One of the most popular Christian debates of the past four centuries has been that of Calvinism vs. Arminianism.
As in all popular and lengthy debates it is filled with mischaracterizations, insults, and Bible verse ping pong.
The volume of the debate has led quite a few people to think it is the most important battle.
In all the kerfuffle there are few things that are missed:
- The Calvinism/Arminianism debate is not about eternal security or losing your salvation. This is a simplistic view of the debate.
- The debate was historically among the Reformed. Both Calvinists and Arminians were Reformed in their theology. They were not Baptists nor Wesleyans, nor was either side dispensational.
- Neither side considers the “revelation of the mystery of Christ” consequential to their position. That is, the mystery nature of a revelation about salvation, the church, our position, and destiny is not essential to taking either the Calvinist or Arminian position.
This should give the mid-Acts dispensational Bible believer pause over whether the problems debated by Calvinists and Arminians would be better addressed through the perspective of the Bible rightly divided.
You might find that both sides (as historically presented) ignore dispensational truths and that one of the most popular Christian debates of the past four centuries was due to a failure to see the fellowship of the mystery.
For truth,
Justin “neither nor” Johnson