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I. Introduction An examination of the Calvinistic system of theology and the five main pillars that it rests on commonly referred to as TULIP. Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. An examination of these tenants and not the faith of the believers, who subscribe to them, will be made. Holding them up to the light of Scripture and determine whether this system of theology has its origins in philosophical arguments or in the full counsel of God as expressed in the Bible. It may be noted that the Early Church Fathers (100 AD-325 AD) did not maintain a theological system approaching Calvinism in their beliefs but were leaning more towards Synergism (man's faith freely cooperating with God's grace) and Arminianism. Many of these Church Fathers were actually disciples of the apostles, apologists, and martyrs; they laid the groundwork for the doctrine of the trinity, defended the deity of Christ, and developed the early creeds of the church which served as bulwarks against the heresies to preserve the apostolic faith. They will be cited in the Five Points of Calvinism Examined, section VI. The theology of Calvinism essentially began with one of the Catholic Church's greatest theologians St. Augustine, during the 5th century. His theology was later refuted by the church councils, and then in the 16th century Martin Luther and John Calvin revived it and made some adjustments to his theology to give us what we have today commonly referred to as the Lutheran and Calvinistic theologies. Augustine did however, establish the doctrine of original sin that is maintained by Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Calvinistic theologies. The Eastern Orthodox (Catholic) Church has never maintained the concept of original sin as set forth by Augustine. He also held to the doctrine of unconditional election and a few other elements that Luther and Calvin maintained. When studying theology we must understand the Bible is not a book of systematic theology rather it is God's revelation to men. Theology is not a word of God to men but a word of men about God in response to His revelation. For example the resurrection of Christ is a Biblical fact, Christ's claims to being the Son of God is also Biblical fact. These are clear statements in the Bible that lend themselves to no other interpretation; however, the doctrines of the trinity, atonement, Christology, etc. are products of systematic theology developed by men. This is not to say that these doctrines are not founded upon Biblical truth, but rather they are man's attempt to often describe the indescribable and best explain what he feels God has communicated to him. Systematic theology is very important and absolutely essential. Paul encourages us to "rightly divide the word of God". It is very important when developing theological systems to take into account the full counsel of God, and to avoid building on a few favored Scriptures for reasons of theological biases thus, ignoring or explaining away clear statements in the Scriptures that are contrary to one's theology. For example: 1 Corinthians 15:29 refers to baptism for the dead. Some groups have taken this one Scripture and built an entire doctrine on it. It should be noted that it is a settled rule in hermeneutics that the unclear passages must be explained by the clear and obvious passages and not vice versa. II. What Calvinism Teaches Calvinism teaches that absolutely nothing happens that God has not foreordained or predestined to happen. The Westminster Confession explains: "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." If an individual goes to heaven, it is because God predestined that he would, independent of anything this individual would do of his own free will. On the other hand if an individual goes to hell, it is because God predestined that he would, independent of anything this individual would do of his own free will. This point is clearly stated in the Westminster Confession: "Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all the praise of His glorious grace." "The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice." III. What The Scriptures Teach God is not pleased to withhold mercy, to pass by His creatures and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath. Ezekiel 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, rather than that he should turn from his ways and live." Man is born in a fallen state; however, he doesn't inherit the guilt of Adam's sin, but he does inherit a sinful nature. Ezekiel 18:20 "The soul that sins shall surely die. The son shall no bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Ephesians 2:1 "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins." Ephesians 2:3 "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. " Man is fallen and incapable of saving himself; however, he did not lose his capacity to choose God and place saving faith in Him. Joshua 24:15 "and if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Romans 10:13 "Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." God wills for all men to be saved. Isaiah 45:22 "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other." 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 11:32 "For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all." God calls all men to salvation. Mathew 11:28 Jesus said "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." John 7:17 "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." John 7:37 "Now on the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." John 12:32 Jesus said "And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself." Acts 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding all men everywhere to repent." Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come". And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who wishes (wills) take the water of life without cost." God's grace is resistible and man can resist His calling for salvation. Luke 7:30 "But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John." Acts 7:51 "You men who are stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." Mathew 23:37 "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Romans 2:5 "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God," John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." Romans 10:21 "But as for Israel He says, "All the day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." Salvation is 100% a work of God, saving faith is not a work nor is it meritorious, it is simply accepting the finished work of Christ. Ephesians 2:8 " For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no one should boast." Romans 3:27-28 "Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law." Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Hebrews 4:2 "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was no united by faith in those who heard." Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Regeneration or being born again is simultaneous and conditioned on the act of faith, not prior to the act of faith. Ephesians 1:13 "In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Galatians 3:2 "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" 2 Corinthians 3:16 "but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Acts 19:2 "and he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." Romans 4:3 "And what does the Scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Atonement is universal (potentially all men could be saved, even the heretics), Christ died for all men and not just the elect; however, only those who place saving faith in Christ will benefit from it. John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd; and I know my own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." 2 Peter 2:1 "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." Hebrews 2:9 "But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." 1 John 2:2 " and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." 1 Timothy 4:10 "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men," John 1:29 "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!." 1 Timothy 2:6 "who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time." 2 Corinthians 5:19 "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." Romans 5:18 "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." God is sovereign and unconditionally elects nations and people for purposes OTHER THAN salvation. Psalm 135:4 "For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own possession." 2 Chronicles 6:6 "but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel." Romans 9:11-12 "for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of him who works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, the older will serve the younger." Romans 9:17 "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole world." God in His foreknowledge knows who the elect are. God's election of individuals for salvation is never apart from their union with Christ and is conditioned on God's foreknowledge of who will place faith (non-meritorious) in His Son. 1 Peter 1:1-2 " Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." Romans 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;" Ephesians 1:4-5 "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will," 1 Thessalonians 1:4 "knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;" 2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." Acts 13:48 "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Perseverance of the Saints: Many Evangelicals believe in eternal security. This doctrine is not a challenge to the nature of God, it is acceptable, and can stand alone on itís own proof texts apart from The Five Points and will not be addressed. Summary of Biblical Teaching The doctrine of a divine will and a divine provision of a universal salvation, on the sole condition of faith, are clearly taught in many passages and is Biblical fact. God wills to save all men and has made the provision to do so. To deny this or to restrict these passages to a particular class is impossible without doing violence to the grammar and context; and overthrows the system which it is intended to support. To say that God calls all men but only intends to save some is a contradiction between intention and expression and is fatal to veracity, which is the foundation of human morality, and must be an essential attribute of God. A man who says the reverse of what he means is called a hypocrite and a liar. The qualities of a good, righteous, just, holy, and loving God are clearly set forth in the Scriptures and; therefore, rests on the wisdom and revelation of God and not the reasoning of man. God is first a good God, and from His goodness come forth grace, mercy, love, righteousness, and justice. God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and in His sovereignty has given fallen man the ability to accept or reject His calling. God does not delight in the death of the wicked. Salvation is a free gift and is 100% from God and man's exercise of faith is not a work. Faith is always pitted against works in the Bible.
IV. God's Sovereignty If God is not sovereign, He is clearly not God. God's sovereignty and His counsel are somewhat mysterious. Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways!" There are at least three different senses in which the "will of God" is used in the Bible. When we understand the different ways in which this phrase is used, then we can understand that God is not personally nor directly responsible for the many things people want to either credit Him or discredit Him with. Even though it remains true that everything that happens ultimately falls within His sovereignty. Let it be noted that God has elected of His own free will to limit the exercise of His sovereignty. For example God has bound Himself by His written word which is the essence of our faith thus, we can be confident that when we come to Christ in faith we will be saved. We don't have to worry if God has changed His mind or His plan for redemption in the secret counsel of His will. He also limited the exercise of His sovereignty when He took on humanity and walked on the earth. Theologians call this the kenosis and is based on Philippians 2:7. God in another sense is limited by His very nature for the Bible says it is impossible for Him to lie. Hebrews 6:18 "in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie." God's Decretive Will God decrees things to happen. He causes these things to happen by His own omnipotence. Biblical examples of God's decretive will are: His choosing Israel as his chosen people, His choosing twelve apostles, His plan of redemption through faith in Jesus, the resurrection, and the final judgment of men and angels, etc. Acts 1:7 "He (Jesus) said to them "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority." These are just a few of the many, many events that have and will come to pass for God so ordained them and nothing can thwart God's decretive will. God's Preceptive Will But there is a second way in which the "will of God" is used in the Bible. This has to do not with what God purposed to do Himself, but with what He desires for man to do. This is primarily concerned with man's obedience to His word or precepts. This preceptive will can be obeyed or thwarted. Anytime we break one of God's commandments or precepts we are thwarting His will. Here are a few of the many Biblical examples. Luke 7:30 "But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John." 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." We know that not all men will be saved; yet it is clearly stated in the Bible that it is God's will for all men to be saved. God's Permissive Will There is a third sense in which the "will of God" is used in the Scriptures. It can be described as God's permissive will. In this category are found all those things, which God neither purposes, nor desires, but which He allows man, in his freedom, to bring about. That which makes this category different from the second is not the presence of God's permission, but the absence of a stated desire on God's part that these events should happen. In God's permissive will things that are clearly contrary to His stated desire (will) take place such as the sins of men, and also things that aren't sinful such as which grocery store we shop at, which shoe we put on first, etc. In the Bible we have very clear examples of this taking place. Jeremiah 19:5 God said "they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it ever enter My mind;" He made it clear that it was not His will they were doing, whether decretive or preceptive. Never the less the Lord permitted His people to exercise their free will. Of course, sometimes the Lord does not will (permit) something to happen that His creatures desire to happen and as Sovereign, He has the right to do so. Acts 16:7 "After they had come to Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them." Control Not Causation The key to sovereignty is not causation but rather ultimate control. Through His absolute foreknowledge of every plan of man's heart and through His absolute ability and power to either permit or prevent the plans of man, God maintains complete control (sovereignty) over His creation and God has the final word. Foreknowledge is not to be confused with foreordination. Acts 2:23 is a good example of God's foreknowledge working with His foreordination "this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." This clearly teaches that God's plan to deliver up His Son was made in view of what He foreknew the Jews and Romans would do. Some have said, "God's foreknowledge is based on His foreordination of all events"; however, if this were true then God would be the author of sin. It has been charged by some whom say "those who don't ascribe all events to God's ordination are exalting man and degrading God". It is just the opposite; for God to operate in His sovereignty despite man's free will choices/blunders, and still bring about His purposes only makes Him a bigger God and besides, He is the one who designed it so it's His plan anyway. No one will argue that Adam & Eve had free will, and yet God was still the Sovereign Ruler of the universe. Based on God's ultimate control, it is true, then, that whatever happens is God's will.
V. Man's Free Will There are many Biblical passages, which prove that man possesses free will and shall be discussed throughout the examination of the Calvinistic system of theology. This is epitomized in Joshua 24:15 "and if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." When Joshua said to the people "choose you this day whom you will serve," he was addressing individuals who were free to make a moral decision. John 5:39-40 "You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life." God's Will Can Be Rejected As the passages cited in the preceding paragraph teach man's free will, he can actually exercise this free will in a way that defies God's will. In other words, although God is the Sovereign Ruler, He does not always get what He wants. Isaiah 65:12 God said "Therefore I will number you for the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not hear, but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I do not delight." Romans 10:21 "But as for Israel He says, "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." 2 Peter 3:9 it is plainly stated that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God is constantly pleading with His creatures to obey His preceptive will so they can be saved. Why God Permits Men To Reject His Will David says in Psalm 32:1 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." In verse 5, he continues: "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the iniquity of my sin." In verses 8-9 the Lord replies: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you." Why did God allow David to sin? Why did He not simply stop David from sinning in the first place? God did not want His servants to serve Him because they are forced to do so. He wants those who will serve Him to do so freely, willingly, accepting His instruction. What man's Freedom Cost God God's foreknowledge (knowledge of future events) which permits Him to maintain complete control of His world in spite of man's free will gives God the option of either permitting or preventing man's planned free will choices. As discussed in the subheading on permissive will, prevention is really the ultimate control (sovereignty). In order to insure man's autonomy, God of His own free will was willing to pay a tremendous price. Although He did not have to do so, the Almighty was willing to limit the exercise of His sovereignty in relation to His creation. This shows us how important we are to God. Furthermore, this ought to humble us greatly; the final measure of God's concern for man is to be found in the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son. VI. The Five Points of Calvinism Examined Calvinism does not have its starting point in Total Depravity that states "all mankind sinned in Adam". Calvinism starts with the eternal decree, which the Westminster Confession explains: "God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." In these words, the essence of Calvinism is predestination; and based on this premise, all other aspects of the Calvinistic system can be considered as products of a logical progression. None the less, the five points as set forth in the system referred to, as TULIP will be discussed. In short Calvinism can be summed up in the acronym TULIP. T:
all mankind fell in Adam and are guilty of his sin and also inherit a sinful
nature. Because of this man can not do any good much less seek and desire
God; therefore, God must seek man and regenerate him before man can place
saving faith in Christ. U: since all men are guilty of eternal death,
God in His sovereignty for His good pleasure, not foreseeing any faith on
man's part or good works has chosen in eternity past, who He will save.
He will leave the rest in their fallen state to die and suffer eternal damnation
for their sins including the sin of Adam commonly referred to as original
sin. L: Christ died for the elect and only the elect. He died for
His sheep and not the goats. I: since God's election is what He has
decreed and can not be thwarted, and is unconditional, when the elect receive
the effectual call they will answer it and choose Christ. P: since
God's election is decreed, and His grace is irresistible, and Christ's died
for them alone; with so perfect a sacrifice and plan of salvation, the elect
will persevere until the end. This is the 1. Total Depravity The Westminster Confession explains: "Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, does, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries spiritual, temporal, and eternal." "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto." "This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything foreseen in man; who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it." Doctrine stated: 1) When Adam sinned he passed on his sin or original sin to his posterity, the guilt and the effects i.e. spiritual death, physical death and a sinful nature. Infants are born with the guilt of Adam's sin as well as the consequences of the fall including spiritual death and physical death. 2) man's will was corrupted and he lost the ability to freely choose God for salvation and is unable to convert himself. 3) Since man is spiritually dead he can not respond to God's call without first being quickened (regenerated or born again) prior to placing saving faith in Christ. 1) Original sin: Calvinism appeals to Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered onto the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" Romans 3:10 "as it is written, "There is none righteous, no not one;" Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Ephesians 2:3 "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. " Doctrine refuted: None of the Scriptures in the preceding paragraph make any reference to the extent of mankind's participation in Adam's sin. The concept of mankind being held accountable for the guilt of Adam's sin was not accepted until the 5th century when Augustine propagated it. The Eastern Church has never held the position of Adam's inherited guilt but rather his inherited sin nature. God forgave Adam and Eve of this sin in Genesis 3:21 "And the Lord made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them." This is the first Biblical account of atonement. So if God forgave Adam and Eve of the guilt of their sin, why would He hold us accountable? The Bible is clear with respect to the accountability of sin. Ezekiel 18:20 "The soul that sins shall surely die. The son shall no bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Just because infants die does not prove that God is holding them accountable for the guilt of Adam's sin, for even Christians die. And we know that we have been forgiven of all sin. It does; however, prove that we inherit the consequences of his sin. If Romans 5:12 is referring to the guilt of Adam's sin then we must also accept at the following Scriptures. Romans 5:18 "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." If indeed Romans 5:12 is dealing with the guilt of Adam's sin, then these Scriptures clearly show that Christ's death erased the guilt of Adam's sin. Regarding Romans 3:10 and 3:23, yes all men are sinners and according to Ephesians 2:3 we are sinners by nature. But we are sinners because of our sin nature and are only guilty of the sins that we commit not the sin that Adam committed. There is strong Scriptural proof to show that children are innocent in God's eyes until they reach an age of accountability of which age, only God knows. These scriptures are Isaiah 7:15-16 and Deuteronomy 1:34-39. This is a very thorny issue for Calvinism because of the guilt of original sin. Augustine softened the issue by saying that un-baptized infants (he believed in baptismal regeneration) go to a place called Limbo, which is neither heaven nor hell. Calvin got around this issue by stating that all infants that die are among elect and therefore, Christ's atonement is applied to them. Unfortunately this is very presumptuous and there are not any Scriptures to support this doctrine. The issue: if Calvinism is taken in its totality, then infants and unborn babies who die and are not among the elect will suffer eternal damnation. 2) Man has lost his ability to choose God for salvation: Calvinism appeals to John 6:44 "No one can come to Me, unless the Father draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." Ephesians 2:1 "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins." Calvinism often uses the analogy of a corpse attempting to respond to the call of God in trying to demonstrate that man can not accept Christ prior to being regenerated or born again. This is to demonstrate that it is an issue of man's inability versus his will. Calvinism also states that a man can not convert himself. Doctrine refuted: In John 12:32 Jesus said "And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself." Joshua 24:15 "and if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." God must draw men unto Himself; therefore, God initiates salvation and will draw everyone somehow at some point in time. In John 12:32, Jesus made it clear that His saving grace will be available to all men. Joshua 24:15 is a Biblical example of Joshua speaking to individuals who are in a fallen state and asking them to make a choice for God. In fact all of the Old Testament believers were in a fallen state and did not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit or spiritual regeneration, and yet they were still able to choose God. Jesus said in John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." Here the Lord is rebuking the Jews for not coming to Him because of their unwillingness, not their inability. And again in Romans 2:5 "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God," Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." God's word is so powerful that it can speak to the soul of man. The analogy of fallen man being a corpse isn't appropriate because man is made up of body soul, and spirit. Even though man is spiritually dead (separated from God) he still has a soul that is still very much alive and the living word of God calls man through his soul to offer salvation to him. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." All of mankind is endowed with faith. This saving faith is simply the response to the call of God that is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Why some people hear the gospel and don't get saved can be explained in these passages. Hebrews 4:2 "For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was no united by faith in those who heard." And Jesus explains why some people hear the word of God and don't get saved in the parable of the sower. Luke 8:11 "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart so that they may not believe and be saved. And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. And the seed, which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." Man does not convert himself, all he does is respond in faith to God's call which is proclaimed through the preaching of the word of God, which is alive and able to pierce through to the heart thus, receiving the free gift of salvation. Testimony of the Early Church Fathers: Clement of Alexandria in 195 AD wrote "We have believed and are saved by voluntary choice."(1) "Choice depended on the man as being free. But the gift depended on God as the Lord. And He gives to those who are willing, are exceedingly earnest, and who ask. So their salvation becomes their own. For God does not compel."(2) Tertullian who is considered the "Father of Western Theology" in 210 AD wrote, "As to fortune, it is man's freedom of will."(3) Origen in 225 AD wrote, "It seems a possible thing that rational natures, from whom the faculty of free will is never taken away, may be again subjected to movements of some kind."(4) Hyppolytus in 225 AD wrote, "Christ passed through every stage in life in order that He Himself could serve as a law for persons of every age, and that, by being present among us, He could demonstrate His own manhood as a model for all men. Furthermore, through Himself He could prove that God made nothing evil and that man possesses the capacity of self-determination. For man is able to both will and not to will. He is endowed with the power to do both."(5) Cyprian in 250 AD wrote: "The liberty of believing or of not believing is placed in free choice. In Deuteronomy, it says: Look! I have set before your face life and death, good and evil. Choose for yourself life, that you may live." Also in Isaiah: And if you are willing and hear Me, you will eat the good of the land."(6) 3) Man is Totally Depraved to the point that he is unable to believe in God and must be regenerated or born again BEFORE he can have the ability believe the gospel and be saved: Ephesians 2:1 "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins." Doctrine refuted: John 7:39 "But He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." Ephesians 1:13 "In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise." Galatians 3:2 "This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" 2 Corinthians 3:16 "but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Acts 19:2 "and he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him, "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." Romans 4:3 "And what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Note the order of events in each Scripture passage: John 7:39: the believers had not yet received the spirit, none the less, they still had the ability to believe in God. Ephesians 1:13: they believed; and then were sealed (received) with the Holy Spirit. Calvinism teaches the opposite, which is receiving the Holy Spirit and then believing. In Galatians 3:2: they received the Spirit by faith. Calvinism teaches that you receive faith by the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:16: man turns to the Lord then the veil is removed. Calvinism teaches that the veil is removed then the man turns to the Lord. Acts 19:2: Paul had assumed that the believers had received the Holy Spirit upon their believing not prior to. If it were the way Calvinism teaches the Scripture would go something like this "did you believe having received the Holy Spirit?" And in the case of Abraham in Romans 4:3: under Calvinism it would have to be restated "Abraham being made righteous, then believed." The Bible clearly shows that reception of the Holy Spirit (regeneration) is simultaneous (or immediately after the act of faith) and conditioned upon faith. This is the complete opposite of what Calvinism teaches which states that man is first regenerated and then believes, or otherwise stated, faith is conditioned upon regeneration. 2. Unconditional Election General Statement on Election: All Christians believe in some form of election, so the issue rests in the mode of election, not election itself. Calvinism teaches that God's election is unconditional and without any foreknowledge of faith or good works on man's behalf, but strictly for His good pleasure in the secret counsel of His will and is based on His foreordination. The Bible teaches that God's election is conditional and based on His foreknowledge of who would freely accept the offer of salvation through faith in His Son. There is no merit in believing; faith is not a work and is always pitted against works in the Bible, even James describes works as a fruit of faith, not faith as a work. The issue: which mode of election is most consistent with the Bible, does not violate the integrity and veracity of God, and is in harmony with the clear Biblical teaching that God wills all men to be saved and He sincerely calls all men. There is a third mode of election that is popular and is referred to as corporate election. This mode of election states that God does not elect individuals but has elected Christ, and anyone who is in Christ by their free will is among the elect. Just as Israel was elect and the "vessel of salvation" so too is Christ the "vessel of salvation". This is based on all of the election Scriptures; it's pivotal scripture being 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" This paper will not expound any further on this third mode of election. Note: all three views of election use the same proof texts to support
their positions: 1 Peter 1:1-2 " Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the
Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:
May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." Romans 8:29
"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among
many brethren; "Ephesians 1:4-5 "just as He chose us in
Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless
before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,"
Romans 9:11-12 "for though the twins were not yet born, and had
not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to
His choice might stand, not because of him who works, but because of Him
who calls, it was said to her, "the older will serve the younger."
Romans 9:16 "So then it does not depend on the man who wills
or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." Romans 9:17-18
"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I raised
you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed
throughout the whole world. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and
He hardens whom He desires." Calvinism states in the Westminster Confession: "God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass." Based on this premise it is only natural that God has predetermined who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. And "Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto; and all the praise of His glorious grace." "The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice." Doctrine stated: God has predetermined who will go to heaven and who will go to hell, without any foreknowledge of faith or good works on man's behalf, but strictly for His good pleasure in the secret counsel of His will. Calvin himself taught a double predestination whereby God doesn't pass by a portion of mankind, but actually predestines them to eternal damnation. Pivotal scriptures in the Calvinistic system: Ephesians 1:5b "according to the kind intention of His will," Romans 9:11 "for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of him who works, but because of Him who calls," Romans 9:16 "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." Romans 9:18 "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." Doctrine refuted: Contrary to what the Westminster Confession teaches, it does not please God to withhold mercy, to pass by His creatures and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath. Ezekiel 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, rather than that he should turn from his ways and live." The Calvinistic system is not in harmony with the clear Biblical fact that it is God's will for all men to be saved; and that He sincerely calls all men. Calvinism claims that God has an effectual call for the elect and a general or insincere call for the non-elect. Therefore, the full counsel of God is not expressed in this system and is not consistent with the tenor of Scripture. Conditional election is in harmony with the Bible. Conditional Election Doctrine stated: God wills all men to be saved and He sincerely calls all men for salvation. According to this mode of election, all of the election Scriptures are in harmony; the full counsel of God, His integrity, and His veracity has not been compromised. God looked down the corridor of time and saw who would receive His Son as their Savior and chose them based on their free will choices. Therefore this mode of election is conditional on God's foreknowledge of man's free will choices thus; neither God's sovereignty nor man's free will has been violated. This faith on man's behalf is not a work nor is it meritorious, it is simply accepting the finished work of Christ. 1) God's will to save all men: Isaiah 45:22 "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other." 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 2) God calls all men: Mathew 11:28 Jesus said "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." John 7:17 "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." John 7:37 "Now on the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying if any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink" John 12:32 Jesus said "And if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Myself." Acts 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now commanding all men everywhere to repent." Revelation 22:17 "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let the one who hears say, Come! And let the one who wishes (wills) take the water of life without cost." Pivotal scriptures for Conditional Election: 1 Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure." Romans 8:29 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren;" These Scriptures are key to understanding the mode of God's election because they clearly teach that His election was based on His foreknowledge and will be shown to be in harmony with the whole tenor of Scripture and supported by the early church. The election scriptures: (Please refer to pages 12 & 13 "Proof texts" for Scriptural references) Ephesians 1:4-5 is right in that it was according to the kind intention of God's will to save the believers in Ephesus. However, it is also His will that all men be saved, so these scriptures are in harmony with conditional election based on foreknowledge. Romans 9:11-12, 16: These Scriptures are discussing God's sovereignty; however, the twins are an allegory representing two nations and nothing is mentioned about their eternal destinies. Genesis 25:23 "And the Lord said to her "Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger." God was, in His sovereignty dealing with His preferential treatment of nations not individuals. Romans 9:13 " Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" It should be understood that the word hate means favored less. Luke 14:26 Jesus said "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." Jesus was saying that anyone who favored his family members more than Him was not worthy of being His disciple. Romans 9:17-18: These Scriptures are not dealing with Pharaoh's salvation nor can it be applied to the salvation of individuals, but rather God's sovereign dealings with Israel and Pharaoh. It should be noted that Pharaoh hardened his own heart five times before God began to harden it and He only hardened his heart four out of the eleven instances. Exodus 7:13, 7:22, 8:15, 8:32, 9:7, 9:12, 9:17, 9:35, 10:20, 10:27, 11:10. This is consistent with Romans 1:24 "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them." In Exodus 7:3 God was speaking in light of His foreknowledge, that He was going to harden Pharaoh's heart. Often God doesn't need to do anything to harden a man's but merely withholds His divine intervention as stated in Romans 1:24. God in His decretive will, shall bring about His purposes. His exalting one nation over another is part of His decretive will and nothing can thwart it. The descendants of Jacob were to rule over the descendants of Esau and nothing could prevent it. God had decreed to set Israel free from the Egyptians and nothing could have stopped it. This does not preclude the fact that Pharaoh could have mitigated his damages by obeying the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, and 2 Timothy 1:9: These are consistent and in harmony with conditional election based on foreknowledge; and Acts 13:48 is an historical account of the Gentiles who were chosen of God based on His foreknowledge and their time of salvation had come to fruition. Jude 23 "save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." Jude is talking about our responsibility to preach the gospel, thus changing the destiny of some from the fires of hell to eternal life in heaven. If God has already ordained who will go to hell, does this Scripture make any sense? The problem with the Calvinistic view of unconditional election: The doctrine of a divine will and a divine provision of a universal salvation, on the sole condition of faith, is clearly taught in many passages and is Biblical fact. God wills to save all men and has made the provision to do so. The divine exhortations to repentance, and the lament of Christ over the inhabitants of Jerusalem who "would not" come to Him. These exhortations are insincere, meaningless, and make God a mocker of His creatures if He does not want all men to be saved and if men do not have the ability to obey or disobey His voice. It is impossible to restrict these passages to a particular class (the unconditionally elect) without doing violence to the grammar and context. The only way of escape is by the distinction between a revealed or declarative will of God, which declares His willingness to save all men, and a secret or an unsearchable will of God which means to save only some men. He has an effectual call for His elect and a general call or an insincere call for the non-elect. But this distinction overthrows the system, which it is intended to support. A contradiction between intention and expression is fatal to veracity, which is the foundation of human morality, and must be an essential attribute of God. A man who says the reverse of what he means is called a hypocrite and a liar. The qualities of a righteous man as well as a good, righteous, just, holy, and loving God are clearly set forth in the Scriptures and this judgment of character is not of man's wisdom but of God Almighty. Unconditional election also presents some problems in the area of assurance of salvation. If an individual's salvation is based on God's unconditional election, this individual cannot have 100% assurance that he is saved until he faces God on judgement day. On the other hand if one knows that it is God's promise that "whosoever" comes to Him in faith will be saved, this individual can make sure his election and calling and know God's promise is for him. Testimony of the Early Church Fathers: Hermas 150 AD: "To those whose heart He saw would become pure and obedient to Him, He gave power to repent with the whole heart. But to those whose deceit and wickedness He perceived, and seeing that they intended to repent hypocritically, He did not grant repentance."(7) Justin Martyr is considered the church's first apologist wrote in 160 AD: "And this prophecy proves that we (Gentiles) will behold this very King with glory For the people foreknown to believe in Him were foreknown to pursue diligently the fear of the Lord."(8) Clement of Alexandria in 195 AD wrote: "Therefore, all having been called, those who are willing to obey have been named "the called". For there is no unrighteousness with God to these, prophecy says, If you are willing and hear Me, you will eat the good things of the land," proving that choice or refusal depends on ourselves."(9) 3. Limited Atonement The Westminster Confession explains: "Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only." In essence Calvinism teaches that Christ died only for the elect and God's plan was so perfect that not one extra drop of blood would be shed for any but the elect. The Scriptures used to support this is John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd; and I know my own, and My own know Me, even as the father knows Me and I know the father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." Doctrine refuted: The question is, for whom did Christ die? He died for all. However, His death only benefits those who appropriate it. God in His foreknowledge knew that if He atoned for the sin of the world and provided for a universal redemption, many would accept the free gift and many wouldn't. Looking at the Passover story the Israelite family was to kill a lamb and sprinkle the blood upon the doorposts and the lintel of their home and then they were to abide in the house. God was not looking out in the backyard where the lamb was slain. He was going to look upon the doorposts of each individual home. So too Jesus who is our Passover Lamb, (1Corinthians 5:7) we must personally appropriate His blood through faith. God is not looking at all of the blood shed on Calvary just the blood that is appropriated. Jesus did die for His sheep; however, he also died for the world; including the heretics. 2 Peter 2:1 "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves." This passage clearly teaches that Christ's death was sufficient to redeem even the heretics. Hebrews 2:9 "But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." 1 John 2:2 " and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." 1 Timothy 4:10 "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men," John 1:29 "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" 1 Timothy 2:6 "who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time." 2 Corinthians 5:19 "namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." Romans 5:18 "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." 4. Irresistible Grace The Westminster Confession explains: "This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed by it." Doctrine stated: If God elects a man for salvation he is renewed by the Holy Spirit, he can not and will not resist God's calling of salvation. Doctrine refuted: This doctrine is a product of the logical progression of Calvinism. If God has elected someone to eternal life and God's will cannot be thwarted, then His effectual call must be irresistible. Scripture shows us that His grace is resistible. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." Acts 7:51 "You men who are stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." Mathew 23:37 "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Romans 2:5 "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God," John 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." Romans 10:21 "But as for Israel He says, "All the day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." Vll. Summary
Footnotes
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İRon Wallace,
http://www.biblefragrances.com. Anyone is free to reproduce this material
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