H.O.O.E.Y. I wrote this essay quite a while back and recieved a lot of really great feedback (along with some not so great feedback) concerning it. Later, I mentioned it in one of my blogs, but didn't provide a link to it. Today, I recieved an e-mail asking why they couldn't find it here on Just This Side of Heresy and it dawned on me how representative a work it was to my ouvre. So here it is.
Total Depravity. Unconditional Election. Limited Atonement. Irresistible Grace. Perseverance of the Saints. These are the five theological terms used by Calvinists to describe, in brief, what they believe. Conveniently, it fits together to make the acronym T.U.L.I.P., which sounds nice and flowery, but does nothing more than hide the cruelty of the doctrine behind a bouquet of literacy. Some Calvinists have realized that these terms, especially the one about depravity, aren't exactly seeker-friendly, so they've sought out softer words. Choices abound, but in general, the words still jab like a red-hot poker. This begs the question, "If they're going to offend, why not just say what they mean?" Each of these five points has one word that's at least nine letters long. Unconditional, for example, is thirteen characters. For something as important as salvation, we need to cut through as much of the fat as possible. I propose a new acronym, one that both fits the Calvinist doctrines as a whole and also explains in layman's terms what they mean.
Handpicked: This one used to be called Unconditional Election, and was eleven letters longer in its original incarnation. Aristocracy would also be a fitting term if it just a bit shorter. In brief, Calvinists believe that God picks his children, without any input from them. You cannot seek to be saved, nor can you repent unless God allows you. Like an apple, there's only two ways off the tree: either you're handpicked, or you go down.
Once Saved, Always Saved: That's it. Many Calvinists already embrace this term, which makes this step an abbreviated one. You can't get much simpler than once saved, always saved.
Only for some: Limited Atonement, as this used to be called, meant that, when Christ died, it was only for a few people, and not everyone, as though grace were a physical object that, if left unclaimed, would float around in the ether as waste-grace. It's apparently also what God mean in John 3:16, when He used the word "whosoever.' Even though such a claim makes no sense, it shouldn't bother us, because we know God's ways are above ours.
Evil, through and through: This was called Total Depravity and was probably the most offensive of the five terms. The new name isn't any nicer, but this way, no one's wasting time trying to figure out what it means. It means that you're no good. Period.
You can't say no: When the Holy Spirit grabs you by the collar, you're not allowed or even able to resist Him. It fits back with point #1, that we're handpicked. You don't have a choice in the matter. You're just a machine.
Yes, that's right. H.O.O.E.Y. In my opinion, that's pretty much what it is. God gave it to us plain and simple: Live for Christ or die without him. The fact that we're told what to do implies we have a choice in the matter. All of these extra rules and regulations do nothing but plant hurdles between people and the Cross.
Total Depravity. Unconditional Election. Limited Atonement. Irresistible Grace. Perseverance of the Saints. These are the five theological terms used by Calvinists to describe, in brief, what they believe. Conveniently, it fits together to make the acronym T.U.L.I.P., which sounds nice and flowery, but does nothing more than hide the cruelty of the doctrine behind a bouquet of literacy. Some Calvinists have realized that these terms, especially the one about depravity, aren't exactly seeker-friendly, so they've sought out softer words. Choices abound, but in general, the words still jab like a red-hot poker. This begs the question, "If they're going to offend, why not just say what they mean?" Each of these five points has one word that's at least nine letters long. Unconditional, for example, is thirteen characters. For something as important as salvation, we need to cut through as much of the fat as possible. I propose a new acronym, one that both fits the Calvinist doctrines as a whole and also explains in layman's terms what they mean.
Handpicked: This one used to be called Unconditional Election, and was eleven letters longer in its original incarnation. Aristocracy would also be a fitting term if it just a bit shorter. In brief, Calvinists believe that God picks his children, without any input from them. You cannot seek to be saved, nor can you repent unless God allows you. Like an apple, there's only two ways off the tree: either you're handpicked, or you go down.
Once Saved, Always Saved: That's it. Many Calvinists already embrace this term, which makes this step an abbreviated one. You can't get much simpler than once saved, always saved.
Only for some: Limited Atonement, as this used to be called, meant that, when Christ died, it was only for a few people, and not everyone, as though grace were a physical object that, if left unclaimed, would float around in the ether as waste-grace. It's apparently also what God mean in John 3:16, when He used the word "whosoever.' Even though such a claim makes no sense, it shouldn't bother us, because we know God's ways are above ours.
Evil, through and through: This was called Total Depravity and was probably the most offensive of the five terms. The new name isn't any nicer, but this way, no one's wasting time trying to figure out what it means. It means that you're no good. Period.
You can't say no: When the Holy Spirit grabs you by the collar, you're not allowed or even able to resist Him. It fits back with point #1, that we're handpicked. You don't have a choice in the matter. You're just a machine.
Yes, that's right. H.O.O.E.Y. In my opinion, that's pretty much what it is. God gave it to us plain and simple: Live for Christ or die without him. The fact that we're told what to do implies we have a choice in the matter. All of these extra rules and regulations do nothing but plant hurdles between people and the Cross.
[Side Note:] After posting this, I found that a friend of mine, Remade Gold also made some excellent comments on God's sovereignty. The first is God's good and our good . The second is Sovereign Grace (part one). I want to urge you to check them out.
6 comments:
Jeremiah,
This is a rather uncharitable understanding of Calvinism. I have no real interest in defending TULIP point for point, but I will only contribute this: Total Depravity (to which I hold) does not mean what you say it means. Calvin never meant that people are "evil, through and through," if what you mean by that is that humans are as bad as they could possibly be. Rather, "total" indicates that all aspects of the human condition are affected by sin--there is not part of the human life (not reason, not emotion, not will, etc) that is not tainted by sin. That is to say, "total" is meant extensively, not intensively.
This is Calvinism 101. I teach it to the new members of my church. I only mention it to say that Calvin (and Calvinism) though by no means infallible, deserves a fairer shake than you have given it here.
I do not mean that Calvinists teach that people are as bad as can be.
You say that Calvinism teaches that all aspects of the human condition are affected by sin. "All" is the definition of "through and through." There is not a part that sin, which is evil, does not touch. If sin exists in all aspects, then evil exists, through and through.
Fair enough. Then I'm curious--which aspect of human existence do you consider to be free from the effects of sin?
I don't believe sin is inherited, as the doctrine of Original Sin declares (I'm a bit like Zwingli in that). And I don't think that impure or sinful motives cancel out the results. Many people come to Christ as fire-insurance, but they don't stay that way, once they're touched by the Almighty. That's why I've never found election necessary. People can come to Christ through selfish means, and that's okay...they just can't continue to grow in Him and love Him out of selfish motives.
I just realized I kind of skipped around your question: I believe that the breath of God, our soul, can be free from the bonds of sin. The natural body isn't naturally sinful either, it's naturally natural. Our desires only become sin when we pay a higher price than God allows in order to fulfil them.
Interesting--both body AND soul are potentially free from the bonds of sin (on this side of the eschaton)? Would it then be possible for my 8-month old son to live the rest of his life free from sin in both soul and body?
Theoretically, he could live without ever giving into carnal desires, yes. Carnal desires aren't sin, as Jesus was tempted, but did not sin. The likelihood is microscopic though, because children learn by example, and would have to be surrounded by people that did not sin.
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