Calvinism and Arminianism - Oh my!

I bumped into a friend today, and what started as a “How're you doing?” conversation ended 50 minutes later, having covered such diverse topics as Hell, Mercy, Infinity, the absence of Christ from the Church's message, and being a good husband. I, for obvious reasons, being a silent listener on the last topic.

In the course of our all-too-short conversation, my friend made the comment that Truth always lies between two positions. Not surprisingly for many of you, it was in reference to 'Calvinism & Arminianism' – A subject I try not to bring up, lest I be accused of forcing anything. However, I have acquired the title of 'Calvinist' (the fault is mainly my own, of course) and once people know that, they are constantly bringing it up. I don't HAVE to bring it up, the conversation follows me around like a dog that knows I have a treat in my pocket!

Anyway, our conversation actually wasn't primarily about that subject, and this brother is not by any stretch making an ignorant comment, but it got me thinking. I have heard that sentiment expressed on a number of occasions. The truth always lies between two opinions. The Calvinists are right - somewhat. The Arminians are right - somewhat. Both have just grasped one side of a two-sided truth, and the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Any side-taking is sectarian and involves too much pride in thinking one has things figured out. Besides, the gospel is so simple a child can understand it. Who needs Calvinism or Arminianism, anyway? Who needs to know how we got saved, as long as we are saved?

Now, my object in this article is not to argue for the Reformed perspective over and against the Arminian/Semi-pelagian viewpoint. Obviously, I have a position that I believe in strongly, but the question has been debated for a very long time and I'm afraid I'd not add a whole lot by getting up on a soapbox thinking I'd convince you all (All two of you, that is!) in one blog article. My object tonight is to show you that truth is not an ambiguous, fuzzy entity that we can never be quite sure about; that the idea of synthesis is not compatible with Christianity; and that it is your responsibility, as a Christian, to think through some of these issues of the Christian faith. Not to decide if you are a Calvinist or an Arminian, but to decide for yourself what the Bible says about certain topics.

Now some people take a very 'team' approach to theological questions. They view things like this:

Arminianism = Bad, Calvinism = Good.
John Wesley = Bad, Jonathan Edwards = Good.

They do get caught up in names and terms and labels. As for me, I would just as soon do away with labels if I could, seeing as they are so prone to mis-understanding. However, until we find a completely different way of communicating our ideas, we are stuck using words, terms and definitions. So, I am not using the word “Arminian” as a sort of theological swear-word, but to summarize a particular idea concerning certain topics of debate. I do not care what you are called – it is ideas I am concerned with. If you call yourself a Kookamunga, and mean by that what I mean when I call myself a 'Christian', all is well. It may just be that you will often find yourself having to explain yourself. So, if you get caught up in the labels, just substitute, “A particular idea appertaining to a certain question, meaning such-and-such.” Obviously, it is easier to use terms and definitions. It is your responsibility to find out the meaning behind certain terms – that is the task and the responsibility of anyone who reads the Bible.

Before I go any further, I just want to let Charles Spurgeon summarize for me my own position about Calvinism, lest you think I am abandoning Christ for John Calvin:

I have my own private opinion that there is no such thing as preaching Christ and Him crucified, unless we preach what nowadays is called Calvinism. It is a nickname to call it Calvinism; Calvinism is the gospel, and nothing else.ⁱ⁠

Now, why all the fuss? Why not take a reconciliatory, middle-of-the-road approach? Why bother at all? Is it not enough to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross in our place, and we need to repent of our sins? I reply that yes, indeed, that is enough to be saved. I ask you, “What is needed to be born?” An infant needs to do very little indeed, and needs to know even less, to be born. Being born is a very simple process. None of us understood much about anything when we were born, nevermind the complex progress through which we had passed from conception, to being nourished by our mother's bodies, to the actual birth. In the same way, the Bible says, For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Rom 10:13, Acts 2:21) Birth and Salvation are things that we were at no point beforehand qualified or powerful enough to accomplish on our own. Thank heavens we did not have to understand how it all worked before we could experience them.

So, if that's salvation, why am I writing this article? Well, I guess for the same reason the Bible is not three sentences long. The Gospel itself is not simple. It does matter, it hugely matters, what you believe. I am not talking about making a long list of things one needs to understand before you can be saved. That would be as absurd as making a patient write an essay as to how medicine would help him before the doctor would administer it to him. I am not writing this for patients, though, but for those who have already been helped by the medicine and are called to be doctors. If doctors are required to study arduously to learn how best to help men's temporal bodies so that they do not make fatal flaws, how much more care ought we to take when we deal with men's eternal souls? We are not playing at games.

And this brings me to the question under scrutiny tonight. Instead of glibly calling ourselves 'Calminians' in order to cover our laziness, we need to be examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11) Now, please realize I am not saying that you are a good for nothing, lowdown stinker if you have not come to any conclusions. We all have areas in our theology that we are not sure about. What I am saying is that you are a stinker if you think that theology does not matter. If you have come to the conclusion that the whole debate is a useless waste of time, based on your careful examination of the scriptures, then I commend you. However, since the debate centers primarily on what role God plays in our salvation, it is doubtful you will come away with this conclusion. A dismissal is more likely based on a laziness and an apathy rather than a real confusion or inability.

As to the assertion that 'the truth lies in between', I must gently say that in this case, there is no between. It is true that on either side of truth there is error. This does not mean, however, that truth lies between one position and another idea that is antithetical to it. In other words, compromising between two positions is not a good way to determine the truth. This is the methodology of German philosophers (namely, Hegel), not of Christianity. That is the methodology of those who do not have any basis for knowing truth. As Christians, we have God's truth revealed to us in written form in the Bible. We can know the truth; not completely (for then we would be God), but we can know what we know, truly. That is to say, while we cannot be certain of all things, we can still be confident that what we know is true.

Arminianism and Calvinism attempt to answer certain questions concerning the Bible. These questions include, What does Romans 8 mean that we are dead? What is predestination? What is God's involvement in salvation? What is our role in our salvation? They answer them in ways that are not compatible with each other. There is no merging of the two together. One answer is that we are dead and unable to come to God. The answer of the other interpretation is that we are sick and have to come to Christ lest we die. There is no middle ground. One answers “yes”, the other “no”. The only compromise is the answer of “maybe”, which is not an answer at all. Part of the problem is that the perception is that Calvinists believe in predestination, and Arminians believe in Free will. “Since both are true, I'm gonna call myself a Calminian.” The fact of the matter is, the issues are far deeper and more fundamental than that. They will affect how you think, how you live your Christian life, your witness, and how you share your faith.

Do not think that you can sit on the sidelines. You cannot. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God — what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. ( Rom 12:2) You cannot be a neutral observer – there is no such thing as a static Christian. And I am not talking merely about your 'walk with the Lord'. What I mean is that you are always being influenced by something. You live in a culture. That culture is based on certain ideas, some of them stretching back into ancient history. You are a product of your environment. If you are not being transformed by the vision of Christ that you are seeing in the Bible, you will be being conformed to the world. There is no two ways about it. You will not know the extent to which your thinking has been shaped by the world until you try to get your head out of it.

I am not pushing you to 'choose a side'. I am pushing you to become educated about your faith, through which process you will come to conclusions. If you become an Arminian, we will argue, but I would rather an Arminian who knows his Bible than a Calvinist who does not. Do not tell me you do not have time. Look at the way you have spent your time thus far today and tell me that you could not have spent it better in careful reading of your Bible, listening to a sermon, or reading a book on theology (the latter two activities, of course, subjected to the former!). The Christian religion is a wonderful thing, my friend. Discover it. Put away your toys, the things that distract you. Think – have your mind blown. Struggle – interpreting the Bible properly is hard work. Why do you think so few do it nowadays?

With such resources as the Internet and the incredibly cheap books, we ought to be the best educated, knowledgeable Christians. Incredibly, it may well be that this generation (of whom I count myself) may well be the most ignorant bunch of Christians ever. I am not talking about 'extra' knowledge or silly questions. We are ignorant of the very basics of Christianity itself. Do you know:

Why the Trinity is so important to Christian Theology, and how to define it?

Do you why belief in Christ brings eternal life – and only to those who believe?

Do you know why men sin?

Do you understand what Christ did on the cross?

Do you know the difference between Justification and Sanctification?

You may have answers to those questions – but do you understand? Not fully, but do you struggle, do you fight, do you THINK about this stuff? Do not complain that you are a 'simple person' who can't understand the Bible. Has not the Lord promised to reveal things to you, as Paul exhorts Timothy: Think about what I am saying and the Lord will give you understanding of all this. (II Ti 2:7) You know, as well as do I, that the problem is not with the Lord, but in the fact that we do not do the thinking that is required of us. Sure, we are not all John Calvins or John Wesleys, but the Bible was written for all of us, not just those who are geniuses. Examine yourself and see if what you have been blaming on inability or lack of time is not actually laziness and apathy.

Here's another question: Can you name 12 players from your favorite sports team? Or, if that's not your thing, twelve characters from a movie or a book? OK, now can you tell me the names of the twelve disciples? The point is, we know what we spend time at.

Do you wonder why you have no passion for Christ? It is because you do not see him for who he is, and what he has done. Go, he is to be found in the pages of Scriptures, and he is beautiful beyond all compare. Ultimately, he is what it is all about. If you are just filling your head with Bible verses and missing Christ, you are a fool that ought to be pitied beyond all men.

Now, for damage control :-) I am not saying Arminians are not Christians. I would say that Arminian THEOLOGY is not consistent with historic Christian beliefs and is damaging to the name of Christ. Therefore, Arimianism is not Christian. However, I saw a saying once that has stuck with me “Narrow in Theology, Wide in Grace” I believe that what we believe and how we approach the Bible has profound impact – And yet, I believe in a God who is gracious and merciful towards his children.

I do think that a weak, watered down Arminian theology is partly responsible for the problems in the churches today, and that a return to the historical roots of Christianity is the only way we will see revival. But that is a post for another day. What I intend for this is not so much to encourage you to start researching Calvinism and Arminianism on the Internet and choose which side you are on, but to not allow yourself to slip into apathy concerning the scripture and what it says. If I stepped on your toes, I am glad – I am sure they needed stepping on. You do not give Bible reading the effort or the thought it deserves. It is not God you are denying of any pleasure, either. By not looking at him and adoring him, you are robbing yourself of the greatest pleasure a man can ever wish to experience.

Soli Deo Gloria!

i Charles H. Spurgeon, “A Defense of Calvinism,” http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm