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CALVINISM AND ARMINIANISM
The Calvinist and Arminist beliefs can be summarized as follows:
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Calvinism |
Arminianism |
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T |
Total depravity |
Enough good in us to make the first response, free will |
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U |
Unconditional election |
Election dependent on God’s foreknowledge of us |
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L |
Limited atonement |
Atonement for every person in the world |
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I |
Irresistible grace |
Resistible grace |
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P |
Perseverance of the saints |
Possibility of losing salvation |
(as crystallized by the Synod of Dort 1618-19, continued today in confessions as the Westminister Confession of Faith etc.)
According to the Calvinist set of beliefs, all human beings are totally depraved i.e. incapable of responding to God unless God first quickens them by sending His Holy Spirit on them. Whom does He choose to send His Holy Spirit on? He arbitrarily chooses some to be saved and sends His Spirit on them to cause them to be "born again". Those whom He has so chosen cannot in any way resist this "shower of the Spirit" (note my translation of John3:5 below). His saving grace is irresistible (although his sanctifying work is not). Jesus paid the price only for these select people - there was no need to pay the price for those God had chosen to be sent to hell. (Tied in with this is the idea of "double-predestination" – that by the very act of choosing some to be saved unconditionally, God chooses to unconditionally send the others to hell). Finally all these people who have been so selected to be saved will be with God in heaven forever regardless of how much they sin and whether they have any good works to show. However, since there is such a thing as "false assurance of salvation", there can never be real, worthwhile assurance since your assurance may be spurious, and you may find that out only on judgment day you are one of the "many" of Matt. 7:22-23!
According to the Arminian set of beliefs, although we are depraved, there is still enough good in us to make the first response. God’s Saving Grace is available to each and every person. People have enough good in them to respond to it. However they are also free to reject it if they want to. Jesus has made provision for the salvation of every person by paying the price for him but it is only those who freely accept God’s saving grace who are going to be saved. For salvation, God elects those who respond to His saving grace positively.
Which of these two sets of beliefs is the truth?
How is it that such vastly differing views are formed from the same Bible? Which of the two sets of beliefs is the truth? What we must definitely not do, is to say that "both of them are partially true", and "the real truth lies somewhere in between" as some people from other religions say when we talk to them. It is taking the easy way out and avoiding the exercising our God-given mental faculties.
First, we need to understand how we form our beliefs from the Bible. How is it that such vastly differing views are formed from the same Bible? Most people form their beliefs not after a thorough study of what the Bible says about a particular topic. They go by their "natural" inclinations and latch on to the Bible verses which support them, ignoring or rationalizing away others which contradict them. When one reads the Bible, a "picture" of what the Bible says about a particular topic is formed in our minds. However this "picture" may not be an accurate reflection of what the Bible actually says about the particular topic. Our subjectivity comes into play. The whole matter of objectively arriving at what the Bible says about a particular subject is handled in the article Objectively arriving at "What the Bible says". Some of the likely reasons while dealing with Calvinism/ Arminianism are:
We can now easily see how such vastly differing, indeed opposing, views get to be formed from the same Bible. Pick and choose certain passages while ignoring others, take them out of context, give meanings to them which were never intended, impose our imaginations on them, and you can easily make the Bible say whatever you want it to say! In fact just as a good lawyer can argue convincingly from either side and win the case, just as a good debater can debate on either of the opposing positions and still win the debate, a good arguer can present a convincing case for either Calvinism or Arminianism! For texts which say "we have been chosen by God", the Calvinist reads "we have been chosen by God irrespective of the way we live our lives" and the Arminian reads "we have been chosen by God because of the way we live our lives", when the only thing that the text says is, "we have been chosen by God." Nothing more, nothing less.
The first step towards arriving at what the Bible says about a particular topic is to gather all the verses/ passages which speak about that topic directly. The following table is an attempt towards getting a better grip on the subject by doing so. These verses have been gathered together in the table according to the TULIP acronym. There will be some overlap of course, and some passages can be made to fit in either of the sides.
In the table below, a "*" indicates a relatively stronger passage which is difficult to be made to fit on the other side. A "?" indicates passages which can be easily made to fit on the other side. For example, Romans 11:4-6 has been put under Calvinism below since Paul himself says "there is a remnant chosen by grace." But it can very easily be used to justify the Arminian position and indeed seems to fit better there! It’s the chicken and egg question – which came first? The "reserving for himself" or the "not bowing the knees to Baal"? It is more likely the second one, because obedience from 100% of arbitrarily "chosen ones" is highly unlikely (as any church pastor knows very well), while 100% choosing of those who have shown obedience is a common enough phenomenon to be the more likely case.
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Texts used to justify Calvinist position |
Texts used to justify Arminian position |
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T |
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born by a shower of the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. *Rom 6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. *Rom 7:5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. *Rom 8:7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. *1 Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. *Eph 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, … *Eph 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions *Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. Phil 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. *2 Tim 2:25-26 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. Ezek 11:19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. |
Mat 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. *John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. *John 3:15 everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. *John 3:16 whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. *John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned *John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. *John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. *John 6:40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." |
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U |
?John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you… ?John 15:19 I have chosen you out of the world… ?John 17:2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ?John 17:6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. ?John 17:9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. ?John 17:24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am… Acts 13:48 …all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Acts 16:14 The Lord opened her (Lydia’s) heart to respond to Paul's message. *Rom 9:11-13 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." *Rom 9:15-16 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. ?Rom 11:4-6 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. *Eph 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- *Eph 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, *2 Tim 1:9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life-- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ?Heb 2:13 And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me." ?James 1:18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. *Isa 65:1 I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' |
*Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. *Rom 3:24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. *Rom 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son… *Rom 11:2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew… *1 Pet 1:2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father… *1 Tim 2:3-4 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. *2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. |
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L |
?Mat 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. ?Mat 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (also Mark 14:24) ?Rom 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ?Rom 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. ?Heb 9:28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people… |
*John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 2 Cor 5:15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Cor 5:19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ Rom 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. *1 Tim 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. *Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. *1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. |
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I |
*John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me… John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. *Rom 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. *Rom 9:19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" |
*Mat 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. |
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P |
Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved… John 3:15 everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:16 whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. John 6:39-40 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 10:28-29 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. John 17:2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Acts 16:30-31 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" Rom 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Rom 3:24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. *Rom 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus *Rom 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. *Rom 8:33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. *Rom 11:29 God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. *1 Cor 3:12-15 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. *Eph 1:13-14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. *Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Heb 6:16-17 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. Heb 7:24-25 because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 1 Pet 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. *Jude 1:24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— |
*Mat 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13 he who stands firm to the end will be saved. *Mat 10:32-33 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. *Mat 25:45-46 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." *Luke 8:13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. John 8:31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. *John 15:4-6 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. *Rom 2:7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. *Rom 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. *1 Cor 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. Gal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. *Col 1:21-23 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. *2 Tim 2:11-13 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Heb 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. Heb 3:6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Heb 3:11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" *Heb 3:14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. *Heb 6:4-8 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Heb 10:26-29 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? *Heb 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. *Heb 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. *James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. *2 Pet 1:10-12 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. *2 Pet 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. *1 John 3:6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 2 John 1:8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. *Rev 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Psa 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. |
Well, so you can find verses and passages that support both positions. However, on closer examination, one comes up with certain interesting observations:
Total depravity: Most of the strong verses supporting the belief of total depravity are from the pen of Paul, whereas most of the strong verses contradicting the belief of total depravity are from the lips of Jesus.
Unconditional election: Most of the verses from John 15 and 17, in which Jesus speaks about the disciples being "chosen" and "given" to him by the Father can be easily put into the other category. "Chosen" on the basis of what? "Given to Jesus" on the basis of what? Calvinists are quick to grab these verses for themselves and say that the "choosing" and the "giving to Jesus" is totally arbitrary and have no connection with the way the person has responded with the Father’s dealings till then. However the texts in John 15 and 17 say nothing of this kind, say nothing about the conditionality or unconditionality of election. All that they say are these people are chosen and elected to be given to Jesus. In the absence of clarity as to the basis of choosing, I would dare not use any of these to support or go against either position. The really strong verses supporting the Calvinist position of unconditional election are the Romans 9 ones, but as shown in the article The Paul Problem , these are blatant misuses of the OT Scriptures by Paul. Romans 11:4-6 is again a misuse by Paul as mentioned above. The Ephesians 1 passages are also strong, but since I do not consider Paul’s letters authoritative (see The Paul Problem ), I would not give them much importance. Especially since Paul himself makes statements which contradict the position of unconditional election (see the list in the Arminian side of Unconditional Election).
Limited atonement: The only thing to support the position of limited atonement is the use of the word "many" (instead of all) in the Scriptures mentioned above. That is a very, very weak argument, and most theologians today believe in Universal Atonement for which scripture support is much stronger. That is my position too.
Irresistible grace: Support for either position is weak. Rom 8:30 is the only strong support for the Calvinist position. What about Paul’s rhetorical question in Rom 9:19 – "For who resists his will?" Answer: we all do! We all know of times when we have resisted God’s will and the Bible makes it clear elsewhere that the Holy Spirit can be resisted (Acts 7:51). Also in the model-prayer that Jesus’ taught us, "let your will be done" would make no sense if God’s will was always done one earth.
Perseverance of the saints: This is a huge subject by itself – can one’s salvation be lost? There are plenty of verses which can be used to support either position. The subject has been fully covered in Salvation: The Lie of Easy-Believism and the Truth of the Bible.
On balance, the Arminian position seems to have more Biblical support. It is impossibile to reconcile the two and a good arguer can make out a case for either of the two and win it. But if I have to choose between the two I would choose the Arminian one since it seems to have more Biblical support. But if you ask me as to what my real position is, my answer is: neither! And I don’t care! On Judgment Day, we are not going to be judged on our views on Total or Partial Depravity, Unconditional or Conditional Election, Limited or Unlimited Atonement, Irresistable or Resistable Grace, Possibility or Impossibility of losing salvation. We are going to be judged on how much have we repented of our sins, how we have disciplined ourselves for godly living, and how much have we followed Jesus. The debate between Calvinism and Arminianism can go on for years and years and still get nowhere. You can have your "neo-Calvinisms" and "developed Arminianisms" to deal with the problems arising from the two extreme positions. That can go on for years and years too. It’s all a big waste of time.