Chosen, Part 1: Calvin’s Error

This post is going to kick off a series of mini-posts called “Chosen” that will focus on Calvin’s doctrine of predestination and what the scriptures really say about that particular doctrine. Reformed theology appears to be the latest trend in Christianity, and it seems to be largely based on Calvin’s teachings. Unfortunately, Calvin lived about 400 years ago, so this comes across (to me, at least) as taking a few steps backwards.

(Yes, teachings from the church fathers are important, but we’re pretty pathetic if we haven’t made any progress in the last 400 years.)

Calvinism teaches a doctrine called predestination, which believes that God chooses some people to go to heaven when they die while everyone else – by default – doesn’t.*

Yeah, I know: it’s a messed up belief. Don’t worry, though, because we’re gonna raze the hell out of it by the time we’re done. First, though, let’s establish that this is what Calvin really taught.

Calvin’s Predestination

Calvin wrote a book called Institutes of Christian Religion. In that book, he made the following statements (emphasis added):

We say that God once established by His eternal and unchangeable plan those whom He long before determined once and for all to receive into salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, He would devote to destruction.

“His eternal and unchangeable plan” makes it seem as if this was what God wanted all along – even before the Fall.

As we will later see, this view of our heavenly Father is utterly false. But let’s continue:

“By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.”

Predestination, unfortunately, has a dark side that is not only unbiblical, but doesn’t hold water when it comes to what scriptures actually reveal about God’s character. This dark side is captured in an idea known as double predestination and has two parts:

1. not only does God actively choose the “elect” who will go to heaven, but he also
2. chooses those who remain reprobate and will go to hell.*

It doesn’t matter if people articulate the argument as God choosing the reprobates to go to hell as active (via intentional choice) or passive (via neglect), because it still paints God as only wanting – and choosing – a few to be saved.

There are some in the reformed faith that hold that double predestination is not the case, but Calvin pushed back against this denial:

This they do ignorantly and childishly since there could be no election without its opposite reprobation … whom God passes by he reprobates, and that for no other cause but because he is pleased to exclude them from the inheritance which he predestines to his children.

There we have it: three solid statements of Calvin declaring that God engaged in double predestination: He willingly chose – according to His own whims, no less – for some of His children to be excluded from his eternal presence.*

Calvin believed in this double predestination because of his observations of what he called “actual fact” – “all are called to repentance and faith” but “the spirit of repentance and faith is not given to all.” (quotes from his Institutes book)

Basically,

• because the gospel was preached to everyone
• but not everyone believed the gospel
• he interpreted this as some people were not being chosen by God to be His children

It’s sad that so many believe this when a simple reading of the scriptures would clear things up.

Parable of the Soils

Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?”

Mark 4:13

This occurs right after the Parable of the Sower, which means that this parable is the key to understanding “all the other parables.”

(Although this parable is commonly referred to as the Parable of the Sower, a better description would be the Parable of the Soils since they are the focus of the parable and the farmer/sower is only mentioned in passing.)

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, (1) some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seeds (2) fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seeds (3) fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds (4) fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Mark 4:3-9

We have four classes of soil here:

1. footpath where birds ate the seeds
2. shallow soil that prevented roots
3. thorny ground that choked growth
4. fertile soil that allowed fantastic growth 

Jesus then goes on to explain the parable:

The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. (1) The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. (2) The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. (3) The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. (4) And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Mark 4:14-20

In each instance, the soil has the responsibility for receiving the seed:

1. If the soil doesn’t receive the seed, it’s easily snatched away (footpath).
2. If the soil isn’t deep, growth is superficial and the plant withers (rocky soil).
3. If the soil has harmful plants already growing, it prevents good growth (thorny ground).
4. If the soil is fertile, it allows for exponential growth: 30x, 60x, or 100x.

Then Jesus said to them, “If [John Calvin] can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will [he] understand all the other parables?”

Mark 4:13, adapted

In the next installment, we’ll take a look at what scripture really says about our heavenly Father and His Son.

* I’ve made several references to hell and/or the eternal situation of the wicked (not the saints). I don’t believe that hell will last forever, or that people go there immediately when they die. Feel free to read those posts here (hell) and here (death & the grave).