Below is a collection of verses supporting either major side of the debate on Total Depravity, categorized by the strength of support they offer. I suggest why some verses are weak arguments for propping up a specific side, otherwise I offer minimal commentary. God’s Word should be able to speak for itself! Please feel free to present me with additional verses on either side. Let’s have a fresh look at Scripture together!
| Verses that seem to give Strong Support for Calvinism | Old Testament: Eccl 9:3
New Testament: Eph 2:3-5 |
| Verses that are a Weaker Support for Calvinism … they either don’t say much, or they can be argued the other way too. | Psalm 51:5 (it may be just referring to David’s mother)
Rom 7:18 (the willing is present in me, so that is something above total depravity) Psalm 14:2-3 (this is a commentary on the state of affairs, it is not saying that it’s unavoidable) Isa 64:7 (similar, and it seems like it is lamented that they didn’t seek harder) Isa 64:5-6 (He meets “those who rejoice in doing righteousness” but the people’s righteous deeds were like a filthy garment because they sinned and continued in sin a long time) Rom 9:27-32 (This is about the Jews pursuing a righteousness standing before God through their good works, it is not saying they were not capable of good works) Psalm 58:3 (Doesn’t seem to be talking about everybody, but those who are especially wicked) Ephesians 2:1-2 (we were sons of disobedience maybe because we chose to disobey) Prov 22:15 (the remedy given is the rod, so this is something short of total depravity) Job 15:14-16 (we drink iniquity and can’t achieve righteousness – but it doesn’t say we can’t do any good) Jeremiah 17:9-10 (the heart is desperately wicked but God says He will test hearts and minds and give them according to their deeds and results – will every deed and result be bad?) Prov 17:16 (maybe fools are quite depraved, but not everybody need be a fool) Rom 8:7-8 (every mind set on the flesh cannot please God. But is it necessarily true that every non-believer has their mind set on the flesh? What about a true seeker?) Gen 6:5-6 (The Lord wanted to destroy man partly because the intentions of man’s heart were evil continually – but he didn’t feel that way about men in other generations, implying that man is not always that depraved) Gen 8:21 (God repeats his thought from Gen 6:5-6 above, that man’s intention is evil… this time adding “from his youth”. The same argument from above applies here. Also Noah had just obeyed by building an ark, and had offered a sacrifice – those were good things. So it seems like God was talking about mankind in general) |
| Verses that seem to give Strong Support for Arminianism | Old Testament: Gen 4:7, Deut 4:29, 1 Kings 14:12-13, Jer 15:19, 2 Chr 19:3, Jer 29:12-13
New Testament: Acts 17:27, 2 Pet 3:9, Matt 7:7-8, John 1:12, John 3:20-21, Act 17:30, Heb 11:6, Rev 22:14, John 3:36, Luke 18:16, Rom 7:9 |
| Verses that are a Weaker Support for Arminianism … they either don’t say much, or they can be argued the other way too. | Eccl 7:29 (God made man upright – this may be referring only to the creation of Adam)
The following verses speak of people drawing near to God and doing good, but they do not exclude the possibility of God enabling and making them do so (but then wouldn’t God say so?): Isa 27:5, Rom 2:6-7, Heb 7:25, Matt 18:3, Rev 7:14 Gen 6:5-6 (implies that people in other eras have had at least some good intentions in their hearts so they were not totally depraved – but it doesn’t specifically say so) |
The choice of the above two categories (Calvinism & Arminianism) were not intended to say that those are the only two possible categories. There are also Molinism, Thomism, Open Theism, and perhaps more that I am not aware of.
Do you consider yourself unbiased? Do you allow the Bible to speak and take you were God wants to lead you? Wherever that may be – it will be better to be found on the side of truth than defending the indefensible. Let us never be found working against Truth (2 Cor. 13:8). I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
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