Calvinism
Teacher
Lesson Summary
In this Bible study class, teacher Larry Johnson presented a comprehensive introduction to Calvinism, defining it as a theological attempt to answer the intellectual challenge of understanding the relationship between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. Johnson identified the central distinctive doctrine of Calvinism as total depravity—the belief that mankind is incapable of developing faith apart from supernatural intervention by God. He traced this doctrine's origins, noting it predates John Calvin and was adopted by the Catholic Church and reformers like Martin Luther. Johnson outlined key Calvinist characteristics, including inherited sin, faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit, salvation by faith alone, and the doctrine of perseverance (once saved, always saved). The class examined three strong arguments supporting Calvinist theology: God's sovereign nature, the gracious nature of salvation, and divine election. However, Johnson introduced a counterbalancing perspective through Alexander Campbell's concept of "understanding distance," suggesting that humility—not depravity—enables people to understand God. This framework challenged the core Calvinist assumption that free will and God's sovereignty are mutually exclusive. Johnson presented biblical evidence of God's absolute sovereignty through passages in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Job, demonstrating God's control over creation, nations, and individual destinies. Throughout the discussion, Johnson engaged the congregation in dialogue about whether God imposing necessity on humanity would be consistent with His character and our being made in His image. The class concluded by establishing that understanding God's sovereignty requires recognizing both His ultimate control and the reality of human choice, a tension the Bible affirms without resolving into rigid determinism.