Calvinism and Arminianism

Augustine
(354-430) Bishop of Hippo, in North Africa Doctrines of original sin and divine grace, divine sovereignty, and predestination.

Pelagius
(?360-?420) Ascetic Romano-British Monk Doctrine of free will, denied original sin. Humans can become perfect by their own efforts & merit salvation.

John Calvin
(1509-1564) French/Swiss theologian and reformer Five Points of Calvinism (Synod of Dort, 1618-19) 1. Total Depravity. Humans are unable to contribute whatsoever to salvation; faith is entirely from God 2. Unconditional Election. Gods choice of certain individuals for salvation before the foundation of the world rests solely on His own sovereign will. 3. Limited Atonement. Christs redeeming work saves the elect only, and it absolutely secures salvation for them.

Jacobus Arminius

(1560-1609) Dutch minister and theologian The Five Articles of Faith (1610) 1. Free Will. Human nature was corrupted by the fall, but Gods grace enables every sinner to respond in faith 2. Conditional Election. Gods choice of certain individuals for salvation is based on His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. 3. Universal Atonement. Christs redeeming work makes it possible for everyone to be saved, but only if they believe in Him. 4. Irresistible Grace. When the elect are called by the 4. Resistible Grace. The Spirit calls inwardly, all who are Spirit to believe, they inevitably respond; they are called outwardly to believe. The Spirit desires all to respond, powerless to resist the Spirits call. but human free will allows them to resist. 5. Perseverance of the Saints. All who are chosen by 5. Falling from Grace. Those who truly believe and are truly God (the elect), redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the saved may lose their salvation by willfully rejecting Gods Spirit are surely and eternally saved. grace. Scriptural References: (NIV translation) Scriptural References: (NIV translation)
(Mat 22:14 NASB) "For many are called, but few are chosen." (John 6) 37All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away... 39And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. (John 10) 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 26But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. (John 17:9) I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. (Eph 1) 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. (Acts 13:48) When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (John 6:64-65) Yet there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him. (1 Peter 2:8) They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. (Rom 9:10-24) Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. 11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in (John 1:29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 3:16-17) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (Acts 2:21) And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' (Mat 11:28-30) "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Rev 3:20) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. (Rom 5:18-19) Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (1 Cor 15:22) For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. (Rom 11:32) For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Rom 10:8-10, 12, 17)The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved12the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (John 6:28-29) Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? 29Jesus answered, The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.

Calvinism and Arminianism

election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." 15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? 22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory-- 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Rom 12:3) For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. (Eph 2:8-10) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithand this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Rom 5:8-10) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Rom 8:29-30) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom 8) 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 11:29) for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. (2 Tim 4:18) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Isaiah 46:9-10)I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Eph 1:4-10) For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (1 Tim 2:1-6 NIV) I urgethat requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men. (2 Pet 3:9) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Cor 5:14-15,19) For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.... 19That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting mens sins against them. (Col 1:19-23) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross22He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. (John 15:1-6) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit .4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branchesapart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (Rom 11:22) Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. (Heb 6:4-6) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Rom 14) 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. (Gal 5:2-4) 2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Heb 3:12 NASB) Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God.

(Rom 11:33-36) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! {34} "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" {35} "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" {36} For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.