ﬁrst lesson, we recommend the following outline to structure your time:

Welcome / Prayer (5 min): Greet the students as they arrive. Open the

lesson by exalting God in prayer.

Personal Introductions (20 min): Ask each student in the room to brieﬂy

introduce themselves by answering the following questions (and answer these questions yourself): What is your name? Can you tell the class a little about yourself? Why are you enrolled in this course and what are you hoping to gain from it? (In large classes, it may not be feasible to have everyone introduce themselves. Instead, it may be helpful for you to describe how you came to embrace the sovereignty of God in salvation. It is always helpful for students to see how the truth has aﬀected your life.)

Syllabus and Workbook Review (25 min): Distribute your customized

course syllabus and then guide the class through it, reading each item and answering any questions that the students might have. Explain the various parts of the Student’s Workbook. If you choose, you may read the “Introduction from John Piper.” Draw attention to the “Further Up and Further In” section. Emphasize that the questions in this section are recommended, but not required. Be sure to point out the appendices in the back of the Student’s Workbook.

Break (5 min)

Instructor’s introduction

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Introduction to Calvinism (60 min): Guide the class through Lesson 1.

In preparation, you should attempt to answer the questions yourself before consulting the suggested answers in the Instructor’s Guide. Aﬅer allowing a few minutes for the students to answer each question, pause to discuss their answers. en move on to the next question.

Overview of Next Week / Closing (5 min): Ensure that they understand

what is required of them in preparation for the next class session. en thank them for coming to the class and dismiss in prayer.

Subsequent Lessons

As the instructor, you will be expected to do all the preparation for each lesson that is required of the students and more. We strongly recommend that you obtain a Student’s Workbook and attempt to complete the homework on your

own before consulting this Instructor’s Guide. e Instructor’s Guide provides our

suggested answers. Some questions in this curriculum are open-ended and could be answered in diﬀerent ways. You may ﬁnd that the answers contained in this manual may not be the clearest or most accurate answers possible. erefore, we encourage you to improve upon our answers if you can. It is essential to

understand that this Instructor’s Guide is meant to be a resource; the real authority is God’s Word.

Furthermore, we have deliberately omitted lesson outlines for Lessons
2–6. Our recommendation is for you to open the class in prayer and then immediately proceed through each day’s study, discussing how the students answered the three lesson questions and reﬂecting on the biblical passages. You then might want to cover the sermon or discussion questions. You will

notice that the material in each lesson should provide you with much more material than you can cover in an hour of thoughtful interaction. is

is not an oversight in design, and you should not feel obligated to provide the students with answers for every question. Rather, as the instructor, your responsibility should be to focus on areas where students have questions or interest.
You will also notice that the Instructor’s Guide has material that is not included in the Student’s Workbook in the form of Teaching Notes. Consult these notes aﬅer thoroughly reviewing the lesson on your own, but before you meet with the class.

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It is our conviction that the best teachers foster an engaging environment in the classroom. Adults learn by solving problems or by working through things that provoke curiosity or concern. erefore, we discourage you from lecturing for the entire lesson. Although an instructor will constantly shape conversation, clarifying and correcting as needed, they will probably not talk for the majority of the lesson. is curriculum is meant to facilitate an investigation into biblical truth—an investigation that is shared by the instructor and the students. erefore, we encourage you to adopt the posture of a “fellow-learner” who invites participation from everyone in the class.

Teaching Style

It might surprise you how eager adults can be to share what they have learned in preparing for each lesson. erefore, you should invite participation by asking your students to share their discoveries. Here are some of our “tips” on facilitating discussion that are engaging and helpful:

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Don’t be uncomfortable with silence initially. Once the ﬁrst student shares their response, others will likely to join in. If you cut the silence short by prompting the students, they are more likely to wait for you to prompt them every time.

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Aﬃrm answers whenever possible and draw out the students by asking for clariﬁcation. Your aim is to make them feel comfortable sharing their ideas and learning, so be extremely hesitant to “shut down” a student’s contribution or “trump” it with your own. is does not mean, however, that you shouldn’t correct false ideas—just do it in a spirit of gentleness and

love.

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Don’t allow a single student or several students to dominate the discussion. Involve everyone and intentionally invite participation from those who are more reserved or hesitant.

▷▷

Labor to show the signiﬁcance of their study. Emphasize the things that the students could not have learned without doing the homework. Avoid talking too much. e instructor should not monopolize the discussion but rather guide and shape it. If the instructor does the majority of the talking, the students will be less likely to interact and engage, and they will therefore not learn as much. Avoid constantly adding the “deﬁnitive last word.”

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e instructor should feel the freedom to linger on a topic or question if the group demonstrates interest. e instructor should also pursue digressions that are helpful and at least somewhat relevant. e instructor, however,

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should attempt to cover the material. Avoid the extreme of constantly wandering oﬀ topic, but also avoid the extreme of limiting the conversation in a way that squelches curiosity or learning.

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e instructor’s passion, or lack of it, is infectious. If you demonstrate little enthusiasm for the material, it is almost inevitable that your students will likewise be bored. But if you have a genuine excitement for what you are studying, and if you truly think inductive Bible study is worthwhile, your class will be impacted positively. erefore, it is our recommendation that before you come to class, you spend adequate time working through the homework and praying so that you can overﬂow with genuine enthusiasm for the Bible and for God in class. is point cannot be stressed enough. Delight yourself in God and in his Word!

It may be necessary to again stress that this curriculum is a resource. As the

instructor, you should feel the freedom to structure the class time and to discuss the material in a way that promotes the maximum learning and enjoyment of your students. Lingering on certain questions, pursuing helpful digressions, examining relevant portions of Scripture, adding other supplemental material, and customizing the curriculum to ﬁt your situation are all heartily approved.

Questions or Comments?

If you still have questions aﬅer reading this introduction and surveying the curriculum, you may contact Bethlehem College & Seminary at [email protected]. We are also eager for your comments and suggestions! anks!

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syllabus

• Course Description

e TULIP: e Five Points of Calvinism course is an attempt to carefully present biblical teaching on the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. Students will systematically study the ﬁve points of Calvinism (Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints) by examining relevant biblical passages. e student’s learning will be solidiﬁed through answering study questions, considering provocative quotations, and engaging in class discussions. Ultimately, our goal is that students who take this course will be awakened to the glory of God’s sovereign grace.

• Objectives

is course is designed to accomplish speciﬁc objectives. A student completing this course should be able to:

▷▷▷

Magnify the worth of God in a more meaningful and personal way by treasuring him in their heart above all else. We recognize that this, the ultimate objective of the course, is impossible apart from the grace of God in the working of the Holy Spirit, who exalts the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Understand the Scriptures more fully as a result of searching them diligently throughout the course. Every lesson will compel the student to read and meditate on the Word. Our desire is to encourage students to be Bereans (cf.

Acts 17:11).

Comprehend and thoughtfully interact with ﬁve points of Calvinism as they are presented in this curriculum. To this end the student will answer comprehension questions, respond to common objections, and formulate their own questions.

▷▷

Discuss and apply the biblical truth that is presented in the curriculum. Synthesize and summarize what they have learned through the course. is last objective will be accomplished by the completion of the course’s ﬁnal project.

Syllabus

1

• Required Book (Textbook)

▷

An English version of the Bible, preferably the English Standard Version (ESV) or New American Standard Bible

(NASB)

• Requirements

Students are expected to prepare for Lessons 2-6 by completing the lesson pages in a sequential order. erefore, for each lesson a student should read the Introduction, the Lesson Objectives, and the Preliminary Definitions. en the student should read the remainder of the lesson and answer the 15 questions contained therein. Each lesson’s workload has been divided into five daily assignments for the convenience of the student. If time permits, students may complete the “Further Up and Further In” section of the lesson. (NOTE: e “Further Up and Further In” section of each lesson contains one article or sermon related to the topic for that lesson.)
As a final project, students will compose a summary (2-3 pages double-spaced) of their understanding of the five points of Calvinism (to be turned in at the end of the course). is paper may be emailed as an attachment to the instructor or mailed to the instructor’s address. In this summary, students will:

•••outline their understanding of the 5 points of Calvinism as presented in the workbook and class discussions. articulate any questions or objections that remain in their minds. express how the doctrines of grace are beginning to aﬀect the way that they live, worship, pray, and evangelize.

• Schedule

Lesson

Date

Lesson Title

123456

Introduction to Calvinism

Total Depravity

Irresistible Grace Limited Atonement Unconditional Election Perseverance of the Saints

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Introduction from John Piper

We love God. He is our great Treasure, and nothing can compare with him. One of the great old catechisms says, “God is a Spirit, inﬁnite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” at is the One we love. We love the whole panorama of his perfections. To know him and to be loved by him is the end of our soul’s quest for eternal satisfaction. He is inﬁnite; that answers to our longing for completeness. He is eternal; that answers to our longing for permanence. He is unchangeable; that answers to our longing for stability and security. ere is none like God. Nothing can compare with him. Money, sex, power, popularity, conquest - nothing can compare with God.

e more you know him, the more you want to know him. e more you feast on his fellowship, the hungrier you are for deeper, richer communion. Satisfaction at the deepest levels breeds a holy longing for the time when we will have the very power of God to love God. at’s the way Jesus prays for us

to his Father, “ . . . that the love with which You loved Me may be in them.” at

is what we long for: the very love the Father has for the Son ﬁlling us, enabling us to love the Son with the very love of the Father. en the frustrations of inadequate love will be over.

Yes, the more you know him and love him and trust him, the more you long to know him. at is why we have written this curriculum. We long to know God and enjoy God. Another great old catechism says, “What is the chief end of man?” And answers: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him for ever.” We believe that enjoying God is the way to glorify God, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. But to enjoy him we must know him. Seeing is savoring. If he remains a blurry, vague fog, we may be intrigued for a season. But we will not be stunned with joy, as when the fog clears and you find yourself on the brink of some vast precipice.

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Our experience is that clear knowledge of God from the Bible is the kindling that sustains the fires of affection for God. And probably the most crucial kind of knowledge is the knowledge of what God is like in salvation. at is what the five points of Calvinism are about. We do not begin as Calvinists and defend a system. We begin as Bible-believing Christians who want to put the Bible above all systems of thought. But over the years – many years of struggle – we have deepened in our conviction that Calvinistic teachings on the five points are biblical and therefore true.

Our own struggle makes us patient with others who are on the way. We believe that all the wrestling to understand what the Bible teaches about God is worth it. God is a rock of strength in a world of quicksand. To know him in his sovereignty is to become like an oak tree in the wind of adversity and confusion. And along with strength is sweetness and tenderness beyond imagination. e sovereign Lion of Judah is the sweet Lamb of God.

We hope you will be helped. If you aren’t, well, then just return to the Bible and read it with all your might. at is where we want you to end up anyway: reading and understanding and loving and enjoying and obeying God’s Word, not our

word.

For the supremacy of God in all things, for the joy of all peoples through Jesus

Christ,

John Piper Chancellor

Bethlehem College & Seminary

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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• Introduction

e goal of this course is to provide an introduction and explanation of the five points of Calvinism. Sometimes called the Doctrines of Grace, these five points summarize the biblical teaching on the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners. ough this study will primarily focus on the five points, Calvinism should not be restricted to them. J.I. Packer aptly explains this point:

In the first place, Calvinism is something much broader than the “five points” indicate. Calvinism is a whole world-view, stemming from a clear vision of God as the whole world’s Maker and King. Calvinism is the consistent endeavour to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things aﬅer the counsel of His will. Calvinism is a theocentric way of thinking about all life under the direction and control of God’s own Word. Calvinism, in other words, is the theology of the Bible viewed from the perspective of the Bible—the God-centered outlook which sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace. Calvinism is thus theism (belief in God as the ground of all things), religion (dependence on God as the giver of all things), and evangelicalism (trust in God through Christ for all things), all in their purest and most highly developed form. And Calvinism is a unified philosophy of history which sees the whole diversity of processes and events that take place in God’s world as no more, and no less, than the outworking of His great preordained plan for His creatures and His church. e five points assert no more than that God is sovereign in saving the individual, but Calvinism, as such, is concerned with the much broader assertion that He is sovereign everywhere.¹

Because “Calvinism…is concerned with the…assertion that [God] is sovereign everywhere,” we must ﬁrst establish the larger point that God is sovereign over all of reality before we attempt to unpack the biblical teaching on the sovereignty of God in salvation.

1

J.I. Packer, “Introductory Essay” in The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen

(Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1999), 5.

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• Teaching Notes

e purpose of the material in lesson 1 is to provide an overview of the doctrine of the sovereignty of God so that the five points of Calvinism can be placed in their proper context. Depending on the theological background of your class, you may want to spend more time on the last few questions of this lesson rather than focusing on the first few questions. Be mindful of the amount of time you have to complete all ten questions and budget your time accordingly. You may choose to skip some of the questions and direct your students to complete them in their spare time.
As you introduce the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, be sure to stress that the primary goal of the class is to examine the biblical teaching on these issues. Encourage your students to approach this course with humility. Our aim should be to derive our theology from a close study of the Scriptures. To do so, it will be necessary to continually check our assumptions against the Bible. e Bible must remain the supreme authority in these matters.
is lesson contains three lengthy portions of Scripture (the story of Job, the story of Joseph, and the story of the crucifixion of Jesus). e purpose of including these three examples is to expose your students to the complexity of the relationship between the sovereignty of God and human beings, particularly as it pertains to evil in the world. erefore, you should not feel compelled to solve the mystery of God’s sovereignty in relation to people. Rather, you should endeavor to show the tension inherent in Scripture when dealing with these issues.
For each story, it may be best to divide your class into small groups and assign a few verses to each group. For example, one group might examine Job 2:6-12 and answer question 3. Another group could do the same for Job 2:13- 19. en each group could share what they discover with the whole class. is allows you to maximize your class time in the most efficient manner.
As you walk through the story of Job, highlight the complexity of discerning the proper cause of Job’s misery. e text clearly indicates that God is ultimately responsible and sovereign over the calamity that befalls Job. However, Satan is also intimately involved, as are various other people groups. It is important to stress the various sources of Job’s misfortune so that your students understand the difficulty of coming to clear and unambiguous answers regarding the relationship of God to evil.
e story of Joseph also displays the same ambiguity. Joseph’s brothers are clearly responsible for his enslavement. At the same time, the Bible assigns