📖 Biblical Definition
Arminianism is a theological system that elevates the role of human free will in salvation, teaching that God's election is conditional upon foreseen faith, that Christ's atonement is universal in intent, that grace is resistible, and that believers can forfeit their salvation. Against Scripture's clear testimony that salvation belongs entirely to the Lord, Arminianism introduces human decision as the decisive factor in redemption. Paul writes: "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy" (Romans 9:16). Jesus declares: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). The Arminian system, while affirming many orthodox doctrines, fundamentally shifts the axis of salvation from God's sovereign will to man's autonomous choice, making the creature rather than the Creator the ultimate determiner of eternal destiny.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The peculiar doctrines or tenets of the Arminians.
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ARMINIANISM, n. The peculiar doctrines or tenets of the Arminians. The Arminians were so called from Arminius, or Harmensen, of Holland, and maintain that God has not fixed the eternal state of man by an absolute unconditional decree; but that he has decreed to bestow salvation on all who he foresaw would believe to the end, and to inflict punishment on those who should not believe. Webster's definition accurately captures the Arminian emphasis on conditional election based on foreseen faith.
📖 Key Scripture
• Romans 9:16 — "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy."
• John 15:16 — "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit."
• Ephesians 2:8-9 — "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
• John 6:44 — "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws Him."
• Acts 13:48 — "And as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Arminianism has become the default theology of American evangelicalism, often without awareness.
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Modern Arminianism has devolved far beyond Arminius Himself, who retained a high view of grace and would scarcely recognize the man-centered revivalism practiced in His name. Contemporary evangelicalism overwhelmingly operates on Arminian assumptions: altar calls presuppose that the unregenerate will can choose God; "decisions for Christ" language makes conversion a human achievement; and the persistent anxiety about "losing salvation" replaces assurance with performance. The most dangerous corruption is not classical Arminianism (which at least acknowledged prevenient grace) but its popular, degraded form — Pelagianism dressed in evangelical clothing — which teaches that sinners are spiritually neutral, capable of choosing God apart from any prior work of the Spirit. This implicit Pelagianism dominates seeker-sensitive churches, youth ministries, and evangelistic campaigns, producing a Christianity centered on human choice rather than divine power.
Usage
• "Arminianism places the decisive factor in salvation in the hands of the sinner rather than in the sovereign will of God — making man's choice, not God's grace, the ultimate cause of redemption."
• "Most modern evangelicals are Arminians without knowing it — they have absorbed the theology of human decision through altar calls and revivalist culture."
• "The Synod of Dort examined the Arminian Remonstrance point by point and found it wanting against the testimony of Scripture and the consensus of the apostolic and Reformed churches."