The following material from Romans: An Interpretative Outline (pp.144-147). by David N. Steele and
Curtis C. Thomas, contrasts the Five Points of Arminianism with the Five Points
of Calvinism in the clearest and most concise form that we have seen anywhere.
It is also found in their smaller book, The Five Points of Calvinism (pp. 16-19). Both books are
published by The Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Philadelphia.(1963).
Messrs. Steele and Thomas have served for several years as co-pastors of a
Southern Baptist church, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
THE "FIVE POINTS" OF
ARMINIANISM |
THE "FIVE POINTS" OF
CALVINISM |
- Free Will or Human Ability
Although
human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left
in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every
sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's
freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny
depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to
choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to
his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with
God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The
lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be
regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act
and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is
man's contribution to salvation. |
- Total
Inability or Total Depravity
Because
of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel.
The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is
deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in
bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not — indeed he cannot —
choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes
much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ — it
takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives
him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation
but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation— it is God's gift to the
sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.
|
- Conditional Election
God's
choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of
the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His
call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely
believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned
upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He
based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created
by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from
man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and
therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those
whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the
sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the
ultimate cause of salvation. |
- Unconditional Election
God's
choice of certain individuals unto salvation before fore the foundation
of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of
particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience
on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God
gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These
acts are the result, not the cause God's choice. Election therefore was
not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act
foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through
the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's
choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate
cause of salvation. |
- Universal Redemption or General Atonement
Christ's
redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not
actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all
men and for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His
death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe,
but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption
becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.
|
- Particular Redemption or Limited Atonement
Christ's
redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured
salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the
penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to
putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured
everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites
them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to
all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their
salvation
|
- The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually
Resisted
The Spirit calls inwardly all those who
are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can
to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can
successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the
sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) precedes
and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the
Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can
only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until
the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace,
therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and
thwarted by man. |
- The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or
Irresistible Grace
In
addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to
everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a
special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The
eternal call (which is made to all without distinction) can be, and
often is, rejected; whereas the internal call (which is made only to the
elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By mean, of
this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is
not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor
is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The Spirit
graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent.
to come freely and willingly to Christ. God', grace. therefore, is
invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom
it is extended. |
- Falling From Grace
Those who believe and are truly saved
can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith. etc.
All Arminian, have not been agreed on this point; some
have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ —
that once a sinner is regenerated. he can never be
lost.
|
- Perseverance of the Saints
All
who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit
are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God
and thus persevere to the end.
|
According to Arminianism:
Salvation
is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and
man (who must respond)—man's
response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for
everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their
own free will, "choose" to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of
grace. At the crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role; thus man,
not God, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of
salvation.
REJECTED by the Synod of Dort
This was the system of thought contained in the
"Remonstrance" (though the "five points" were not originally arranged in
this order). It was submitted by the Arminians to the Church of Holland in
1610 for adoption but was rejected by the Synod of Dort in 1619 on the
ground that it was unscriptural. |
According to Calvinism:
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the
Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy
Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and
repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire
process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by
grace alone. Thus God, not man,
determines who will be the recipients of the gift of
salvation.
REAFFIRMED by the Synod of Dort
This system of theology was reaffirmed by the Synod of Dort
in 1619 as the doctrine of salvation contained in the Holy Scriptures. The
system was at that time formulated into "five points" (in answer to the
five points submitted by the Arminians) and has ever since been known as
"the five points of Calvinism."
|