CALVINISM EXAMINED
-Ralph Johnson
JOHN CALVIN'S SCHEME OF REDEMPTION
Five
Points of Calvinism. (T U L
I P) [1]
T-otal
Hereditary Depravity. (Complete
inability to respond affirmatively to God unless God does the moving)
U-nconditional
Particular Election. (From creation, God
unconditionally predestined some men and angels to salvation and others to
damnation and the number cannot be increased or diminished)
L-imited
Atonement. (Christ died only for the elect)
I-rresistible
Grace. (Salvation is exclusively
accomplished by God acting upon the hearts of men with no capacity on their
part to accept or reject)
P-erseverance
of the particular elect.
(“Once saved
always saved,” “Eternal security,” or “Once in grace, always in grace.”)
These
five points, together, form what is commonly known as “Calvinism” which is most
often confronted in the forms of Predestination, Special Illumination in
conversion, and Unconditional Eternal Security.
In
examining this subject we need to keep in mind that “Calvinism” is a very broad
and fluid subject. It is not a concise,
exact doctrine upon which all agree.
Therefore, in our attempt to cover the subject everything responded to
is not necessarily held by all.
To
non-Calvinists, the doctrine seems intangible and self-contradictory, filled
with arbitrary qualifications.
Non-Calvinists are puzzled at making any sense of apparent
inconsistencies between the theological consequences and their practical
application. It is like Calvinists
believe one thing and practice something totally contradictory. This confusion makes it difficult to present
a comprehensive refutation.
On the
one hand, it seems to be fatalistic, making everything fixed from the
beginning, so much so that even God himself is locked into a sort of eternally
frozen state with no possibility of change or flexibility, impinging upon His
very sovereignty, rendering meaningless attempts to evangelize and His calls to
men to change.
On the
other, Calvinists in fact have been some of the most influential, evangelistic,
and strongest advocates for the accountably of men to repent towards God. They have tirelessly worked to bring
change. Long before Calvin, Augustine
advocated many tenants of the doctrine.
Not only Calvin but also Luther and countless other reformers who have
held many of these convictions have made great contributions to the expansion
of Christianity. Luther himself wrote a
book, “Bondage
of the Will,” in which he strongly argued the case against freewill.
Calvinism contains many excellent teachings. The problems are with the distortions and
abuses that have been imposed upon them.
To these, and the truths of scripture that are thrown into conflict,
there seems to be a shroud of blindness.
We do not
object to the idea that man is depraved but to the conclusion that this renders
him incapable of any response to God’s call for repentance. God has predestined (better, “fore-ordained”)
us to be conformed to the image of His son, but it does not follow that each
individual’s destiny to heaven or hell was fixed from creation with no
possibility of change. God’s sheep cannot be snatched from His hand, but that
does not mean that because one has been saved, he cannot become reprobate if he
denies the faith and lives in sin.
Because
we must deal with arguments of many types of Calvinists, the most common
defense is to charge us with distorting their beliefs. We do not wish to charge anyone unjustly or
to paint all Calvinists with the same broad brush but since it is impossible to
refute the arguments in such a way that it is limited to the particular tenants
held by each individual, we must present the teachings and implications as a
whole, both of hyper-Calvinists and of the more common moderate forms. We must ask the reader to choose what is
relevant to the individual situation and make the appropriate application.
SECTION I. TOTAL
HEREDITARY DEPRAVITY
“The phrase ‘total
depravity’ has respect only to relations to God and it means incapability of
doing anything which, in the sight of God, is a good act.” –Systematic Theology, by A. H. Strong,[2]
“Total Depravity Of Man: We are totally corrupt and
unable to respond to God in any way shape or form, unless God does the moving.” (Derickson’s Notes on Theology by Stanley L. Derickson)[3]
This doctrine holds that through Adam’s sin, he and all of
his descendents became totally depraved. Thus, from birth man is utterly devoid
of any free will to choose to accept or reject salvation without a direct act
of God upon his heart.
The problem we have with this is not that it holds man is
depraved but that this is construed to mean he is so utterly depraved that he
has lost all power of freewill and without a direct act of God, is totally
unable to respond to Him. Let us examine
the case.
Sin entered the world through
Adam and death passed upon all men (Rom 5:12).
We are Adam’s seed and thus in him all die (1Cor 15:22). The fact that all die, including infants, who
have done no evil (Rom 9:11; Deuteronomy 1:39; Isaiah 7:16), even those who have received forgiveness, shows
that death is based on the sin of Adam, not on our own sins.
As regeneration does not
immediately void the penalty of death, neither does the resurrection depend
upon it. Through Christ’s sacrifice, all
are to be raised (John 5:28-29; Rev 1:7; Mat. 25:1-12), but all who are raised
do not go into life (Mat 25:46).
Man is more than flesh. He also has a soul and spirit (1Thes 5:23),
which after the body dies, returns to God (Ecc 12:7). The Spirit is not inherited. It is formed within a man (Zech 12:1). Our outward man perishes but the inward man
may be renewed (1Cor 5:5; 2Cor 4:16). Thus, we are born with the God-endowed
power of choice and spiritually guilty only for sins committed through that
choice. The fact of inherited depravity
of the flesh does not automatically translate into total depravity of the
soul.
Through Adam, man fell but it
does not necessarily follow that the extent was that we are “unable to respond to God in any way shape or
form, unless God does the moving.” God created us with the capability to respond
to Him and provided His word and His Spirit to guide and enlighten. God has not removed the ability to respond. Upon this is based the opportunity and
accountability of all men.
God created man with a
conscience, the capacity to choose right from wrong, and provided sufficient
evidence and help upon which to act.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse:
This clearly indicates that
God has given sufficient evidence and has made man capable of understanding and
accepting that evidence. If they did not
have the knowledge or the capability of change there would be no justification
for the wrath of God. That is the very
reason why Paul argues that God manifested it to them.
·
Romans 7:18 For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no
good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
ANSWER:
While in his flesh no
good thing dwelt and he did not know how to perform, it plainly indicates he
had the will to do good. That is not
TOTAL depravity.
·
Romans 7:25 I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of
God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
ANSWER:
This again is not total
depravity. The mind is can still serve
God. The mind can appeal to God for a
clear conscience (1Pet 3:21). Those
who will to do God’s will shall know the teaching from God. (John 7:17)
·
Romans 8:8 So then they
that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.
ANSWER:
Nothing about being totally depraved so as to be unable to respond to God.
Luke 11:10-13 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh
findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any
of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish
give him a serpent? 12 Or if
he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know
how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
·
Romans 8:13 For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do put to
death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
ANSWER; This
indicates that one may choose to live by the Spirit.
·
Galatians 5:17
For
the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would.
ANSWER: The
struggle between flesh and Spirit indicates depravity is not total.
·
Galatians 5:16
This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
ANSWER: This
suggests they could choose through walking in the Spirit to overcome the flesh.
·
Galatians 6:8 For he that
sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
ANSWER: This
indicates a choice to do one or the other.
·
Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others.
ANSWER:
Carnal nature is at the root of the problem but this says nothing about them
being totally depraved so as to be unable to respond to God.
·
Gen 6:12 And God
looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted
his way upon the earth.
ANSWER: This
says nothing about them being totally depraved through Adam so as to be
incapable of turning to God. This passage indicates they corrupted their own
way.
·
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak.
ANSWER: This
is not total depravity. The spirit is
willing and the flesh was weak, therefore they needed to watch and pray.
·
-Psalms 51:5. Behold, I was shapen in
iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
ANSWER:
David indicated that sin was involved in his conception but this fails
to prove total hereditary depravity.
·
Psalm 58:3. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go
astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
ANSWER:
This teaches that the wicked begin early speaking lies but it
fails to teach that everyone is totally depraved. Here “the
wicked” is distinguished from “the
righteous” (verse 10). Psalms makes
many such comparisons.
·
-Psalm 14:2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of
men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are
all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that
doeth good, no, not one.
·
-Rom 3:10.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They
are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.
·
Rom 3:23. All have sinned
and fallen short of the Glory of God.
ANSWER:
These passages refer to man’s depravity but do not teach that it is so
great that they cannot turn to God.
Titus 2:11 For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
2Peter
3:9 The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
·
Romans
1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,…
ANSWER:
This
indicates that God gave them over to a
reprobate mind because they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge. See also 1:24 and 26. They were without
excuse because they knew God and had chosen not to glorify him as God. Because of this their “foolish heart was darkened” (1:19-21).
Again,
this does not indicate they were so depraved they could not choose to repent
and turn to God through the Grace God has made available to all.
·
Rom 7:18. For I know
that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will
is present with me; but how to
perform that which is good I find not.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that
dwelleth in me. (cf. Gal 5:17)
Paul is
speaking of the struggle in the flesh.
This does not conflict with freewill.
Indeed, he says, “to will is
present with me.” God helps
those who have the will to do his will (John 7:17)
·
Romans
8:7. “The carnal mind
is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be.”
ANSWER:
The carnal
(fleshly) mind cannot be subject to the law of God but that does not preclude
the freedom to choose to be baptized into Christ (Rom 6:3) and walk after the
Spirit (Rom 8:1).
Rom 6:3 Know ye not,
that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
his death?
Romans 8:1 There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 12:2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
·
1Cor
2: 14 But the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
ANSWER:
The
context (1Cor 1:17--2:16) is dealing with the difference between the wisdom of
the world (1:20; 2:4, 5, 6), which comes from men, and the wisdom that comes
from God (1:21, 24; 2:7) by revelation of the Holy Spirit. Men’s wisdom comes from the natural world,
not the mind of God (2:11). God’s wisdom
is revealed through the Spirit (2:10, 13) who searches the deep things of
God.
Man by nature cannot receive revelation
from the Spirit but that does not preclude him from accepting and living by the
Spirit.
Romans 8:13-14 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
·
Genesis
8:21. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said
in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the
imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again
smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
ANSWER:
Man’s heart is evil from his youth but
this does not prove that he is incapable of any Good or to respond to God.
· Isaiah 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
ANSWER:
Without God Men are blind
prisoners to sin. However, through Grace, available to all
men, God has given all men the opportunity to repent.
Acts 17:30 And the times
of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to
repent:
Titus 2:11 For the grace
of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
·
Jeremiah
17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?
ANSWER:
The deceitfulness of the human heart does not prevent them from
choosing to have good and having honest hearts (Luke 8:15).
·
Galatians
5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye
cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye
are not under the law.
ANSWER:
“Ye would” indicates they were not so
totally depraved that they could not make a choice. The previous verse expresses how that choice
should be exercised.
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the
flesh.
·
Eph
2: 1 And you hath he made alive,
who were dead in trespasses and sins;
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
ANSWER:
The fact that we were children of wrath
does not teach that we are so totally depraved as to be incapable of any choice
in accepting the grace of God.
·
Eph
4:18 Having the understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that
is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
ANSWER:
This does
not indicate that all men are so depraved as to be incapable of any free
choice.
Eph 4:19. They
had “given themselves over to lasciviousness”
4:17. Paul
tells them to not walk as the other Gentiles.
4:22. They
were told to put off the old man.
4:24. They were
to put on the new man
1.
The
fact that all men are invited to turn to God shows that they are not so
depraved that they cannot respond to Him.
Acts 17:30 30 And the times of this
ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Revelation
22:17 17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say,
Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
There
are many such scriptures. Without the
capacity to turn to God these are meaningless.
2. The Bible describes infants
as pure and holy rather than "utterly
indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all
good, and wholly inclined to all evil"
Mt 18:1-3;
19:13-14. Jesus cited Infants as models.
1Cor 14:20. Paul cited infants as
models.
Rom 7:9-11. Paul stated that he was
once spiritually alive but then he sinned and died.
Ezek 28:15. The king of Tyrus was
blameless in his ways from the day he was created, until unrighteousness was
found in him.
Eccl 7:29. God made men upright but
they sought devices. (Note: the plural
is unlikely to refer only to Adam)
Deut 1:39. God allowed the children to
enter Canaan because they had no knowledge of good and evil.
Rom 9:11. Jacob and Esau, before
they were born had done neither good nor evil.
Isa 7:15-16. There is a time when
children do not know enough to refuse evil and choose good.
Jer 19:2-6. Human sacrifice of children to Baal is called
the "blood of the innocent"
Isa 59:1-2. "Your sins have separated you from your God"
It is only after people learn to know "good
or evil" that they have “sins.”
SECTION II. UNCONDITIONAL
ELECTION (Calvinistic “predestination”)
Predestination (or unconditional
particular election, as it may be more exactly described), is the doctrine
that:
“God has
predestined and foreordained some men and angels out of His free grace and love
without any foresight of faith in either of them, and others are foreordained
to everlasting death and the number of either is so certain and definite that
it cannot be increased or diminished.” –Westminster Confession of
Faith, Art. 3, 4, 5; Chap. 3; Art. 2, Chap. 10.
Calvin expressed it:
“By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God,
by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to
every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to
eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been
created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated
to life or to death.” –Institutes, 3:21:5
The Authorized Version (King
James) of the Bible, influenced by the teachings of Calvin (who borrowed the
fundamental concept from Augustine) uses the term, “predestinate.” Later versions commonly render this “foreordained” (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:5,
11). The following are words commonly
associated with the doctrine, as translated in the King James Version.
PREDESTINATE: Greek “proorizw”
(#4309 –Strong) 7 occurrences; also translated, “determine before” (Acts 4:28),
“ordain” (1Cor. 2:7). See Rom. 8:29, 30;
Eph. 1:5, 11.
CHOSEN: Greek, “eklegomai” (#1586)
25 occurrences; cf. Mk. 13:20; Eph. 2:4 etc.
ELECT: Greek, “eklektos” (#1588) 24 occurrences;
adjective; Matt. 20:26 (“chosen”); 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Rom. 8:33; 1Pet. 2:20;
Rev. 27:24 (“chosen”), etc.
ELECTION: Greek , “eklogee” (#1589) 7 occurrences; cf. Rom. 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; I Th. 1:4;
2Pet. 1:10, and in Acts 9:15 “chosen.”
Predestination
is the very linchpin of Calvinism. In it
are bound together the basic distortions of scripture in the doctrines of Total
Depravity, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Eternal Security. If, before the beginning of the world, God
predestinated who should be saved and who should be damned then Man can do
nothing to save himself, atonement necessarily is limited to those God
predestinated, Grace is indeed irresistible, and none of those who God
predestinated can be lost.
A. It often assumes that if the
future is not fixed then God could not know it from the beginning,.
Isa. 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am
God, and there is none else; I am God,
and there is none like me; 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times things that are not yet
done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure;
This is a highly theoretical argument. The argument is that if God knows the future, the destiny of
men must be fixed from the beginning, else change would be from what God knows
to what He does not know. Calvinists
like to pose this but in fact they are faced with the same problem. They want to only apply it in a limited way
to the ultimate destiny of men. However,
the argument, consistently applied, locks everything into a pre-programmed
future in which free choice about anything is excluded. Thus, no matter what we do, whether good or
evil, God designed it to happen. This is sometimes known as
“hyper-Calvinism.” It is in fact,
fatalism.
This view simply nullifies
the overwhelming mass of scriptural teaching that calls for us to make
decisions about right and wrong, obeying God or obeying Satan. It turns the whole concept of God’s love and
justice into a mechanistic farce.
B. It assumes that God’s
sovereignty would be limited and diminished if He did not unconditionally elect
those who will go to heaven or Hell.
ANSWER:
The
fact that man is endowed with the power of choice in no way limits God’s
sovereignty. Which is greater, to make a
pre-programmed robot, too stupid to make a mistake, or to make man with
freewill capable of choosing right from wrong?
I submit, the latter. Are we to
conclude that God is incapable of endowing man with power of free choice? Or, if we conclude that Adam had that
capability, do we not concede that this did not impinge on God’s
sovereignty?
Most
Calvinists admit that man has limited capacity of choice. However, if freewill limits God’s sovereignty
then even limited freedom of choice does also.
If there is no freedom of choice then everything is unalterably fixed
and the whole scheme of redemption and appeal to repentance becomes
meaningless.
C. It assumes that the time of
determining which individuals are among the “elect” or the damned, was before
the foundation of the world.
ANSWER:
God
foreknew that man would inevitably sin necessitating rescue of those who would
repent. He planned in advance for a
people to be conformed to the image of His son (Rom 8:29). However, the Scriptures reveal that we have
responsibility to choose and are accepted when we respond to the call of
God.
Rev 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if
any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me.
D. It assumes that “elect” means the number “cannot be
increased or diminished.”
ANSWER:
This contradicts the
overwhelming mass of New Testament teaching that the Gospel opportunity is
available to all and that those who depart from the faith* will be cut
off. (*see Section V. on
perseverance)
Mat. 28:19. Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost:
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Acts 17:30. And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Mat 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come.
Titus 2:11 For the grace
of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men
The assurance here is clearly
that the grace of God is available to all. It certainly is not teaching universal
salvation and it really makes no sense to make it mean that salvation for the
chosen few is now revealed to all men.
2Peter 3:9 The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to
repentance.
E. It assumes that, in defining
the “elect,” God could not, or did
not, provide any conditions of acceptance or rejection freely available to all.
ANSWER: Our election and security
is conditional, clearly indicating that responsibility is based on choice.
2
Peter 1:10. Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence to make
your calling and election sure:
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
1 Corinthians 15:1. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I
preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Col. 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 in the body of his flesh through
death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23 if ye continue in the faith
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
Note:
One who is “in the faith” may not continue in it. One who is “in the faith” may be “moved
away from the hope of the gospel”
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due
season we shall reap, if we faint not.
John 8:30. As he spake
these words, many believed on him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which
believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Heb. 3:6. “Whose
house are we if we hold
fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of
you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But
exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened
through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if
we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
F. It turns any concept of the
love and justice of God into a farce.
It would be a colossal
injustice to intentionally create some men to be damned with no possibility of
repenting and accepting Christ. Deliberately and knowingly causing the fall and
corruption of man nullifies any credit for man’s restoration.