Part 8 - Wesley’s Methodist Arminianism

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Calvinism & Arminianism Versus Dispensationalism.

Wesley’s Arminianism Was His Answer to Calvinism

John Wesley (1703 – 1791) was an Anglican cleric and theologian who, with his brother Charles and fellow cleric George Whitefield, is credited with the foundation of Methodism and its twenty-eight offshoots of American Methodism; e.g., The Nazarene, and many other holiness churches. His work and writings also played a leading role in the development of the Holiness movement and Pentecostalism.

The United Methodist Church website answers this question:

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/do-united-methodists-believe-once-saved-always-saved

Do United Methodists believe “once saved, always saved” or can we “lose our salvation”?

“A short, but very incomplete answer, is that our (Methodist) Church teaches we can end up "losing" the salvation God has begun in us, and the consequence of this in the age to come is our eternal destruction in Hell. God freely grants us new birth and initiates us into the body of Christ in baptism. The profession of our faith and growth in holiness are necessary for God's saving grace to continue its work in us, and both of these are things we must do for our love to be genuine and not compelled. We thus remain free to resist God's grace, to revert to spiritual torpor (apathy), and possibly experience spiritual death and Hell as its consequence.”

By: The Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards is Director of Worship Resources with the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church

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John Calvin (1509 – 1564) was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism, aspects of which include the doctrines of the Total Depravity of man, predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation of the human soul from death, election, and eternal damnation. In these areas Calvin was influenced by the Augustinian tradition. Various Baptist, Congregational, Reformed churches, Presbyterian churches, and The United Church of Christ, originally look to Calvin as the chief expositor of their beliefs and have spread throughout the world. Some, such the local United Church of Christ, have apostatized and become “social justice” liberal denominations.

There are many variations of Baptist due to the many opportunities for division over doctrine that is confused when the Bible is not rightly divided – dispensationally. The “General Baptist” believed Christ died for all which and the “Particular Baptists” came into existence a generation later than General Baptists. Named for their view of particular atonement, they believed that Christ died only for a particular group, the elect. They were deeply influenced by the teachings of John Calvin.

A Summary Comparison of Doctrines

Calvinism emphasizes Total Depravity                 Wesley/Arminianism emphasizes that All are sinful.

Calvinism emphasizes Unconditional election       Wesley/Arminianism emphasizes Conditional election.

Calvinism emphasizes Limited atonement           Wesley/Arminianism emphasizes Unlimited atonement.

Calvinism emphasizes Irresistable grace              Wesley/Arminianism emphasizes Resistable grace.

Calvinism’s Perseverance/Security of the saints   Wesley/Arminianism emphasizes Assurance of salvation if one does not relapse to spiritual torpor (apathy)

Each item involved in both views have some Biblical basis but not necessarily a Dispensational basis for properly interpreting Bible truth for today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.” (Eph. 3:2).

The erroneous views are due to mixing dispensational truth the applies to Israel only with that which applies to “the church, the body of Christ” during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.”