Five points of Calvinism

Calvinist theology is often identified in the popular mind as the so-called five points of Calvinism (remembered in the English-speaking world with the mnemonic TULIP), which are a summation of the judgments (or canons) rendered by the Synod of Dordt and which were published in the Quinquarticular Controversy as a point-by-point response to the five points of the Arminian Remonstrants. They therefore function only as a summary of the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism and are not a good summation of Calvin's writings, or of the theology of the Reformed churches in general. Indeed, Calvin never fully discussed doctrines such as limited atonement in his writings, but only hinted at his opinion. The central assertion of these canons is that God is able to save every one of those upon whom he has mercy and that his efforts are not frustrated by the unrighteousness or the inability of humans.

Summaries of the points

The five points of Calvinism, which can be remembered by the English acronym TULIP, with supporting passages from the Bible are:

Total depravity

People in their natural, unregenerate state do not have the ability to turn to God. Rather it is the grace and will of God through the Spirit that causes men who are dead in sin to be reborn through the Word of God. This concept is summarized by the aphorism "Regeneration precedes faith," since in the Calvinist view, apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit for the individual, there would never be any faith. It should also be noted that the term "total" is not intensive in nature, meaning that all persons are intensely sinful, but is rather extensive, meaning that sin has extended to and corrupted every portion of man's being.

• Romans 3:10-11 "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God."
• John 6:44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them."

Unconditional election

Election means "choice". God's choice from eternity, of whom He will bring to Himself, is not based on foreseen virtue, merit or faith in the persons He chooses but rather is unconditionally grounded in His own mercy.

• Romans 9:16 "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
• Ephesians 1:4 "Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him."
• John 1:13 "born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
• Exodus 33:19 "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Limited atonement

Also called "particular redemption" or "definite atonement" meaning that, Christ's death actually takes away the penalty of sins committed by those upon whom God has chosen to have mercy. (As opposed to Christ's death making redemption merely a possibility that we can perform). It is "limited" then, to taking away the sins of the elect.

• John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."
• John 10:27-28 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
• Acts 20:28 "shepherd the church of God that He obtained with the blood of His own Son."
• Ephesians 5:25 "love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
• John 17:9 "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine."
• John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
• John 6:65 "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father."

Irresistible grace

The saving grace of God is not resistible. Those who obtain salvation do so because of the relentlessness of God's mercy. Individuals yield to grace, not finally because God found their consciences more tender or their faith more tenacious than other people. Rather, willingness, and any ability to do God's will, are evidence of God's faithfulness to save people from the power and the penalty of sin.

• John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you."
• Ephesians 1:11 "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will."
• 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit."
• Romans 9:11 "though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad- in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of his call."
• Colossians 2:13 "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him."

Perseverance of the saints

Also called the "Preservation of the Saints". Those whom God has called into communion with Himself through Christ, will continue in faith and will increase in faith and other gifts, until the end. Those who apparently fall away, either never had true faith to begin with, or else will return. This is slightly different from the "once saved, always saved" view prevalent in modern American evangelical churches: in that doctrine, despite seeming apostasy, the individual is really saved; in Calvinist teaching, the individual is proving that they are not saved at all, and never were.

• John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish."
• 1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."
• Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Calvinism is often further reduced in the popular mind to one or another of the five points of TULIP. The doctrine of unconditional election is sometimes made to stand for all Reformed doctrine, sometimes even by its adherents, as the chief article of Reformed Christianity; however, according to the doctrinal statements of these churches, it is not a balanced view to single out this doctrine to stand on its own as representative of all that is taught. The doctrine of unconditional election, and its corollary in the doctrine of predestination are never properly taught, according to Calvinists, except as an assurance to those who seek forgiveness and salvation through Christ, that their faith is not in vain, because God is able to bring to completion all of His intentions to save. Nevertheless, non-Calvinists object that these doctrines discourage the world from seeking salvation.

In John Calvin's Own Words

• “We call predestination God's eternal decree, by which he determined within Himself what He willed to become of each man. For all are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others” (Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.21.5).

• in reference to John 1:29: “When he (John) says the sin of the world, he extends this favor indiscriminately to the whole human race” [Commentary on John’s Gospel (Grand Rapids, 1949), Vol. I, p. 64]. Note that this statement is contrary to the so-called Calvinist view on limited atonement.

Opposing Viewpoints

• “It is impossible to explain why we are commanded to preach the Gospel (Good News) to all, if Christ did not die for all.” [Rev. Dr. Norman F. Douty, Did Christ Die Only for the Elect? A Treatise on the Extent of Christ’s Atonement (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998), 47].

• “Who that reads the Bible can believe that G-d ever created people in order to damn them?” [Rev. Dr. Norman F. Douty, Did Christ Die Only for the Elect? A Treatise on the Extent of Christ’s Atonement (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998), 128].

• “The (Calvinistic) idea of Christ paying exactly so much for one, and so much for another… and then adding the sums together, and forming a large limited sum, just sufficient to ransom the elect, appears unscriptural, and gives a degrading view to the glorious subject” [Thomas Scott. Theological Works (Edinburgh, 1839), 139-140].

• “Who knows whether I am elected to salvation? Answer: Look at the words (of John 3:16), I beseech you, to determine how and of whom He is speaking…. Now, the ‘world’ does not mean Peter and Paul alone but the entire human race, all together” [[[Media:Martin Luther]]. The Table Talk of Martin Luther (London: George Bell & Sons, 1890)].

See also

• Calvinism
• Arminianism - Principal Opponent of Calvinism
  • Differences from Calvin's 5 Points: Conditional election, Prevenient Grace, Unlimited atonement, Conditional Preservation of the Saints
• History of Calvinist-Arminian Debate

External links

• "An Examination of 'TULIP'", a critical review by Robert Sumner with a Calvinist response
• What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism by John Piper
• An Examination of the Five Points of Calvinism by Brian Schwertley
• The Five Points of Calvinism by W.J. Seaton
• Theopedia: TULIP (conservative Calvinist perspective)