作者: R.C. Sproul 譯者: Maria Marta
朝聖者乘坐五月花號（Mayflower）在新英格蘭海岸登陸之後幾年，荷蘭爆發了一場爭議，蔓延到整個歐洲，乃至世界各地。這場爭議始於致力加爾文主義教學的荷蘭大學神學院。那裡的一些教授就揀選、預定教義的相關議題開始第二次思考。由於這場神學爭議在全國各地蔓延，所以它擾亂了當日的教會和神學家。最後，召開了一場會議。這些議題在會議中得到處理，某些人的觀點被否決，其中包括叫亞米念的人的觀點。
領導這場反對正統改革宗神學運動的團體被稱為抗辯派(Remonstrants)。他們被稱為抗辯派的原因，是因為他們對他們自己神學遺產內的某些教義表示異議或提出抗議。從根本上來講，有五項教義是爭議的核心。這場爭論的結果，是這五項核心神學議題成為聞名後世的「加爾文主義五要點」。現在它們以首字母合成詞TULIP（郁金香）而為人所知，這合成詞是總結有爭論的五項教義的一種聰明的方法。五要點，如為首字母TULIP（郁金香）合成目的所陳述的那樣：全然敗壞（total depravity）、無條件揀選（unconditional election）、限定的救赎
我提及這一歷史事件的原因是因為，僅僅根據這五項教義來理解改革神學的本質，是一個嚴重的錯誤，改革宗信仰包括其他神學要素和教會的認信告白。然而，這些是改革神學的五個爭議要點，它們是那些被普遍認為有別於特別的認信告白的爭議。在接下來的五篇文章中，我們將花一些時間來查看這些加爾文主義五要點，如在首字母合成詞TULIP（郁金香中）所拼寫的。
TULIP and Reformed Theology:
An Introduction
FROM
R.C. Sproul
Just
a few years before the Pilgrims landed on the shores of New England in the
Mayflower, a controversy erupted in the Netherlands and spread throughout
Europe and then around the world. It began within the theological faculty of a
Dutch institution that was committed to Calvinistic teaching. Some of the
professors there began to have second thoughts about issues relating to the
doctrines of election and predestination. As this theological controversy
spread across the country, it upset the church and theologians of the day.
Finally, a synod was convened. Issues were squared away and the views of
certain people were rejected, including those of a man by the name of Jacobus
Arminius.
The
group that led the movement against orthodox Reformed theology was called the
Remonstrants. They were called the Remonstrants because they were remonstrating
or protesting against certain doctrines within their own theological heritage.
There were basically five doctrines that were the core of the controversy. As a
result of this debate, these five core theological issues became known in
subsequent generations as the “five points of Calvinism.” They are now known
through the very popular acrostic TULIP, which is a clever way to sum up the
five articles that were in dispute. The five points, as they are stated in
order to form the acrostic TULIP, are: total depravity, unconditional election,
limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints.
I
mention this historical event because it would be a serious mistake to
understand the essence of Reformed theology simply in light of these five
doctrines—the Reformed faith involves many other elements of theological and
ecclesiastical confession. However, these are the five controversial points of
Reformed theology, and they are the ones that are popularly seen as distinctive
to this particular confession. Over the next five posts, we are going to spend
some time looking at these five points of Calvinism as they are spelled out in
the acrostic TULIP.