Is Five Point Calvinism Biblical?

IS FIVE POINT CALVINISM BIBLICAL?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

Five Point Calvinism is a theological theory that summarizes God's relationship with Man in redemption under five key points known as TULIP which stand for:

Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of Saints

My view is that whereas sections of the Calvinism theory are Biblical, some of its articulations do not appear to be consistent with Scripture.

The doctrine of Total Depravity presupposes that the sinner has no capacity to make a moral choice for obedience to God because he is dead in sin.

This doctrine rests on a literal interpretation of Scripture in circumstances where fugues of speech such as allegories and metaphors are employed by the writers of Scripture.

Total Depravity is anchored on the premise that man is so "dead in sin" that he cannot come to Christ unaided. My view is that this theory is consistent with Scripture to the extent of the affirmation that the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin.

The phrase "dead in sin" is, in my view, a biblical metaphor. In fact there are several other figures of speech in Ephesians 2:1-10 where this phrase is lifted from. Consider the following: "made alive" (2:5), "raised us up", and "made us sit together in heavenly places" (2:6).

My view that a faithful exegetical treatment of the passage would not arrive at the conclusion embraced by Calvinism. It is theologically inappropriate to draw a literal interpretation of a text or passage of Scripture where figures of speech are employed by the writer.

To teach that man is completely dead in sin to the point that he cannot consciously make a choice for obedience to Christ in response to the preaching of the word of God is, in my view, unbiblical.

Secondly, Calvinism depicts God as a manipulative deity. This portrayal cannot be reconciled with the revelation of Scripture. They also portray man as devoid of any moral will.

Scripture reveals that God reached out to sinful man in Christ. He opened His arms wide under His invitation to all sinners in all ages since Calvary without any prior distinction or discrimination (John 3:16-18). He cannot therefore impose salvation upon anyone or reject a person who willingly comes to Christ!

Thirdly, in their endeavor to articulate their view of the Sovereignty doctrine, Calvinism projects a deity whose moral standing is manifestly inconsistent with what is revealed in the Bible. The moral nature of the God of the Bible is inconsistent in both the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures. He always sought to draw man to Himself. Christ's death on the cross was the highest expression of love for sinful humanity (Romans 5:8).

My view is that five point Calvinism depicts a picture of a monster deity who has "decreed all things from the foundations of the world" and manipulates men to achieve His ultimate objectives. I believe that the sinner's responsibility in exercising his free will is discernible from several texts and passages of Scripture and is consistent with God's will for men.

Why would the judgment scene in Rev. 20:11-15 be captured in Scripture if a sinful man had no responsibility for their decisions?

God gave Adam and Eve a chance for obedience and they willfully lost it. The consequences for their disobedience are conveyed in Genesis 3.

Man's opportunity for redemption is now available in Christ and that window is, in my view, open to all men on earth who will hear the gospel proclaimed until the coming of Christ.

I am therefore persuaded that the God of Scripture never decree that a given number of sinners should receive eternal life while the rest are predestined to eternal damnation in hell! God does not glory in the destruction of sinners (Ezekiel 18:23).

Finally, and contrary to five point Calvinism, Scripture reveals that Christ's atonement is unlimited. John 3:16-18 and other relevant passages of Scripture anchor this truth.

On this score, my view is that Five Point Calvinism is manifestly inconsistent with Scripture in so far as the doctrines of Total Depravity, Limited Atonement and Irresistible Grace are outlined in their theory. Since the Total Depravity doctrine lies at the heart of the TULIP theory, it naturally follows that its deficiency annuls the rest of the four doctrines.

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019