Total Depravity of Man
This tenet of Calvinism is the key to the remaining four. If the Calvinist understanding of depravity is true, then the other four points follow logically. Because of this, it is important to take the time to thoroughly refute it.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2).
This Scripture is the basis of much Calvinistic argument. If a person is “dead” in sin, so the Calvinist contends, then the person cannot be made alive without a direct act by God. To this point, we agree. God is the one who makes the first move in saving us. The Calvinist goes on to say, however, that man is so totally depraved, he is unable to have faith. As one Calvinist says:
Regeneration precedes faith. Our nature is so corrupt, the power of sin is so great, that unless God does a supernatural work in our souls we will never choose Christ. We do not believe in order to be born again; we are born again in order that we may believe.[1]
In other words, according to the Calvinist, God saves a person, regenerates him, and makes him born again, before he has faith. There is no Scripture that verifies this conclusion specifically, so the Calvinist relies on the following logical flow to prove it.
As in many claims that point to logic for their proof, this syllogism fails because of a faulty premise, that man, being dead in sin, can do nothing but sin. The Calvinist error comes in his incorrect definition of “dead.”
So, what does it mean to be dead in sin? Let’s explore the Scriptures to learn.
It is true that humans exhibit corruption, as Paul teaches in Romans 3:
There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one (Romans 3:10-12).
And again:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This corruption is what has often been called original sin, a concept that most churches affirm, though many don’t agree with the extreme Calvinistic view. For example, here is the view of the Church of the Nazarene:
“We believe that original sin, or depravity, is that corruption of the nature of all the offspring of Adam by reason of which everyone is very far gone from original righteousness or the pure state of our first parents at the time of their creation, is averse to God, is without spiritual life, and inclined to evil, and that continually. … We believe that original sin differs from actual sin in that it constitutes an inherited propensity to actual sin for which no one is accountable until its divinely provided remedy is neglected or rejected.”
Although I disagree with the Nazarene view, it is interesting to see how many churches have an original sin doctrine that differs from that of the Calvinists. The Calvinists say that original sin not only breeds actual sin, it is deserving of eternal damnation. Adam sinned by choice, so somehow his sin is imputed to every person. Supposedly, he is our perfect representative, and since he actually sinned, we all actually sinned. This view is called federalism, or the federal headship of Adam.
"The chief idea of federalism is that, when Adam sinned, he sinned for all of us. His fall was our fall. When god punished Adam by taking away his original righteousness, we were all likewise punished."[2]
Therefore, original sin, according to the Calvinist, is actual sin, worthy of eternal damnation. The tiny newborn who dies before he takes his second breath is condemned to hell for all eternity, because he is the offspring of Adam. Here is Calvin, himself, saying as much,
“what will he make of those infant children who are taken from this life before they could display any such example of faith and the works of faith because of their age? The infants of Sodom and of Jerusalem had the same condition of birth and death, nor was there any disparity in their works. Why then will Christ on the last day separate them to stand some on His right and the others on His left? Who does not here adore the admirable judgment of God by which it is ordained that some are born in Jerusalem and pass thence to a better life, while Sodom, the forecourt of hell, receives the birth of others? But as Christ awards to the elect the recompense of justice, so the reprobate will receive not less fittingly the punishment of their impiety and crimes.[3]
Robert Shank eloquently rebukes this notion as follows:
Such comments as the above have provided warrant for preposterous assertions by zealous Calvinists that millions of infants will forever writhe in everlasting flames in hell – to the eternal praise and glory of God. Many “Calvinists” repudiate such assertions, but they thereby become to that degree not Calvinists, for such assertions are the inevitable corollary of Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional particular election. All such unscriptural assertions are seen as outrageous when set over against the gracious words of Jesus, “Let the little children come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”[4]
This federalism view is supposedly supported by a passage in Romans chapter 5.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
According to verse 12, what action brings death to all men? The key to understanding the verse is the phrase, “because all sinned.” The “because” phrase can have several meanings, and I’ll list the two that seem the most plausible:
Option 1: “Death spread to each individual because of the sin of that individual, not because of the sin of Adam.”
This would mean the phrase “all sinned” is the reason death spread to all men.
Option 2: “The fact that all sinned proves that death spread to all men because of the sin of Adam.”
This would mean that “all sinned” is the proof that death spread to all men.
The phrase translated “because” (eph ho) occurs in 2 Cor 5:4: "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."
The phrase “we do not want to be unclothed” is clearly the reason for the groaning, not the proof of it, giving us reason to conclude that option 1 is viable, perhaps even the only possible meaning.
So, if death spread to all men because of their own sin, how does Adam’s sin have any bearing on us? Clearly, sin entered the world through Adam’s sin, as did death.
In order to figure out the answer, we should examine the questions, “What happened when Adam sinned? What occurred at the time of the fall that had lasting impact through every generation?”
Verses 15 through 21 show parallels between the sin of Adam and the righteousness of Christ, and it is here that the Calvinist draws much of his support.
Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
Rom 5:16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
Rom 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
Rom 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Rom 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Many Calvinists use verses 17 through 19 as a trump card of sorts to prove that Adam's sin resulted in death and condemnation to all, yet they use only the first part of each verse. They are quick to say that Adam's sin spread to all, but they refuse to apply the same logic to the second part, that is, the effect of the righteousness of Christ. If Adam's sin automatically resulted in death and condemnation for everyone, then the obedience of Christ must also automatically result in justification and righteousness for everyone. I don't know of any Calvinist who would affirm such a universal salvation.
The only way to maintain consistency between the two halves of each verse is to apply the context. In verse 12, Paul explains how the sin and death of Adam spread, by each person's choice. The same is true regarding those who are made righteous by Christ. They choose to follow Him, as the context of the book of Romans proves. Therefore, Calvinists wrongly use Romans chapter five to prove original sin. If it actually does prove original sin, it also proves universal salvation. The context, however, show us that it merely proves that Adam brought sin into the world. His sin was not automatically applied to everyone.
Now, back to the original Calvinist proposal. Supposedly, since man is “dead” in sin, he cannot do anything good, so he cannot have faith without being saved first. We have seen the Scriptures that show that man acts corruptly, but does that mean he is incapable of doing good? What does the Bible say?
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. (Deut 30:11-14)
Just because a person is dead in his sins does not mean that he is incapable of obedience. He is able to obey; he simply chooses not to at times.
What, then, does it mean to be “dead”? Calvinists wish to read into “dead in your trespasses” the following: “so completely dead in sin that you cannot even have faith unless God puts it in you without your will or knowledge.”
Here is how Dr. Sproul puts it:
"There is not an ounce of spiritual life left in them. If they are to be made alive, God must do more than offer them medicine. Dead men will not open their mouths to receive anything. Their jaws are locked in death. Rigo mortis has set in. They must be raised from the dead. They must be new creations, crafted by Christ and reborn by his Spirit."[5]
Does the passage say that? Dr. Sproul and other Calvinists are reading into the passage an idea that goes far beyond what is actually in the text. They define the word “dead” to suit their purposes. When there is lack of clarity over a word, it helps to read other Scripture to get an idea of the meaning of an unclear verse. At the very least, we can learn what the verse cannot possibly mean.
Mark 16:16: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
The Calvinist would say, “He who is saved shall believe.”
John 10:9: I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The Calvinist would say, “If anyone is saved, he will enter through the door.”
Acts 16:31: And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.
The Calvinist would say, “If God saves you, you will believe.”
Romans 10:9-10: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
The Calvinist would say, “If God saves you, then you will believe, for God brings salvation, resulting in confession.”
The Bible directly contradicts Calvinistic thought. Throughout the Scriptures, people are called to repent and believe. If they were so dead that they could not respond, then the call would be a silly exercise. To be dead in sin simply means to be separated from God, alienated from His fellowship, and God raises us from that dead state in response to our faith to Him. He calls out for us to repent and believe, in His mercy giving us the ability to respond. Those who respond in faith are raised to spiritual life.
If a person were really dead in sin to the extreme point that the Calvinist demands, then he would also not be able to walk, eat, breathe, or even sin. But the Calvinist insists that a person who is dead is incapable of obedience or of faith; he takes the definition only as far as suits his doctrinal purposes. The Bible, however, shows us that people who are dead in sin are out of fellowship with God, dead to Him, and a call to faith may awaken them to hear and respond.
Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Eph. 5:14).
The final Calvinist salvo in this first doctrinal tenet comes from their notion that saving faith in God can only come from God. In other words, we can have saving faith only if God grants it, and God does not grant it to everyone. They use Ephesians 2:8-9 as one of their proof texts.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
Here are some examples of Calvinists who see this passage as proving that God gives saving faith:
In English, the phrase, “and that not of yourselves” could be said to modify “grace,” “have been saved,” or “faith.” However, the Greek is clear that "faith" is the antecedent of the phrase “and that not of yourselves.”[6]
But due to the total depravity of humanity we know that no one is capable of any good thought or action, including faith. Faith is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8) If God had not foreordained to give the gift of faith to a person, that person would never come to faith in God.[7]
Ephesians 2:8 suggests that even our faith is a gift from God.[8]
The first quote is the strangest, for it is the Greek that proves exactly the opposite, that the gift of God is not faith, at least not in this passage. Both “grace” and “faith” are feminine gender in the Greek. The word “that” is a pronoun that refers back to a previous word, what is called an antecedent. Pronouns can have any of the three genders, masculine, feminine, or neuter, and each will have the gender that matches its antecedent. In other words, if “that” in “that not of yourselves” is supposed to refer to “faith,” it would take the feminine gender, since pivstew" (pronounced pisteos) is feminine. In fact, “that” takes the neuter gender, so it probably refers to salvation itself, the whole concept of “by grace you have been saved through faith.”
The Calvinists insist that such an allowance in the Greek language can be made, but it is made at the expense of normal interpretative disciplines. Their understanding is forced upon the Scripture because of their presuppositions as to the origin of faith. For the Calvinist, their interpretation of where faith comes from trumps normal Greek exegesis, an understanding birthed in their doctrinal system rather than from the Scriptures.
How do we know that faith is not a gift? From the same letter to the Ephesians. As Paul wrote, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). Faith is our response to hearing the gospel. In no place does Paul indicate that faith is the result of a prior regeneration by God. He always describes it as man’s response to hearing the truth.
Therefore, based on Paul’s own words, we conclude that people who are “dead in sin” are able to respond to the gospel. The Calvinist, in contrast, concludes that man is unable to respond, but their source of authority comes from outside the Scriptures. They surmise what “dead” means based on presumed and unjustified parallels to physical death, and they force that understanding on the passage.
The Calvinist doctrine of total depravity is untrue and cannot be supported by Scripture.
[1] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 72-73.
[2] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 90.
[3] The Eternal Predestination of God, John Calvin, Section IV
[4] Elect in the Son, Robert Shank, Page 103.
[5] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 115.
[6] Dr. Van Lees from Internet article at http://www.covenantofgracechurch.org/article%205.htm
[7] Michael R. Finney in an Internet article at http://www.gospeloutreach.net/unconditional_election.html
[8] John MacArthur Jr. from an Internet article at http://www.kenscustom.com/bible/election.htm
This tenet of Calvinism is the key to the remaining four. If the Calvinist understanding of depravity is true, then the other four points follow logically. Because of this, it is important to take the time to thoroughly refute it.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:1-2).
This Scripture is the basis of much Calvinistic argument. If a person is “dead” in sin, so the Calvinist contends, then the person cannot be made alive without a direct act by God. To this point, we agree. God is the one who makes the first move in saving us. The Calvinist goes on to say, however, that man is so totally depraved, he is unable to have faith. As one Calvinist says:
Regeneration precedes faith. Our nature is so corrupt, the power of sin is so great, that unless God does a supernatural work in our souls we will never choose Christ. We do not believe in order to be born again; we are born again in order that we may believe.[1]
In other words, according to the Calvinist, God saves a person, regenerates him, and makes him born again, before he has faith. There is no Scripture that verifies this conclusion specifically, so the Calvinist relies on the following logical flow to prove it.
- Unregenerate man is dead in sin.
- Being dead in sin, he can do nothing but sin.
- Faith in God is an act of obedience.
- A man in sin cannot obey, so he cannot have faith.
- God must regenerate a man in order for him to have faith.
- Therefore, regeneration precedes faith.
As in many claims that point to logic for their proof, this syllogism fails because of a faulty premise, that man, being dead in sin, can do nothing but sin. The Calvinist error comes in his incorrect definition of “dead.”
So, what does it mean to be dead in sin? Let’s explore the Scriptures to learn.
It is true that humans exhibit corruption, as Paul teaches in Romans 3:
There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one (Romans 3:10-12).
And again:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This corruption is what has often been called original sin, a concept that most churches affirm, though many don’t agree with the extreme Calvinistic view. For example, here is the view of the Church of the Nazarene:
“We believe that original sin, or depravity, is that corruption of the nature of all the offspring of Adam by reason of which everyone is very far gone from original righteousness or the pure state of our first parents at the time of their creation, is averse to God, is without spiritual life, and inclined to evil, and that continually. … We believe that original sin differs from actual sin in that it constitutes an inherited propensity to actual sin for which no one is accountable until its divinely provided remedy is neglected or rejected.”
Although I disagree with the Nazarene view, it is interesting to see how many churches have an original sin doctrine that differs from that of the Calvinists. The Calvinists say that original sin not only breeds actual sin, it is deserving of eternal damnation. Adam sinned by choice, so somehow his sin is imputed to every person. Supposedly, he is our perfect representative, and since he actually sinned, we all actually sinned. This view is called federalism, or the federal headship of Adam.
"The chief idea of federalism is that, when Adam sinned, he sinned for all of us. His fall was our fall. When god punished Adam by taking away his original righteousness, we were all likewise punished."[2]
Therefore, original sin, according to the Calvinist, is actual sin, worthy of eternal damnation. The tiny newborn who dies before he takes his second breath is condemned to hell for all eternity, because he is the offspring of Adam. Here is Calvin, himself, saying as much,
“what will he make of those infant children who are taken from this life before they could display any such example of faith and the works of faith because of their age? The infants of Sodom and of Jerusalem had the same condition of birth and death, nor was there any disparity in their works. Why then will Christ on the last day separate them to stand some on His right and the others on His left? Who does not here adore the admirable judgment of God by which it is ordained that some are born in Jerusalem and pass thence to a better life, while Sodom, the forecourt of hell, receives the birth of others? But as Christ awards to the elect the recompense of justice, so the reprobate will receive not less fittingly the punishment of their impiety and crimes.[3]
Robert Shank eloquently rebukes this notion as follows:
Such comments as the above have provided warrant for preposterous assertions by zealous Calvinists that millions of infants will forever writhe in everlasting flames in hell – to the eternal praise and glory of God. Many “Calvinists” repudiate such assertions, but they thereby become to that degree not Calvinists, for such assertions are the inevitable corollary of Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional particular election. All such unscriptural assertions are seen as outrageous when set over against the gracious words of Jesus, “Let the little children come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”[4]
This federalism view is supposedly supported by a passage in Romans chapter 5.
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
According to verse 12, what action brings death to all men? The key to understanding the verse is the phrase, “because all sinned.” The “because” phrase can have several meanings, and I’ll list the two that seem the most plausible:
Option 1: “Death spread to each individual because of the sin of that individual, not because of the sin of Adam.”
This would mean the phrase “all sinned” is the reason death spread to all men.
Option 2: “The fact that all sinned proves that death spread to all men because of the sin of Adam.”
This would mean that “all sinned” is the proof that death spread to all men.
The phrase translated “because” (eph ho) occurs in 2 Cor 5:4: "For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."
The phrase “we do not want to be unclothed” is clearly the reason for the groaning, not the proof of it, giving us reason to conclude that option 1 is viable, perhaps even the only possible meaning.
So, if death spread to all men because of their own sin, how does Adam’s sin have any bearing on us? Clearly, sin entered the world through Adam’s sin, as did death.
In order to figure out the answer, we should examine the questions, “What happened when Adam sinned? What occurred at the time of the fall that had lasting impact through every generation?”
Verses 15 through 21 show parallels between the sin of Adam and the righteousness of Christ, and it is here that the Calvinist draws much of his support.
Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
Rom 5:16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
Rom 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
Rom 5:19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Rom 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Many Calvinists use verses 17 through 19 as a trump card of sorts to prove that Adam's sin resulted in death and condemnation to all, yet they use only the first part of each verse. They are quick to say that Adam's sin spread to all, but they refuse to apply the same logic to the second part, that is, the effect of the righteousness of Christ. If Adam's sin automatically resulted in death and condemnation for everyone, then the obedience of Christ must also automatically result in justification and righteousness for everyone. I don't know of any Calvinist who would affirm such a universal salvation.
The only way to maintain consistency between the two halves of each verse is to apply the context. In verse 12, Paul explains how the sin and death of Adam spread, by each person's choice. The same is true regarding those who are made righteous by Christ. They choose to follow Him, as the context of the book of Romans proves. Therefore, Calvinists wrongly use Romans chapter five to prove original sin. If it actually does prove original sin, it also proves universal salvation. The context, however, show us that it merely proves that Adam brought sin into the world. His sin was not automatically applied to everyone.
Now, back to the original Calvinist proposal. Supposedly, since man is “dead” in sin, he cannot do anything good, so he cannot have faith without being saved first. We have seen the Scriptures that show that man acts corruptly, but does that mean he is incapable of doing good? What does the Bible say?
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. (Deut 30:11-14)
Just because a person is dead in his sins does not mean that he is incapable of obedience. He is able to obey; he simply chooses not to at times.
What, then, does it mean to be “dead”? Calvinists wish to read into “dead in your trespasses” the following: “so completely dead in sin that you cannot even have faith unless God puts it in you without your will or knowledge.”
Here is how Dr. Sproul puts it:
"There is not an ounce of spiritual life left in them. If they are to be made alive, God must do more than offer them medicine. Dead men will not open their mouths to receive anything. Their jaws are locked in death. Rigo mortis has set in. They must be raised from the dead. They must be new creations, crafted by Christ and reborn by his Spirit."[5]
Does the passage say that? Dr. Sproul and other Calvinists are reading into the passage an idea that goes far beyond what is actually in the text. They define the word “dead” to suit their purposes. When there is lack of clarity over a word, it helps to read other Scripture to get an idea of the meaning of an unclear verse. At the very least, we can learn what the verse cannot possibly mean.
Mark 16:16: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
The Calvinist would say, “He who is saved shall believe.”
John 10:9: I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The Calvinist would say, “If anyone is saved, he will enter through the door.”
Acts 16:31: And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.
The Calvinist would say, “If God saves you, you will believe.”
Romans 10:9-10: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
The Calvinist would say, “If God saves you, then you will believe, for God brings salvation, resulting in confession.”
The Bible directly contradicts Calvinistic thought. Throughout the Scriptures, people are called to repent and believe. If they were so dead that they could not respond, then the call would be a silly exercise. To be dead in sin simply means to be separated from God, alienated from His fellowship, and God raises us from that dead state in response to our faith to Him. He calls out for us to repent and believe, in His mercy giving us the ability to respond. Those who respond in faith are raised to spiritual life.
If a person were really dead in sin to the extreme point that the Calvinist demands, then he would also not be able to walk, eat, breathe, or even sin. But the Calvinist insists that a person who is dead is incapable of obedience or of faith; he takes the definition only as far as suits his doctrinal purposes. The Bible, however, shows us that people who are dead in sin are out of fellowship with God, dead to Him, and a call to faith may awaken them to hear and respond.
Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Eph. 5:14).
The final Calvinist salvo in this first doctrinal tenet comes from their notion that saving faith in God can only come from God. In other words, we can have saving faith only if God grants it, and God does not grant it to everyone. They use Ephesians 2:8-9 as one of their proof texts.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
Here are some examples of Calvinists who see this passage as proving that God gives saving faith:
In English, the phrase, “and that not of yourselves” could be said to modify “grace,” “have been saved,” or “faith.” However, the Greek is clear that "faith" is the antecedent of the phrase “and that not of yourselves.”[6]
But due to the total depravity of humanity we know that no one is capable of any good thought or action, including faith. Faith is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8) If God had not foreordained to give the gift of faith to a person, that person would never come to faith in God.[7]
Ephesians 2:8 suggests that even our faith is a gift from God.[8]
The first quote is the strangest, for it is the Greek that proves exactly the opposite, that the gift of God is not faith, at least not in this passage. Both “grace” and “faith” are feminine gender in the Greek. The word “that” is a pronoun that refers back to a previous word, what is called an antecedent. Pronouns can have any of the three genders, masculine, feminine, or neuter, and each will have the gender that matches its antecedent. In other words, if “that” in “that not of yourselves” is supposed to refer to “faith,” it would take the feminine gender, since pivstew" (pronounced pisteos) is feminine. In fact, “that” takes the neuter gender, so it probably refers to salvation itself, the whole concept of “by grace you have been saved through faith.”
The Calvinists insist that such an allowance in the Greek language can be made, but it is made at the expense of normal interpretative disciplines. Their understanding is forced upon the Scripture because of their presuppositions as to the origin of faith. For the Calvinist, their interpretation of where faith comes from trumps normal Greek exegesis, an understanding birthed in their doctrinal system rather than from the Scriptures.
How do we know that faith is not a gift? From the same letter to the Ephesians. As Paul wrote, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). Faith is our response to hearing the gospel. In no place does Paul indicate that faith is the result of a prior regeneration by God. He always describes it as man’s response to hearing the truth.
Therefore, based on Paul’s own words, we conclude that people who are “dead in sin” are able to respond to the gospel. The Calvinist, in contrast, concludes that man is unable to respond, but their source of authority comes from outside the Scriptures. They surmise what “dead” means based on presumed and unjustified parallels to physical death, and they force that understanding on the passage.
The Calvinist doctrine of total depravity is untrue and cannot be supported by Scripture.
[1] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 72-73.
[2] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 90.
[3] The Eternal Predestination of God, John Calvin, Section IV
[4] Elect in the Son, Robert Shank, Page 103.
[5] Chosen By God, R. C. Sproul Pages 115.
[6] Dr. Van Lees from Internet article at http://www.covenantofgracechurch.org/article%205.htm
[7] Michael R. Finney in an Internet article at http://www.gospeloutreach.net/unconditional_election.html
[8] John MacArthur Jr. from an Internet article at http://www.kenscustom.com/bible/election.htm
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