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Arminianism (Five Points)
ar-MIN-ee-an-iz-um
noun (soteriology / historical theology)
The soteriological system following Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) and articulated by his followers (the Remonstrants) in the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610). The five points (conditional election, universal atonement, partial depravity / prevenient grace, resistible grace, and conditional perseverance) were answered by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) with the Canons of Dort (the five points of Calvinism, TULIP).

📖 Biblical Definition

The soteriological system following Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), a Dutch Reformed theologian who departed from Reformed orthodoxy on the doctrines of grace, and articulated by his followers (the Remonstrants) in the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610). The five points of the Remonstrance, and the Reformed answers given by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619): (1) Conditional election — God elects to salvation those whom He foresees will believe (election conditioned on foreseen faith); the Reformed answer (Dort, Unconditional Election): God elects unconditionally, not on the basis of foreseen faith, but according to His sovereign good pleasure. (2) Universal atonement — Christ died for all people without exception, making salvation possible for all but actual for none until they believe; the Reformed answer (Limited Atonement / Particular Redemption): Christ died particularly and efficaciously for the elect, actually securing their salvation. (3) Partial depravity restored by prevenient grace — man is depraved but universal prevenient grace restores sufficient free will to cooperate with or resist saving grace; the Reformed answer (Total Depravity): man is totally unable of himself to turn to God and requires sovereign regenerating grace. (4) Resistible grace — God's saving grace can be resisted and finally rejected by the human will; the Reformed answer (Irresistible / Efficacious Grace): the saving grace of God given to the elect is efficacious and infallibly accomplishes their salvation. (5) Conditional perseverance (uncertainty about whether the believer can fall away) — the believer may possibly fall from grace and be finally lost; the Reformed answer (Perseverance of the Saints): the elect, truly regenerate, will certainly persevere and be kept by God's power unto final salvation. The Synod of Dort condemned the Remonstrant articles and articulated the Reformed response in the Canons of Dort, the source of the five points of Calvinism (later summarized by the acronym TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Perseverance of the saints). The patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the substantive Reformed doctrines of grace (the Canons of Dort, the five points of Calvinism) against the five points of Arminianism: salvation is monergistic, by sovereign grace alone, unconditionally elected, particularly accomplished, efficaciously applied, and certainly preserved — to the praise of the glory of God's grace, against the Arminian system that makes salvation contingent on the human will at every point.

📜 Webster 1828 Definition

The soteriological system following Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), articulated in the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610): conditional election, universal atonement, prevenient grace restoring free will, resistible grace, conditional perseverance; answered by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) with the Canons of Dort (the five points of Calvinism, TULIP).

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ARMINIANISM (FIVE POINTS), n. (soteriology / historical theology) The system following Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), articulated in the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610). The five points (with the Dort answers): (1) conditional election (on foreseen faith) — vs. Unconditional Election; (2) universal atonement (Christ died for all, actual for none until they believe) — vs. Limited Atonement / Particular Redemption; (3) prevenient grace restoring free will to the depraved — vs. Total Depravity; (4) resistible grace (can be finally rejected) — vs. Irresistible / Efficacious Grace; (5) conditional perseverance (the believer may fall away) — vs. Perseverance of the Saints. Condemned by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619); the Reformed response is the Canons of Dort, the five points of Calvinism (TULIP). Salvation contingent on the human will at every point (Arminian) vs. monergistic grace (Reformed).

📖 Key Scripture

Ephesians 1:4-5"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world... Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."

John 10:11"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

John 6:37"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Romans 9:16"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy."

⚠️ Modern Corruption

Arminianism makes salvation contingent on the human will at every point (conditional election, universal atonement, resistible grace, conditional perseverance); the Reformed doctrines of grace (Canons of Dort, TULIP) hold salvation monergistic, by sovereign grace alone.

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Arminianism is the soteriological system that makes salvation contingent on the human will at every point, in contrast to the Reformed doctrines of grace that hold salvation monergistic, by sovereign grace alone. The five points of Arminianism (the Remonstrance of 1610) each subordinate God's sovereign grace to the human will: conditional election (God elects on the basis of foreseen human faith, so that the human decision to believe is ultimately decisive); universal atonement (Christ died for all but actually saved none, the atonement made effective only by the human decision to believe); prevenient grace restoring free will (the decisive factor being the sinner's cooperation with the grace given); resistible grace (the human will can finally reject God's saving grace); and conditional perseverance (the believer's continuance depending on his ongoing cooperation). The Synod of Dort (1618-1619) condemned the Remonstrant articles and articulated the Reformed response in the Canons of Dort, the source of the five points of Calvinism (summarized in the acronym TULIP). The patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the substantive Reformed doctrines of grace against Arminianism: unconditional election (God elects according to His sovereign good pleasure, not foreseen faith, Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 9:16); particular redemption (Christ died efficaciously for the elect, actually securing their salvation, John 10:11, 15); total depravity (man unable of himself to turn to God, requiring sovereign regenerating grace); irresistible/efficacious grace (the saving grace of God infallibly accomplishing the salvation of the elect, John 6:37); and perseverance of the saints (the elect certainly preserved unto final salvation). The substantive divide is between Arminian synergism (salvation a cooperation of grace and human will, the will decisive) and Reformed monergism (salvation the sovereign work of God, grace decisive); the patriarchal-Reformed reader holds the Reformed doctrines, which give all the glory of salvation to God's sovereign grace and none to the human will, to the praise of the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6).

🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots

The system following Jacobus Arminius; the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610); conditional election, universal atonement, prevenient grace, resistible grace, conditional perseverance; answered by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) with the Canons of Dort (TULIP).

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['Latin', '—', 'Jacobus Arminius', 'the Dutch theologian (1560-1609)']

['Latin', '—', 'Remonstrantia', 'the Remonstrance (1610)']

['Dutch', '—', 'Synod of Dort', 'Synode van Dordrecht (1618-1619)']

Usage

"Arminianism: the soteriological system following Jacobus Arminius (the Remonstrance, 1610)."

"Conditional election, universal atonement, prevenient grace, resistible grace, conditional perseverance."

"Answered by the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) with the Canons of Dort (the five points of Calvinism, TULIP)."