FAQ About Calvinism

Q. Who was John Calvin?
A. A sixteenth century lawyer, classicist, Hebraic scholar and French rationalist, John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote his most famous work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, at the age of 27 and continued to revise it for most of his life. He was, along with Martin Luther, among the most prominent leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His influence led to the formation of the Presbyterian Church denomination, and his ideas, which owe a particular debt to a fifth century Catholic bishop named Augustine, are still a part of many denominational teachings.

Q. What is ""Calvin's TULIP?""
A. TULIP is an acronym which expresses some of the more prominent ideas behind Calvinism. Its tenets should be reviewed individually.

The T stands for ""Total Depravity."" This is the idea that man can do nothing good on his own, because he is completely and utterly evil. This is Calvin's explanation for sin's presence in the world, and it is the building block on which Calvinism stands or falls, as we will see. The idea is not a Biblical one. First, it is at odds with any call for man to live righteously (such as Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 5:1-5; Jas. 1:7-8; 1 Pet. 1:13-16). Second, it places the responsibility for sin in God's court. Think about it: If God made a man who is utterly evil, whose fault is it that man sins?

The U is for ""Unconditional Election"" and is the premise which says that God chose for Himself certain ones, which He predestined for salvation. The inherent problem with this concept is that it makes God a ""respecter of persons,"" exactly the opposite of the claim God makes for Himself in the words of Peter (Acts 10:34-35; 2 Pet. 3:9). And what would be the purpose of such election? If God decides beforehand who will and who will not be saved, He is capricious, vindictive and unworthy of our worship, like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology. Instead, we serve a God who loves and wants all to be saved.

The L means ""Limited Atonement"" and is closely related to the election concept. It simply means that Christ died, not for all men, but only for the elect. Those who have not been chosen for salvation cannot even receive it, because the Savior did not die for them. Such a belief surely flies in the face of Paul, who first makes the case that all men are sinners (Rom. 3:23) and thus, ungodly, then follows by stating, ""Christ died for the ungodly"" (Rom. 5:6).

The I in Calvin's TULIP is ""Irresistible Grace"" and again, it is tied to the doctrines above. This tenet says that if one is ""elected"" by God, His grace cannot be resisted. This completes the chain: the unelected cannot be saved, the elected must be. This also denies the free will of man, making him a mere automaton in God's hands.

Finally, the P stands for the ""Preservation (sometimes written as Perseverence) of the Elect"" and it is the belief that once a person is saved, nothing can be done which will cause them to be lost. Again, the truth of God's word stands in direct opposition to such a doctrine (Acts 8:18-24; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 3:12). It is entirely possible for man to fall from God's grace.

As mentioned, the concept of Total Depravity is the cornerstone of Calvin's teachings, because it is the doctrine from which all the others are forced. A person incapable of coming to God in faith and obedience to His word cannot be saved unless God chooses him, but there is no basis on which to choose him, so his election must be set before the beginning of time. As such, Christ died for him, but not for the unelected, and since he is elected, he cannot resist or rebel so as to be lost. It is our hope that our readers will be able to see the fallacies of such a doctrine.

Q. Who believes this doctrine today?
A. It is difficult to find a ""true"" Calvinist today, but many believe in the doctrines of depravity and preservation. The one thing which can be said about Calvin is that he was, at least, rationally consistent. The inconsistencies of those today who buy into his doctrine of depravity while not accepting the rest of his teachings are easily seen. The problem, for most denominations, is that they see the futility of trying to defend the middle three positions, but cannot give up the ""bookends"" (depravity and preservation).

Q. What are ""neo-Calvinists""?
A. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a movement began among some who claimed to Christians, but embraced some of the tired old doctrines of Calvinism. They refused the accusations, but the truth was in their fruits. One of the more prominent ideas they promoted was that Christ had to live sinlessly because His life ""covered"" our own, i.e. when God looks at us, instead of seeing our sin-filled lives, He sees the pure life of Christ. This ""imputation"" of the perfect life of Christ is tied to two Calvinistic themes: 1) the idea that man can do nothing righteous on his own, and 2) that God preserves His elect despite their sins. The Bible says that what is imputed to man for righteousness is his faith (Gen. 15:6, repeated in Rom. 4:3 and Jas. 2:23). Unfortunately, there is nothing ""new"" about neo-Calvinists.