Long before I had ever heard there was such a thing as Calvinism, I was called a Calvinist due to my extremely limited understanding of predestination.

Even as a small child, I never believed in coincidence, so after I was saved, and began to read verses in Scripture about predestination, it made perfect sense. Now I knew why I didnt believe in coincidence, because the Bible teaches that it doesnt exist. Based on a comment I once made about this, I was labelled a Calvinist.

I decided to find out, what one was, and why I was being called that. At the time, web search engines werent nearly as comprehensive as they are now, so the best way I knew of, to meet Calvinists, was to seek them out in Christian chat rooms. Sounded easy enough, but I was in for a big surprise.

At first, I couldnt find any. Id ask people about it, and the answers I got back were from one extreme to the other: "huh?" to "Calvinism is false doctrine!"

Finally I found a Clergy chat room, where people were talking about predestination, election, limited atonement, and tulips. I wasnt sure what in the world they were talking about, except for predestination, so I just sat, and listened, for quite a while.

To make a long testimony short, (the full testimony is HERE) I finally came to understand what a Calvinist was. It was a Christian, who agreed with Calvins teachings. What I did not know, before this, was that what Calvin taught was what the mainstream church had taught for centuries, before him before the church began to deviate from Scripture, and incorporate Roman Catholic traditions and other teachings of men, that were unsubstantiated by Scripture.

So at least now I understood what a Calvinist was, and what Calvinism was. I still didnt like being called one something about it didnt sit right with me. The teachings I agreed with the labeling I didnt.

I realize the need to differentiate your stand on the Scriptures anyone who calls themselves a "Christian" will also say they believe in the Bible.

Arminians say they believe the Bible, and so do Mormons, JWs, Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, etc. All these religious groups, claim to be Christians and they all say they believe the Bible and yet the teachings vary so widely from one group to another, its simply amazing.

The label of "Calvinist" simply says "I am a Christian, and I believe the doctrines of grace found in Scripture, the way John Calvin taught them". Seems simple enough, but its really not.

There are MANY people out there, that just cannot get past the label of another mans name. Honestly, I dont blame them. Its a hard thing to understand how an "ism" isnt following the teachings of a man, and not the Scriptures.

Over the years I have tried to explain it this way:

Saying you are a Calvinist, is not saying you follow the teachings of a man, per se, its saying that you AGREE with the Biblical teachings that A man once preached on. Exactly the same way you would say you agree with what your pastor teaches and preaches on.

The problem with this is, if your pastors name was Wally Hickenrigger, you wouldnt call yourself a Hickenriggerite, would you?

The other problem I have with this label, is in considering the man John Calvin, himself. From all I have read (and its nothing, compared to whats out there), and from all I have heard (my husband has read MUCH of the works, and on the life of John Calvin), it is my personal opinion that he would be extremely disturbed, by such a thing.

John Calvin spent a good portion of his life, devoted to teaching the Scriptures magnifying the Lord correcting wrong doctrines, with sound Biblical doctrines. I can only picture in my mind, his reaction to someone calling themselves after his name, instead of calling themselves after Christ. I suspect he would sharply rebuke them for such a thing, then point them to Scriptures to tell them why its wrong.

The label itself, was never given by John Calvin, or by the first students to learn from him. It was given by those who opposed what he was teaching, as an insult, it was a derogatory label, given to anyone who agreed with what he taught, mocking them, and him, and his teachings.

I guess if you feel you have to give yourself a label, identifying with the teachings of the doctrines of grace, as taught by Calvin isnt that big of a deal, but I think it might be prudent, to explain why you agree, from the Scriptures (if you have the opportunity to do so).

It has been my experience, that more people are eager to understand what you mean when you say "doctrines of grace" than they are when you say "Calvinism".

For whatever reason(s) people have a wide variety of misconceptions about what Calvinism actually is. Most of the ones I have heard, are so far from accurate, that I am convinced most do not study these things out themselves, they just hear what someone else says, it sounds good, so they believe it.

A lot of these people really do want to know the truth. Some dont, some dont care, they feel perfectly happy with their own (false) understanding of Calvinism, and dont give a rats nose about accuracy.

For those who do care, and do want to know the truth, we (those of us who are reformed, and/or reforming) should be sensitive to the misconceptions out there, about what we believe and especially over the very title of "Calvinist".

We know we do not follow the man John Calvin we know we follow Christ the key is, finding ways around that label to help the earnest seekers, understand and grow and hopefully come to a deeper faith themselves, and deeper reverence, for the sovereignty of God.

© Carla Rolfe 2002