How Deep Was the Fall?

We have seen that the theologians who formulated the doctrine of total depravity at the Synod of Dort might have substituted the word inability in place of depravity. But precisely what ability did man lose at the Fall? This has been a major point of theological contention throughout church history, and it continues to be so today.

The Remonstrants, those whose protest against Reformed doctrines sparked the Synod of Dort, had five points of contention (which were answered by the “five points of Calvinism”). The first of those points had to do with free will. It was their belief that while the Fall seriously affected mankind, it did not leave him in a state of complete spiritual helplessness. Yes, they said, man needs the grace of God in order to be saved, but grace is offered to him as medicine to a dying man, and he must—and is able to—choose whether to accept it. In other words, they believed that fallen man retains the ability to turn from sin and cooperate with grace. He can choose to place his faith in Christ of his own free will. This theory, of course, is as ancient as the church and has sparked epic battles throughout church history. Today, it is probably the majority belief in evangelical churches.

However, it was against this assertion that the Synod of Dort was reacting when it formulated the doctrine of total depravity. In doing so, the synod was simply restating the classic orthodox Christian doctrine on this matter, the doctrine that Reformed churches have and continue to defend. As we saw in yesterday’s study, the Westminster Confession of Faith speaks of the Fall leaving man “dead in sin.” What does this assertion mean? The confession is using Scriptural language to say that the Fall cast man to such a great depth that he is totally unable to incline himself to God. As the confession later says, the Fall has left man “utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil” (VI, 4). Simply put, this view holds that man’s fall is so severe that he is not just spiritually ill, not just wounded, but dead. Therefore, like any corpse, he can do nothing for himself, including making the choice to place his faith in Christ. God’s grace is absolutely essential, and God must do more than simply offer a teaspoon of medicine—He must breathe life back into a lifeless soul. We will look more at this process in tomorrow’s study.