Theology of the Bible
Calvinists believe that their system is the teaching of the entire Bible. It is a “system” taken from the scriptures themselves; derived from the very words of God. They hold that they are merely thinking God’s thoughts after him. The doctrines of Calvinism form lenses that view God’s word as theocentric and Christ-centered, provide a hermeneutic to interpret the scriptures along those lines, with the end result being doxology. Packer’s thoughts on Calvinism:
Calvinism is a whole worldview, stemming from a clear vision of God as the whole world’s Maker and King. Calvinism is the consistent endeavor to acknowledge the Creator as the Lord, working all things after the counsel of His will. Calvinism is a theocentric way of thinking about all life under the direction and control of God’s own word. Calvinism, in other words, is the theology of the Bible viewed from the perspective of the Bible- the God-centered outlook that sees the Creator as the source and means and end of everything that is, both in nature and in grace. Calvinism is thus theism (belief in God as the ground of all things), religion (dependance on God as the giver of all things), and evangelicalism (trust in God through Christ for all things), all in their purest and most highly developed form. And Calvinism is a unified philosophy of history that sees the whole diversity of processes and events that take place in God’s world as no more, and no less than the outworking of His great preordained plan for His creatures and His church.[1]
Calvinism is theocentric. That is, God-centered and God-saturated; God permeates every proverbial inch of Calvinism. God is the focus, source, end, and nidus. Calvinism is God-driven and God-enraptured theology at its very finest. It seeks to bring honor and glory to God by placing him and his will at the center of all. The Calvinist is jealous for God’s resplendency because he is worthy and his word preaches and teaches that same message (Eph. 1:3-14; 1 Cor. 15:28, 8:6; Acts 2:23; Rom. 11:36, 16:25-27). If this is true then all the doctrines in the Bible must be seen in this light, they are to be interpreted in relation to God. Here is an example from Beeke, “...Calvinists define all doctrines in a God-centered way. Sin is horrible because it is an affront to God. Salvation is wonderful because it brings glory to God. Heaven is glorious because it is the place where God is all in all. Hell is infernal because it is where God manifest His righteous wrath.”[2]
Christicentric is also used to describe Calvinism’s approach to theology. As the Bible centers on God it points the reader to Christ. He is the Word. Christ is in the Old Testament as well as the New. He was in the garden with Adam and Eve, confronted Cain, met with Abram, wrestled with Jacob, appeared to Moses in the burning bush, rescued the three men in the fiery furnace, closed the mouth of the lion, sat on his throne in Isaiah’s vision, clothed the high priest Joshua, to name only a few instances of Christ in the Old Testament. The Old Testament looked forward to Christ and the New Testament looks back on him. He is the focal point of Scripture and all of history for that matter (Lk. 22:37, 24:27, 18:31-33; Matt. 26:24, 53-54; Jn. 5:39; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:19-20).
Calvinism is even hermeneutical. It serves as a grid in which to interpret all of Scripture. It has its origin in Scripture so can be used as a guide in interpreting. Calvinists do not impose their own beliefs and convictions into a text. They believe that Scripture interprets Scripture, so they are justified in using their model as a template in which to explain a passage. And since God inspired his word, had it written down for man, and is the subject of his revelation, it follows that his self-extolling plans and decrees (which are completely sovereign and formed only in the mind of God with his end in view) that are gleaned from them, form the very bases for his word to man. In other words, Calvinism takes its doctrines from the very pages that the God they exalt had written in order to unveil himself and his redemptive purposes. Calvinism is nothing less than what the bible teaches about God and his magnificent salvation (Lk. 24:25-27; Acts 10:43, 24:14, 26:22-23; Rom. 1:2, 3:21).
In the end, Calvinism is doxological. It humbles man and exalts God. The result is that all praise, adoration, obedience, worship, honor, fear, and reverence are due God. He alone is worthy. It is God who works all things to their appointed ends all for his glory. He created and revealed himself. It was God who planned to manifest all of his glorious attributes in the fall of his creatures and in the redemption of his chosen. He had his word written and preserved and raised up prophets and preachers as his heralds. He now calls and sends, draws and delivers, convicts and condemns, blesses and curses, softens and hardens, saves and passes over; he opens the very heavens, condescends, and meets with his redeemed. He shows mercy and pours forth grace. He loves and forgives those who repent. Our God uses sinful vessels to accomplish his will. Oh how patient and slow to anger is this God. These doctrines elevate the Lord and ought to produce worship (1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 1:3-14; Ps. 73:25-28, 66:3-4, 46:10; Rom. 16:25-27).
[1]J .I. Packer, “Saved By His Precious Blood: An Introduction to John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ” in In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement, J. I. Packer and Mark Dever (Wheaton, Il: Crossway, 2001), 116-117.
[2]Joel R. Beeke, “The Marrow of Calvinism” in Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction To Calvinism (Orlando, Fl: Reformation Trust, 2008), 42.
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