TSW ~ E.W. King: Response to T.U.L.I.P. Calvinism

John Calvin

Response to T.U.L.I.P. Calvinism

By Eric William King

Whenever we talk about the Biblical subject of “election” and “predestination” we are getting into what we call Apophatic Theological Topics. St Martin Luther defined Apophatic-topics as such:

From St Martin Luther’s “Lectures on Genesis” we find:

“This is how I have taught in my book On the Bondage of the Will and elsewhere, namely, that a distinction must be made when one deals with the knowledge, or rather with the subject, of the divinity. For one must debate either about the hidden God or about the revealed God [i.e.-God as we know Him through Christ, a God of mercy]. With regard to God, insofar as He has not been revealed, there is no faith, no knowledge, and no understanding. And here one must hold to the statement that what is above us is none of our concern. For thoughts of this kind, which investigate something more sublime above or outside that revelation of God, are altogether hellish. With them nothing more is achieved than we plunge ourselves into destruction.”

So we must understand that we are beginning to talk about a paradoxical and mysterious doctrine taught in the Scriptures known as “predestination” or “election”. St Martin Luther accepted these doctrines by FAITH and felt no need to overly dissect them with human reason and logic. The doctrines of election are beyond human comprehension. Even to pretend to fully understand it is a sin.

Moses stated in the Torah;

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

St Peter stated that Apostle Paul states some things in his epistles that are to be spiritually discerned and not to be fully explained or understood using human reason and logic. Look what St Peter stated;

“His letters [St Paul’s] contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (2^nd Peter 3:16)

Unfortunately some theologians today are twisting some difficult statements made by St Martin Luther also. St Martin Luther did not teach that a true elect servant of God could ever lose his or her salvation. Period! St Luther did teach that some can “taste” the gift of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God but for some mysterious reason along the way they “fall from grace”. This means that only God knows who is truly His…not us. We may know somebody for years, strong Christian but something happens…perhaps they join apostasy, or simply turn atheist. These are those who may “fall from grace”. We cannot explain these mysteries but simply accept them through faith.

Lutheran Response to T.U.L.I.P.

John Calvin presented his theology at the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) following St Luther’s true reform. John Calvin was a practicing lawyer and added practices of pietism to his theology. His doctrine was summed up in the acrostic “TULIP”. He stated that any doctrine “not reasonable” was “not acceptable”. That statement is not Biblical.

Here is how a Lutheran Christian responds Biblically to the “Five Points of Calvinism”:

T (Total Depravity): John Calvin was Biblically correct in his understanding of “total depravity” or “Original Sin”. People do not have freedom of will to properly love or accept God. Salvation is a complete act of God minus us (Eph 2:1; John 3:5-6; Rom 8:7).

U (Unconditional Predestination): John Calvin was correct in that the elect and predestined are chosen by God’s grace alone for the gift of justification, not based on anything they can do (2^nd Tim 2:9; Eph 1:4-6; Phil 1:29). However, John Calvin was wrong in that God predestined people to burn in Hell. Hell is a choice made by the fallen individual minus God. God in fact wants all to be saved but not all will be saved. Again, these truths are not comprehended by human reason and logic but are accepted because God says they are so.

L (Limited Atonement): John Calvin is correct that Jesus died for the Christian Church and purchased it with His own blood (Eph 5:25; Acts 20:28). Also, not everybody will be saved (1^st Cor 1:18). But Christ’s sacrifice covered all who ever were or shall be born. His atonement is good enough for everybody, He died “for all” (2^nd Cor 5:15) but not all will be saved. Again, a paradoxical mystery of true faith.

I (Irresistible Grace): John Calvin was correct in that God calls us to Him by His mighty power minus our aid (Eph 2:5; John 1:13). One can resist God’s call (Matt 23:37; Acts 7:51; 2^nd Cor 6:1). But the Bible does say that grace can be resisted. If everybody accepted God’s grace everybody would be saved (1^st Tim 2:4). God warns us not to resist His grace (2^nd Cor 6:1; Heb 4:7).

P (Perseverance in Grace): We agree with John Calvin that those who are truly saved will endure to the end, they cannot be lost, and they are kept completely by God’s power (Rom. 8:30; 1^st Peter 1:5). However, there are some who can “taste the gift” of the Holy Spirit but afterwards can fall. True Christians will continue to try and live sinless lives and thus repentant lives (Heb. 6:4-6;10:26-29; Ps 51:11).

So the Bible does not teach “limited atonement”, Jesus Christ “died for all”. His sacrifice is good enough for anybody and everybody. This is what the Bible teaches. It also teaches that not everybody will be saved. There are many paradoxical mysteries that only FIATH can discern and accept, but never fully explain. The minute one can totally explain God then God ceases to be God.

I hope this helped you come to a better understanding of what the Bible truly teaches regarding these issues. Please continue your studies here at “The Shepherds Way” and the “Nugget of Truth”

Remaining in His Word,

Eric William King (April 23^rd 2020)