Those who have a strong doctrine of the grace of God are often called ‘Calvinists’; those who have a heavy emphasis on man’s ability to save himself by free will and good works are often called ‘Arminians’. The history is as follows. The Bible clearly has a strong doctrine of grace. The stories of Abraham (in which election, grace, faith-without-initial-good-works are all strongly emphasized), the teaching of Isaiah, the teaching of Jesus (especially as recorded by John’s Gospel), the teaching of Paul — all have a strong emphasis on the grace of God rather than the ability of men and women.
