Timothy Elrod

Theo350_B05_201020

Calvinism vs Arminianism

The Salvation Debate

The Biblical Explanation

I reject both extremes of the Calvinist and the Arminian systems. Both the Calvinists and

the Arminians have fallen into a trap set by human wisdom, which tries to explain and

systematize every act of God. These scholars have studied to be able to explain the many

details of God and have reached wrong conclusions about God. God clearly has not told man

everything about Himself or given us the explanation for all He has done. But what He has

plainly revealed is that we are to believe Him, trust Him, accept Him and live. It is unthinkable

that God would leave us in a state of confusion over the matter of salvation. Yet, that is what

the Calvinist concludes. All this confusion is not in God's word, but in the unsound reasoning

of some men.

God made salvation so simple and clear that even a little child can believe, be saved and

become a witness to others. What is the value of spending countless hours developing

theological systems which seek to second guess all God has done? What is the fruit of

Calvinism and Arminianism? They have both led to confusion, division and false teaching.

Therefore both systems should be rejected because both produce unbiblical results. At this

point I would like to point out that genuine and good intentions do not have to end in good

results. Both the Calvinist and Arminian teachings contain some truth, but they go further than

God does, making them erroneous. I thank those that taught me that the first distinctive of a

New Testament believer is to accept the Bible as my sole authority for faith and practice. The
Bible is the authority, not the theological systems of man. I am a Christian, a believer in Jesus

Christ, and I identify myself totally with Him alone.

On a Personal Note, The Stand I Take.

I am not a Calvinist nor am I an Arminian. I reject both titles and systems. Both are

heretical and cult-like systems of fallible men. I choose to call myself simply a Bible believer. I

identify myself with my Savior and His word. I take no pride in the fact that I am saved; yet I

am eternally grateful. I am absolutely blown away by the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ died

on Calvary's cross for my sin. I am eternally grateful to God who loved a sinner such as I that

much. I totally reject the idea that I received salvation on any merit of my own. I was, as God

said, a sinner, dead in trespasses and sin, sold unto sin, a child of sin, with no righteousness of

my own. I was saved by the sovereign act and plan of our loving God, who came to the earth,

incarnate in man and totally paid my sin debt. I did not merit salvation and was totally in

bondage to my inherited sinful nature. I had no desire to seek the mercy of a Holy God. Yet,

God loved me, His created being, and suffered for me while I was yet in my sin. He provided

the way and the means of my salvation, by His grace, through faith. I do not try and put

Almighty God in a box and try to systematize God's act of saving the sinner. After all I was the

one in need of His salvation. I just believe His word and thank Him for loving me, the sinner

that I am, and forgiving my sin and giving me eternal life. This stance in no way diminishes His

sovereignty, the fact that I need not explain His sovereignty should lead to a larger view of the

sovereignty of God.
Man cannot take pride or boast of any part of his salvation. "For by grace are ye saved

through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man

should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Man cannot attain salvation by good works. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on

him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5).

Man has no goodness or righteousness in him upon which to base his salvation. "But God

commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

(Romans 5:8) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Many in history have fallen into the trap of going further than Scripture goes; trying, with

human reasoning, to explain and systematize God's actions. The result of such reasoning is

extremism. Finite men with finite minds cannot explain an Infinite God. It is an extreme and

false view that says God predestined some men to be damned to hell, not offering them

salvation. It is equally an extreme view that states that man can in any way merit his salvation

or lose the eternal life that God gives the believer.

Each view, Calvinism or Arminianism, violates clear biblical teaching, and therefore

cannot be truth. I reject the extremes of both the Calvinists and the Arminians and do not use

either name in identifying my stand on accepting what the Bible clearly teaches.

There was a time when I did not think that these issues were important. I have since

changed my mind, because I have seen the effects of Calvinism and Arminianism. Over the

past three years I have had the opportunity to pastor two churches. At both of these churches I

had the pleasure of following a Calvinistic pastor. The confusion and pain that these churches

went through have convinced me that something has to be wrong with me turning a blind eye to

these issues.
 Calvinism has cast a shadow over some people's assurance of salvation, because they

wondered if they were elected or rejected by God. I had the experience of hearing a man tell me

that one of the pastors that preceded me had said he could not be saved because he was not in

the elect. If the thief on the cross could ask Jesus for salvation and it be granted, why could this

man not be saved? He must have been a part of the “whosoever” plan. It was at that point that I

through many hours of study came to understand that one is classified in these two classes. In

modern theology you are either Calvinist or Arminianistic, there is no middle ground. It is my

belief that there must be a classification for those that believe as I do, let’s try CHRISTian. If

you are saved it was by the grace of God. If you desire to be saved it is possible by the grace of

God. If you do not ever get saved it can not be blamed on the grace of God. He died for the sin

of the world. He commanded those that are saved by Him to share Him with the whole world.

The stance that all will be saved were already saved, makes the Great Commission given by the

Savior to become irrelevant. Believing this could cause one to think that Matthew 28:18-20 is

just uninspired wording. At the end of this position paper I would like to pose a couple

questions that hold the same answer. Who has the most to gain by making believers feel that

only a few people are elected to be saved? Who has the most to gain by making believers feel

that the God that saved them needs help from them to keep them saved? The answer is Satan

better known as the serpent or the deceiver. It would do us all some good to quit being pawns in

the devils game.

 Resource Disclosure

Through my studies of this topic I have been lucky to have many friends, seminary professors

and systematic theology books to offer resources for my study. This paper is a revised edition

of a statement I wrote for the Church I am currently pastoring.

Alison, Dr. B Gray, President Emeritus Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary –

Personal Evangelism Lecture Notes From 2005 “Who can be saved?”

Boyd, Gregory A. & Eddy, Paul R. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in

Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002.

Hovey, Alvah. Manual of Christian Theology. Second edition Memphis, Tenn.: Mid-America

Baptist Seminary Press, 1982

Hovey, Alvah. Manual of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics. Philadelphia, Penn.:

American Baptist Publication Society, 1877 reprint 1986

Millikin, Dr. Jimmy A., Christian Doctrine for Everyman. Southhaven, Mississippi: The

King’s Press, 2005

Seal, Dr. Timothy, Professor of Theology Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary –

Biblical Preaching Lecture Notes From 2006 Preaching “The Invitation”

Towns, Elmer L., Theology for Today. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2002,2008

Wilmington, Dr. Harold L., Doctrine of Salvation. Liberty Home Bible Institute, 1988