Introduction

John Calvin (1509-1564)

  • Jacobus Arminius and his followers argued against Calvin’s teaching. The five points of Calvinism were a distillation of the arguments that Calvin and his followers made against the Arminians.

Total depravity (or total inability)

“Adam’s offspring are born with sinful natures, they do not have the ability to choose spiritual good over evil.” – Steele, Thomas, and Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 18-19

“Our sinful corruption is so deep and so strong as to make us slaves of sin and morally unable to overcome our own rebellion and blindness. This inability to save ourselves from ourselves is total. We are utterly dependent on God’s grace to overcome our rebellion, give us eyes to see, and effectively draw us to the Savior.” – John Piper, Five Points, p.11

“Ephesians 2:1 says that we Christians were all once ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ The point of deadness is that we were incapable of any spiritual life with God.” – John Piper, Five Points, p. 19

  • Ephesians 2:1-5 – This verse is just saying that people were dead in their sins, not that they couldn’t do anything about it or that their guilt came from Adam.
  • Acts 8:4-17
Calvinists Bible
“the once dead sinner is drawn to Christ by the inward, supernatural call of the Spirit” – Steele, Thomas, and Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 53 “they believed Philip preaching the good news” (Acts 8:12) and later “they were receiving the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17)

Unconditional election

“Election refers to God’s choosing whom to save. It is unconditional in that there is no condition man must meet before God chooses to save him. Man is dead in trespasses and sins. So there is no condition he can meet before God chooses to save him from his deadness.” – John Piper, Five Points, p. 50

“But faith is not a condition for election. Just the reverse. Election is a condition for faith.” – John Piper, Five points, p. 50

Concerning Romans 9:10-13: “God’s choice was not based upon any foreseen merit residing in those whom He chose, now was it based on any foreseen good works performed by them … Election was based on the sovereign, distinguishing mercy of almighty God. It was not man’s will, but God’s will, that determined which sinners would be shown mercy and saved.” – Steele, Thomas, and Quinn, The Five Points of Calvinism, p. 32, 35

  • Romans 9:10-13 – This passage is not talking about salvation at all – it is talking about God choosing a particular branch of the family for Christ to come from.
  • In any investigation, you have to stand firm on what is known.
  • Any time we’re studying the Bible, we need to let the plain passages help us figure out the difficult passages.
  • I Peter 1:17-19 – God is an impartial judge, judging according to our works.
Calvinists Bible
“It is unconditional in that there is no condition man must meet before God chooses to save him.” – John Piper, Five Points, p. 50 “impartially judges according to each one’s work” (I Peter 1:17)