A COMPARISON OF THE DOCTRINAL SYSTEMS: CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM The 16th century Reformation was essentially a rediscovery of God’s Word and its teachings of salvation by grace alone, through faith. Out of the Reformation came a system of doctrine known as the Reformed Faith, or Calvinism. This system, though most ably defended by John Calvin, was believed and taught by Luther, Zwingli, Bullinger, Bucer, and all the outstanding leaders of the Reformation. Indeed, the Reformed view of salvation was not even new to the Reformation; it was also the teaching of the 4th century cleric, Augustine. The Reformed Faith became the prominent doctrinal position of Protestantism across Europe and in America. Many see it as the most Biblically consistent understanding of salvation. In the early 17th century, followers of Jacob Arminius, a noted Dutch pastor and professor of theology, challenged this prevailing doctrinal system. An assembly of theologians (the Synod of Dort from Germany, Switzerland, England, and Holland was called to discuss and debate the issues raised by Arminius. The following chart outlines the differences in the two positions and the decision of the Synod of Dort (1619). The “Five Points of Calvinism,” recalled by the acrostic T.U.L.I.P, were the countering responses to the “Five Points of Arminianism.” This material was adopted from, The Five Points of Calvinism Defined, Defended, Documented, by Steele and Thomas, edited with added notes by Pastor Mike Schuelke. The “Five Points” of ARMINIANISM The “Five Points of CALVINISM 1. Free Will or Human Ability 1. Total Depravity or Total Inability 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, helplessness. God graciously enables every blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is sinner to repent and believe, but He does so in a deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not manner as not to interfere with man’s freedom. free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal he will not—indeed he cannot—choose good destiny depends on how he uses it. Man’s over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it freedom consists of his ability to choose good takes much more than the Spirit’s assistance to over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not bring a sinner to Christ—it takes regeneration by enslaved to his sinful nature. The Sinner has the which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives power to either cooperate with God’s Spirit and him a new nature. Faith is not something man be regenerated or resist God’s grace and perish. contributes to salvation but is itself a part of The lost sinner needs the Spirit’s assistance, but God’s gift of salvation--it is God’s gift to the he does not have to be regenerated by the spirit sinner and not the sinner’s gift to God. before he can believe, for faith is man’s act and precedes the new birth. He is sick and near- Genesis 6:5—Then the LORD saw that the sighted, but still able to obey, believe, and wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil repent. Faith is the sinner’s gift to God; it is continually. man’s contribution to salvation. Jeremiah 13:23— Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Dear reader, this comparison was done with the 1. Total Depravity or Total Inability (cont.) expressed purpose to demonstrate the Biblical veracity of the Reformed or Calvinistic position John 3:3—Jesus answered and said to him, "Most of Salvation by Grace alone, considering a total assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he understanding. You will notice texts given to cannot see the kingdom of God." support the Reformed view and none given to John 3:19—And this is the condemnation, that the support the Arminian position. This does not light has come into the world, and men loved dark- mean texts are not given by its proponents. My ness rather than light, because their deeds were desire is that you will study the texts opposite evil. this column and supply your own that support the Arminian view in the space provided. John 6:44—No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up Compare them and ask honestly, “Can the texts at the last day. for Calvinism be in support of, or understood from the Arminian perspective? And, can the John 6:65—And He said, "Therefore I have said to texts given for the Arminian view support, or be you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." understood in the context of the Calvinistic framework?” Romans 3:10-12—As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one." 1 Cor. 2:14—But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Ephes. 2:1-3—And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephes. 2:8-9—For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 2. Conditional Election 2. Unconditional Election God’s choice of certain individuals unto God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was salvation before the foundation of the world based upon His foreseeing that they would rested solely in His own sovereign will. His respond to His call. He selected only those choice of particular sinners was not based on whom He knew would of themselves freely any foreseen response or obedience on their part believe the gospel. Election therefore was such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, determined by or conditioned upon what man God gives faith and repentance to each would do. The faith which God foresaw and individual whom He selected. These acts are the upon which He based His choice was not result, not the cause of God’s choice. 2. Conditional Election (cont.) 2. Unconditional Election (cont.) given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the holy Spirit) but Election therefore was not determined by or resulted solely from man’s will. It was left conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act entirely up to man as to who would believe and foreseen in man. if, as the Scriptures declare, therefore as to who would be elected unto man’s nature is completely sinful, dead to salvation. God chose those whom He knew spiritual things, then what good can God would, of their own free will, choose Christ. foresee? If faith is a gift of God to the sinner, Thus, the sinner’s choice of Christ, not God’s then what faith does God foresee in the sinner, choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of apart from the very faith He gives? salvation. 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. Deut. 7:6-8—"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Amos 3:2—"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins." NIV Amos 3:2— "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." NKJ (To “know” according to the Scriptures is to love or choose, to” foreknow” is to love beforehand, not just know about a certain future act of faith.) Matthew 11:27—All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.