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The Five Points of Calvinism – Limited Atonement

Limited atonement is often considered the most controversial point of the Five Points of Calvinism. This is because, like Unconditional Election, it is often deemed unfair for God to save some and not others. Nevertheless, despite its controversy, limited atonement has been essential in the Reformed understanding of salvation from Calvin to today.

The Five Points of Calvinism – Unconditional Election

For Calvin and the Reformers, the salvation of man rested on God’s determination alone. This simply means that God did not base His decision to save us on anything we do or say. Instead, it is solely God’s sovereign choice to save whoever He wants. Reformed theologians refer to this sovereign choice as “Unconditional Election.” This is the second point of the five points of Calvinism or the U in TULIP.

Martin Luther vs. John Calvin

The online search phrase “Martin Luther vs. John Calvin” is made hundreds of times a month by those discovering the richness of church history for the first time, and rightly so. No religious reformers influenced the world more than these two Titans of Christianity. Though the Protestant Reformation passed the five-hundred-year milestone in 2017, the air is still abuzz with the sound of their voices.

5 points of Calvinism. Total Depravity (TULIP)

The Five Points of Calvinism – Total Depravity

Total depravity is the Reformed teaching that every single person is totally estranged from God. It teaches that humans are all corrupted by sin; no one could ever hope to be in a right relationship with God on their own merit. Total depravity is often connected to the doctrine of original sin. This doctrine does not refer to the first sin or to the origin of sin.