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    Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture
    Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture
    Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture
    Ebook94 pages1 hour

    Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture

    By Duane Edward Spencer and Luder Whitlock

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    TULIP is a popular acronym for the five points of Calvinism--total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. In this book, these five points are not only concisely explained in the light of the Bible but are also helpfully contrasted to the corresponding five points of Arminianism. The differences between Calvanistic and Arminian beliefs are also summarized at the end of the book for quick reference.
    Anyone looking for an accessible explanation of this somewhat difficult and controversial doctrine, or looking for help in explaining it to others, will find this an invaluable resource. TULIP has had steady sales since its original Baker publication in 1979, and there is now nearly 55,000 copies in print.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateJan 1, 2002
    ISBN9781585584581
    Tulip: The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture
    Author

    Duane Edward Spencer

    Duane Edward Spencer was the pastor of the Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, Texas.

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    Reviews for Tulip

    3.5/5

    18 ratings3 reviews

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    • 4/5
      IN an age of confusion the book Tulip keeps it simple for all of us dunderheads who have plenty of adventures in missing the point. Duane Edward Spencer contributes a book that helps clarify the message of our condition under god. The book clarifies the contrasting views of justification held by Armenians and Justification held by Calvinists. I am thankful for a book that keeps it simple and to the point.
    • 2/5
      If you want the party line on the "Five Points of Calvinism," then this will work for you. Don't expect nuance, understanding, or compassion for those who differ. (And I'm pretty Calvinistic--but in Spencer's world everything is starkly black and white. People either agree with him 100% or they're dead wrong.) I can appreciate the logic behind the five points, but I think they miss the point (!) that God is bigger than any theological system. What's more, when I read the Bible--any part of the Bible--I am confronted by a God who is living, not by just a set of propositions. Obviously much more could be--and has been--said (many times over). So I won't go on. But if you read this, do yourself a favor and read something more profound, like "The Open Secret" by Leslie Newbigin (or anything else by him).
    • 3/5
      This is short but it is a good introduction to Calvinism for someone who has never heard of it.

    Book preview

    Tulip - Duane Edward Spencer

    TULIP

    TULIP

    The Five Points

    of Calvinism in the Light

    of Scripture

    2d EDITION

    Duane Edward Spencer

    Copyright © 1979 by Baker Books

    a division of Baker Book House Company

    P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

    www.bakerbooks.com

    E-book edition created 2011

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

    ISBN 978-1-5855-8458-1

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Scripture is from the King James Version of the Bible.

    Contents

    Foreword by Luder G. Whitlock, Jr.

    Preface

    The Five Points of Arminianism

    The Contrast

    The Will of God

    I  Total Depravity

    II  Unconditional Election

    III  Limited Atonement

    IV  Irresistible Grace

    V  Perseverance of the Saints

    In Conclusion

    Selections from the Westminster Confession of Faith (1648)

    Historical Background

    Bibliography

    Foreword

    Luder G. Whitlock, Jr.

    Why should you be interested in reading about the Five Points of Calvinism, a doctrinal formula dating to a seventeenth-century controversy? Because the issue is as relevant today as it was then: how personal freedom of choice relates to divine sovereignty as it finds expression in God’s plan for and our experience of salvation.

    Although the five points, often referred to as TULIP, are usually associated with the great Reformation theologian John Calvin, they did not originate with him. Rather the followers of Jacob Arminius, a Dutch theologian, expressed their disagreement with the prevailing confessional position in Holland by way of a formal protest, or Remonstrance, which they presented to their Parliament in 1610. At a synod meeting held in Dort in 1618 the five major objections of the Remonstrants were thoroughly discussed and firmly rejected point by point. Their response is usually referred to as The Five Points of Calvinism. In this volume these two opposing positions are succinctly explained, analyzed, and evaluated.

    It is also worth noting, without elaboration, that the conflict between St. Augustine and Pelagius during the fifth century when Pelagius insisted on basic human goodness and individual capability to obey and believe has marked similarities to that which spawned the five points.

    Because the five points were a response to the Remonstrants, they are limited in scope, reminding us that even a good defense may not necessarily offer the best offense. Reformed theology, comprehensive and compelling in its profundity, must not be confined to this framework. John Calvin chose a different approach to explain the biblical message as may be observed in his Institutes of the Christian Religion and other writings.

    On the other hand, the five points do justice to distinctive features of Reformed theology such as the greatness of God, a welcome emphasis since the sovereignty of God has been out of favor in the United States. Beginning early in the nineteenth century, a proclivity for personal freedom and rampant individualism contributed to a democratizing of American Christianity, greatly diminishing God’s power in the perception of the average Christian. This populistic influence fueled anti-Reformed sentiments.

    Recently there has been a widespread resurgence of interest in Reformed theology, stimulated in part by the rapid deterioration of American culture and a gradual realization within evangelical circles that the most coherent and compelling response to this alarming secularization is offered by the Reformed worldview.

    This book demonstrates how the Scriptures speak clearly and forcefully to each of the five points in question, enabling you to ascertain the biblical teaching regarding each one. As you do so one fact is clear: The Lord reigns. Because the Lord God omnipotent reigns we should let God be God, acknowledging and rejoicing in His sovereign love and grace. It surely follows that your salvation is of grace—all of grace—not of works so that you will have no basis to boast (Eph. 8:10).

    Finally, you will be able to delight in the fact that if God is for you then it does not matter who is against you because no one can stay His hand (Rom. 8:31). When the power brokers of this world oppose Him, He laughs (Ps. 2). In the all-sufficient grace of a sovereign God you find sure help, undying hope, and enduring security.

    If that appeals to you—read on.

    Preface

    One of the most exciting signs of our time is the increasing interest in the study of the Word of God and in the biblical theology of the Reformation. Instead of the mundane literature of their forebears, many young people are reading such books as The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther and The Institutes of John Calvin. As they read and compare the theology of the Protestant Reformers with their Bibles, they begin to realize that much of the theology of contemporary evangelism has neglected grace and emphasized the works of the flesh. If they go so far as to study the history of theology they also learn that the doctrine of most evangelical churches today is the humanist theology of Erasmus of Rome. It is then that they begin to see just why fundamentalists and liberals, Protestants and Catholics, high church and pentecostals can work side by side in the major revivals and crusades of the twentieth century. That which they hold in common is the exalted doctrine of man espoused by Erasmus, sharply defined by Arminius, made popular by the Wesleys, and given a final polish by many religious psychologists of our time.

    Strange as it may seem there are many today who insist that they believe in salvation by grace, yet they insist that man has the power to make a decision for Christ. They argue that God loves everyone, equally and alike, yet they are sure that He is going to send some people to hell. They affirm that the Bible teaches that the Creator of all things is surely omnipotent, but they are also quite confident that finite man is fully capable of obstructing the will of God. In nearly every case the problem lies in the fact that these dear people do not know Bible doctrine. They have heard nothing from their pulpits but plan of salvation sermons minus the doctrines that make up the plan! If they were asked

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