Amyraldism – What is it? What is Four-Point Calvinism?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament does not explicitly teach Amyraldism, but it provides theological themes that support the framework Amyraldism tries to balance—namely, God's sovereign election alongside His compassionate desire for all nations to know Him. For example, God clearly chooses specific individuals and nations for His purposes, such as Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3) and Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6–8), demonstrating election based on His will, not human merit.
• At the same time, God expresses concern for the nations beyond Israel. He calls Israel to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6) and promises that all families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12:3)—a theme that anticipates the global scope of the gospel.
• The Passover lamb (Exodus 12) and the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) show that God provides atonement, but its benefits are applied specifically to those who are under His covenant and follow His instructions.

from the new testament

• Matthew 28:19-20 emphasizes the universal call of the gospel. Even though only the elect will respond to salvation, we are called to share the gospel and offer God’s salvation to all.
• John 3:16 highlights God’s love for the whole world and offers salvation to all who believe. Amyraldism interprets this as the broad, universal offer of salvation, though only those who are elect will come to faith.
• John 6:37 highlights the tension in Amyraldism between God’s universal invitation and His sovereign choice in salvation.
• Amyraldism sees 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 as showing the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement for all people, with the effective application of that atonement only for those who live for Christ, indicating the elect.
• 1 Timothy 2:5-6 tells us that Christ gave himself as a ransom for all people, supporting the idea that Christ’s death has a universal scope, with Amyraldism maintaining that it is effective only for the elect.
• Amyraldism can use Titus 2:11 to affirm that God’s grace, through Christ’s atonement, is available to all people, though its effectiveness is tied to God’s electing grace.
• 1 John 2:2 speaks of Christ as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the "whole world," suggesting a universal provision for salvation, and Amyraldism holds that this atonement is only effective for the elect.

implications for today

Sometimes known as “4-point Calvinism” or “moderate Calvinism,” Amyraldism is named after Moses Amyraut, a 16th-century French theologian whose doctrine, in essence, softens the Calvinistic doctrine of limited atonement.

Classic Calvinism has five points: 1) Total Depravity (fallen man is incapable of pleasing God); 2) Unconditional Election (God sovereignly elects some individuals for salvation based solely on His grace); 3) Limited Atonement (Jesus’ death atoned only for the sins of the elect); 4) Irresistible Grace (the Holy Spirit irresistibly draws the elect to faith and repentance); and 5) Perseverance of the Saints (Those whom God has elected, atoned for, and drawn to Himself are preserved in faith until the last day). These five points are often summarized by the acronym, TULIP.

It should be noted that Calvinism isn’t limited to just five points, nor was it the invention of John Calvin. Followers of Calvin tried to summarize his theology with a system of five points in response to Arminianism, which had already summarized the teachings of Jacob Arminius (1560–1609), a Dutch theologian, with five points.

Amyraldism takes issue with the third point of TULIP, limited atonement. That system replaces it with the concept of “hypothetical universalism.” The argument is that Jesus died for the sins of everyone such that it is hypothetically possible for everyone to be saved. However, they agree with the rest of TULIP that God only elected some to salvation. That is, because of God’s election, the net result of Amyraldism is similar to the traditional TULIP view in that the number of people is limited to the number elected.

Amyraldism responds to this challenge by carefully distinguishing between the sufficiency and the efficacy of Christ’s atonement. It holds that Jesus’ death was sufficient to atone for the sins of all people—demonstrating God’s universal love and sincere call to repentance (cf. John 3:16; 1 John 2:2)—but that His atonement is only effective for those whom God has sovereignly chosen to receive it (cf. John 6:37, 44; Ephesians 1:4–5). In this way, Amyraldism preserves the justice of God by teaching that no sin is doubly punished: only the sins of the elect are truly borne away by Christ, while the non-elect remain accountable for their own rejection of the gospel. This view affirms both the genuine offer of salvation to all and the particular redemption of the elect, uniting the compassionate breadth of God’s invitation with the unshakable depth of His sovereign grace.

Whether we believe in Calvinism or Amyraldism, we are compelled to proclaim the gospel boldly and indiscriminately. The good news of salvation is to be preached to all people, without exception, since Christ’s death has made a genuine provision for the salvation of every sinner who turns to Him (cf. Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15; Acts 17:30). This open call reflects God’s desire that none should perish but that all should come to repentance (cf. 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23), even though only the elect will ultimately respond in faith. Amyraldism encourages evangelism with the confidence that our proclamation is sincere and that God will use it to draw His chosen ones to Himself (cf. Romans 10:14–17). We are therefore faithful witnesses, trusting that the universal offer of Christ’s grace serves as the very means by which God accomplishes His particular purpose in election.