Predestination as a Gift, Not as Despair (Calvinism vs. Arminianism)

Why You Should Be Careful with Herbs

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^“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

One of the greatest debates in Christianity is centered around how this famous passage from Ephesians is interpreted. That debate is traditionally referred to as the “Calvinism vs. Arminianism” debate, which is named after two prominent theologians during the Reformation period, but these names often distract from the core issue. That is, what is really at stake here is this: does God give us grace as a gift, that we in turn take advantage of through our freewill, or is our ability to believe and see God in and of itself the gift?

This is the true debate, and it is the debate between monergism and synergism.