The Biblical argument against Calvinism

Study on Calvinism vs. the Biblical Argument against it!

Calvinism, also known as reformed theology, is a movement within orthodox Protestantism that was developed by John Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian. John Calvin was eight years old when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses. Calvin and Luther never met.

Calvin was a lawyer who later became a pastor in Geneva, Switzerland. He was married in 1539.

Calvin produced many commentaries on various books of the Bible, but he is best known for his seminal work known as The Institutes of the Christian Religion, a marvelous work expounding Christian theology, which he published at the age of 26.

The system of Calvinism adheres to a very high view of Scripture and seeks to derive its theological formulations based solely on God's Word. It focuses on God's sovereignty--stating that God is able and willing by virtue of His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence to do whatever He desires with His creation. It also maintains that within the Bible are the following teachings: That God, by His sovereign grace, predestines people into salvation and that Jesus died only for those predestined and that God regenerates the individual to where he is then able to and wants to choose God and that it is impossible for those who are redeemed to lose their salvation.

Arminianism, on the other hand, maintains that God predestined but not in an absolute sense. Rather, He looked into the future to see who would pick Him, and then He chose them. Jesus died for all peoples' sins who have ever lived and ever will live--not just the Christians. Each person is the one who decides if he wants to be saved or not. And finally, it is possible to lose your salvation (some Arminians believe you cannot lose your salvation).

Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty of God and His eternal decrees by which He has ordained whatsoever shall come to pass. Calvinists take the Bible very seriously and try to harmonize all its concepts. It teaches monergism--that salvation is accomplished in God's work alone (John 6:28-29, Phil. 1:29) and that nothing occurs in the world except that God has given permission (Eph. 1:11). Some critics have maintained that Calvinism makes God the author of evil, but Calvinists are quick to deny such an accusation and teach that God is sovereign even over the forces of evil and that He uses evil within His eternal plan for the world and mankind: "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur," (Acts 4:27-28).

John 6:27-29 (NASB) 27  "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." 28  Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" 29  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

Philippians 1:29 (NASB) 29  For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Ephesians 1:11 (NASB) 11  also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Acts 4:27-28 (NASB) 27  "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28  to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

TULIP

Basically, Calvinism is best known by an acronym: T.U.L.I.P.

• Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)

These five categories do not comprise Calvinism in totality. They simply represent some of its main points.

Total Depravity: Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotions, will, mind, and body are all affected by sin. We are completely sinful. We are not as sinful as we could be, but we are completely affected by sin. The doctrine of Total Depravity is derived from Scriptures that reveal human character: Man's heart is evil (Mark 7:21-23) and sick (Jer. 17:9). Man is a slave of sin (Rom. 6:14-20). He does not seek for God (Rom. 3:11). He cannot understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). He is at enmity with God (Eph. 2:15). And, is by nature a child of wrath (Eph. 2:3). The Calvinist asks the question, "In light of the Scriptures that declare man's true nature as being utterly lost and incapable, how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God?" The answer is, "He cannot. Therefore God must predestine." Calvinism also maintains that because of our fallen nature that we are born again not by our own will but God's will (John 1:12-13), God grants that we believe (Phil. 1:29), faith is the work of God (John 6:28-29), God ordains people to eternal life (Acts 13:48), and God predestines (Eph. 1:1-11, Rom. 8:29, Rom. 9:9-23).

Unconditional Election: God does not base His election on anything He sees in the individual. He chooses the elect according to the kind intention of His will (Eph. 1:4-8, Rom. 9:9-11) without any consideration of merit or quality within the individual. Nor does God look into the future to see who would pick Him (lest God learn and react to man's choices). Also, as some are elected into salvation, others are not (Rom. 9:15, 21).

Limited Atonement: Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect. Support for this position is drawn from such Scriptures as Matthew 26:28 where Jesus died for "many," John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died for the sheep (not the goats, per Matthew 25:32-33), John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him--not those of the entire world, Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the Church was purchased by Christ--not all people, and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion where He would bear the sins of many (not all).

Irresistible Grace: When God calls His elect into salvation, they cannot resist. God offers to all people the Gospel message. This is called the external call. But to the elect, God extends an internal call, and it cannot be resisted. This call is by the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts and minds of the elect to bring them to repentance and regeneration whereby they willingly and freely come to God. Some of the verses used in support of this teaching are Romans 9:16 where it says that "it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy," Phil. 2:12-13 where God is said to be the one working salvation in the individual, John 6:28-29 where faith is declared to be the work of God, Acts 13:48 where God appoints people to eternal life, and John 1:12-13 where being born again is not by man's will but by God's.

Perseverance of the Saints: You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ. Some of the verses for this position are John 10:27-28 where Jesus said that His sheep will never perish, John 6:47 where salvation is described as everlasting life, Romans 8:1 where it is said that we have passed out of judgment, 1 Cor. 10:13 where God promises to never let us be tempted beyond what we can handle, and Phil. 1:6 where God is the one being faithful to perfect us until the day of Jesus' return.

Hyper-Calvinism

The Hyper-Calvinist emphasizes the sovereignty of God to such an extent that man's human responsibility is denied. In actuality, Hyper-Calvinism is a rejection of historic Calvinist thought. Hyper-Calvinism denies that the gospel call applies to all, and/or denies that faith is the duty of every sinner, and/or denies the gospel offer to the non-elect, and/or denies that the offer of divine mercy is free and universal, and/or denies that there is such a thing as "common grace," and/or denies that God has any sort of love for the non-elect. Calvinists do not agree with the Hyper-Calvinists.

The Biblical Argument against it

Calvinism is a man made philosophy depending on fallible human logic which total ignores many clear Scriptures, perverts many, and misuses others.  Long before John Calvin's time the teaching was presented by the Roman Catholic heretic Augustine.  Here are some Scriptures soundly refute the errors of the Calvinist TULIP: T = TOTAL INABILITY (Called in Calvinism, Total Depravity, but actually taught as the Total Inability of man to choose Truth. The Calvinist plays many such word games. The Word of God teaches that God created man with the ability to reason, choose, and receive Truth.): Ephesians 2:8:  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Romans 10:17:  "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." James 1:21:  "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and RECEIVE with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls." Isaiah1:18:  "Come now, and let us REASON together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Deuteronomy 30:19:  "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both thou and thy seed may live." Joshua 24:15:  "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, CHOOSE you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Psalm 119:30, 111, 173:  "I have CHOSEN The Way of Truth: Thy Judgments have I laid before me....Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for They are the rejoicing of my heart....Let Thine hand help me; for I have chosen Thy Precepts." John 1:12:  "But as many as RECEIVED him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." 2 Timothy 1:12:  "...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have COMMITTED unto him against that day."

• Preaching the Gospel is the ordinary means of salvation; faith in Christ is the result of hearing the word, the doctrine of God preached. Preaching, God sends; if heard attentively, faith will be produced; and if they believe the report, the arm of the Lord will be revealed in their salvation. U = UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION (Calvinism teaches that God selects those who are to be saved without any condition, but the Bible teaches that there is one condition to salvation:  faith.): 1 Peter 1:2:  "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ..." 2 Thessalonians 2:13:  "...God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth." Luke 7:50: "... Thy faith hath saved thee ..." Ephesians 2:8:  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." L = LIMITED ATONEMENT (Calvinism teaches that Christ died only for the elect, but the Bible teaches that He died for all mankind. The reason not all are saved is because they failed to repent and receive the Saviour, not because He didn't provide for their salvation.): Isaiah 53:6:  "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us ALL." 1 Timothy 4:10:  "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, specially of those that believe." 1 John 2:2:  "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD." Hebrews 2:9:  "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for EVERY MAN." 1 Timothy 2:4:  "Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth."
• Universal vs. Limited Atonement
• Some Calvinists will argue that a universal principle does exist in the atonement. The death of Christ, they say, has secured many non-redemptive benefits for mankind in general. This they frequently sum up under the heading of "common grace." Boettner writes:
• "God makes His sun to shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Many temporal blessings are thus secured for all men, although these fall short of being sufficient to insure salvation."16
• Where do the Scriptures ever state that temporal blessings in the natural realm - sunshine, rain, etc. - were secured for mankind by Christ's death? There is not a shred of evidence for this idea; it is entirely philosophical and conjectural.
• In the debate over the extent of the atonement, Calvinists will point to Scriptures connecting Christ's death to a specific people: his sheep (John 10:11); his friends (John 15:13); "many" (Heb. 9:28). Arminians will produce passages indicating that Jesus died for the "whole world" (1 John 2:2); "all" (2 Cor. 5:15); "every man" (Heb. 2:9).
• These texts can be harmonized when we consider that the redemptive benefits of Christ's death are both specific and God has placed the life-giving fountain of Christ's blood in His Church. Our Lord "loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25). The Church was "bought with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). That makes the atonement of Christ specific; it was for His Church.
• But the atonement is universal in the sense that the Church's gates are wide open to "everyone who calls" (Rom. 10:13), to "him who is thirsty" (Rev. 21:6), to "all you who are weary and burdened" (Matt. 11:28). The invitation to believe, be baptized and enter the Church extends to "every tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9). In that sense, the atonement is universal and available to all.
• Or, looking at in another way, Christ's blood is "the blood of the covenant" (Matt. 26:28). Jesus died for those in the covenant of grace, not for those outside of it. Is that fatalism? Not at all. Anyone may enter that covenant by becoming a Christian. It is open-ended. The atonement, therefore, is both limited and universal. It is both specific and general.

I = IRRESISTIBLE GRACE (Calvinism teaches that God's grace for salvation cannot be resisted, but the Word of God says it can be resisted): Lamentations 3:35-36: "To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not." Matthew 23:37:  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and YE WOULD NOT!" John 5:39-40:  "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And YE WILL NOT come to me, that ye might have life." Acts 7:51: "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always RESIST the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Proverbs 1:24-26: "Because I have called, and YE REFUSED; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." Proverbs 29:1: "He, that being often reproved HARDENETH HIS NECK, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." P = PERSEVERANCE (The Bible teaches preservation of the saints; not perseverance of the saints): Jude 1:  "... to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED in Jesus Christ..." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24:  "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul, and body be PRESERVED blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. " John 10:27-29: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand." Colossians 3:3-4:  "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Hebrews 7:25:  "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." CONCLUSION: Calvinism clearly errs from the teaching of the Word of God on all 5 points of it's TULIP.  The logical conclusion of Calvinism is that God is an unfair respecter of persons who chooses people to salvation, not according to any standard that He established, but arbitrarily.  This strikes at the love and justice of God, contradicts the fact that Christ gave his life for ALL, and rejects man's responsibility to choose and love his Creator.  Proverbs 24:23:  "... It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment." Acts 10:34-35:  "... Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." John 6:28-29:  "... What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? ... This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent. Ephesians 2:8:  "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."