CONTINUING DEBATE - INTRODUCTION

There has been a theological debate that has been going on for over five hundred years and to this day, it still has not been resolved and is a continuing point of debate. Both sides have their scriptural points and both have been defended by very godly men. It is the purpose of this writing to look at which side is right and the future ramifications. The question that needs to be asked is whether this debate will ever be resolved. If it has been going on for five hundred years, the question becomes is it a resolvable situation?

What debate am I referring to? The debate between Calvinism and Wesleyan-Arminianism. Theologically, these are the main doctrinal camps. Anything else is and is always going to be marginal. Charismatic and Pentecostal movements have added nothing to theology. These two movements are not relevant doctrinally because both are not based upon sound doctrine and therefore can be dismissed from this conservation.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:3, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." To me this verse is talking about doctrine. Unless we have doctrinal unity, we cannot have the bond of peace. A lack of doctrinal unity will result in a division in the body of Christ. The Spirit is the interpreter of all Scripture as He is its author. As Daniel Steele has said, "the Holy Spirit is the conservator of orthodoxy."

Doctrinally, orthodox Christianity begins with the concepts of unity and plurality or the one and the many. These concepts are the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is that God is one God in three persons. All things revolve around this concept of the Trinity. For instance, all life is based upon the one and the many. Any system is based upon this principle. Take a piano, for instance. We call it a piano or unity and yet it is made of different parts that constitute the whole, plurality. You cannot have unity without plurality and you cannot have plurality without unity. Both are inseparable from each other.

I believe that both Calvinism and Wesleyan-Arminians are orthodox when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity. This is a point of doctrinal agreement. My point in this is, that whatever the differences between Calvinism and Wesley-Arminianism are, they are marginal but nevertheless important enough to seek a resolution. I am not a middle road type of guy, but both sides points must be considered before coming to a final determination as to what is doctrinally correct.

Can these two doctrinal stands be brought together in the bond of peace? I tend to believe that the answer to this question in total is no. The question then becomes do we have to be either wholly a follower of Calvin or Wesley? We are not to follow neither. We are to follow Christ. I realize that all Scripture is to be interpreted and that we will see Scripture through a particular interpretive lens. The key is either our interpretation will be correct or incorrect.