arminianism vs calvinism Essays

arminianism vs calvinism Essays arminianism vs calvinism Essay arminianism vs calvinism Essay Arminianism and Calvinism Christian Doctrine Calvinism Historically, the doctrine of Calvinism arose out of the teaching of John Calvin. Five point Calvinism as it is exposed by its followers today was not taught by Calvin, but instead implied by those who carried his teachings to what they considered to be their logical conclusions. Calvinism is often called Reformed theology, and is founded in John Calvins Institutes of the Christian Religion. The Puritans and independent Presbyterians of Great Britain were heavily influenced by Calvins writings, but some of its greatest followers were Dutch. Most Baptist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches base their doctrine off of John Calvins teachings. Calvinism can be summarized using the acronym TULIP, which stands for the following: 1 . Total depravity, is the belief that man is dead in trespasses and sins and totally unable to save himself. Many advocates of Calvinism carry this a step further, saying that man cannot even desire a relationship with God apart from His working in their hearts. 2. Unconditional election is the belief that in eternity, God chose or elected certain people to obtain salvation. Some Calvinists (although not all) carry this belief further nd teach what is referred to as double predestination, the teaching that God selected some people to go to heaven and others to go to hell, and there is nothing anyone can do to change Gods election. John Calvin taught this, but called it a terrible doctrine. 3. Limited atonement is the Calvinist teaching that Jesus did not die for the sins of the entire world, but that He only died for those that He elected to go to heaven. The argument is that Christs work on the Cross must be efficacious, that is, it must work for all for whom He died, that He could not have shed His blood for hose who are lost. Some Calvinists have gone to great lengths to explain limited atonement, saying, for example, that Jesus died for all, but does not pray for all, or tnat HIS aeat n tneoretlcally could save everyone, out Is eTTectlve only Tor tne elect. The end result is the same in each case the belief that Jesus only died effectively for some people, not all. 4. Irresistible grace is the doctrine that teaches that God will draw to Himself those whom He elected regardless of their rebellion against Him. It is the belief that man cannot resist the drawing of God to Himself. . Perseverance of the saints, or eternal security, is the doctrine that often attracts people to Calvinism because it is the belief that a true born again Christian cannot lose or give up his salvation because salvation is entirely Gods work, not mans. Arminianism Jacobus Games) Arminius was a Dutch theologian who lived from 1560-1609. Arminius taught that man is only guilty of Adams sin when he sins voluntarily . Arminius started out as a strict Calvinist, but later modified his views, which were expressed in a document called The Remonstrance in 1610. Arminianism is the heological basis for the Methodist, Wesleyan, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Free Will Baptist, Holiness, and many charismatic churches. Arminianism teaches: 1 . Election based on knowledge, the belief that God chose those who would be saved in eternity past based on His foreknowledge of those who would respond to and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Arminianism rejects the concept that God elected anyone for hell. 2. Unlimited atonement is the belief that Jesus died on the Cross for all people, that His blood is sufficient to pay the penalty for the sins of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. Thus, all mankind is savable. 3. Natural inability is the teaching that man cannot save Himself, but that the Holy Spirit must effect the new birth in him. Strict Arminians do not believe that man is totally depraved and condemned as a result of Adams sin. . Prevenient grace is the belief that the preparatory work of the Holy Spirit enables the believer to respond to the Gospel and to cooperate with God in the salvation of that person. 5. Conditional perseverance is the belief that man can choose to reject God, and therefore lose his salvation, even after he has been born again. Rather than the once saved always saved doctrine of the Calvinists, the Arminian believes that you must abide in Christ to be saved, and that you can ch oose to walk away from God. Arminius himself, and his early followers, stated that they were unsure of this doctrine and that it required further Biblical study. Evaluation of the Doctrines At the heart of the controversy between Calvinism and Arminianism is the emphasis on the sovereignty of God by the Calvinists and on the free will of man, or human responsibility, by the Arminians. Arminians teach that man has free will and hat God will never interrupt or take that free will away. They say that God has obligated Himself to respect the free choice with which He created us. Calvinism, on the other hand, emphasizes that God is in total control of everything, and that nothing can happen that He does not plan and direct, including mans salvation. Both positions are logical, both have Scriptures to back up each of their five points, and both have truth to them. Both are right in what they claim, but both are wrong in what they deny. If truth is pressed to the point of excluding another truth, it becomes an error. The Bible presents a theology that is more man centered than calvinists make it out to be, and theology that is more divine than arminianism present it as. Certainly, the Bible does teach that God is sovereign (Psalm 135:6; Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:1 1), and that Dellevers are preaestlnea ana elected Dy (Romans B) to spend eternity wltn However, the bible never associates election with damnation. Scriptures teach that God elects for salvation, but that unbelievers are in hell by their own choice. Every passage of the Bible that speaks of election deals with it in the context of salvation nd not damnation. It is simply not biblical to say someone is elect for hell. The idea of total depravity is consistent with Scripture (Ephesians 2:1, Romans 3:1 1), but the doctrine of limited atonement, that Jesus did not die for the sins of the whole world, is clearly anti-Biblical Cohn 3:16, I Timothy 2:6, II Peter 2: 1, I John 2:2). The Bible teaches that Jesus died for everyones sins and that everyone is able to be saved if they will repent and turn to Christ. Limited atonement is non-Biblical doctrine. Cohn 3:16,17; Romans 5:8, 18; II Corinthians 5:14,15; 1 Timothy 2:4; 4:10; Hebrews 2:9; 10:29; II Peter 2:1; I John 2:2; 4:14. Irresistible grace is taught by some, who do not understand the concept, to mean that God drags people to Himself contrary to their wills. Actually, the Biblical view, and the view of most Calvinists, is the belief that God works on our wills so as to make us willing to surrender to Him. In other words, He makes us willing to come to Christ for salvation. Many Scriptures teach that a true believer is safe and secure in Christ, tha t salvation doesnt depend on our ability to keep ourselves, but on Gods ability to keep s. l John 5:11-13; John 10:28; Romans 5:1 and 8: 1). The only condition for salvation is faith in Christ Cohn 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). On the other hand, the Bible teaches us that we must abide in Christ Cohn 15; Luke 13:14; Colossians 1:29; II Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 6:4-6; I Peter 1:10) to persevere in salvation. Finding a Balance The truth of Gods Word flows between the extremes of Calvinism and Arminianism. Both Calvinism and Arminianism have truth in their argument, yet both contain error. Election and predestination are Biblical doctrines. God knows verything and therefore He cannot learn anything or be surprised by anything. He knows, and has known from eternity past, who will exercise their free will to accept Him and who will reject Him. The former are the elect, the latter are non-elect. Every person who is not saved will have only himself to blame; God doesnt send anyone to hell, people choose to go there by exercising their free will to reject Christ. On the other hand, no one who is saved will be able to take any of the credit. Our salvation is 100% Gods work, and is based entirely on the work of the Cross. We were ead in trespasses and sins, destined for hell, when God in His grace, drew us to Himself, convinced us of our sin and our need for a Savior, and allowed us to call Jesus Lord. God will do everything short of making humanity puppets in order for Him to draw us towards salvation but this does not mean that His grace is irresistible. The concept of a limited atonement, that Jesus only died for the elect, and not for the sins of all people, is clearly unbiblical. The Bible is very clear that Jesus death on the cross was for all people, and that there is sufficient power in His blood to cleanse way every sin. Whosoever will may come is meaningless if man has no free will and no ability to choose God. The question of whether or not a Christian can lose or walk away from salvation is academic. When a person who claims to be a Christian and shows some fruit of salvatlon turns nls DacK on ana llves tne IITe 0T a pagan, tne Armlnlan says ne was saved and is now not saved, while the Cal vinist would say that he was either never really saved to start with, or that he is severely backslidden, but his salvation is secure. Ultimately, no one knows the truth but God. The true believer in Christ never has to doubt his salvation. He can rest in the perfect assurance that God saved him and will keep him, and nothing will ever separate him from Gods love in time or eternity. We are secure in Christ, kept by the His loving grace. It is important to remember that both Calvinism and Arminianism are systems of theology devised by godly, devout, Bible-believing men. Both systems are based on the word of God, and both contain important elements of truth, but neither can be substituted for reading and believing the word of God. The New Testament church new nothing of either system, they simply believed what God had revealed in His word. The problem arises when it seems that some of what God has revealed contradicts something else He revealed. How can man be absolutely free and God absolutely sovereign and in control at the same time? How can salvation be entirely Gods work, yet simultaneously require the cooperation of men? These questions are ultimately unanswerable. The Bible teaches both the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. It teaches what appears to be unconditional perseverance in some places and conditional perseverance in others. The human mind can never understand the balance between these points because God is simply too big for us to understand. Both systems of theology emphasize one set of chapters or verses while ignoring or twisting another. We are not called to understand God, only to believe Him. We are free willed creations, responsible for our own sin, hopelessly lost. Jesus not only died for us, He drew us to Himself with love and grace. Jesus died for all of us and desires fellowship with all of us. Gods election excludes no one; Jesus atonement includes everyone. Its as if we are looking at two sides of the same coin. Election is Gods side, free will is our side. Rather than interpreting the Bible based on any theological or philosophical structure, we are to simply read and believe it. As we teach the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, verse by verse, in context, we will at times sound like devout Calvinists, preaching passages which emphasize Gods sovereignty, while at other times we will seem like Arminians, when we preach the passages which emphasize mans responsibility. The key is to find a balance to stay focused on the Word of God, and not become distracted by the doctrines of men.

How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader

How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader How to Write Dialogue That Captivates Your Reader And unfortunately, your first reader will be an agent or an editor. You can’t slip anything boring past them. Your job is to make every word count. That’s the way to keep your reader riveted until the final page- no small task. Making every word count is how to write compelling dialogue. Readers love dialogue because: It breaks up intimidating blocks of narrative summary. It differentiates (through dialect and word choice) and reveals characters. Done well, it can move the story without author intrusion. But, as you have likely discovered, writing great dialogue is hard. If yours is bloated or obvious or telling or is in any other way uninteresting, readers won’t stay with you long. So how about we leave them no choice? Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. How to Write Dialogue in 6 Steps Cut to the Bone Reveal Backstory Reveal Character Be Subtle Read Your Dialogue Out Loud Create a Make My Day Moment Step 1. Cut to the Bone Unless you need to reveal a character as a brainiac or a blowhard pretending to be one, omit needless words. Obviously, you wouldn’t render a conversation the way a court transcript includes repetition and even um, ah, uh, etc. But even beyond that, see how much you can chop without losing the point. Like this: â€Å"What do you want to do this  Sunday?  I thought wWe could go to the amusement park.† â€Å"I was thinking about renting a rowboat,† Vladimir said.  on one of the lakes.† â€Å"Oh, Vladimir, that sounds wonderful! I’ve never gone rowing  before.† That doesn’t mean all your dialogue has to be short and choppy- just that you’ll cut the dead wood to keep to the point. You’ll be surprised by how much power it adds to your prose. Step 2. Reveal Backstory Layering in backstory through dialogue is another way to keep your reader turning pages. Hinting at some incident for the first time is an automatic setup that demands a payoff. Example: As they headed toward the house, Janet whispered, â€Å"Can we not have a repeat of Cincinnati?† Jeanie shot her a double take. â€Å"Believe me, I don’t want that any more than you do.† â€Å"Good,† Janet said. â€Å"I mean- † â€Å"Can we not talk about it, please?† What normal reader wouldn’t assume they will talk about it at some point and stay with the story until they do? As the story progresses, you can reveal more and more about your protagonist’s past and have your story come full circle. This accomplishes two things: it offers a setup that should intrigue the reader, and it helps you avoid flashbacks. Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide. Step 3. Reveal Character Your reader learns a lot about your characters through dialogue. You don’t have to TELL us they’re sarcastic, witty, narcissistic, kind, or anything else. You can SHOW us by how they interact and by what they say. Step 4. Be Subtle Dialogue can accomplish a number of tasks. Here are three: 1. Subtext- where people say other than what they mean. This can be fun. Example: My friend sold a short story to a general-market magazine years ago about a girl named Cindy who falls in love with the slightly older boy next door, who sees her as just a little sister type. When they get to high school, Tommy is the big man on campus, captain of the football team, dating the head cheerleader, and pretty much ignoring Cindy. She’s just his younger neighbor and friend. Tommy leaves for college and word soon gets back to Cindy during her senior year of high school that he and his girlfriend have broken up. So when he comes home after his freshman year of college and is changing a tire on his car, Cindy just happens to walk outside. She strikes up a conversation with Tommy, and he looks up, stunned. Who is this beautylittle Cindy from next door? She says, â€Å"Making a change, are you?† Tommy looks at the tire and back at her and says, â€Å"Yeah, I actually I am making a change.† Cindy says, â€Å"Well, I’ve heard that rotating can be a good thing.† And he says, â€Å"Yeah, I’ve heard that too.† That’s subtext. They’re not saying what they really mean. They’re not really talking about changing the tire, are they? 2. Sidestepping- when a character responds to a question without answering it. Instead, what the character says is so profound and unexpected that it offers a whole new understanding of what’s going on. Example: In the movie Patch Adams, the late Robin Williams played a brilliant young doctor who believes the Old Testament adage that â€Å"laughter is the best medicine.† He goes into the children’s cancer ward of a hospital wearing an inflated surgical glove on his head, making him look like a rooster. He wears bedpans for shoes and stomps about, flapping his arms and squawking. The children find it hilarious, but hospital directors consider it undignified and demand he stop. Patch Adams is trying to make one girl in particular- a hospital volunteer- laugh. But while everyone else thinks he’s funny, she never cracks a smile. Finally, Patch leaves the hospital to open a clinic in the country. Imagine his surprise when that humorless young lady appears to help him set up. At one point, she goes outside to rest, so Patch follows and sits opposite her. He says, â€Å"I’ve got to ask. Everybody thinks I’m hysterical, but you. I’ve tried everything. What is it with you? Why don’t you ever think anything I say is funny?† After several seconds of silence, she says, â€Å"Men have liked me all my lifeall my life† And we realize by the way she says it, she was abused as a child. Suddenly, we understand what this girl is all about. She doesn’t trust men, and she doesn’t laugh, because life isn’t funny. The way she responded did not answer his question. Her problem had nothing to do with him or his humor. Finally, Patch realizes that some things aren’t funny. Some things you just don’t make fun of. Sometimes, you need to quit cracking jokes and just listen. It’s a great turnaround in the story. And an example of sidestep dialogue. 3. Silence The old truism that silence can be golden rings true for our last technique. Many, including Abraham Lincoln, have been credited with the line: â€Å"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.† One of the toughest things to learn as a writer is to avoid filling silent gaps. Just like we shouldn’t tell what’s not happening in a story, neither do we need to write that someone didn’t respond or didn’t answer. If you don’t say they did, the reader will know they didn’t. Example: â€Å"Well John,† Linda said, â€Å"what do you have to say for yourself?† John set his jaw and stared out the window. â€Å"I’m waiting,† she said. He lit a cigarette. Linda shook her head. â€Å"I swear, John, honestly.† Now, too many writers feel the need to write here, â€Å"But he refused to say anything,† or â€Å"But he never responded.† Don’t! We know, we get it- and it’s loud, effective, silent dialogue. The reader knows because John is saying nothing, and yet saying everything. Silence is golden. Step 5. Read Your Dialogue Out Loud One way to be certain your dialogue flows is to read it aloud or even act it out. Anything that doesn’t sound right won’t read right either, so rewrite it until it does. Step 6. Create a â€Å"Make My Day† Moment Certain iconic lines of dialogue have become as legendary as the films and books they originate from: â€Å"Frankly my dear† â€Å"There’s no place like home.† â€Å"We’re not in Kansas anymore.† â€Å"To my big brother George, the richest man in town.† â€Å"What we have here is failure to communicate.† â€Å"Go ahead, make my day.† â€Å"May the force be with you.† â€Å"Houston, we have a problem.† â€Å"Run, Forrest, run!† â€Å"You had me at hello.† Most writers - even bestselling novelists - never create such an unforgettable line of dialogue. But striving to create one is a worthy effort. Ironically, it should fit so seamlessly it doesn’t draw attention to itself until fans begin quoting it. How to Use Dialogue Tags to Identify Speakers Dialogue attribution tags- he said, she said, etc.- indicate who is speaking. Resist the urge to get creative here. Said is almost always your best choice. Teachers who urge you to find alternatives are usually unpublished and believe agents and editors will be impressed. Trust me, they won’t be. Avoid mannerisms of attribution. People say things. They don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt or snort them. They might do any of those things while saying them, which might be worth mentioning, but the emphasis should be on what is said, and readers just need to know who is saying it. Keep it simple. All those other descriptors turn the spotlight on an intrusive writer. Sometimes people whisper or shout or mumble, but let their choice of words indicate they’re grumbling, etc. If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate that action from the dialogue. Jim sighed. â€Å"I can’t take this anymore.† Not: Jim sighed, â€Å"I can’t take this anymore.† Though you read them in school readers and classic fiction, attribution tags such as use of reply, retort, exclaim, and declare have become clicheÃŒ d and archaic. You’ll still see them occasionally, but I suggest not using them. Often no attribution is needed. Use dialogue tags only when the reader wouldn’t otherwise know who’s speaking. I once wrote an entire novel, The Last Operative, without attributing a single line of dialogue. Not a said, an asked, anything. I made clear through action who was speaking, and not one reader, even my editor, noticed. A common error is characters addressing each other by name too often. Real people rarely do this, and it often seems planted only to avoid a dialogue tag. Fictional dialogue should sound real. Don’t start your dialogue attribution tag with said. Rather, end with said. said Joe or said Mary, reads like a children’s book. Substitute he and she for the names and that will make it obvious. said he or said she just doesn’t sound right. Use said after the name for the best sound. Joe said or Mary said. Resist the urge to explain, and give the reader credit. The amateur writer often writes something like this: â€Å"I’m beat,† exclaimed John tiredly. Besides telling and not showing - violating a cardinal rule of writing - it uses the archaic exclaimed for said, misplaces that before the name rather than after, and adds the redundant tiredly. The pro would write: John dropped onto the couch. â€Å"I’m beat.† That shows rather than tells, and because John’s action has been described, we don’t need an attribution tag to know he’s speaking. How to Punctuate Dialogue Few things expose a beginner like incorrect punctuation, especially in dialogue. Agents and editors justifiably wonder if you read dialogue, let alone whether you can write it, if you write something like: â€Å"I don’t know.† she said. Or, â€Å"What do you think?† He said. To avoid common mistakes: Start a new paragraph for each speaker When one character’s dialogue extends to more than one paragraph, start each subsequent paragraph with a double quotation mark, and place your closing double quotation mark only at the end of the final paragraph. Place punctuation inside the quotation marks, the dialogue tag outside: â€Å"John was just here asking about you,† Jim said. The attribution tag goes after the first clause of a compound sentence: â€Å"Not tonight,† he said, â€Å"not in this weather.† When dialogue ends with a question or exclamation mark, the dialogue tag following the quotation marks should be lowercase:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m glad you’re here!† she said. Action before dialogue takes a separate sentence: Anna shook her head. â€Å"I can’t believe she’s gone!† Quoting within a quote requires single quotation marks: â€Å"Lucy, Mom specifically said, ‘Do not cut your bangs,’ and you did it anyway!† When action or attribution interrupts dialogue, use lowercase as dialogue resumes: â€Å"That,† she said, â€Å"hurt bad.† Dialogue Examples If you’re old enough to remember the original Twilight Zone (hosted by Rod Serling) or Dragnet (starring and narrated by Jack Webb), you know how dialogue set the tone for their shows. Serling was sometimes whimsical, sometimes mysterious, but always provocative. â€Å"Consider one middle-aged adult, lost in space and time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jack Webb, as L.A. police detective Sergeant Joe Friday, was always deadly serious and monotone. â€Å"Just the facts, ma’am.† Contrast those with the dialogue between Tom and his Aunt Polly in Tom Sawyer. If you’re anything like me, you were laughing from page 1. There! I mighta thought of that closet. What you been doing in there? Nothing. Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What IS that truck? I dont know, aunt. Well, I know. Its jam- thats what it is. Forty times Ive said if you didnt let that jam alone Id skin you. Hand me that switch. The switch hovered in the air- the peril was desperate- My! Look behind you, aunt! The old lady whirled round and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the highboard fence, and disappeared over it. Great dialogue can set the tone for your entire story and also differentiate characters, as we discussed earlier. In Huckleberry Finn,  Mark Twain delineates between Huck the Southern white boy and Jim the runaway slave by just hinting at their respective accents. Twain doesn’t use tags to tell who’s speaking, yet the reader never confuses the two. Huck says, â€Å"Jim, did y’all ever see a king?† Y’all is the only word in that sentence that implies a Southern accent, but it’s enough. Jim says, â€Å"I sho enough did.† Huck says, â€Å"You liar, Jim. You never seen no king.† Jim says, â€Å"I seen foh kings in a deck of cards.† Huck’s bad grammar and Jim’s sho and foh are the only hints of their dialects. Contrived phonetic spelling would slow the reading, but look what Twain accomplished with simple choices. The Cardinal Sin of Dialogue The last thing you want is to produce on-the-nose dialogue. Apply to your own work those principles and the tools I’ve outlined here, and I believe you’ll immediately see a huge difference. So will your reader. In the Comments, ask me any questions regarding how to write dialogue. Need help writing your novel?  Click here to download my ultimate 12-step guide.