Calvinism/Reformed, Arminianism,
Neo-Arminianism, Open, Theologies
The four basic theologies of Christianity determine how the Scriptures are interpreted.
- They derive from different biblical viewpoints.
- They set the frame of mind and filter the reader’s understanding of the Scriptures.
When starting on the Christian journey, it is best to have no previous knowledge of these, but that is rare. Most are brought up in one of them, or it is what is taught at the first fellowship attended after salvation. And as it is common among men, the first learned is what we will stick to no matter what. It is just too difficult and time-consuming to examine and diligently study, modifying what we believe.
One error many people make is to learn something the wrong way and stick to it no matter what.
Harry Lorayne, Secrets of Mind Power (1961)
The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.
Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910); The Kingdom of God is Within You (1897)
This may seem a harsh criticism, but someone has to tell you the truth. If the word of truth and this issue are approached with an open mind, with a desire to serve God and seek His truth, the truth will be evident.
The subject of debate among these four centers on predestination and God’s foreknowledge.
Calvinism/Reformed is a belief that God predestined everything, not the least of which is individual salvation. All being predestinated, history is closed. Calvinism maintains that men preexisted the creation of Genesis 1:1 in some form or other, and the preexisting individuals were chosen to be saved haphazardly, without any rhyme or reason given other than it is God’s prerogative. Christ’s atonement being limited to only those chosen, the elect.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Arminianism is derived from disagreeing with Calvinism on five points, which is where the five points of Calvinism are derived. It objects to God just choosing the elect without rhyme or reason and invented a method of electing individuals known as ‘Prevenient Faith’ or faith in anticipation of election, sometimes referred to as ‘Prevenient Grace’. It can be a bit complicated. Arminianism tests each of these souls with prevenient faith, that is, each is given enough faith to see whether they lean toward or against believing God, see which way the wind blows, so to speak. Although not outright confirming predestination, God knows who will or will not accept the gospel from the beginning and elects those who will to salvation. It is considered an act of free will, even though no one can come to God without being given the faith to do so. This would contradict limited atonement in that all are provided this Prevenient Faith or Grace and tested, giving them all the ability to choose if they so desire, hence salvation would be open to all.
Nevertheless, they are still totally depraved and unable to come to God on their own. God knows all, and men still have to be individually elected unto salvation; history remains closed. Where this history originates, if God did not predestinate it, is a mystery to me.
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Somewhere along the line, it became the mistaken belief that Arminianism did not hold to individual predestination or pre-election. People started saying they were Arminian just to say they were not Calvinistic. I refer to this as new or Neo-Arminianism.
Neo-Arminianism rejects all predestination, holding that God just knows all due to looking down from eternity on the completed past, present, and future all at once. Therefore, he sees and knows all at one time. He does not predetermine or elect who will and will not be saved; that remains a free will choice. He just sees who does and does not believe. As the Lord is just witnessing the events of history, He cannot lay claim to being the causation of anything. The main problem with this is, as I see it, as in Arminianism, no explanation is given as to where this past, present, and future came from that God did not know about and must look to see what happened. This would mean that history had to run its course for God to see what happened, and then He would have had to go back in time and insert Himself. This would mean that we are in a rerun of history. History is still closed, completed, and unchanging, as it could not change after God observed and inserted Himself within it.
All three have their problems, the least of which is that they all limit God in some way.
Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
This is not so with our last contender.
Open Theology accepts that everything is happening in real-time, history is open and flowing. God is simply dealing with men as they come into existence naturally at conception. Hence, there is no need for supplemental fabrications: preexisting souls, a history for God to see, etc. Certain things are predestined from the foundation of creation, such as the plan of salvation, the cross, final judgment, etc., and some are predetermined in the flow of history. There are always two ways of getting to the predestined events: the easy way, obey God; the hard way, disobey God and take the long, hard way around. Between the predetermined events is room for free will, time and chance, and most importantly, God’s judgments upon men and nations. Most of the course of history has been due to God’s judgments upon the evil men do in real time. God is not limited in any way except by His own choices.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Universalism is another that could be put in our list; however, it extends far beyond the scope of Christianity. It is the flip side of Calvinism; neither could reconcile how Christ could have died for all and all not be saved. They cannot see the dual nature of eternal salvation. In consequence, Calvinism threw out salvation for all and introduced a limited atonement, just for the elect. Universalism went the other way and threw out eternal damnation and has all being saved eventually. They failed to see that Christ’s death paid for the sins of the world and opened the door of salvation to all men, but each individual has to have their personal sins forgiven. The payment for sins was accomplished en masse, while forgiveness is granted on an individual basis.
It is helpful if the correct biblical definition of the nature of free will is understood and adhered to.
This has been a brief look at these four/five theologies that drive divisions within the Church.
The Four Main Theologies
Calvinism/Reformed, Arminianism,
Neo-Arminianism, Open, Theologies
The four basic theologies of Christianity determine how the Scriptures are interpreted.
When starting on the Christian journey, it is best to have no previous knowledge of these, but that is rare. Most are brought up in one of them, or it is what is taught at the first fellowship attended after salvation. And as it is common among men, the first learned is what we will stick to no matter what. It is just too difficult and time-consuming to examine and diligently study, modifying what we believe.
One error many people make is to learn something the wrong way and stick to it no matter what.
Harry Lorayne, Secrets of Mind Power (1961)
The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.
Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910); The Kingdom of God is Within You (1897)
This may seem a harsh criticism, but someone has to tell you the truth. If the word of truth and this issue are approached with an open mind, with a desire to serve God and seek His truth, the truth will be evident.
The subject of debate among these four centers on predestination and God’s foreknowledge.
Calvinism/Reformed is a belief that God predestined everything, not the least of which is individual salvation. All being predestinated, history is closed. Calvinism maintains that men preexisted the creation of Genesis 1:1 in some form or other, and the preexisting individuals were chosen to be saved haphazardly, without any rhyme or reason given other than it is God’s prerogative. Christ’s atonement being limited to only those chosen, the elect.
Romans 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Arminianism is derived from disagreeing with Calvinism on five points, which is where the five points of Calvinism are derived. It objects to God just choosing the elect without rhyme or reason and invented a method of electing individuals known as ‘Prevenient Faith’ or faith in anticipation of election, sometimes referred to as ‘Prevenient Grace’. It can be a bit complicated. Arminianism tests each of these souls with prevenient faith, that is, each is given enough faith to see whether they lean toward or against believing God, see which way the wind blows, so to speak. Although not outright confirming predestination, God knows who will or will not accept the gospel from the beginning and elects those who will to salvation. It is considered an act of free will, even though no one can come to God without being given the faith to do so. This would contradict limited atonement in that all are provided this Prevenient Faith or Grace and tested, giving them all the ability to choose if they so desire, hence salvation would be open to all.
Nevertheless, they are still totally depraved and unable to come to God on their own. God knows all, and men still have to be individually elected unto salvation; history remains closed. Where this history originates, if God did not predestinate it, is a mystery to me.
Romans 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
Somewhere along the line, it became the mistaken belief that Arminianism did not hold to individual predestination or pre-election. People started saying they were Arminian just to say they were not Calvinistic. I refer to this as new or Neo-Arminianism.
Neo-Arminianism rejects all predestination, holding that God just knows all due to looking down from eternity on the completed past, present, and future all at once. Therefore, he sees and knows all at one time. He does not predetermine or elect who will and will not be saved; that remains a free will choice. He just sees who does and does not believe. As the Lord is just witnessing the events of history, He cannot lay claim to being the causation of anything. The main problem with this is, as I see it, as in Arminianism, no explanation is given as to where this past, present, and future came from that God did not know about and must look to see what happened. This would mean that history had to run its course for God to see what happened, and then He would have had to go back in time and insert Himself. This would mean that we are in a rerun of history. History is still closed, completed, and unchanging, as it could not change after God observed and inserted Himself within it.
All three have their problems, the least of which is that they all limit God in some way.
Psalms 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
This is not so with our last contender.
Open Theology accepts that everything is happening in real-time, history is open and flowing. God is simply dealing with men as they come into existence naturally at conception. Hence, there is no need for supplemental fabrications: preexisting souls, a history for God to see, etc. Certain things are predestined from the foundation of creation, such as the plan of salvation, the cross, final judgment, etc., and some are predetermined in the flow of history. There are always two ways of getting to the predestined events: the easy way, obey God; the hard way, disobey God and take the long, hard way around. Between the predetermined events is room for free will, time and chance, and most importantly, God’s judgments upon men and nations. Most of the course of history has been due to God’s judgments upon the evil men do in real time. God is not limited in any way except by His own choices.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
Universalism is another that could be put in our list; however, it extends far beyond the scope of Christianity. It is the flip side of Calvinism; neither could reconcile how Christ could have died for all and all not be saved. They cannot see the dual nature of eternal salvation. In consequence, Calvinism threw out salvation for all and introduced a limited atonement, just for the elect. Universalism went the other way and threw out eternal damnation and has all being saved eventually. They failed to see that Christ’s death paid for the sins of the world and opened the door of salvation to all men, but each individual has to have their personal sins forgiven. The payment for sins was accomplished en masse, while forgiveness is granted on an individual basis.
It is helpful if the correct biblical definition of the nature of free will is understood and adhered to.
This has been a brief look at these four/five theologies that drive divisions within the Church.
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