Comparison of the Five Points

Now that we've looked at the historical development of each viewpoint, lets look at a side-by-side comparison of the Arminian Articles of Remonstrance and the corresponding 5 Points of Calvinism:

Neither Arminians nor Calvinists deny God foreknew each individual before the creation of the world.  Both agree God foresaw who would and who wouldn't receive Christ.  Both also agree that those who receive Christ are "the elect," and are predestined by God for salvation.  Both also agree these "elect" willfully choose this salvation.  Finally, both agree God's grace is necessary for any salvation to occur. 

The fundamental difference between these two positions is the question of first cause.  Arminians assume election arises only out of God's foreknowledge of eventual human decisions--while God indeed predestined a group of people to be saved, exactly which individuals would comprise that group (while previously known by God) is ultimately determined not by God choosing any particular individual, but by any individual choosing God.  On the other hand, Calvinism's election is based only upon God's prior, independent, and sovereign decision--God specifically choosing individuals to be saved from all sinful mankind who are deservedly already going to hell.  In both scenarios BOTH God and man choose; however, Arminian election is Conditional Election--based ultimately upon human choice--while Calvinistic election is Unconditional Election--based entirely on God's choice.

It is not God's foreview of these things in men which moved Him to choose them. God's foreknowledge of the future is founded upon the determination of His will concerning it. The divine decree, the divine foreknowledge, and the divine predestination is the order set forth in the Scriptures. First, Who are the called according to his purpose; second, for whom he did foreknow; third, he also did predestinate (Rom 8:28,29). The decree of God as preceding His foreknowledge is also stated in, Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). God foreknows everything that will be, because He has ordained everything that shall be; then it is to put the cart before the horse when we make foreknowledge the cause of God's election [Pink-Election].

Arminians have done themselves no favor by admitting to God's foreknowledge, and professing an election based solely upon it (i.e., that God foreknows some particular individual will "accept" him some day, and therefore "predestinates" that person to salvation).  Once Arminians acknowledge God's foreknowledge of all human choice, they must then admit (to be logically consistent) that before God created each individual soul he already knew which of those souls would reject Christ and end up in eternal torment.  In creating anyone God knew infallibly would reject Christ, God was thereby condemning that individual to hell and eternal punishment with no possibility of escape!  Because when the omniscient creator knows I am going to reject Christ and go to hell, how can I possibly do otherwise without God being mistaken?  Since a perfect, righteous, omniscient God simply doesn't make mistakes--Arminian election actually ends up being equally unconditional as Calvinism's election!  While Arminians might argue that each individual willfully chose to go to hell, that is begging the question.  Accurate foreknowledge precludes any possibility of error.  Once God knows something will happen, how can it not happen?

 God had a definite reason why he created men, a specific purpose why he created this and that individual....  If then he foresaw that in creating a certain person that that person would despise and reject the Saviour, yet knowing this beforehand he, nevertheless, brought that person into existence, then it is clear he designed and ordained that that person should be eternally lost [Pink, Reprobation].

It also logically follows that since faith to believe is a gift from God, and without faith it is impossible to please God, and "he that believeth not shall be damned,"  God must not have given that gift of saving faith to everyone--or else everyone would certainly be saved!  We find quite the contrary in Scripture; the Bible seems to clearly say the vast majority of everyone God created is going to hell.  Either saving faith, alone, is insufficient to save anyone, or most persons have not been given that saving faith!

From the Biblical prospective, God created certain individuals he knew infallibly beforehand were destined for the Lake of Fire--but he created them anyway.  These are the people created to be "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction ...that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory" (Romans 9:22-23).

History also testifies to this obvious fact.  Humans have lived and died for thousands of years without hearing of the Messiah, and God's plan of redemption through faith in the Son.  They lived and died without hope whatsoever of eternal fellowship with their creator.  Even after God revealed himself to Abraham and created a chosen nation, God's oracles, prophecies, and promises were restricted exclusively to the nation Israel--while countless millions in countries around Israel continued to go to hell in total ignorance of who God was, and how they might please him.  If God had really intended these countless millions (all-men-without-exception) to be saved would he not have provided a more sure means for them to hear the Gospel before their demise?

Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.