THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM
ACCORDING TO JOHN CALVIN
OR
WAS CALVIN A
CALVINIST?
Kurt Dahlin December 4, 2002
It is often said, “Calvin wasn’t a Calvinist.” This
statement is an attempt to dissociate John Calvin from what is considered today
as extreme Calvinism. Many suppose that the later development of Calvin’s
Reformed theology, most notably at the Synod of Dort 1618-1619, does not fully
represent John Calvin. The next few pages will examine the “five points of
Calvinism” and their relationship to the teaching of John Calvin. Each section
begins with a summary quoted from The Five Points Of Calvinism, by
Calvinist authors, David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas (Philipsburg, NJ:
Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Co., 1963). After a summary of each point
there follows direct quotations taken from John Calvin’s book, Institutes of
the Christian Religion. It is
important to realize that the “five points” are inseparable. They stand
together as a unit or system of interpreting the Scriptures. If Calvinism can
be modified endlessly to suit each individual preference, then everyone is a
Calvinist. However, to reject any one point is a rejection of all. Steele and
Thomas write, “For the five points, though separately stated, are really
inseparable. They hang together; you cannot reject one without rejecting them
all, at least in the sense in which the Synod meant them” (23). One, therefore,
cannot be a one point Calvinist or a modified Calvinist. A three-point
Calvinist is really a two-point Arminian. One cannot be a Calminian. If
Calvinism is anything I want it to be--then I’m a Calvinist. However, if
Calvinism is what John Calvin taught--then I’m not a Calvinist. It should be
clear from the following pages that the Synod of Dort did not distort Calvin.
John Calvin was a Calvinist.
CALVINISM ACCORDING TO JOHN CALVIN
1. 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 (Steele and Thomas 16).
There is no doubt that
Adam, when he fell from his state, was by this defection alienated from God.
Therefore, even though we grant that God’s image was not totally annihilated
and destroyed in him, yet it was so corrupted that whatever remains is frightful
deformity (Calvin, Inst. I. ch. 15. 4).
Since in the whole seed
of Adam our heavenly Father found nothing worthy of his election
(Calvin, Inst. III. 22. 1).
Hence it is that the whole
world no longer belongs to its Creator, except in so far as grace rescues from
malediction, divine wrath, and eternal death, some, not many, who would
otherwise perish, while he leaves the world to the destruction to which
it is doomed (Calvin, Inst. III.
ch. 22.7).
As we are all vitiated by
sin, we cannot but be hateful to God,...all whom the Lord predestines to
death are naturally liable to the
sentence of death,...Should all the sons of Adam come to dispute and contend
with their Creator, because by his eternal providence they were before their
birth doomed to perpetual destruction, when God comes to reckon with them,
what will they be able to mutter against this defense? If all are taken from a
corrupt mass, it is not strange that all are subject to condemnation
(Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 3).
I admit that by the will
of God all the sons of Adam fell into that state of wretchedness in which
they are now involved; and this is just what I said at the first, that we
must always return to the mere pleasure of the divine will, the cause of which
is hidden in himself (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 4).
I say with Augustine, that
the Lord has created those who, as he certainly foreknow, were to go to
destruction, and he did so because he so willed. Why he willed it is not ours
to ask, as we cannot comprehend, nor can it become us even to raise a
controversy as to the justice of the divine will (Calvin, Inst. III. ch.
23. 5).
but since he foresees the
things which are to happen, simply because he has decreed that they are so to
happen, it is vain to debate about prescience, while it is clear that all
events take place by his sovereign appointment (Calvin, Inst. III.
ch. 23. 6).
Scripture proclaims that
all were, in the person of one, made liable to eternal death. As this
cannot be ascribed to nature, it is plain that it is owing to the wonderful
counsel of God (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 7).
I again ask how it is that the
fall of Adam involves so many nations with their infant children in eternal
death without remedy unless that it so seemed meet to God? Here the most
loquacious tongues must be dumb. The decree, I admit, is, dreadful; and
yet it is impossible to deny that God foreknew what the end of man was
to be before he made him, and foreknew, because he had so ordained by his
decree ( Calvin, Inst. III. 23. 7).
Nor ought it to seem absurd
when I say, that God not only foresaw the fall of the first man, and in
him the ruin of his posterity; but also at his own pleasure arranged it.
For as it belongs to his wisdom to foreknow all future events, so it belongs to
his power to rule and govern them by his hand (Calvin, Inst. III. 23.
7).
Nor, indeed, is there any
probability in the thing itself, viz., that man brought death upon himself
merely by the permission, and not by the ordination of God; as if God had not
determined what he wished the condition of the chief of his creatures to be. I
will not hesitate, therefore, simply to confess with Augustine that the will of
God is necessity, and that everything is necessary which he has willed; just as
those things will certainly happen which he has foreseen, (August. de Gen. ad
Lit., Lib. 6, cap. 15.).... The first man fell because the Lord deemed it
meet that he should: why he deemed it meet, we know not.... Man therefore falls, divine providence so
ordaining, but he falls by his own fault (Calvin, Inst. III. 23. 8).
God had expressly approved
what proceeded from himself. Therefore
man's own wickedness corrupted the pure nature which he had received from God,
and his ruin brought with it the destruction of all his posterity
(Calvin, Inst. III. ch 23. 8).
that the reprobate are
hateful to God, and that with perfect justice, since those destitute of
his Spirit cannot produce anything that does not deserve cursing (Calvin,
Inst. III. 24. 17).
2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION
God's choice of certain
individuals unto salvation before 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 of 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 (Steele and Thomas 17).
The predestination by
which God adopts some to the hope of life, and adjudges others to eternal
death, no man who would be thought pious ventures simply to deny; (Calvin,
Inst. III. ch. 21. 5).
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 (Calvin, Inst. III.
ch. 21. 5).
The external invitation,
without the internal efficacy of grace which would have the effect of retaining
them, holds a kind of middle place between the rejection of the human race and the
election of a small number of believers (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 21.
7).
Scripture clearly proves
this much, that God by his eternal and immutable counsel determined once for
all those whom it was his pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those
whom, on the other hand, it was his pleasure to doom to destruction. We
maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on his free mercy,
without any respect to human worth, while those whom he dooms to destruction
are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time
incomprehensible judgment (Calvin, Inst. III. 21. 7).
God being pleased in this
matter to act as a free dispenser and disposer, distinctly declares, that the
only ground on which he will show mercy to one rather than to another is his
sovereign pleasure (Calvin, Inst. III. 22. 6).
3. 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, thereby guaranteeing their salvation (Steele and Thomas 17).
God had already shown that in
the exercise of his mere liberality he was under no law but was free, so
that he was by no means to be restricted to an equal division of grace, its
very inequality proving it to be gratuitous (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 21. 6).
The external invitation,
without the internal efficacy of grace which would have the effect of retaining
them, holds a kind of middle place between the rejection of the human race and the
election of a small number of believers (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 21. 7).
the reprobate are expressly
raised up,
in order that the glory of God may thereby be displayed. At last, he concludes
that God has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth,
(Rom. 9: 18.) You see how he refers both to the mere pleasure of God.
Therefore, if we cannot assign any reason for his bestowing mercy on his
people, but just that it so pleases him, neither can we have any reason for his
reprobating others but his will. When God is said to visit in mercy or
harden whom he will, men are reminded that they are not to seek for any cause
beyond his will (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 22. 11).
The human mind, when it
hears this doctrine, cannot restrain its petulance, but boils and rages as if
aroused by the sound of a trumpet....there could be no election without its
opposite reprobation.... Those, therefore, whom God passes by he reprobates,
and that for no other cause but because he is pleased to exclude them from
the inheritance which he predestines to his children (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 1).
God is said to have prepared
the vessels of mercy, because in this way the praise of salvation is claimed for God,
whereas the blame of perdition is thrown upon those who of their own accord
bring it upon themselves (Calvin, Inst. III ch. 23. 1).
There is a well-known saying
of Solomon, (which, however, few properly understand,) "The great God that
formed all things both rewardeth the fool and rewardeth transgressors,"
(Prov. 26: 10.) For he is speaking of the greatness of God, whose pleasure
it is to inflict punishment on fools and transgressors though he is not pleased
to bestow his Spirit upon them (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 4).
There is nothing
inconsistent with this when we say, that God, according to the good pleasure
of his will, without any regard to merit, elects those whom he chooses for
sons, while he rejects and reprobates others (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 23. 10).
Therefore, this inward
calling is an infallible pledge of salvation. Wherefore, it is false
and most wicked to charge God with dispensing justice unequally, because in
this predestination he does not observe the same course towards all (Calvin,
Inst. III. ch. 23. 11).
Why, then, while bestowing
grace on the one, does he pass by the other? In regard to the former, Luke
gives the reason, because they "were ordained to eternal life," (Acts
13: 48.) What, then, shall we think of the latter, but that they are vessels of
wrath unto dishonor? Wherefore, let us not decline to say with Augustine,
"God could change the will of the wicked into good, because he is
omnipotent. Clearly he could. Why, then, does he not do it? Because he is
unwilling. Why he is unwilling remains with himself," (August. de
Genes. ad Lit. Lib. 2.) (Calvin, Inst. III. ch 24. 13).
4. 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 external 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
means 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's grace,
therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to
whom it is extended (Steele and Thomas 18).
Although it is now
sufficiently plain that God by his secret counsel chooses whom he will while
he rejects others, his gratuitous election has only been partially
explained until we come to the case of single individuals, to whom God not
only offers salvation, but so assigns it, that the certainty of the result
remains not dubious or suspended (Calvin, Inst. III ch. 21. 7).
God being pleased in this
matter to act as a free dispenser and disposer, distinctly declares, that the
only ground on which he will show mercy to one rather than to another is his
sovereign pleasure; (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 22. 1).
For it will hence follow
that the predestination to glory is the cause of the predestination to grace,
and not the converse (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 22. 9).
I at least hold with
Augustine that when God makes sheep out of wolves, he forms them again by
the powerful influence of grace, that their hardness may thus be subdued,
and that he does not convert the obstinate, because he does not exert that more
powerful grace, a grace which he has at command, if he were disposed to use it,
(August. de Praedest. Sanct., Lib. 1, c. 2.) (Calvin, Inst. III. ch 23. 1).
Therefore, when God
elects one and rejects another, it is owing not to any respect to the individual,
but entirely to his own mercy which is free to display and exert itself
when and where he pleases (Calvin, Inst. III. ch 23. 10).
Here, therefore, boundless
goodness is displayed, but not so as to bring all to salvation, since a heavier
judgment awaits the reprobate for rejecting the evidence of his love. God
also, to display his own glory, withholds from them the effectual agency of
his Spirit. Therefore, this
inward calling is an infallible pledge of salvation (Calvin, Inst. III.
ch. 24. 2).
For the elect are brought
by calling into the fold of Christ, not from the very womb, nor all at the
same time, but according as God sees it meet to dispense his grace.
Before they are gathered to the supreme Shepherd they wander dispersed in a
common desert, and in no respect differ from others, except that by the
special mercy of God they are kept from rushing to final destruction
(Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 24. 10).
As the Lord by the
efficacy of his calling accomplishes towards his elect the salvation to which
he had by his eternal counsel destined them, so he has judgments against
the reprobate, by which he executes his counsel concerning them (Calvin, Inst.
III. ch. 24. 12).
5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
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 (Steele and
Thomas 19).
but not one of those whom
Christ has once engrafted into his body will he ever permit to perish, for
in securing their salvation, he will perform what he has promised; that is,
exert a divine power greater than all, John 10: 28 (Calvin, Inst. III. ch 22. 7).
Another confirmation tending
to establish our confidence is, that our election is connected with our
calling. For those whom Christ enlightens with the knowledge of his name, and
admits into the bosom of his Church, he is said to take under his guardianship
and protection. All whom he thus receives are said to be committed and entrusted
to him by the Father, that they may be kept unto life eternal (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 24. 6).
Moreover, it cannot be
doubted, that since Christ prays for all the elect, he asks the same thing for
them as he asked for Peter, viz., that their faith fail not, (Luke 22: 32.) Hence
we infer, that there is no danger of their falling away, since the Son of God,
who asks that their piety may prove constant, never meets with a refusal.
What then did our Savior intend to teach us by this prayer, but just to confide,
that whenever we are his our eternal salvation is secure? (Calvin, Inst.
III. ch. 24. 6).
But we have elsewhere seen,
that our hope extends into the future, even beyond death, and that
nothing is more contrary to its nature than to be in doubt as to our future
destiny (Calvin, Inst. III. ch. 24. 7).
by the Synod of
The Synod of Dort reaffirmed
the Calvinistic system of theology 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.” All who were 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.
TULIP is a popular acronym for
the five points of Calvinism:
T= Total Depravity
U= Unconditional Election
L= Limited Atonement
I= Irresistible Grace
P= Perseverance of the Saints
The Synod of Dort 1618-1619
was born out of internal controversy in the Reformed Churches of the
Jacob Hermann, a Dutch
theologian, who lived from 1560-1609, was best known by the Latin form of his
last name, Arminius. Arminius was
chosen in 1603 to be a professor of theology at the