Total Depravity vs. Partial Depravity: How Broken Are We?

When we talk about salvation, everything starts with one fundamental question: How deep is our sin? This is where Calvinists and Arminians part ways right out of the gate.

Calvinism holds to Total Depravity, meaning that sin has corrupted every part of human nature, making us spiritually dead and utterly incapable of coming to God apart from His sovereign grace. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches Partial Depravity, meaning that while sin is serious, we still have the ability—through prevenient grace—to respond to God’s invitation.

So, are we dead in sin, or just wounded? Let’s dig in.

Total Depravity: The Calvinist View

Total Depravity doesn’t mean we’re as bad as we could be, but that every aspect of our nature—our mind, will, and emotions—has been tainted by sin. This means we don’t seek God on our own; He must awaken us first.

Key Scriptures:

1. We are spiritually dead – “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” (Eph. 2:1-2)

   • Dead people don’t reach out for life. They must be raised.

2. No one seeks God – “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” (Rom. 3:10-11)

   • Left to ourselves, we reject God, not pursue Him.

3. The flesh cannot submit to God – “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom. 8:7-8)

   • If we’re totally depraved, we can’t choose Christ unless He first regenerates us.

Implication: If we are truly dead in sin, then salvation must be completely God’s work. He must give us new life before we can respond in faith.

Partial Depravity: The Arminian View

Arminianism agrees that sin is serious but argues that God gives prevenient grace to all people, restoring enough free will so they can choose to accept or reject salvation.

Key Scriptures:

1. God calls people to choose – “Choose this day whom you will serve.” (Josh. 24:15)

   • If choice is real, we must have some spiritual ability.

2. God’s grace has appeared to all – “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” (Titus 2:11)

   • If grace is available to all, it must be resistible.

3. God desires all to be saved – “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4)

   • Why would God desire something we’re incapable of unless He restores our ability to respond?

Implication: If Partial Depravity is true, then salvation depends on our response to God’s grace, rather than God regenerating us first.

Historical Roots: How Far Back Does This Go?

Early Church (Pre-Augustine)

• The debate over human will and sin traces back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

• Justin Martyr (100–165 AD) and Irenaeus (130–202 AD) affirmed free will but also emphasized humanity’s deep corruption.

• Tertullian (155–220 AD) saw sin as inherited but didn’t go as far as later doctrines of Total Depravity.

Augustine vs. Pelagius (400s AD)

• Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) was the first to clearly articulate what we now call Total Depravity. He argued that because of Adam’s fall, humans are born with a sin nature and can only be saved by God’s sovereign grace.

• Pelagius (c. 360–418 AD) opposed Augustine, teaching that humans are born morally neutral and can choose to obey God without special grace.

• The Council of Carthage (418 AD) condemned Pelagianism, affirming Augustine’s doctrine that grace must precede faith.

Reformation: Calvinism vs. Arminianism (1500s–1600s)

• John Calvin (1509–1564) built on Augustine’s teachings, formalizing Total Depravity as part of his theology of election and predestination.

• Jacob Arminius (1560–1609) countered, arguing that God restores human ability to respond through prevenient grace, leading to the Remonstrants’ protest against strict predestination.

• The Synod of Dort (1618–1619) rejected Arminianism and solidified TULIP as core Reformed doctrine.

Modern Era: Where Do We See This Today?

• Most Reformed and Presbyterian churches hold to Total Depravity.

• Most Methodist, Wesleyan, and some Baptist traditions lean toward Partial Depravity and prevenient grace.

Where Both Views Go Wrong

Extreme Calvinism (Hyper-Calvinism)

• Can lead to fatalism—“If I’m elect, I’ll be saved no matter what. If not, there’s nothing I can do.”

• Can minimize evangelism—“God will save His elect anyway.”

• Can make God seem unfair, as if He withholds salvation from those who might want it.

Extreme Arminianism (Pelagianism & Semi-Pelagianism)

• Can make faith feel like a work—our effort rather than God’s grace.

• Can downplay sin’s power, assuming we naturally seek God.

• Can lead to insecurity—“What if I don’t believe hard enough? Can I lose my salvation?”

The Bottom Line: By God, By Grace, Through the Cross

So, where do we land?

• God is sovereign over salvation. No one is saved apart from His grace.

• We are responsible to believe. No one is forced into salvation.

• The cross is sufficient for all but efficient for those who believe.

Calvinists and Arminians may differ on how grace operates, but both agree on this: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

So, rather than getting caught in debates, let’s focus on what truly matters: Are we trusting in Christ alone?

Soli Deo Gloria!