ChatGPT Question: Show Doctrines of TULIP as Calvin Wrote Them

[Arial]

John Calvin himself did not formulate the "TULIP" doctrines using that acronym, nor did he explicitly write them out in that structure. The TULIP acronym came about later, in the early 20th century, as a way to summarize the key points of Reformed theology developed from Calvin's teachings, especially as articulated in the Synod of Dort (1618–1619).

However, Calvin did write extensively about each of these doctrines in his works, especially in his most famous work, Institutes of the Christian Religion. Below is a breakdown of TULIP with references to the themes as Calvin would have written or taught them.

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TULIP​

T – Total Depravity​

• What it means: Humanity is totally fallen due to original sin. Every aspect of human nature is corrupted by sin, and people are incapable of choosing God or doing true good without divine grace.
• Calvin's teaching: Calvin taught that humans are wholly dependent on God's grace for salvation because their will is bound by sin.
• Calvin's quote:
  
  

  "Man is so enslaved by the yoke of sin, that he cannot of his own nature aim at good either in wish or actual pursuit."
  (Institutes, Book II, Chapter 3)

U – Unconditional Election​

• What it means: God's choice to save some people is not based on any foreseen merit or action on their part, but solely on His will.
• Calvin's teaching: Election is rooted in God's sovereign grace and not based on human effort.
• Calvin's quote:
  
  

  "God has chosen to salvation those whom He pleased, and has rejected others, without any regard to their works."
  (Institutes, Book III, Chapter 21)

L – Limited Atonement​

• What it means: Christ died specifically and effectively for the elect, securing their salvation.
• Calvin's teaching: Calvin affirmed that Christ’s death was effective only for the elect, though some debate whether he explicitly limited the intent of the atonement in the same way later Calvinists did.
• Calvin's quote:
  
  

  "It is the will of God, that those whom he hath destined to salvation should be saved by his power, and not by their own."
  (This point is more fully developed by later Calvinists like John Owen.)

I – Irresistible Grace​

• What it means: The grace of God to save a person cannot be resisted when it is truly extended.
• Calvin's teaching: When God calls someone to salvation, His grace effectively brings them to faith.
• Calvin's quote:
  
  

  "The grace of God does not find men fit to be elected, but makes them so."
  (Institutes, Book III, Chapter 22)

P – Perseverance of the Saints​

• What it means: Those whom God has elected and saved will persevere in faith and will not permanently fall away.
• Calvin's teaching: True believers will continue in faith and be preserved by God's power.
• Calvin's quote:
  
  

  "But God, who has once received them into his family, will by his wonderful power continue the grace which he has begun in them."
  (Institutes, Book III, Chapter 24)

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[Arial]

give scripture references the Synod of Dort used to support this.

ChatGPT said:​

Great question! The Synod of Dort (1618–1619) was a major Reformed council held in response to the rise of Arminianism. The Synod produced the Canons of Dort, which defend the Five Points of Calvinism, and they do cite Scripture to support each doctrine. Here’s a breakdown of the TULIP doctrines along with some of the key Scripture references the Synod used in their official defense.

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Canons of Dort, Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine, Article 1–3

Scripture references:

• Genesis 6:5 – “Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
• Romans 3:10–12 – “There is no one righteous, not even one...”
• Romans 8:7–8 – “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God...”
• Ephesians 2:1–3 – “You were dead in your transgressions and sins...”

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​

Canons of Dort, First Head of Doctrine, Article 6–11

Scripture references:

• Ephesians 1:4–5 – “He chose us in him before the creation of the world...”
• Romans 9:10–16 – “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
• John 6:37 – “All those the Father gives me will come to me...”
• 2 Timothy 1:9 – “He has saved us... not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.”

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​

Canons of Dort, Second Head of Doctrine, Article 8–9

Scripture references:

• John 10:14–15 – “I lay down my life for the sheep.”
• Matthew 1:21 – “He will save his people from their sins.”
• John 6:37–40 – “I shall lose none of all those he has given me...”
• Romans 8:32–34 – “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?”

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Canons of Dort, Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine, Article 11–14

Scripture references:

• John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father... draws them.”
• Romans 8:30 – “Those he predestined... he also called...”
• Ezekiel 36:26–27 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...”
• Philippians 2:13 – “It is God who works in you to will and to act...”

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Canons of Dort, Fifth Head of Doctrine, Article 3–11

Scripture references:

• John 10:27–29 – “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”
• Romans 8:35–39 – “Nothing can separate us from the love of God...”
• Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion...”
• 1 Peter 1:5 – “...kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation...”

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[DialecticSkeptic]

It is interesting how abbreviated these responses are from ChatGPT in your experience. It gives much broader, deeper responses to me. I find that a curious thing.

By the way: Be very, very careful with alleged quotes from John Calvin (or any other source). ChatGPT has a reputation for making quotes up. In fact, it was doing that just last night with me. It cited a quote from Calvin's Institutes, of which I own a copy, so I looked it up. There was no such quote anywhere in the book. ChatGPT apologized and admitted it was a paraphrase of what Calvin said, and gave me an exact, verbatim quote—which I looked up and, again, it did not exist.

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

For historical interest, the earliest mention of the acrostic TULIP was in 1905 during a lecture given on the five points of Calvinism by Cleland B. McAfee before the Presbyterian Union of Newark, New Jersey. A certain William H. Vail attended that lecture and wrote about it in 1913, mentioning it was "eight years ago" that McAfee had used the acrostic TULIP "to aid the mind in remembering the five points [of Calvinism] ... which, possessing five letters, lends itself nicely to the subject in hand." Interestingly, McAfee said the U stood for Universal Sovereignty. It makes sense, though. As Hugh Black of Union Theological Seminary explained in a reply to Vail, this "[soteriological] system is one built up by rigorous logic from the one central idea of the sovereignty of God."

Reference: William H. Vail, "The Reader's View: The Five Points of Calvinism Historically Considered," The Outlook (1913, June 21). That article appears as “Appendix: The Earliest Known Reference to the TULIP Acronym" in Kenneth J. Stewart, Ten Myths About Calvinism: Recovering the Breadth of the Reformed Tradition (InterVarsity Press, 2011), pp. 391–392.

 

[Hazelelponi]

@DialecticSkeptic - do you have a paid account with ChatGPT?

Mine is a free use only, and I'm not getting much more than @Arial

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

@DialecticSkeptic - do you have a paid account with ChatGPT?

Mine is a free use only, and I'm not getting much more than @Arial

No, I do not have a paid account.

But I have put a lot of work into customizing my experience with ChatGPT. If you click on your avatar, you will see a setting called "Customize ChatGPT." In there, you will see a section called "What traits should ChatGPT have?" I have filled that with a lot of custom prompts. You can, too. There are a lot of guides that teach you how to create prompts that make the experience service your needs.

Update: Here is an excellent resource that I have relied upon.

 

[Arial]

@DialecticSkeptic - do you have a paid account with ChatGPT?

Mine is a free use only, and I'm not getting much more than @Arial.

Mine too.

 

[Arial]

It is interesting how abbreviated these responses are from ChatGPT in your experience. It gives much broader, deeper responses to me. I find that a curious thing.

By the way: Be very, very careful with alleged quotes from John Calvin (or any other source). ChatGPT has a reputation for making quotes up. In fact, it was doing that just last night with me. It cited a quote from Calvin's Institutes, of which I own a copy, so I looked it up. There was no such quote anywhere in the book. ChatGPT apologized and admitted it was a paraphrase of what Calvin said, and gave me an exact, verbatim quote—which I looked up and, again, it did not exist.

I asked the same question today that I asked yesterday and got the one in the OP. The one I got yesterday was much better and contained much more. And if I ask it when not signed in, it is different again, and really reduced. And I noticed yesterday that two people asked in essence the same question but one worded it slightly differently and two opposing answered were given. I don't know where it was but I remember @Hazelelponi was the one that altered the wording so maybe she can direct you to it if you are interested. It had to do with Sproul and synergism in sanctification. One said he did teach synergism in sanctification and the other said no he didn't. At least I read it that way.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I asked the same question today that I asked yesterday and got the one in the OP. The one I got yesterday was much better and contained much more. And if I ask it when not signed in, it is different again, and really reduced. And I noticed yesterday that two people asked in essence the same question but one worded it slightly differently and two opposing answered were given. I don't know where it was but I remember @Hazelelponi was the one that altered the wording so maybe she can direct you to it if you are interested. It had to do with Sproul and synergism in sanctification. One said he did teach synergism in sanctification and the other said no he didn't. At least I read it that way.

That was me. I gave a specific choice, asking whether Sproul's views on sanctification were synergistic or monergistic and asked for the answer to be given from the perspective of a reformed theologian.

 

[Hazelelponi]

This is what I get for your thread:

[/QUOTE]

You said:​

Please tell me the doctrines of TULIP as John Calvin wrote them

ChatGPT said:​

The doctrines of TULIP, as John Calvin formulated them, summarize his theology of salvation and divine sovereignty. While Calvin himself did not specifically use the acronym "TULIP," these points are derived from his teachings, especially as expressed in his seminal work, Institutes of the Christian Religion. The acronym itself was coined later by his followers to summarize his teachings on salvation. Here are the doctrines as John Calvin wrote them:

1.​

Calvin wrote extensively about human depravity, asserting that, due to the Fall, every part of human nature (mind, will, emotions, and actions) is tainted by sin. This total corruption means that humans are incapable of choosing God or doing anything good apart from God's grace. In Institutes (Book 2, Chapter 1), he emphasizes that people are spiritually dead, and without the work of the Holy Spirit, they cannot come to faith.

Calvin's view was that every part of man is affected by sin—reason, will, affections, and actions. Thus, a person cannot take the initiative to come to God; instead, God must first regenerate the heart before a person can respond to Him.

2.​

Calvin believed that God's choice of who would be saved is entirely unconditional, meaning it is not based on anything a person does or chooses. In Institutes (Book 3, Chapter 21), Calvin argues that God's election is not based on foreseen merit or action but solely on God's sovereign will. God chooses to save certain individuals according to His grace and mercy alone.

This doctrine underscores the belief that salvation is entirely the work of God. It is not a reward for any human effort or worth but is rooted in God's free and sovereign decision.

3.​

Calvin’s view on the atonement, often referred to as Limited Atonement, teaches that Christ’s death was specifically for the elect—those whom God has chosen to save. Calvin spoke of Christ's sacrifice as being effectual only for those God predestined to eternal life. In Institutes (Book 2, Chapter 16), he explains that Christ's atonement was not intended to offer salvation to everyone universally but was a particular redemption for those whom God elected.

Christ's atoning work was sufficient for all but intended only for the elect, ensuring their salvation. This aligns with the idea that Christ’s sacrifice was not hypothetical or uncertain but certain and efficient for those chosen by God.

4.​

In Calvin’s view, when God calls someone to salvation, that call cannot be resisted. In Institutes (Book 3, Chapter 24), Calvin explains that God's grace, when extended to an individual, is so powerful that it inevitably brings the person to faith. The Holy Spirit works in the heart of the elect in such a way that they are spiritually awakened and cannot refuse God's grace.

The concept of "irresistibility" doesn't mean that a person is coerced, but that God’s grace will overcome all resistance, ensuring that the elect will eventually be saved.

5.​

Calvin taught that those who are truly elect and saved will persevere in faith to the end of their lives. This is the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. In Institutes (Book 3, Chapter 24), he emphasizes that God will preserve the elect in their faith, ensuring that they do not fall away. He argues that true believers will continue in faith and holiness until they reach eternal glory.

This doctrine provides assurance that God’s work in the lives of believers is permanent. The elect will continue to be kept by God's power, regardless of the difficulties they face.

Summary of TULIP:​

• T - Total Depravity: Humanity is completely corrupt due to sin.
• U - Unconditional Election: God's choice to save individuals is not based on anything they do.
• L - Limited Atonement: Christ died specifically for the elect, securing their salvation.
• I - Irresistible Grace: God's grace effectively draws the elect to salvation.
• P - Perseverance of the Saints: Those God has saved will remain in faith to the end.

These doctrines reflect Calvin’s belief in God's ultimate sovereignty in salvation. His teaching stresses that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace, and humans have no power to save themselves or even to choose God apart from God’s initiative.