Calvinism
Basics
by Pastor Mike Stine
Calvinism
was begun by John Calvin (1509-1564).
Calvin began studying for the priesthood at age
14 but studied law after he came into a conflict with
the bishop. In
1533 or 1534 he was converted to Protestantism.
He was imprisoned for his beliefs and later
released.
Calvin
became a leader of the Reformation in Geneva when he
befriended a man named Guillaume Farel.
They were both banished but after a political
change, Calvin returned to Geneva in 1541 and worked
with Farel once again.
Calvinism
spread through Europe quickly.
The Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563 by
friends of Calvin, influenced Reformed churches in
Holland, Germany, and America.
“The Synod of Dort met in 1618-1619,
condemned Arminianism and the Remonstrants, and
reaffirmed Calvinistic doctrine as expressed in the
Heidelberg and Belgic Confessions.”
The
Westminster Confession arose during the political
turmoil of the reign of Charles I.
In 1643 the English parliament asked the
Westminster Assembly to develop the creed of the
Church of England.
It was completed in 1646 and it “affirmed a
strong Calvinistic postion and disavowed, ‘the
errors of Arminianism, Roman Catholicism, and
sectarianism.’”
Calvinism
is built upon five points which (the first letters of
which conveniently spell out TULIP).
The following description of the five points of
Calvinism is taken from The Moody Handbook of
Theology.
|
Total
depravity- As a result of Adam’s fall, the
entire human race is affected; all humanity is
dad in trespasses and sin.
Man is unable to save himself. |
|
Unconditional
election- Because man is dead in sin, he is
unable to initiate response to God therefore,
in eternity past God elected certain people to
salvation.
Election and predestination are
unconditional; they are not based upon man’s
response. |
|
Limited
atonement- Because God determined that certain
ones should be saved as a result of God’s
unconditional election, He determined that
Christ should die for the elect.
All whom God has elected and Christ
died for will be saved. |
|
Irresistible
grace- Those whom God elected and Christ died
for, God draws to Himself through irresistible
grace. God makes man willing to come to Him. When God calls, man responds. |
|
Perseverance
of the saints- The precise ones God has
elected and drawn to himself though the holy
Spirit will persevere in faith.
None whom God has elected will be lost;
they are eternally secure. |
These are just the very basics of the Calvinistic
theology. For a more in depth discussion, check out
Arminianism
vs Calvinism.
*
selected quotes taken from The Moody Handbook of Theology
by Paul Enns
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