What is Arminianism, and is it biblical?

Answer

Arminianism is a belief system that aims to clarify the connection between God’s sovereignty and human free will, particularly concerning salvation. It is named after Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609), a Dutch theologian. While Calvinism highlights God’s sovereignty, Arminianism stresses human responsibility. When broken down into five points, similar to Calvinism’s five points, Arminianism includes the following:

(1) Partial Depravity – humanity is depraved but still capable of seeking God. Although we are fallen and affected by sin, we are not so corrupted that we cannot choose to approach God and receive salvation, aided by prevenient grace from God. With such grace, human will is free and able to respond to the Spirit’s influence. It is worth noting that many Arminians reject partial depravity and lean towards a view very close to Calvinistic total depravity. (2) Conditional Election – God “chooses” only those whom He knows will choose to believe. No one is predestined for either heaven or hell. (3) Unlimited Atonement – Jesus died for everyone, including those who are not chosen and will not believe. His sacrifice was for all of humanity, and anyone can be saved through faith in Him. (4) Resistible Grace – God’s invitation to salvation can be resisted or declined. We have the ability to resist God’s call to salvation if we so decide. (5) Conditional Salvation – Believers can forfeit their salvation by actively rejecting the Holy Spirit’s influence in their lives. The preservation of salvation requires a Christian to actively maintain it. It is important to mention that many Arminians reject “conditional salvation” and instead adhere to “eternal security.”

The only point of Arminianism that four-point Calvinists consider to be scriptural is point #3 – Unlimited Atonement. First John 2:2 states, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”World.” Second Peter 2:1 informs us that Jesus even purchased the false prophets who are doomed: “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” Jesus’ salvation is accessible to anyone and everyone who will believe in Him. Jesus did not merely die for those who will be saved.

Four-point Calvinism (the official stance of Got Questions Ministries) considers the other four points of Arminianism to be unbiblical, to varying degrees. Romans 3:10–18 strongly argues for total depravity. Conditional election, or election based on God’s foreknowledge of human action, underemphasizes God’s sovereignty (Romans 8:28-30). Resistible grace underestimates the power and determination of God. Conditional salvation makes salvation a reward for work rather than a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). Both systems have issues, but we view Calvinism as more biblically grounded than Arminianism. Nonetheless, both systems fall short in adequately explaining the relationship between God’s sovereignty and mankind’s free will—due to the fact that it is impossible for a finite human mind to comprehend a concept only God can fully understand.