Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 04:12 (Aug 2000)
Article: Calvinism: Five or Four Points?
Author: Mal Couch

CTJ 4:12 (August 2000) p. 189

Calvinism: Five or Four Points?

Mal Couch

President and Professor of Theology & Languages
Tyndale Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, TX

Though all of us owe a debt of gratitude to John Calvin for systematizing the Scriptures, and for setting forth a far more biblical theology than was known in his day, we should not believe a view simply because he taught it. One should have no fear in seeing that Christ die for the entire world, for the doctrine of divine election is still in place and is no deprecated by such a provision for humanity.

In The Beginning …

As an eighteen-year-old neophyte and would-be minister and Bible college student, I was introduced to the doctrine of predestination and election by a seminary doctoral student who was conducting a home Bible study in Romans. Exaggerating a bit, I always joke that I almost hit him in the mouth for teaching that “damnable doctrine” of Calvinism. Still angry for being taught what I thought was heresy, I went off that summer to attend John Brown University. Lo and behold, my work assignment was in the library, where I spent the next three years attempting to prove him wrong! I pulled off the shelves every commentary, theology text, and Bible dictionary I could find in the Theology and Bible sections. I wrote copious notes and made some startling observations that forever changed my views about the subjects of God’s sovereignty and divine election. First, I noticed that the Arminian writings had very weak arguments against these doctrines. I observed that their theologies and even commentaries their were thinner and generally worked the biblical languages with less skill than the textbooks written by Calvinists. Overall, I discovered that for the most part the arguments of those of the Reformed persuasion, on many of these issues, were far more air-tight! After several years of study I became a frothing-at-the-mouth Calvinist!

A bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees later, I was able to go deeper into the biblical texts on these subjects with my excellent training and many years of study in Greek and Hebrew. I translated dozens of verses and read the works of the most respected scholars. I became absolutely committed to the concepts of the sovereignty and

CTJ 4:12 (August 2000) p. 190

providence of God, election and predestination, efficacious grace, the decree (and decrees) of God, and the doctrine of total depravity. Of course this included that fact that no one can come to Christ unless he or she is drawn by the sovereign work of the Lord in his life. I also came to believe, as I still do, that nothing happens in this universe that is outside of the providence of the Lord. But a problem began to surface.

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe