There are five basic tenets to Calvinism which have been summed up with the acronym TULIP. T stands for Total Depravity, U for Unconditional Election, L for Limited Atonement, I for Irresistible Grace and P for Perseverance of the Saints. Ultimately, the last four tenets are derived from the doctrine of total depravity. If Calvinism’s understanding is correct, then the other 4 tenets are necessitated. However, if the understanding of the foundational doctrine is flawed, then that which is built upon it will be flawed as well. It is my contention that Calvinism’s understanding of total depravity goes beyond what the Scripture teaches and is therefore erroneous.
Before proceeding further I think it is necessary to state that the Bible does teach total depravity, but not as defined by Calvinism. This church’s Doctrinal Statement states this concerning total depravity:
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin, the entire race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God, and that man is totally depraved, spiritually dead, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; Eph. 2:1-3).
This statement makes 4 assertions which are briefly summarized as:
The Bible speaks of what theologians call the extensive and the intensive aspects of sin. By extensive, we mean that all of mankind is sinful, sin has been “extended” to all of creation; there is not one person of human generation that was not born a sinner. Psalm 14:2-3 speaks to this where David writes: “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
By the intensive aspect of sin, we mean that sin affected every part of man’s being. There are 3 principle components of man’s being: intellect, emotions and will or volition. All three of these have been corrupted. Before sin, man knew good, but when he took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he “increased” his knowledge by knowing evil and became capable of thinking the vilest thoughts. Before sin, man’s emotions were that which were synonymous with God’s emotions. But with the entrance of sin, man’s heart became perverted so that he could love that which is evil and hate that which is good. Before sin, man’s will was devoted to accomplishing God’s will. When man sinned, his own will became the focus of his life. That all of man’s essential being has been corrupted by sin though, does not mean that all of mankind is as bad as it can be. Even members of cults can get a point or two of doctrine correct. Notorious criminals have been known to genuinely love their families and even some of the vilest and most immoral people have sacrificed their lives so others could live. Total depravity does not mean that man is as bad as he can be but that all man kind is as bad off as he can be- he is lost.
Calvinism goes a step (or two or three) beyond this and then states that the unsaved person is incapable of believing the gospel message because he is dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1-2). The reasoning simply is that dead people can’t do anything; therefore they must be incapable of believing and consequently being saved. While the reasoning seems logical on the surface, it has a couple of serious flaws. If it is true that “dead” people are incapable of believing the gospel and receiving Christ, then it also must be true that they are incapable of rejecting the gospel invitation. That man will spend eternity in the lake of fire is on account of his rejection of the gospel. If man is incapable of rejecting the gospel, no one should be found in eternal judgment. Secondly, those who will spend eternity in the lake of fire will be judged according to their works (Rev. 21:13). But how can dead people produce any works? If they are truly dead, then there is nothing on which to judge them.
But what does it mean that man is dead in trespasses and sin? Calvinism says that it means that man is incapable of believing the gospel, but one must ask how it is that man is capable of believing anything and why only the gospel is that which he is incapable of believing. That is just the issue. When sin entered into the world, man did not lose his ability to believe, but began exercising his ability to believe in that which could not save him. Man did not lose the ability to love, but began exercising love in that which should not be loved. Man did not lose his ability to exercise his will in obedience to God, but began exercising his will in disobedience. Calvinism states that because man is dead in sin he is incapable of believing. But Calvinists are putting the cart before the horse. Because man does not believe the gospel he is dead, not the other way around!
The greatest problem that Calvinism’s understanding has with total depravity comes with the Lord’s commandment for all men to repent which is found in Acts 17:30. How can God command man to do that which he is incapable of doing? Whatever God commands man to do, man must either be naturally capable of doing, or God must provide grace to him enabling him to do that which he is naturally incapable of. If man is naturally incapable of believing, then God must supply necessary grace which will enable him to believe. Since the command is to all men, then if man is incapable of believing naturally, then God must supply all men with this enabling grace. While Calvinism teaches of such enabling grace, it limits it to only those who have been unconditionally elected by God (see article on Unconditional Election). If God would require something (repentance) of some men (the non-elect) that they were incapable of He would simply be unjust.
In order to bring the elect to a place where they are capable of believing the gospel, Calvinism teaches that the elect are regenerated prior to conversion. Calvinists are divided as to when regeneration takes place. Some say that it can occur in infancy and others believe that regeneration occurs just prior to a person exercising saving faith. The very fact that Calvinists are uncertain as to when regeneration occurs should be a “red flag” to the veracity of the doctrine. Such uncertainty can only result because Scripture does not state what Calvinism teaches and therefore it must be assumed or “logically” deduced. So we must ask, what Scripture declares concerning regeneration.
According to Titus 3:5, regeneration is synonymous with the new birth and being saved: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” This poses a tremendous problem to the Calvinist. The instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in regenerating man is the Word of God. Passages such as James 1:18 and 1 Peter 1:2-3 are very clear concerning this. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18) “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23) If man must be regenerated in order that he might believe the gospel and if it is the preaching of the gospel that regenerates man, regeneration becomes impossible! The only conclusion is that man need not to be regenerated in order to believe. Consequently, the foundation on which the other 4 tenets of Calvinism rest is severely flawed and it naturally follows that the other 4 tenets will be flawed as well.