Depending on who you ask, you could potentially get wildly different definitions of a Calvinist. Some would say Calvinists are followers of John Calvin, the 16th Century reformer of Geneva. Others would say Calvinists are those who believe in predestination. And there are certainly some out there that would classify Calvinists as non-Christian cultists, interestingly enough. These are common, yet somewhat silly, descriptors of who and what Calvinists are. Firstly, many Calvinists have never read any Calvin — which is unfortunate because he was a wonderful expositor of Scripture and a very godly man who has contributed much to the Church at large, and especially to the Protestant tradition. Secondly, Calvinists are not the only Christians who believe in predestination (or at least they shouldn’t be the only ones who believe in it). Predestination is a biblical concept, as is election; we may disagree on the nature or meaning of these terms, but the Bible teaches on them, therefore we must take a stance on them one way or another. And lastly, those who believe Calvinists are cultists… well, those who believe that probably know very little about the history and impact Calvinism has had on the Church and will likely not be persuaded otherwise regardless of what is said here or elsewhere.
Simply put, a Calvinist is a Christian who holds to a theological perspective labeled Calvinism particularly in their soteriological (doctrine of salvation) views. Though these labels are obviously derived from his name, John Calvin did not “invent” Calvinism. The views are, however, consistent with Calvin’s exegesis of key biblical passages and themes, and “Calvinists” believe he was accurate in his understanding. These views are generally summarized in 5 points which were first formally articulated by Calvin’s successors at the Synod of Dort over 50 years after the passing of John Calvin. These 5 points are: (1) Total Depravity, (2) Unconditional Election, (3) Limited Atonement, (4) Irresistible Grace, (5) Perseverance of the Saints. Conveniently, these points form the acronym TULIP, though it has been noted that these words can be somewhat misleading. We will talk about these terms, explain their meanings, and provide terms that might better express the thoughts behind them as we continue in the series, but for now we will utilize these for their significant historical usage.
Originally, the 5-points of Calvinism were not laid out as positive positions. They were, instead, counter points given in objection to the 5 points raised by the Remonstrants at the aforementioned Synod. The Remonstrants were led by one Jacobus Arminius who had been a student of “Calvinists” teachers (though the term Calvinist hadn’t yet been used). Arminius had become convinced that his teachers were in error concerning God’s sovereignty, election, free will, and other related doctrines. He began opposing those views and setting out his own interpretations on these topics. He immediately gained a decent influence and following, leading to the need and call of a synod — a council held by members of opposing views to debate and attempt to come to agreement on a particular issue— to sort out this issue for the sake of unity within the Protestant faith. The Synod convened in 1618-1619 at Dordrecht, a city in the Western Netherlands. The Remonstrants put forth 5 views of doctrine that they held to: (1) election was conditional upon foreseen faith, (2) the atonement of Christ was unlimited or universal in scope, (3) the total depravity of man after the fall, (4) that prevenient grace was resistible, (5) conditional preservation of the saints— that Christians could “fall away” or forfeit their salvation. As you can probably recognize, the 5-points of TULIP were derived in response to these doctrines set forth objecting to all but the 3rd point: Total Depravity. The Calvinists “won the day” at the Synod of Dort concluding with the rejection of the views of the Remonstrants and officially outlining the Reformed position on these issues (TULIP) in the Canons of Dort. These canons, or articles, provide to this day arguably the most definitive statements concerning the soteriological views of Calvinism and make a great starting point for anyone seeking to understand the fundamental principles of the Reformed/Calvinistic views of salvation.
Obviously, the conclusions at Dort have not put an end to the conversation; they really only initiated one of the greatest divides within the Protestant movement as a whole. Jacob Arminius and the Remonstrants, of course, did not just willingly give in and accept the Canons of Dort, but rather continued gaining influence through preaching and publishing, creating a new branch or expression of the Protestant faith. Key figures like John and Charles Wesley helped streamline Arminian views in the first half of the 18th Century throughout England and the early American colonies. Many aspects of their views remain prevalent in the Church today in modern day denominations like Free Will Baptists, many Pentecostal and Methodist movements, and others. Though this divide still exists amongst Christians today with regards to these differing perspectives, they provide a rich context for theological discussion and offer a great opportunity to study God’s Word to understand who He is, what He has done in Christ, and how we are to believe concerning the work of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of men. This ongoing debate has no doubt spurred great controversy within the body of Christ, but the issues being discussed are certainly worth diving into.
So a Calvinist, in short, is a Christian who holds to the Canons of Dort (or TULIP). There’s more to it than that, but that’s the most accurate simplified definition, in my opinion. Of course, we appreciate the legacy and written works Calvin left behind for his congregation and, by extension, us today. But we don’t follow John Calvin. We don’t believe he was infallible, but when it comes to his exposition of Scripture, his beliefs about the person and works of God, and his understanding of the Doctrines of Grace, we believe he got it right. Therefore, we are called Calvinists. Truth be told, we’d be completely fine with dropping the label “Calvinist”, and would prefer to just be called Biblical Christians. However, the honest Calvinist must acknowledge that we do not have a monopoly on that title. We’re not the only true Christians and we definitely do not believe we are right about everything. Nonetheless, these are our theological convictions. We believe the Bible teaches these doctrines, and hopefully throughout this series I’ll be able to lay out a biblical case for many of these propositions we hold to. We’ll not convince everyone and that’s fine. But if we can push the conversation along and get everyone thinking about these issues in an honest and sincere way, we will thank God that His Word is being devoured by His people, and we’ll pray that He will be glorified in our endeavors to believe all that He has given us in the Word of God.
I’ll conclude with a quote from the work Calvin is most known for, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, (a quote made in reference to the very doctrine that seems to have become synonymous with his name: predestination). I believe all of us will find the sentiment behind this statement true and worthy of all acceptance whether you agree or disagree with Calvin’s conclusions.
“We must thus take care that we do not stop believers examining what Scripture says concerning predestination, lest we appear to want to rob them of the blessing which God has given them, or to blame the Holy Spirit for revealing things which might better have been suppressed. Let us then allow the Christian to open his ears and his mind to every teaching which God has for him, provided he always observes the discipline of closing the path to further inquiry once he sees that God has closed his holy lips. The limits of sobriety will be firmly set if, as we learn, we follow God and always allow him to go ahead of us. Conversely, when he ceases to teach, may we stop wanting to know more. The danger feared by those good souls of whom we have spoken is not so great that we should avoid opening our ears to all that God says.”
—John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1541 French ed., trans. by Robert White (Banner of Truth, 2014) pg. 465.
God has spoken on these issues; let us hear what He has to say.
Soli Deo Gloria
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