The 5 Articles of Remonstrance (Arminianism)

The Five Articles of Remonstrance were presented in 1610. They were put forth by followers of Jacobus Arminius in disagreement with and as alternatives to the prevailing interpretations within the Dutch Reformed Church.

  1. Conditional Election: Arminians believe God's election of individuals for salvation is based on foreseen faith and perseverance.
  2. Universal Atonement: Christ's death on the cross is considered sufficient for the sins of all people, not just the elect, but salvation is only applied to those who believe and persevere.
  3. Human Inability: While humans cannot achieve saving faith on their own, they are not inherently totally depraved. God's grace is necessary, but humans can respond to it.
  4. Resistible Grace: God's grace is not irresistible; it can be resisted and rejected by individuals.
  5. Uncertainty of Perseverance: While believers are called to persevere, they can, in principle, fall from grace.

This is the origin of "Arminianism" ... the champions of "Free Will" over "Divine Sovereignty" in Human Salvation (sotieriology).

The Synod of Dort was held in Dordrecht (Dort) in 1618-1619 to address the theological disputes surrounding the rise of Arminianism. It resulted in the Canons of Dort (later called the "Five Points of Calvinism" or "Doctrines of Grace"), which solidified the Reformed understanding of salvation and rejected the Remonstrance. I only offer this to point out that the 5 points of "TULIP" owe their existence to the 5 Remonstrances listed above which came first and started the conversation about "HOW DOES GOD SAVE?" that still rages on today.

That makes the Remonstrances worth knowing and worthy of discussion.

Thank you for posting this.

Although I don’t claim any titles such as Calvinist or Arminian I will look at each point and for study.

On the surface it seems totally reasonable and in line with the scriptures.


I say this because when I studied the five points of Calvinism what each point stood for, had a deeper and more twisted meaning.


Thanks again.
 
This is JESUS position on the matter and is higher than any “Calvinist vs Arminian” speculation on the minutia of the Ordo Salutis (order of salvation). So your difficulty is which of these NON-C/A issues is false:

1. God created the world. [Genesis 1]
2. Jesus spoke the truth about “many” and “few”.
3. God is the one who gives salvation. [Ephesians 2:8-9]

Those three are true for a Calvinist and an Arminian and a “Biblicist” (who claims to reject both -isms). You are laying a problem at the feet of Calvinism that is universal to Christianity. God himself has said that is how it is.

Is the God of free will not ALL KNOWING and could he not have created just those He knew would accept his offer?


Do you believe God who created the heavens and the earth loves the unsaved people of the world, and desires all men to be saved?


For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16


For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
 
This is JESUS position on the matter and is higher than any “Calvinist vs Arminian” speculation on the minutia of the Ordo Salutis (order of salvation). So your difficulty is which of these NON-C/A issues is false:

1. God created the world. [Genesis 1]
2. Jesus spoke the truth about “many” and “few”.
3. God is the one who gives salvation. [Ephesians 2:8-9]

Those three are true for a Calvinist and an Arminian and a “Biblicist” (who claims to reject both -isms). You are laying a problem at the feet of Calvinism that is universal to Christianity. God himself has said that is how it is.

Is the God of free will not ALL KNOWING and could he not have created just those He knew would accept his offer?
The C/RT doctrine provides for no opportunity for anyone to "accept his offer". From the C/RT there is no offer. It is simply sovereignly established by God. And that is what I object to. From the C/RT soteriology, the end result is simply those few selected "elect" end up in heaven and the rest in up in hell and none of them had any choice in the matter. God could have accomplished all of that without the creation of this physical universe and He could have accomplished the salvation of the few without any being condemned at all.

That is not a very good assessment of a loving God.
 
The C/RT doctrine provides for no opportunity for anyone to "accept his offer". From the C/RT there is no offer. It is simply sovereignly established by God. And that is what I object to. From the C/RT soteriology, the end result is simply those few selected "elect" end up in heaven and the rest in up in hell and none of them had any choice in the matter. God could have accomplished all of that without the creation of this physical universe and He could have accomplished the salvation of the few without any being condemned at all.

That is not a very good assessment of a loving God.
That's the Exclusive Club Membership attitude of calvinism. It was the only way for false prophets to control their subjects. They fed their subjects delusions of grandeur, all for the purpose of controlling them.

It parallels very closely the Hindu Caste System where people are caste into predetermined groups. At least with Hinduism there is a chance to break out of those shackles in another life. With Calvinism you're stuck forever in Hell!
 
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Do you believe God who created the heavens and the earth loves the unsaved people of the world, and desires all men to be saved?
Irrelevant. The problem set forth in the criticism exists whatever the answer.
 
The C/RT doctrine provides for no opportunity for anyone to "accept his offer".
Does that change the fact that God could have only created the people he knew would go to heaven and spared them the suffering of life while sparing those that will choose to reject him eternal damnation? The criticism of God that you raised still stands even if everyone has a chance to accept his offer. It has nothing to do with God’s draw or man’s choice … it is a claim that God’s judgement is not fair and God’s motives are not kind. You argue that God could have spared everyone the pain of a fallen world and anyone the pain of damnation (including those with Free Will).
 
That's the Exclusive Club Membership attitude of calvinism. It was the only way for false prophets to control their subjects. They fed their subjects delusions of grandeur, all for the purpose of controlling them.

It parallels very closely the Hindu Caste System where people are caste into predetermined groups. At least with Hinduism there is a chance to break out of those shackles in another life. With Calvinism you're stuck forever in Hell!
(n)
Nope. It is God choosing to “have mercy on whomever [he] will have mercy” (Romans 9:15) even though “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD”. (Romans 3:10-11)
 
(n)
Nope. It is God choosing to “have mercy on whomever [he] will have mercy” (Romans 9:15) even though “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD”. (Romans 3:10-11)
God is always receptive to anyone and everyone who embodies Faith. Since you mentioned Rom 9 keep reading until verses 30 to 32. Therefore, the Exclusive Club Membership attitude of calvinism is a sham. It is the only way for false prophets to control their subjects. They feed their subjects delusions of grandeur, all for the purpose of controlling them.

(Rom 9)
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
 
(n)
Nope. It is God choosing to “have mercy on whomever [he] will have mercy” (Romans 9:15) even though “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NO ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NO ONE WHO SEEKS OUT GOD”. (Romans 3:10-11)
Romas 9:11 is contextually only dealing with the physical conditions of man; it does not pertain in any way with the spiritual conditions. The C/RT errs drastically in trying to interpret Romans 9:11 to mean "God saves whomever he will save". There is no such statement in the bible.

And in understanding Romans 3:10-11, it is important to see that the first main section of Paul's letter to the Romans, Romans 1:18-3:20, is to show that one can be saved by law or law-keeping. Only a perfect person can hope to be accepted by God under the law system. The sad fact is that no such person exists. Every person is a lawbreaker and is thus without hope under the law. In the passage, Romans 3:9-20, paul is laying down the universal sinfulness and hopelessness under law. In verse 9, Paul has made the charge that all, Jews and Greeks alike, are all under sin. In verse 10, his statement, taken from Ecclesiastes 7:20 and Psalms 14:1, that none are righteous, is basically a repeat of the written claim that all are under sin. No one has conformed perfectly to the law, the only condition meriting eternal life, that is, no one is righteous in the absolute sense.

In verse 11, that truth is expanded in the sense of having the infinite knowledge and knowing all possible truth about God and thus God must take the initiative and seek sinners which he does through the special providence, special revelation and the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. Paul doesn't say that no one seeks a god. Every nation and tribe on the earth has sought to define or invent their own god or gods. He says that no one seeks for God. They can't do that one their own. They need God to lead the way.
 
Irrelevant. The problem set forth in the criticism exists whatever the answer.

I don’t have any criticism. I just asked a question, in response to your post.




Do you believe God who created the heavens and the earth loves the unsaved people of the world, and desires all men to be saved?


For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16


For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1Timothy 2:3-4
 
Do you believe God who created the heavens and the earth loves the unsaved people of the world, and desires all men to be saved?
Yes.
I also believe they hate Him in return.

"How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" -Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34

  • And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. - John 3:19-20 [ESV]
who among mankind "does wicked things"
  • And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. - Ephesians 2:1-3: [ESV]
 
Yes.
I also believe they hate Him in return.

Yes, this includes born again Christians.

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4
 
Does that change the fact that God could have only created the people he knew would go to heaven and spared them the suffering of life while sparing those that will choose to reject him eternal damnation? The criticism of God that you raised still stands even if everyone has a chance to accept his offer. It has nothing to do with God’s draw or man’s choice … it is a claim that God’s judgement is not fair and God’s motives are not kind. You argue that God could have spared everyone the pain of a fallen world and anyone the pain of damnation (including those with Free Will).
I am arguing that the C/RT position makes God's judgment unjust. I am arguing that the C/RT Theology has no real reason for the existence of this creation. I am arguing that the C/RT position has God bringing most human beings into existence only for the reason of assigning them to eternal condemnation.
 
I am arguing that the C/RT position makes God's judgment unjust. I am arguing that the C/RT Theology has no real reason for the existence of this creation. I am arguing that the C/RT position has God bringing most human beings into existence only for the reason of assigning them to eternal condemnation.
I am attempting to get you to see that EVERYTHING that you are arguing is still true if Man has FREE WILL and GOD is GOD.

(However, I accept TULIP ... the Doctrines of Grace ... while rejecting Hard Determinism because people FREELY choose sin and FREELY reject salvation ... and the Father does extraordinary things to DRAW SOME to the Son anyway!)
  • John 3:18-21
  • John 6:44-45
  • Romans 9
  • Ephesians 2:1-10
  • [Just to get started.]
 
I have a fundamental problem with the implications of the soteriology of Calvinism/Reformed Theology (C/RT) with respect to God, Himself. In a nutshell, C/RT says that God created this physical universe. In this creation God created mankind. There will be billions of human beings come into existence before it all ends. According to C/RT, God chose (elected) certain of those to be given eternal life. And God did that even before creation. The rest were necessarily by default eternally condemned. Since that election occurred before creation and had nothing whatsoever to do with the individuals, themselves, then there is absolutely nothing that the individuals can do to change their election. The selection of the saved and those not saved was forever fixed.

Those elected to salvation have been promised eternal life wherein there will no longer be any sin, sorrow, pain, anguish. or any of the unpleasantries of this earthly life. Those unelected have been promised just the opposite.

Now, Jesus Himself has declared that “the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many and the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few”. it is apparent, therefore, that the numbers condemned is much greater than the numbers saved.

Therefore, my question is why God has created this world in the first place. Why did God, at the very beginning, not simply create those he predestined to salvation, giving them eternal life free from all sin, sorrow, pain and anguish that is promised to them? Why create this world which would end up consigning the majority of human beings to eternal condemnation.

I would argue that God would not do such a thing. The C/RT description of what God has created is seriously flawed. In the C/RT description of creation God has created and consigned billions of human beings to eternal condemnation for no real reason whatsoever. The C/RT version presents God as cruel and unjust.

God has not created the world that C/RT has described.
God is a puppet master.
An evil one.
And He's just having fun with us,
in His own evil way.

Yes. §This is blasphemy.
And it is what the C/RT teach.
 
I am attempting to get you to see that EVERYTHING that you are arguing is still true if Man has FREE WILL and GOD is GOD.

(However, I accept TULIP ... the Doctrines of Grace ... while rejecting Hard Determinism because people FREELY choose sin and FREELY reject salvation ... and the Father does extraordinary things to DRAW SOME to the Son anyway!)
  • John 3:18-21
  • John 6:44-45
  • Romans 9
  • Ephesians 2:1-10
  • [Just to get started.]
Well A....
God only draws SOME...according to you.

So no progress in your belief system.
God draws EVERYONE.
John 12:32

@Jim is absolutely 100% correct in his assessment of the Calvinist/Reformed Theology system.
 
I am attempting to get you to see that EVERYTHING that you are arguing is still true if Man has FREE WILL and GOD is GOD.

(However, I accept TULIP ... the Doctrines of Grace ... while rejecting Hard Determinism because people FREELY choose sin and FREELY reject salvation ... and the Father does extraordinary things to DRAW SOME to the Son anyway!)
  • John 3:18-21
  • John 6:44-45
  • Romans 9
  • Ephesians 2:1-10
  • [Just to get started.]
BTW,,,there is NO GRACE in T.U.L.I.P.

No grace at all.
No love at all.
No mercy at all.
No justice at all.

§And I'd love to know the difference between determinism and hard determinism.
:cool:
 
This is JESUS position on the matter and is higher than any “Calvinist vs Arminian” speculation on the minutia of the Ordo Salutis (order of salvation). So your difficulty is which of these NON-C/A issues is false:

1. God created the world. [Genesis 1]
2. Jesus spoke the truth about “many” and “few”.
3. God is the one who gives salvation. [Ephesians 2:8-9]

Those three are true for a Calvinist and an Arminian and a “Biblicist” (who claims to reject both -isms). You are laying a problem at the feet of Calvinism that is universal to Christianity. God himself has said that is how it is.

Is the God of free will not ALL KNOWING and could he not have created just those He knew would accept his offer?
Your number 2. Jesus spoke the truth about the 'many" and "few" flies in the face of Calvinism. It establishes the fact that the "many" and "few" are both free-will choices and Calvinism rejects outright the possibility of anyone choosing the narrow gate. Calvinism posits that the few who go through the narrow gate just find themselves already through that gate before they are even aware there is such a gate.
 
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