Calvinism Analyzed
Calvinism Analyzed
Click the Titles below to expand and collapse the details.
For (Supporting) Calvinism |
Against (Refuting) Calvinism |
|---|---|
1 Tim 2:1-6 Claim 1 Tim 2:1-6 indicates that limited atonement is false. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Ezekiel 33:11
Did Jesus attempt to save all, and fail? Claim Calvinism says if one person rejects salvation even though God provided atonement for that person, God failed. Is this true? For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Rom 10:21 Claim Rom 10:21 refutes Calvinism / unconditional election. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Unlimited atonement glorifies God
My sheep hear my voice Claim My sheep hear my voice, per Calvinism, refers to the (claimed) fact that unsaved (yet elect) will necessarily, on hearing the gospel, get saved. For (Supporting) Calvinism Perhaps Paul was not ready when he heard the gospel the first time(s). Motivation & Calvinism Claim Calvinism encourages apathy. One motivation for accepting Calvinism is that it absolves one of all responsibility. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Faith precedes regeneration Claim Faith precedes regeneration; regeneration does not precede faith. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Philosophical Concepts of God Claim Western philosophy has provided much of contemporary western understanding of God. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Philosophical roots of Calvinism Claim Calvinism's concepts are rooted in philosophy, not the Bible. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Ancient roots of Calvinism Claim Doctrines of Calvinism have been influenced by Plotinus who was arguably demonically influenced. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Discouragement as Fruit of Calvinism Claim Calvinism is negative, discouraging to many. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Rom 5:18 Claim Calvinism claims that the word all does not mean literally all people in Rom 5:18. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Perseverance of the saints Claim Perseverance of the saints is true. This refers to saints continuing in good works. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Unconditional election
Election Claim God elected some to be believers and to be saved. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) Predestination Claim God predestined believers before they were born to become believers. For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) TULIP Claim The "TULIP" points are true.
For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) likely links to other pages God's nature Claim God has certain characteristics; see other pages for details. [Links to other pages to be added.] For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) likely links to other pages Scriptures claimed to support Calvinism Claim These scriptures prove the doctrines of Calvinism. [Scripture list to be added...] For (Supporting) Calvinism TBA (to be added) |
1 Tim 2:1-6 Claim: 1 Tim 2:1-6 indicates that limited atonement is false. Against (Refuting) Calvinism:
Ezekiel 33:11 Claim: Ezekiel 33:11 argues against Calvinism. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Calvinism claims that God's pleasure is that the wicked are damned. This is directly contradicted by Ezekiel 33:11:
Did Jesus attempt to save all, and fail? Claim: Calvinism says if one person rejects salvation even though God provided atonement for that person, God failed. Is this true? Against (Refuting) Calvinism: The precise goal of God was to make salvation available for all, not to force atonement / salvation on all. So in this case, Jesus did not fail, even if some reject the offer of salvation. God's plan itself was to allow man the freedom to reject the offer. Rom 10:21 Claim: Rom 10:21 refutes Calvinism / unconditional election. Against (Refuting) Calvinism:
The attitude of God in this scripture is that God makes a genuine offer to people, who reject God. If even a single one of those people fail to eventually get saved, then this genuine offer was made to more than just the "elect." If this one person does not get saved, but the offer was made to him, then this person could have gotten saved - otherwise the offer was not genuine. Unlimited atonement glorifies God Claim: Unlimited atonement glorifies God Against (Refuting) Calvinism: God shows his nature, goodness, and love by virtue of unlimited atonement. My sheep hear my voice Claim: My sheep hear my voice, per Calvinism, refers to the (claimed) fact that unsaved (yet elect) will necessarily, on hearing the gospel, get saved. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Paul heard the gospel when Stephen was stoned. Paul was one of the elect, per Calvinism - even wrote the Calvinist proof text used for predestination of some sinners to salvation in Eph 1, and wrote Rom 9. Yet Paul did not get saved when he heard the gospel. This contradicts the claim, and invalidates and disproves the claim. (The method is proof by contradiction.) Motivation & Calvinism Claim: Calvinism encourages apathy. One motivation for accepting Calvinism is that it absolves one of all responsibility. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Trying to please God and failing, thinking it is difficult or well-nigh impossible (contrary to the words of Jesus that his yoke is easy) to serve God or please Him, people find it welcome and a relief to think that this is taken care of by God himself. They cannot fail to accomplish God's will in their lives, for God himself is going to make sure (or already has made sure) that His will is going to be accomplished in their own life, regardless of whether they try or not, and that nothing they do, or even can do, will thwart this realization of God's purpose. Faith precedes regeneration Claim: Faith precedes regeneration; regeneration does not precede faith. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Philosophical Concepts of God Claim: Western philosophy has provided much of contemporary western understanding of God. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: A Professor teaching an Old Testament class claims students in the Old Testament class have preconceived notions of God that are at variance with what the Old Testament says about God, and that they got those ideas from western philosophy, rather than from the Bible. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkFJvEtI1WI Philosophical roots of Calvinism Claim: Calvinism's concepts are rooted in philosophy, not the Bible. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: AugustineThe research of Augustinian expert, Kenneth Wilson (MD, MDiv, ThM, PhD), 1 one of the top scholars in the world on Augustine, shows that before Augustine (for the first few centuries of the church), Christian teachers taught free will, and none taught determinism. It also shows Augustine to have been ... Ancient roots of Calvinism Claim: Doctrines of Calvinism have been influenced by Plotinus who was arguably demonically influenced. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Teachings from a Neo-platonic philosopher, apparently influenced by a spirit guide, influenced Augustine who influenced Calvin & modern theology. Thus, teachings and doctrines of devils may have ultimately influenced ideas of Calvin and modern theology (including Calvinism). The trace-back is
Historically, Calvin claimed he could have written most of his teachings by quoting Augustine. Discouragement as Fruit of Calvinism Claim: Calvinism is negative, discouraging to many. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: One person cried for several hours upon realizing what Calvinism implied and believing Calvinism to be true. Rom 5:18 Claim: Calvinism claims that the word all does not mean literally all people in Rom 5:18. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Rom 5:18 uses all to refer to all men being condemned. It also uses all to refer to the free gift coming upon all men to justification.
Perseverance of the saints Claim: Perseverance of the saints is true. This refers to saints continuing in good works. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Perseverance of the saints is dependent on the choices of the saints. Unconditional election Claim: Unconditional election is true. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Man has a choice to receive God, and that is one condition on which salvation depends. To as many as received Jesus, to those he gave power to become the sons of God. John 1:12 Election Claim: God elected some to be believers and to be saved. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Election in the Bible never refers to salvation. Predestination Claim: God predestined believers before they were born to become believers. Against (Refuting) Calvinism: Believers, not sinners, were predestined to their (believers') future inheritance. 1 The word predestine/predestined/predestinated... appears 4 times in the Bible (KJV), in the verses below (this is not counting occurrences of the terms elected, chosen, etc.): TULIP Claim: The "TULIP" points are true.
Against (Refuting) Calvinism: TBA (to be added) likely links to other pages God's nature Claim: God has certain characteristics; see other pages for details. [Links to other pages to be added.] Against (Refuting) Calvinism: TBA (to be added) likely links to other pages Scriptures claimed to support Calvinism Claim: These scriptures prove the doctrines of Calvinism. [Scripture list to be added...] Against (Refuting) Calvinism: TBA (to be added) |