TULIP: The Watershed of Reformed Theology

[Soulfyre]

Perhaps no statement of doctrine has established itself as a watershed of Protestant theology as haveThe "Five Points of Calvinism." More properly referred to as the Canons of Dordt, since they were not in fact formulated by Jean Calvin but were set forth by Synod of Dordt in response to the Arminian Articles of Remonstrance, they are considered the cornerstone of Reformed Theology. Also commonly referred to among those who ascribe to Reformed Theology as "The Doctrines of Grace", they delineate in a nutshell what is considered to be the Reformed understanding concerning Salvation.

Associated with the mnemonic acronymn T-U-L-I-P, these articles propose to describe God's work of salvation from first to last. T-U-L-I-P is particularly appropriate, since it not only allows one to remember the esssential subject of each article, but is also the name of a flower particularly associated with the Netherlands, the location of the Synod of Dordt. Many Reformed theological purists also point out that like the tulip which has five petals which are interconnected, the Five Points are logically interdependent. Remove one petal from a tulip, and you destroy the flower as a whole. Deny one point, and you deny all. Here, then, are the Five Points of Calvinism (I have used the brief summaries provided by John Piper in his excellent article, Summary of the Sovereignty of God in Salvation: The Five Points of Calvinism as succint descriptions of each point):

[/b]=Total Depravity: Because of the Fall, humans are incapable of any saving good apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. We are helpless and dead in sin. We have a mindset that “cannot submit to God without divine enabling.[/ul]

[/b]=Unconditional Election: God elects, chooses, before the foundation of the world whom he will save and whom he will pass by and leave to unbelief and sin and rebellion. He does this unconditionally, not on the basis of foreseen faith that humans produce by a supposed power of ultimate self-determination (= “free will”).[/ul]

[/b]=Limited Atonement: The Atonement applies to the elect in a unique, particular way, although the death of Christ is sufficient to propitiate the sins of the whole world. The death of Christ effectually accomplished the salvation for all God’s people.[/ul]

[/b]=Irresistable Grace: God’s call to salvation is effectual, and, hence His grace cannot be ultimately thwarted by human resistance. God’s regenerating call can overcome all human resistance.[/ul]

[/b]=Perseverance of the Saints: Those whom God calls and regenerates He also keeps, so that they do not totally and finally fall away from faith and grace. Note: Piper here does not, I believe, give proper emphasis to the resultant fruit of the Spirit in the life of the regenerate believer, as evidenced by the original concept of "perseverance of the saints", in the saints will persevere in faith and good works.[/ul]These conclusions are cogently exposited by John Piper in his article entitled What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism. It is difficult to appreciate the significance of the Canons of Dordt without understanding the history surrounding the Synod of Dordt, and the Arminian Articles of Remonstrance set forth by students of Jacobus Arminius, a professor at the University of Leiden. Whether or not one agees in toto with the Five Points of Calvinism, the thinking Christian should certainly interact with their claims.

God bless and keep you always, and lead you into all truth through His Holy Spirit,

Matthew (soulfyre)

[rgrove]

Whether or not one agees in toto with the Five Points of Calvinism, the thinking Christian should certainly interact with their claims.

I agree. I think I mentioned this in a longer post so it may not have been read, but these cut to serious issues.

T - This touches deeply into the nature of mankind. Fundmentally, how do you see our unsaved state?

U - Touches very deeply on salvation. What does grace really mean? Is it synergistic or monergistic?

L - What happened on the cross? What was the extent and purpose of what happened?

I - How does God draw people to himself? Again, goes deeply into "How does scripture say we are drawn to the Father by the Holy Spirit"?

P - Goes into the Christian life as Soulfyre pointed out above. What is the biblical relationship between faith and works in the Bible? And how does that relate to our salvation? And what is the biblical view of sanctification?

These are all such basic questions that I really feel they provide a solid framework from which to study God's plan of redemption in the Bible.

Unfortunately one thing that doesn't get addressed directly in the traditional five points (which were all reactions to Arminian teachings and not expressed as five points before that time) is compatibilism. I feel James White addressed this properly in his book
The Sovereign Grace of God where he spoke of a six pedaled TULIP that starts with God and His relationship to man in a compatibilist way. I have recently purchased a few Arminian works on the topic of the doctrines of grace and they all suffer badly from the same affliction. They take libertarian free will as an undefended presupposition and deal with the five points from there. I consider this the wrong approach and I have the same criticism of Calvinist books that teach on the issue and don't address the issue of compatibilism first, but instead take it as a given. Presupposition of this aspect of the doctrines of grace causes opponents to get upset because starting assumptions were never properly addressed in their view.

In Christ,
Ron