Are Calvinism and Arminianism compatible?

I'd say then you are Calvinist. As I understand it, Arminianism basically focuses on the human viewpoint of the whole matter. Calvinism affirms its interests, but also recognizes what is behind the scenes as God's sovereignty goes. So, I'd say where they are compatible is within the framework of the whole Calvinist position.

I personally am wrestling with this same question. As I read more of each I find myself saying yes to both. As best I can tell the sticking points come with:

• Regeneration before or after faith...Is man capable of believing without God empowering his belief and regenerating him first. (The Calvinist would say Dead can't make a choice and God chooses) - John 6:39 to John 6:44 are tough verses possibly for Arminianism to navigate.
• Does man play any role in his faith, this is the major sticking point. Calvinists expand God to say man has zero role, Arminianism says man chooses grace and conversely can resist it.

Im not sure how I hold it exactly but I see both views as expressly biblical. So much of the rest of the difference comes from framing of the semantic issue. This is particularly true when you only deal with the nearly universally agreed on tenants in both camps.

I will say both camps have unique temptations:

1. Calvinists will be tempted to not do anything to soften the Gospel for those who are not yet covered by grace. This isnt the call or the fruit of the spirit.
2. Arminians will be tempted to soften the Gospel to the point of avoiding the hard passages. I know of major Arminian line churches that refuse to preach or teach on any section of the bible containing passages about h*m*sexuality, divorce, etc.

Ultimately I lean toward Calvin because my soul wants to avoid the hard places with people. It isn't my place to filter God for someone, and I trust the spirit to lead my heart to be sensitive where needed. I also struggle with pride and conversely hold guilt if I think I got it wrong and someone doesn't believe. If you can choose or not choose God it means I can logically cause someone to not choose God. That is a huge weight. I am a better reflection of the glory of God in the paradigm of Calvinism. However I think both are extremely biblical views, we just need to be aware of the temptations each have for our soul.

In the course of studying the Scriptures we need to form a proper biblical view of its main framework. Unless we have a correct biblical view we will have the wrong bias in interpreting the Bible. The view in which we approach the study of the Bible is dependent on three main theological questions whose answers determine the bias that we bring to the study and our interpretation.

The three questions are:

1. Predestination vs Free Will
2. Works vs Grace
3. history being Closed, complete, unchanging vs Open, flowing in real time controlled and guided by God

The answers to these three questions are extremely important to understanding the Bible. Having the correct answers to them is the only way to fully understand the Bible correctly.

Are Calvinism, and Arminianism compatible?

Calvinism's assertion of individual salvation by unconditional election where Christ's atonement was only for the sins of those predestinated to be saved is a different gospel that Arminian conditional salvation where Christ paid for all men's sins, salvation is open to all on the condition they believe God trusting in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of their individual sins of their own free will.

Which view is held will bring a bias when interpreting the Scriptures. The following is given in example.

• John 6:40 KJV  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Arminian and open take the passage as written that anyone is eligible to believe and those that do will be saved. Reformed affirms that only those God has predestinated to believe will believe.

These are two different incompatible gospels.

From my studies, I have concluded that Calvinism makes two serious mistakes that Arminianism does not. They assume that Christ Atonement was an automatic salvation for someone and that God's sovereignty is dependent on him predestinating all things. Predestination

God is sovereign whatever or however he elects, or chooses, to do anything, whatever he does is his sovereign will and is done in his sovereignty. The mere fact that he can intercede or guide if he chooses to establishes his sovereignty. He could have just as easily created all things and sat back and just watched to see what happen as not.

• Psalms 78:41 KJV  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

We are not looking for what God had to have done, he could have done anything. We are looking for what God has revealed concerning what he has done and how he did it.

• Amos 3:7 KJV  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Christ atonement was not an automatic salvation for anyone. Christ Jesus died for all men but individual forgiveness for sin is conditional upon one of his own free will believing God, having faith toward God, trusting in God's mercy, and salvation through Christ Jesus.

Arminian's gospel of conditional salvation open to all is in opposition to Reform's limited atonement and unconditional election. They are two different incompatable gospels.

Calvinists believe that man contributes nothing on the issue of justification. God is the sole source of salvation. Monergism teaches that God creates a desire to believe the Gospel in man, spiritual sensitivity, without which he would not understand, much less accept it. It requires regeneration, being made spiritually alive.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NET The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Arminians believe that all men receive prevenient grace, enabling them to understand the Gospel. Acceptance of the Gospel results in regeneration. Synergistic salvation.

As you can see, Calvinists restrict salvation to those God chooses. Arminians believe the choice lies with all men.

John 3:16 NET For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The harm caused is not in mission. Calvinists don't choose who they share the Gispel with, they share it with the whole world, ”cosmos”. It is when followers of Christ believe they will never know if they are IN Christ, lack confidence in their election. Calvinists believe a person can make a false confession. Doubt about their own condition can be devastating, psychologically.

Quote from an article by R. C. Sproul

Quote

A while back I had one of those moments of acute self-awareness that we have from time to time, and suddenly the question hit me: "R.C., what if you are not one of the redeemed? What if your destiny is not heaven after all, but hell?" Let me tell you that I was flooded in my body with a chill that went from my head to the bottom of my spine. I was terrified.

I tried to grab hold of myself. I thought, "Well, it's a good sign that I'm worried about this. Only true Christians really care about salvation." But then I began to take stock of my life, and I looked at my performance. My sins came pouring into my mind, and the more I looked at myself, the worse I felt. I thought, "Maybe it's really true. Maybe I'm not saved after all."

From http://www.theopedia.com/Arminianism

Arminianism is a school of theology based on the teachings of Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius, for whom it is named. It is perhaps most prominent in the Methodist movement and found in various other evangelical circles today. It stands in contrast to Calvinism, with which it has a long history of debate. Arminians as well as Calvinists appeal to various Scriptures and the early church fathers to support their respective views, however the differences remain — particularly as related to the sovereignty of God in salvation and the ideas of election and predestination.

Arminian theology

The Arminian party suggested five anti-Calvinist corrections, articulated in the Five articles of Remonstrance of 1610, which gave rise to the historic controversy and are summarized as follows:

(To see how they are summarized, view the page.)

Arminianism is a response to Calvinism, with opposite views on each of the classic TULIP points in Calvinism, so yes, they are incompatible. Two opposite statements cannot both be true. One or both is wrong.

However, Arminians and Calvinists to agree on quite a bit, in general. It's simply in the five defining points of each - TULIP vs. FACTS

(Note, that is NOT "Facts" is in truth, or "reality" as opposed to fantasy or error. It's merely an acronym used by several, including this pro-Arminian, anti-Calvinist site) I am in no way endorsing one over the other, just pointing out where the incompatibility lies.)