What are Calvinism and Arminianism?

[xXxSharonxXx]

I'm not making this because I saw a thread about it, it's because I know a few people who proclaim they are Calvinists, but some say they believe Arminianism. However you spell/say that. I have looked this up in the past, but can't really seem to find a clear definition of the two. They're just really complicated. Could someone please explain what these people believe in a simpler form? One that a 15 year old would understand

 

[livingbygrace]

I'm not making this because I saw a thread about it, it's because I know a few people who proclaim they are Calvinists, but some say they believe Arminianism. However you spell/say that. I have looked this up in the past, but can't really seem to find a clear definition of the two. They're just really complicated. Could someone please explain what these people believe in a simpler form? One that a 15 year old would understand

Calvanists believe in predestination I believe, not sure about the other one myself

My ten cents worth. Don't spend your life looking into all of these different Christian theologies(I'm gonna upset some by saying this) Just be a Christian. God will keep you on the right path and show you what to believe if you trust him for it.

Keep it simple, that's my advice

God Bless

 

[Scotth1960]

Calvanists believe in predestination I believe, not sure about the other one myself

My ten cents worth. Don't spend your life looking into all of these different Christian theologies(I'm gonna upset some by saying this) Just be a Christian. God will keep you on the right path and show you what to believe if you trust him for it.

Keep it simple, that's my advice

God Bless

Dear friends, I gather Calvinism and Arminianism are both heresies.
But true Biblical faith believes in single predestination (election to salvation) only, and human responsibility and free will. And syngergism. Human freedom and free will must co-operate with God's prevenient (forthcoming) grace. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington May 2011 AD
God save us. Amen.

 

[Scotth1960]

I'm not making this because I saw a thread about it, it's because I know a few people who proclaim they are Calvinists, but some say they believe Arminianism. However you spell/say that. I have looked this up in the past, but can't really seem to find a clear definition of the two. They're just really complicated. Could someone please explain what these people believe in a simpler form? One that a 15 year old would understand

Dear xXsSharonxXx: For more on Calvinism (from and Orthodox Christian perspective):
see:
"The UnReformed Truth: A Response to Credenda Agenda" Orthodox Christian Information
Center
http:// orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/credenda_response.aspx

God bless you. In Erie PA USA May 2011 AD Scott R. Harrington

 

[livingbygrace]

Dear friends, I gather Calvinism and Arminianism are both heresies.
But true Biblical faith believes in single predestination (election to salvation) only, and human responsibility and free will. And syngergism. Human freedom and free will must co-operate with God's prevenient (forthcoming) grace. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington May 2011 AD
God save us. Amen.

I sometimes wonder how God views his children continually calling people/denominations/groups heretics.

It seems to me that what matters most to some is not the heart of Christianity but a doctrine of the mind.

I don't believe such a doctrine will save anybody. God wants the heart.

 

[Scotth1960]

I sometimes wonder how God views his children continually calling people/denominations/groups heretics.

It seems to me that what matters most to some is not the heart of Christianity but a doctrine of the mind.

I don't believe such a doctrine will save anybody. God wants the heart.

Dear livingbygrace, Isn't the heart of Christian Faith two commandments, the second of which is love of neighbor as oneself, the first of which is to love the LORD our God with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, with all of our strength, and with all of our minds. There is no difference between God wanting the hearts and God wanting the minds. There is no difference between God redeeming the intellect and God redeeming the heart, the free will, the emotions, and so on. God wants all of us, and does not want us to check our minds at the door. He wants us to think rationally. But mere Christianity is not mere rationalism. It's paradox and Mystery, too. God bless you. In Erie Scott
PS There is nothing wrong with calling heresy heresy. Do a Bible study if you want to know how God views calling heresy heresy. Try Strong's exhaustive concordance for heretic.
Isn't Calvinism a heresy? According to the Confession of Dositheus (1672 AD), yes. And I believe what the Confession says. (Available online on GOOGLE under "Confession of Dositheus", q.v. Which see!). God bless you.

 

[jimmydiggs]

Calvinism and Arminianism are doctrines attempting to understand the soveriegnty of man and the sovereignty of God. (please correct me if I am wrong)


Calvinism can be understood fairly basically with the acronym, TULIP. See image below.

Assuming my understanding is correct...

Total Depravity is basically stating, that we are so completely inebriated by our sinful nature, and hating of God in our natural state (based on Original Sin doctrine) that we are not capable of seeking God in said state. God has to change the way we work/think.

Unconditional Election is basically that, God choses who to save.

Limited Atonement, Christ died only for the saved.

Irresistable Grace, when God choses us we can't resist.

Preservation of the Saints, this is also known once saved; always saved. Basically, if all the above is true, then you are chosen by God and cannot resist God and therefor you can't not be a saved person.

Arminianism....

Free Will, humans are free to accept or reject God.

Conditional Election, we are "elect" based on our Free Will.

Universal Atonement, Christ died for alll, even those that go to hell.

Resistable Grace, because of our ability to chose to accept or reject God, we can reject his "softening of the heart" as it is often called.

Preserverance of some Saints, because we can chose, some saved will make it, some won't. Basically, you can lose your salvation.


Explanation for a 15 year old.

There are bible verses to prove/disprove either position based on where you stand. That's not what I'm concerned about so I did not post any, just explaining the two.


Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[livingbygrace]

Dear livingbygrace, Isn't the heart of Christian Faith two commandments, the second of which is love of neighbor as oneself,
How is it loving your neighbour to call them a heretic?

How is it l.oving your Calvanist neighbour to tell them their beliefs are heretical?


the first of which is to love the LORD our God with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, with all of our strength, and with all of our minds.

How is it loving God to call any of his children a heretic?

There is no difference between God wanting the hearts and God wanting the minds. There is no difference between God redeeming the intellect and God redeeming the heart, the free will, the emotions, and so on. God wants all of us, and does not want us to check our minds at the door. He wants us to think rationally. But mere Christianity is not mere rationalism. It's paradox and Mystery, too. God bless you. In Erie Scott
PS There is nothing wrong with calling heresy heresy. Do a Bible study if you want to know how God views calling heresy heresy. Try Strong's exhaustive concordance for heretic.
Isn't Calvinism a heresy? According to the Confession of Dositheus (1672 AD), yes.

Who is Dositheus?
So if calvanism is a heresy does this mean all calvanists are condemned and can have no eternal life? Or can people who believe heresies enter Heaven?


And I believe what the Confession says. (Available online on GOOGLE under "Confession of Dositheus", q.v. Which see!). God bless you.

No thank you, I hear enough people called heretics on cc without wishing to hear anymore

Aren't you worried that you may be a heretic? Or are you one of the select few who perfectly understand all doctrine as it should be understood?

 

[AnandaHya]

Explanation for a 15 year old.

.[/SIZE]

LOL I don't know much about either but that one is classic. thanks for the explanation. the theologians are on another thread already debating the difference between the two and how neither is completely Biblical.

 

[zone]

Arminians are kerfuzzled by the predestination (potter) scriptures, and Calvinists are confuzzled by the apostasy scriptures.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Arminians are kerfuzzled by the predestination (potter) scriptures, and Calvinists are confuzzled by the apostasy scriptures.

And neither one gets it right

 

[zone]

Divine Election Explained

This is what happens when a gentleman with a sincere question about election approaches Paul Washer (unannounced) and someone else has a video camera standing by ready to record.
In spite of the sound quality issues (thankfully the entire conversation is readable in subtitles on the screen), I am sure the explanation given here can be helpful for many people. - JS

Reformation Theology: Divine Election Explained

 

[ChirstNotCalvin]

Have a look on the thread "Original Sin and Calvanism"

 

[FireOnTheAltar]

Arminians don't have an issue with the concept of Predestination. They simply do not agree with Calvin's interpretation of it.

Basically Arminians believe that Christ came to this earth & gave his life so that anyone who would hears the gospels and responds in faith can be saved. They have no problem believing that God knows beforehand who will accept him and who will deny him however, because God is both loving and just, everyone is presented with the opportunity in some form or fashion at God's discretion.

Calvin believed that Christ came only for a select few and that everyone else is predestined for hell. People have a hard time accepting Calvin's view because it would make no sense for God to send someone to hell for not accepting the gospel when it was his will from the very start to deny Him thus God seems like the ultimate hypocrite.

Historically,the problem with Calvinism is that it many times throughout the ages it has evolved into christian elitism which why Calvinists, on record, are the #2 oppressor / persecuter of other Christians behind Catholicism. Unfortunately most Calvinistic sects saw & still see themselves as the elect and viewed else who opposed them as heretics predestined for hell thus they did not hesitate to kill people who they believed to be heretics.

Calvin himself had a man (Servetus) burned at the stake for heresy which, if you research Calvin's own views of "Soveriegnty" which states that man can do nothing to further help or hurt the cause of Christ, Calvin's actions completely contradicted what he professed and taught. John Fox led a bloody revolution in Scotland killing many Catholics. The Puritans were well known for having zero tolerance toward differing views and martyred many, notably Quakers. The Anglican church of England killed Methodists and attempted to kill John Wesley himself. Even Baptists, which originally began as an Arminian sect, were heavily persecuted by Calvinists with many giving into the pressure of persecution and adopted many Calvinistic views (which would later evolve into Once Saved Always Saved).

 

[FireOnTheAltar]

Arminians don't have an issue with the concept of Predestination. They simply do not agree with Calvin's interpretation of it.

Basically Arminians believe that Christ came to this earth & gave his life so that anyone who would hears the gospels and responds in faith can be saved. They have no problem believing that God knows beforehand who will accept him and who will deny him however, because God is both loving and just, everyone is presented with the opportunity in some form or fashion at God's discretion.

Calvin believed that Christ came only for a select few and that everyone else is predestined for hell. People have a hard time accepting Calvin's view because it would make no sense for God to send someone to hell for not accepting the gospel when it was his will from the very start to deny Him thus God seems like the ultimate hypocrite.

Historically,the problem with Calvinism is that it many times throughout the ages it has evolved into christian elitism which why Calvinists, on record, are the #2 oppressor / persecuter of other Christians behind Catholicism. Unfortunately most Calvinistic sects saw & still see themselves as the elect and viewed else who opposed them as heretics predestined for hell thus they did not hesitate to kill people who they believed to be heretics.

Calvin himself had a man (Servetus) burned at the stake for heresy which, if you research Calvin's own views of "Soveriegnty" which states that man can do nothing to further help or hurt the cause of Christ, Calvin's actions completely contradicted what he professed and taught. John Fox led a bloody revolution in Scotland killing many Catholics. The Puritans were well known for having zero tolerance toward differing views and martyred many, notably Quakers. The Anglican church of England killed Methodists and attempted to kill John Wesley himself. Even Baptists, which originally began as an Arminian sect, were heavily persecuted by Calvinists with many giving into the pressure of persecution and adopted many Calvinistic views (which would later evolve into Once Saved Always Saved).

In fact, if you have read many of the posts on this board, the people who are the most stubborn and completely intolerant other views thus freely insulting others calling them names such a heretic or apostate are ussually those who's beliefs are Calvinistic in nature. Yes, there are others from other views who can get hostile as well however it due to immaturity, either personally or spiritually. However those who like to drop the big insults are ussually the earlier and not the later.

 

[FireOnTheAltar]

The bible teaches us that we can discern an authentic christian according to their fruit. Keeping this in mind, it only makes good sense to measure any doctrine or theology by the same standard. If you were to research history and look at the fruit of both belief systems, Calvinism and Arminianism, the fruit of these two belief systems couldn't be more different. Calvinism is plagued with bad fruit including multiple murders on many different occassions. Meanwhile many (not all but most) of the greatest moves of God in the last 350 years have occured among Arminian camps. In fact, I don't recall one Arminian murder whatsoever and have studied much of history through an unbiased lense (only to fully embrace Arminianism as a result).


By no means is this a fabrication and you are more than welcome to research the facts for yourselves.

 

[David_1]

Please know that Calvin, the man was a murderer.

He had someone who disagreed with him burned at the stake. A Horrible and gruesome death.

I dare say someone who would do such a thing was a Psychopath.

 

[zone]

Arminians don't have an issue with the concept of Predestination. They simply do not agree with Calvin's interpretation of it.

Basically Arminians believe that Christ came to this earth & gave his life so that anyone who would hears the gospels and responds in faith can be saved. They have no problem believing that God knows beforehand who will accept him and who will deny him however, because God is both loving and just, everyone is presented with the opportunity in some form or fashion at God's discretion. ).

so.....God looked down through the corridors of time, and saw the pretty decent men who managed to summon saving faith from within darkened sinful hearts (not too sinful though, since they managed to ganer their own faith)...those decent men made a good choice by choosing Jesus and so God then predestined those ones to salvation? because of what THEY did?

there's a little room for boasting there, ya?

Calvin believed that Christ came only for a select few and that everyone else is predestined for hell. People have a hard time accepting Calvin's view because it would make no sense for God to send someone to hell for not accepting the gospel when it was his will from the very start to deny Him thus God seems like the ultimate hypocrite.

you better be careful how you speak about your Potter young man.
ALL are already condemned. if God chooses to save some, who are you to argue?

if you were called out and drawn to the Son perhaps you should be grateful and humble about that?
or did you decide to get saved one day and make your way to the throne of Grace and announce your decision.?

how did you manage that when you were a walking corpse?

Historically,the problem with Calvinism is that it many times throughout the ages it has evolved into christian elitism which why Calvinists, on record, are the #2 oppressor / persecuter of other Christians behind Catholicism. Unfortunately most Calvinistic sects saw & still see themselves as the elect and viewed else who opposed them as heretics predestined for hell thus they did not hesitate to kill people who they believed to be heretics. ).

what an absolute load of myths and propaganda.
doctrines and formulas attributed to calvinwere never even dreamt of by him: they came MUCH later, in response to the pelagians who we know today as arminians

Calvin himself had a man (Servetus) burned at the stake for heresy which, if you research Calvin's own views of "Soveriegnty" which states that man can do nothing to further help or hurt the cause of Christ, Calvin's actions completely contradicted what he professed and taught. John Fox led a bloody revolution in Scotland killing many Catholics. The Puritans were well known for having zero tolerance toward differing views and martyred many, notably Quakers. The Anglican church of England killed Methodists and attempted to kill John Wesley himself. Even Baptists, which originally began as an Arminian sect, were heavily persecuted by Calvinists with many giving into the pressure of persecution and adopted many Calvinistic views (which would later evolve into Once Saved Always Saved).

and? your point?
everybody killing everybody else...anything different today (America and Israel's crusades against Islam comes to mind).

baptists? began as an arminian sect? PROOF PLEASE

assurance is TOTALLY biblical: for monergists who know salvation is God's doing.

there's no assurance for Arminians who are bootstrapping their own way to the pearly gates (good luck with that).

 

[zone]

In fact, if you have read many of the posts on this board, the people who are the most stubborn and completely intolerant other views thus freely insulting others calling them names such a heretic or apostate are ussually those who's beliefs are Calvinistic in nature. Yes, there are others from other views who can get hostile as well however it due to immaturity, either personally or spiritually. However those who like to drop the big insults are ussually the earlier and not the later.

ROTFLMHO!
and the arminians are usually the ones who are weslyan, believe they are perfected (and just make mistakes), and are so purified, and soooooooo holy, God can use them for special offices like prophet and apostle.

uh huh.

 

[zone]

Please know that Calvin, the man was a murderer.

He had someone who disagreed with him burned at the stake. A Horrible and gruesome death.

I dare say someone who would do such a thing was a Psychopath.

hmmm....
ya.

i guess we won't be seeing moses or david in heaven.