Heresy?: Calvinism or Arminianism

The term "heresy" is functionally useless when speaking with Baptists. We don't have one standard catechism to judge doctrine. Heresy seems to some to mean "everything I don't believe."

 

The Bible very clearly defines heresy. I started a thread on this once perhaps it is archived somewhere.

Niether Calvinists or Arminians can biblically be called heretics. Its just one of those words that gets thrown around more than it should.

 

Arminians and Calvinists by definition agree on the fundamental doctrines- but disagree on how salvation is actually applied. The only time I have referred to an Arminian as a heretic was when he had taken his beliefs to their ultimate conclusion and nullified the free-gift sacrifice by making it dependant on the will of man (which in turn becomes works salvation). I would equally rebuke a Calvinist who believes he has no duty to obey the great commission because he believes in unconditional election. The difference, however, is that the hyper-calvinist does not hold a belief that nullifies salvation, while the Arminian CAN. This is why a Calvinist can be unorthodox and even in doctrinal error, but less likely to be a legitimate heretic than an Arminian.

 

You refer to me as heretic simply because you don't see the truth in what I say. You are hardline calvinist, so indoctrinated in Calvinism that anything outside your box is heretical!

 

I have not called you a heretic in a public forum (to my recollection).

To be truthful, I was actually indoctrinated by Arminianism all my life. I was brought to Christ by my father who went to Hyles and preached as an Arminian for over a decade, and I was indoctrinated with Arminianism at a Christian college for 3 1/2 years. I have only become a believer in the doctrines of grace one year ago this fall and no man or book besides scripture led me to this change. I was broken and humbled by the situation.

Please do not accuse me of being indoctrinated by Calvinism when you don't even know me.

Thank you.

 

I have noticed you did not list Roman Catholicism, along with some non-Christian groups. Also, how do you explain the history that makes distinction, a dividing line, between Arminianism and Calvinism? Note that when I speak of Calvinism or Arminianism I am referring essentially to the 5 points.

By grace,
Bob Krajcik
Mansfield, Ohio

 

Just for thought, is there some heresy that has moved to the orthodox camp because so many have accepted it?

By grace,
Bob Krajcik

 

I would say Arminianism is a error but not heresy.

 

Yes...all of our Protestant beliefs

 

And I say that both Arminianism and Calvinism are in ERROR, as they both detract from true Christianity!

 

I got this from "Learning Theology with the Church Fathers".

Athanasius, said "Heresy, then, is the willful propagation of a position or perspective that runs against the grain of apostolic teaching and tradition. It is frequently linked to the specific personalities, precisely because at the core of heresy is often an individual's intentional choice to advocate and promote a teaching that the church has not communally received and cannot discover in or reconcile with the teaching of the apostles. Heresy is often marked by the NAME of its teacher, specifically because it is that teacher's unique doctrine that sets a group apart from the chruch at large. Orthodox Christians, on the other hand are marked by their refusal to link themselves with any other name than that of Christ."

With this in mind, Luther was a heretic for reforming the church, though he would insist that the RC was heretical because of its breaking away from the COMMUNAL, historic agreement at the Council of Orange and Carthage on the teachings of the total depravity of man.
Stating that the church as a whole in the west agreed on Total depravity and God's soveriegn election BEFORE Zosimus (arch bishop of rome) denied the councils judgements. THIS was the birth of the RC as we know it.

With the reformed church, they were in agreement with the historical, orthodox doctrines that were agreed upon by the church fathers and their councils.

Then the Remonstrants came with a teaching with 5 points that contradicted what the church deemed as traditional, orthodox doctrine. These were condemned as heresy at the council of Dort.
These teachings that the WHOLE, unified reformed Church named these teachings "Arminianism". Giving those teachings a NAME to "set apart" that group (as Athanasius said) from the church.
The pastors lost their chruchs if they did not recognize their "teachings" where deemed by the communal Chruch as being outside Church doctrine and tradition of the early church fathers.