Below is a collection of verses from God’s Word supporting either major side of the debate on Irresistible Grace (or Efficacious Grace), 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
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| Verses that are a Weaker Support for Calvinism … they either don’t say much, or they can be argued the other way too. | Eph 1:4-5 (He chose us before foundation of the world to be holy, predestined us to be adopted) – He could have relied on His foreknowledge of our future behaviour and acceptance of His grace, to influence His choice.
Rom 8:29-30 (those whom He foreknew He predestined, called, justified, glorified) – this hinges around the fact that He ‘foreknew’ us, foreknowing that we wouldn’t resist His grace. Rom 9:18-24 (He has mercy on whom He desires, He hardens whom He desires) – This doesn’t say whether the ones that He doesn’t harden can’t harden themselves and resist His grace. And even for the ones that God hardens, that seems to be in line with His foreknowledge of their own choice to harden themselves … for example, God predicted that He Himself would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exod 7:3) but Pharaoh was graciously given many chances and ‘sinned’ by hardening his own heart (Exod 9:34, see also Exod 8:15, Exod 8:32). Job 42:2 (no purpose of God’s can be thwarted) – implies that some people will still have a will to try to thwart Him, He doesn’t take away their free will to resist Him. This is about God having greater strength instead of messing with his creation’s minds. |
| Verses that seem to give Strong Support for Arminianism | |
| Verses that are a Weaker Support for Arminianism … they either don’t say much, or they can be argued the other way too. |
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