The Five Points of Calvinism (Updated and Expanded): Defined, Defended, and Documented

by David N. Steele, Mike Chamberlain (narrator), S. Lance Quinn

An updated edition of the classic introduction to the essential tenets of Calvinistic its history and content, a biblical defense, and a guide to further study.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, History, Church History

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Daniel Greiwe · Rating 3 out of 5]

TL;DR: The book is an excellent defense of Calvinism which I wholeheartedly disagree with so an average of 3 stars.

Why I could give it five stars: This book achieved exactly what it set out to do. Well written, researched, and organized. It is the most comprehensive defense of Calvinism I have come across and even includes some critiques of the doctrine in the appendices. Highly recommend for everyone who wants to learn more about this heavily influential theory in the American church.

Why I could give it one star: It has never been more clear to me that Calvinism is a mere looming shadow cast by a trick of the light. Full of gravitas, Calvinism deftly dismantles every challenge to it’s thrown in the halls of evangelical seminaries and churches. But what if the game is rigged?

When fighting Calvinism on it’s home turf, the result is a forgone conclusion. The same theologians and church fathers who define what salvation means, what Imago Dei means, what the gospel means, what grace means, what atonement means, the purpose of the Bible, etc are the same group of theologians who planted the theological seed for modern day Calvinism. It’s an impossible battle. Therefore, there should be no debate that Calvinism is the only logical conclusion to a finely tuned system of penal substitution and pseudo-platonic deism.

But, there is good news for all, like me, who grew up terrified of the God of Calvinism. There are other systems, arguably more biblical systems, in which the story of the whole Bible can be viewed. And through those lenses and under that light, Calvinism slowly recedes in its preeminence and reveals the collapsed shell of a system it always was.

So, average of three stars.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-organized, succinct examination of the five major points of Calvinism, a brief history of them, and a Scripture-based defense of them. Calvinism is the Christian theological system centered around God’s complete sovereignty. The five points were organized not by John Calvin himself, but were drawn from his teachings by the Synod of Dort in 1618, to formally reject five points which had been presented by the Arminians, who argued that God’s sovereignty is limited in order to give humans the free will to choose to be saved or not, regardless of what God wants.

The Arminians' Five Points are:
1) Human Ability: Man freely contributes his own faith to his own salvation; faith is the sinner's gift to God.
2) Conditional Election: God "chose" to be saved only those sinners whom He had foreseen would freely choose Him.
3) Universal Redemption: Christ's redeeming work made salvation possible for every man, but only becomes effective in covering sin when man freely chooses to accept it.
4) Spiritual Resistance: The Holy Spirit calls the hearts of men to accept the gospel, but men can resist and reject the Spirit's call.
5) Falling from Grace: Those who are truly saved and have been given eternal life can still lose their salvation by failing to keep their faith up, or do good works, etc.

The Five Points of Calvinism are:
1) Total Depravity: All men are so completely spiritually dead because of sin that they are unable to choose in favor of God without God first regenerating them.
2) Unconditional Election: God chooses who will be saved because He decided to love them, and He gives them the faith to believe.
3) Limited Atonement: Christ redeemed only those sinners whom His Father had chosen and given to Him. His redemption completely atoned for their sin.
4) Irresistible Grace: The Holy Spirit's inward call cannot be resisted; it is always successful in bringing sinners to salvation.
5) Perseverance of the Saints: Once saved, always saved. Since man did not contribute anything to his salvation, he cannot lose it. He has been given the gift of eternal life (and faith!) which will never go away.

In all, this book is an excellent and convincing explanation of Calvinism.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Also read in June of 1988.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been a topic that keeps coming up among my group of friends. Though I've been sure in these convictions for years, it's always good to know how to defend your position articulatley and with biblical support. I received just that while reading this. However, even more so, I received an even better truth.
Calvinism should not come with the common pride in knowing a better Gospel than your Arminian friends. Yes, Calvinists desire to show their friends the truth. But we must keep Jesus in the center of our Calvinism. Your identity as a Christian is more important than your position as a Calvinist. You should get more excited about your testimony than about your "Calvinist conversion". The Lord will work in your Arminian friends in His time, and there is a way to breach this topic without hurting relationships. If anything, Calvinists have the BETTER reason to be humble-Calvinists recognize that we have NOTHING to do with our salvation. That leaves us ZERO way to be prideful in any way, and that should be shown in the way we approach the topic.
Read this book if you're a Calvinist. Recommend this book to those that aren't. But most of all, read this book if you think you're in danger of taking pride in your view of grace, because the truth is, the reason you believe that about grace is through grace and grace alone.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steele's "The Five Points of Calvinism" is a classic. This book was important in my own theological development in my early twenties. This updated edition is even better, with much-improved formatting, and several helpful essays added at the end.

Steele's approach is direct and scripture-saturated. Both are reasons that I continue to go back to Steele's book as I lead discipleship groups. Whether you are brand new to conversations about the sovereignty of God or have considered Calvinism and Arminianism deeply, Steele's book is a rich resource.

The tone of Steele's argument is another reason I appreciate the book. Steele writes clearly and forcefully for Calvinism but does some without animous or straw-manning.

That said, if there were one thing I wish was included in the book was a section considering the strongest biblical arguments for Arminianism.

For more reviews see www.thebeehive.live.

[Grace Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was… interesting 🥴 I did not think I agreed with what Calvinism teaches but decided I wanted to dive into soteriology this year, so started here. After reading this book I now know I am definitely not a Calvinist. I appreciated that they referenced & laid out lots of scripture, even though much of it was completely taken out of cultural and historical context.

I am giving it 2 stars though because I recommend this book for a good overview of the 5 points and Calvinism and how they got them.

[Madeleine Crow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will say, this is the most helpful book I’ve found on actually explaining and just presenting scriptural arguments on the 5 points. Seriously though loved chatting with my pastor here in NZ about all my questions. Reading the appendix itself on the difference/dangers of hyper Calvinism also was probably my favorite part of the book. Really helpful if you’re trying to discern what you believe on this topic.

[Shaun Marksbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read on the subject with helpful appendices. Highly recommended!

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have for some time ascribed to the doctrines outlined by the five points of Calvinism, I was for the first time able to truly see what these five points look like together. And even though I knew the basic definitions of each these five points, I was able to see the seamless continuity that runs through all of them. You can’t have one point without the other.

In summary, the five points of Calvinism teaches this: It is because we are totally depraved that God must elect certain individuals for salvation. He did this through the sacrifice of His Son on a cross over 2,000 years ago. As a result of this, those whom God has chosen have been atoned and redeemed for their sins with which the penalty is death. Because we are incapable of understanding this great love the Father has for us, God must bring us into a relationship with Him through a grace that is irresistible. Through a process of regeneration we are brought into a faith in Christ. This love relationship that God initiated, we are assured, will last eternally no matter what we do.

It confounds my mind to hear people question the love of God. When one reads each of the five points of Calvin and binds them together into one single thread, it is easy to see the unconditional love that God has for us… a love that He desires and that He initiates. Are we deserving of it? Absolutely not. For me personally, these five points bring me into a deeper relationship with Christ and all the more appreciative of having a loving heavenly Father. A father I don’t have on earth. Thank you God.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

"that sinners do not save themselves in any sense at all, but that salvation, first and last, whole and entire, past, present and future, is of the Lord, to whom be glory forever; amen."

This is a great book because it takes the time to see if the five points of Calvinism holds up to scripture. And what better way to do that than by quoting scripture after scripture. God’s Word is written for all to see in this book, and oh how it shines! What beautiful love the Father has for His children! I wish I had read this book many years ago.
This is definitely a great reference book. I see myself reading this again and soon.

[Ben Fischer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of problems. The biggest is the straw men that are built up. Personally I'm not a fan of defending a systematic theology, or Calvinism. If you are a Calvinist, you will probably like this book. If you don't read a lot of theology books, and are just getting into this issue, you may be convinced. The foundational problems with this book are fairly large and more than I have time to write about.

[Seth Goodale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book.

The first half is brief history of Calvinism explained very well, and a reference list that separates the five points. Each point is explained then shown from Scripture. It’s plain and simple. Great for bible study.

Then in the middle are numerous works that are an explanation/biblical studies on Calvinism. Good reference as well.

In the end, the appendices, are essays that either defend certain doctrines or encourage Calvinists to stay away from an aggressive, “unloving” approach towards ignorant saints and dead sinners.

It’s good for every Calvinist to read. It’s helpful teaching that keeps you from being a jerk to those around you. Also, because one may embrace TULIP, does not make him Reformed or even biblical. There’s more to life than TULIP. We are still responsible for our actions, and sinners are as well. We are still to obey God’s commandments, and sinners are to be told that Christ died for sinners.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear and concise justification of the five points of Calvinism, largely based on the collation of many of the relevant scriptures. The book also includes some helpful historical contextualisation. The natural conclusion is a resounding refutation of Armenianism, which was the original motive for the formulation of the five points by the Synod of Dort in 1619. Essential reading for any Bible-believing Christian who desires to better understand the true gospel.

[Logan Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very helpful in my endeavor to learn more about the doctrine of predestination. This book gives tons of scriptural backing which I appreciated because I want to know what the Bible says, not what a person does. It was good to have someone explain how the Bible talks about what is commonly referred to as Calvinism. It also had other books to read as a further guide into what the Bible has to say about predestination. In the beginning it even gave a brief history on the viewpoints of Calvinism and Arminianism. If you're looking to learn what the five points of Calvinism are and how they are scripturally founded, I would suggest this as a starting point.

[Julie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great academic overview of Calvinism and its history. Easy to read, straightforward, and loaded with scriptural evidence for the five points. The appendices are great too as they remind the reformed reader not to be prideful and point to how much the Father loves us. I felt genuinely encouraged by this book. I’d recommend for those who need help explaining Calvinism or those who have issues with it… this book helps clear up misconceptions.

[Kellen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for anyone seeking to understand the history and fundamental theology of Calvinism and it’s opposition to Arminianism.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid biblical explanation and defense of Calvinism (Reformed theology). It covers the history, theology, and practice of Calvinism. As the Afterward states, this book conclusively demonstrates that the "five points" of Calvinism are nothing more or less than what Bible teaches. It extensively quotes and references verses; it has possibly the highest ratio of Scripture to non-Scripture I've seen in a book. The verses are so many that I didn't attempt to include them in my notes below. The book contains a huge bibliography of works on Calvinism, with a brief summary or review of each. The entire book is clear and well-organized.

I especially liked the chapter "A Kinder, Gentler Calvinism" which shows why and how a Calvinist must keep grace and love in mind.

The nature of the book makes it a great reference book, but not the best book for introducing someone to Calvinism. For that, I recommend Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul.

Foreword
Alternative descriptions of 5 Points
Acrostic TULIP is "convenient and to a large extent appropriate" but "may lead to some misapprehension." This alternative language "specifies more accurately":
1. Radical and Pervasive Depravity
2. Sovereign, Divine Election
3. Definite Atonement (or Particular Redemption)
4. Effectual, Saving Grace
5. Perseverance of God with the Saints

The Five Points Defined: Their Origin and Contents
Leaders of Reformation (Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, Bullinger, Bucer, et al) agreed with each other and Augustine on predestination.

The one point of Calvinism: sinners don't save themselves in any sense, but salvation is entirely of the Lord.

The Five Points Defended: Their Biblical Support
Elect aren't saved until they're regenerated, just as president-elect isn't president until he's inaugurated. 2 Tim 2:10; Acts 13:48; Rom 16:7.

Christ's atonement was limited in that it was designed to save some and not others, but it wasn't limited in value; it was of infinite worth and could have saved all if that was God's intent.

Verses that speak of Christ saving the "world" or "all" or "every creature" were to correct false notion of salvation for Jews alone. They show that Christ died for all men without distinction (whether Jew or Gentile), but not that Christ died for all persons without exception.

A Kinder, Gentler Calvinism
Jesus and apostles taught vital truth without compromise, but with the touch of love. If your TULIP doesn't lead directly to Christ crucified for sinners, you missed the point.

"Does your Calvinism show itself in love for God and love for man? Has it freed you to love sinners?"

Perseverance and Preservation
In addition to preservation of saints we must emphasize perseverance of saints in faith and holiness. The Bible frequently tells believers that they are responsible for persevering (though God will preserve).

A Defense of Calvinism
"The intent of the divine purpose fixes the application [to whom it applies] of the infinite offering [Christ's blood], but does not change it into a finite work." Charles Spurgeon

[Adam T. Calvert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid standard on the Five Points of Calvinism. It's not exhaustive on any one of them, but it makes a sound case for each of them. What I truly appreciated was its reiteration that it's a matter of all five points being interrelated into one system. In other words, in its historic setting as far as how the five points were presented there's not really an option to pick and choose which one(s) you hold to - together they form a unified understanding of theology exegeted from Scripture.

"Defined" - gives the historical background to how the five points came about: It was a refutation to the five points delivered by the Remonstrants who had doctrinal disputes with the Belgic Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism.

"Defended" - gives the Biblical support for the answer to the Remonstrance. The Remonstrance was the official dispute toward the confession and catechism, being given in five main points. The response to these five points, which have come to be known in the acronym TULIP, are here given their support from verse after verse of Scripture.

"Documented" - is one giant bibliography (certainly the biggest bibliography I've ever read through), and a great resource for the type of solid, Biblical scholarship that has gone in demonstrating over the centuries the soundness of these doctrines.

After that, the reader has eight (yes, eight) appendices. These were good articles and well written; but I don't know that they added a whole lot to this volume (most if not all of them are reprints of works published previously in volumes that are more fitting to their own individual tones and styles).

If you know reformed doctrine already you won't gain a whole lot from this book except maybe some good healthy encouragement. But if you don't know reformed doctrine that well - whether friend or foe - this book is a great place to start.

[G. Clay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is concise and easy to read. It introduces the reader to many of the important issues that concern the debate between Calvinists and non-Calvinists (primarily soteriology and divine sovereignty). The authors avoid technical language so as not to scare off the uninitiated reader. For example, monergism and synergism are defined on p. 19 but are nowhere called by those names in this book.

The introduction lays out the historical foundation of the distinct split between those professing Calvinist theology and those following in the footsteps of Arminius (Remonstrants). This is helpful because some may be unaware of how the acronym TULIP came into existence.

Section 3 is essentially an annotated bibliography, which is helpful as a resource, but not something one sits down simply to read from page to page.

As a non-Calvinist I had several issues with this book. I did not expect to agree with it. I would not give it a poor rating simply because I disagree with Calvinism. My main frustration with the book is the consistent mischaracterization of non-Calvinist, particularly Arminian, teaching. Rather than defining non-Calvinist doctrine with its own terms, the authors superimpose Calvinist terms onto Arminian teaching. For example, because Calvinists believe faith is a gift, they claim that Arminians believe it is man's gift to God (p. 16 and passim). As a non-Calvinist, I do not believe faith is a gift, much less a gift man gives to God. This is but one example of the improper and injudicious manner that this book handles non-Calvinist doctrine. One can only hope that this was unintentional.

For someone who wants a basic introduction to the teachings of Calvinism from the Calvinist perspective, this book will suffice, but beware of its bias.

[David Spalding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in a culture of Calvinists, without ever being taught about Calvinism is why I read this book. Today there seems to be this idea that Calvinism is this fundamentalist idea that God is angry, hates sinners, and picks and chooses who he wants. While I can understand that sentiment based on the loudest voices for Calvinism, it was refreshing to go back and truly learn about the roots and doctrines of Calvinism. John Calvin DID NOT create Calvinism, the fight to resist the heresy of Arminianism can be traced back to Augustine and his debates against Pelagius (what a name). the 5 points of Calvinism were instituted in 1619, at the Synod of Dort, as a reaction to the 5 points of Arminianism (classic conservatives, always reacting). As a result, we today have the 5 points of Calvinism: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. If I were to explain all the points now, there would be no point in reading the book and I probably wouldn't do them justice, so I will spare you (whoever "you" is, not like anyone will read this). You can say all you want about Calvinists, but you cannot say that Calvinism is not a sound doctrine based on scripture. So.... what now for me? I am convinced that Calvinism is true, correct, and scriptural. Calvinism is one of the doctrines that I believe is a sound way to interpret scripture and the theology of soteriology. In the right context, I will defend the theology of Calvinism, I will inform people who ask that I have a Calvinistic view of salvation. However, I will still not jump to label myself as a Calvinist, I do not follow Paul or Apollos or the Synod of Dort, I follow Christ.

[John Boettcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the book has some really good information in it, it is not nearly as good as "Chosen By God" by R.C. Sprouls. While the book gives pertinent information about defending the tenants of Calvanism, I don't think that it lays out the book in the best way.

For a lay reader, it would seem that the author picked and chose which texts and passages to use, and which ones not to use for defending TULIP. Also, with the bible passages that are included, there is no reference behind them whatsoever, so even if you agreed with the book, it would be easy to attack the entire thing just by saying the author picked and chose the passages, out of any conversation, setting, or context that he wanted, and then used those lines to back up the theology.

I do not believe that is the honest to God case, however, if I was writing the book, I would have probably shortened it down a little bit, removed some of the mediocre passages, and the put the ones that ARE included into better context.

I mean, if I were a skeptic, I would want to know what the speaker of those quoted texts were talking about, not just one line that backs up the theme of the chapter and then simply moves on to the next quote. I would want some reference to know that those passages were actually pertinent to the five points of Calvanism, and it wasn't about jewish tradition or something like that. I need it to be relevant in my mind by having the context included, which I didn't think this book did at all.

Again, I would suggest Chosen by God over this book.

[John Waldrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book to be a thoroughly refreshing treatment of Calvinism. When I was in school the Calvinists I knew where nothing like my impressions of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, William Carey, Adoniram Judson, or Charles Spurgeon, who all struck me as warm-hearted and genuinely evangelistic. For that reason, and because of the belligerence of some I know toward Calvinism (without, of course, reading what Calvinists write about what they believe) I was generally put off of any consideration of Calvinism. The authors are genuine and fair-minded, yet they pull no punches when it comes to genuine error (Arminianism) and correctly identify even heresies and near heresies (Pelagius and Charles G. Finney). As well the book is readable. Everyone should be willing to read a book they think they might not completely agree with from time to time. This might be the time.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick introduction to Calvinism. The book is divided into three parts. The defined section walks through the history of the debate between Augustine and Pelagius, observing how the discussion evolved over time between individuals, cities, confessions, and creeds. It follows with definitions of the 5 articles of the remonstrance, of which the 5 points of Calvinism were responding to. The second section is a defence of each of the five points, which is mostly a collection of Bible verses that showcase each individual point. The last section documents the vast amount of written work on the subject and provides many recommendations for further reading. Good as an intro and it will hopefully inspire you to do more research yourself on the topic.

[Jason Sixsmith · Rating 5 out of 5]

After several years of personal Bible study while attending an evangelical church a friend of mine briefly explained scripture's doctrine of grace/five points of calvinism and how it differed from the opinions of grace held by the church's post-modern majority. In a manner of minutes I was sold on this doctrine because I saw it as a concise measure of what my quiet time had been covering for years. As challenges into my "new cult-like Biblical understanding" took fire from friends and family this book provided an ample amount of scripture passages and arguments to fortify my reformed mind and expose weaknesses in the attacks.

[Sean Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

For stepping into study of the sovereignty of God in salvation, this is a must read. Part 1 provides succinct historical definitions for Arminianism and Calvinism. Part 2 lists verse upon verse for each of the five points (TULIP) of Calvinism. And Part 3 catalogs a "recommended reading" list for every lover of the doctrines of grace.

This is one of the two books, along with The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink, that absolutely turned my world upside down. By God's providence, I would not be the Christian or pastor (or husband and father) that I am today without this book.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short tract on the five points of Calvinism provides an excellent history, summary, and reference point for the five points but also Calvinism in general. I'm glad I could be refreshed on the five points and thankful to have such a thorough summary of Calvinism handy. Though I lack the time, I hope to read--and perhaps own--many of the books listed in Steele's extensive collection of references about the five points and Calvinism. The Five Points of Calvinism was certainly a worthwhile read and an excellent summary of theology.

[Keisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introduction to Calvinism! When I first began research the doctrines of Grace, this was a book someone suggested for scripture references and it was a great addition to my library. It was clear and concise, filled with research and still a great book to pull out if I need quick references to certain letters of TULIP. If you are a Calvinist, are studying the doctrines of grace for whatever reason it was like me and reading Gods word for answers for yourself and need help understanding what you are seeing, this book will help in all those cases!

[Dane Jöhannsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and Biblically saturated guide to understanding the "5 points of Calvinism". Explains many of the hard passages that seem to be "against" Calvinism. Lays forth the clear teaching of passages that teach "Calvinism". This book is great for the beginner in the faith as well as for helping you walk your unconvinced friends/family through the Bible's teaching on the free and sovereign work of God in salvation. This volume will settle the inquirer, solidify the convinced and leave the gainsayer without excuse.

[Jeff McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another of the foundational books I used in my early days of studying Reformed theology (Calvinism). I used to carry this book around (before this new expanded edition was around) and use it as a reference frequently, because it breaks down each doctrine and gives a massive amount of scriptural proofs in list form, making it easy to locate references quickly.

If you are new to or just considering studying Calvinism, this is a good place to start.

[Simon Wartanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand Calvinism. Clear and down to earth language. Multitudes of verses from Scripture are given to affirm the truth of Divine Sovereignty! I was also happy that I was able to read Spurgeon's Defending Calvinism which is included in the appendix. Happy also to read about the history of the debate about sovereignty and free will, the history of Calvinism and Arminianism. This is an amazing book!!