On the "4 Point Calvinist" Label (part 1)

Those who use labels to describe various theological positions are not always conscious of the bias that is inherent in them. For instance, there has been recent discussion about the label "partial preterism" for the orthodox preterist eschatological position as over against "full preterism," or unorthodox preterism. The orthodox preterists are feeling some pain because they realize the bias (and the confusion) that is inherent in the label "partial preterism." Thus, they want to reject that label for one they think is fair to the facts of the situation. A dispensationalist might call an orthodox preterist a "partial preterist" instead of a "full preterist" because he thinks the "full preterists" are more consistent (he wants to argue a reductio ad absurdum). Likewise, the unorthodox preterists might like the label "full preterists" because they deem themselves more consistent than the "partial preterists." The "full" preterists might think that "partial" preterism logically entails dispensationalism, so they also may attempt a reductio ad absurdum from the other side. They have a vested interest in keeping the label "full preterism." Those called "partial preterists" now prefer to be called orthodox preterists because they want a label that's fair, accurate and without confusion.

To show some other examples, the same thing can be seen in the labels "anabaptist" and "replacement theologian." The label "anabaptist" (or re-baptizer) presupposes the legitimacy of infant baptism (as if it is, in fact, a Christian baptism), the very thing that credo-baptists reject. Credo-baptists might reject the label "anabaptist" because it carries the bias of their critics. Leonard Verduin says:

The “heretics” were also called “Anabaptists,” a word meaning rebaptizers. The word is loaded, for it implies that the first lustration was genuine baptism – which was precisely the point at issue. No “Anabaptist” ever acknowledged that he was involved in a second baptism. In their more hostile moments, enemies of the rival church also called them “Katabaptists,” a word meaning “averse to baptism.” This term was also extremely unfair, for no one in the rival church was averse to baptism; they were against christening, that is, against baptism as a sacrament

The Anatomy of a Hybrid: A Study in Church-State Relations (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976), 146.

Dispensionalists deem Covenantal Theologians to be "replacement theologians" because CT's seem to equate the church with Israel. Since dispensationalists presuppose a distinction between Israel (i.e. Jacob and his physical descendants) and the church, they accuse covenantalists of giving to the church the distinct promises that properly belong to Israel. They see covenantalists as "replacing" Israel with the church, hence the label. One can see how the label is as loaded as the others and why the CT's would reject it as not factual.

My point is that the same thing occurs when the label "4 point Calvinist" is used. When a person who holds a strictly limited atonement view accuses a non-strict advocate of being a "4 point Calvinist," they're presupposing that their strictly limited perspective is the only historically legitimate and consistently Calvinistic viewpoint. The former claim is certainly not true. There have been diverse views among Calvinists on the subject that go back to the days of Calvin and the early Reformers. Just consult the doctoral work of G. Michael Thomas on The Extent of the Atonement (Paternoster Publishing, 1997) or Owen Thomas' The Atonement Controversy (Banner of Truth, 2002) to see that fact. Or, just read about the differing views among the Calvinistic delegates at the Synod of Dort, or the debates among Calvinists on general redemption in the Minutes of the Westminster Assembly. It's reported that there were such sharp differences between Matthiuas Martinius (a moderate) and Franciscus Gomarus (a supralapsarian) at the Synod of Dort that Gomarus wanted to challenge him to fight a duel! (see G. M. Thomas, pages 144 and 147). As for the consistency of the strict view with scripture, that's up for debate.

Even the label “Amyraldian” is used in a loaded way, since it’s erroneously assumed that an Amyraldian is a “4 pointer.” If one is called an Amyraldian by your average Calvinst, that’s what they mean. They usually haven’t studied Amyraldism historically. If they have, they’ve only checked out unreliable secondary sources at best, particularly those that they know already agree with their position.

There are some moderate Calvinists who describe themselves as 4 point Calvinists, or 4.5 Calvinists, etc. This doesn't help to clarify matters at all. If they really do adhere to the other points, then I would submit that they are not 4 point Calvinists at all. They would have to admit that Christ had a special intention for the elect alone in coming to die for the sin of the whole world, and that this special intent issues in a special application by the Holy Spirit in regeneration and conversion. All of that must be true if there is a special and unconditional election as Calvinists maintain. They must, at least, see some "limit" in Christ's intentions and in the Spirit's intentions that correspond to the special decree of the Father. What they don't do is deny any other general intent that moves Christ to come as a sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the whole world. They do not have to see any limitation in the penal substitution itself, as if so many sins of so many elect people are imputed to Christ when he died. That's the further limitation argued for by high Calvinists, in addition to their denial of a general intent to save all mankind behind Christ's redemption, which is the reason why some of them deny it's universal sufficiency.

Also, as Dabney argues, "atonement" properly refers to what happens at the point of the application of Christ's work, and not before. When one is sprinkled by the blood through faith, then one's sins are atoned for. Christ's cross-work, in and by itself, is not properly an "atonement," even though it's constantly called that by scholars and theologians. An atonement requires the further work of the Spirit to apply Christ's work to a given sinner through the instrumental hand of faith.

So, do moderate Calvinists believe in limited atonement? Of course they do, so long as the "limit" is properly understood to refer to the special intent (I say "special" because it’s not as if there is only one intent in Christ's will to save [the decretal will], as high Calvinists seem to suppose) and the special application (I say "special" because it’s not as if there are no other applications through Christ to all unbelievers, such as the bounties of common grace). If “limited atonement” can only mean the view that Christ only suffered the legal requirements due the elect when he died (limited imputation), then moderates do not adhere to that concept of limited atonement. Since they do not, they think they can consistently affirm the ordained sufficiency of Christ's satisfaction.