Ordo Salutis History & Etymology

Who coined the term "ordo salutis" that we hear so much about in the writings of the "Reformed"? Did Luther or Calvin coin it?

The term "ordo salutis" (or "order of salvation") seeks to place in strict chronological order the various aspects or parts of salvation.

No, it was not Luther or Calvin or the "reformers" of the "Reformation" who coined the phrase. Rather is was a phrase coined by Jacob Carpov, a Lutheran minister, in 1737.

The following is from an article on the internet (source given below).

"Wrote Louis Berkhof:

"The ordo salutis is "the process by which the work of salvation, wrought in Christ, is subjectively realized in the hearts and lives of sinners. It aims at describing in their logical order, and also in their interrelations, the various movements of the Holy Spirit in the application of the work of redemption." (L. Berkhof, ST, 415-6)

"The ordo salutis, lit. the order (or way of salvation) is an effort to explain the "list of events in which God applies salvation" to the believer." (Grudem, ST, 669)

"Perhaps the best definition is that given by Norman Shepherd, formerly of Westminster Theological Seminary. He said the ordo salutis is "a series of steps by which transition is made from wrath to blessing.""

The order is not necessarily a chronological order, although chronology plays some part. For example:

a. Predestination is certainly prior to effectual calling.
b. Glorification is certainly subsequent to regeneration.

"Rather than chronological, many of the distinctions are logical; i.e., "this" must occur before "that" can occur. For example, at the same moment you turn the faucet, the water runs from the spigot. However, there is a logical priority to the turning of the faucet."

"THREE APPROACHES TO THE ORDO SALUTIS"

1. John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied; "There are good and conclusive reasons for thinking that the various actions of the application of redemption...take place in a certain order." (RAA, 98)

a. Redemption is rich and manifold and is not to be considered one
indivisible act.
b. God is not the God of confusion; application of redemption is
characterized by "order" in addition to being rich and manifold.

MURRAY’S ORDO

1. Effectual Calling (Work of Spirit Drawing the Elect)
2. Regeneration (New Birth)
3. Faith (Turning to God, trust in Christ)
4. Repentance (Turning from sin to God)
5. Justification (Right legally before God)
6. Adoption (Brought into the family of God)
7. Sanctification (Ongoing Renewal into the likeness of Christ)
8. Perseverance (Remaining, steadfast in the faith)
9. Glorification (Transformed into the image of Christ)

"Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology; "While it [the Bible] does not
explicitly furnish us with a complete order of salvation, it offers us a sufficient basis for such an order."" (ST, 416)

BERKHOF’S ORDO

1. Calling
2. Regeneration
3. Conversion (Repentance/Faith)
4. Justification
5. Sanctification
6. Perseverance
7. Glorification

"WHY THE ORDO SALUTIS?"

"Why is Reformed theology concerned with the ordo salutis? Quite simply put, Reformed theologians want to establish a sequence in the application of redemption so that man’s faith and repentance do not undercut God’s sovereign grace."

"The Ordo Salutis is oriented to the model of adult conversion. It is an elaborate description of an unsaved adult being brought to salvation. The question of previous relations to the covenant recedes into the background. No account is taken of whether baptized or pagan."

"In the discussion over faith and justification, there is no consideration of the experience of children of the covenant (likewise, imbeciles who cannot reason and are thus beyond the ordinary means of salvation)."

"Arminian and Baptist models are oriented towards "those who can believe"; neither of these can account for salvation of infants and imbeciles since both key in on free will and human action as determinative."

"The correct model is not "how are adults saved?"; rather, the question should be, "how are the blessings of the covenant, given by God to Israel, now extended to Gentiles?""

"Different theologies will present a different ordo; e.g., Arminian
structural differences. Historically, the following obtains:

a. The Synthetic Method: Begins with Predestination and proceeds to ask how it is received in time (Doctrine of Decrees). This is, generally, the CALVINISTIC METHOD.

b. The Analytic Method: Begins with Faith and the Experience of the
believer historically. This is either the LUTHERAN or ARMINIAN
METHOD.

c. The MODEL SHOULD BE COVENANTAL which deals first with
God’s grace and his calling, justification, sanctification; then, turns to
deal with human responsibility and the means of grace-how God
nourishes the covenant life of his people in Jesus Christ.

2. An ordo salutis may solve a number of problems in the logical relationship between the various aspects of salvation; but it may also obscure certain key relationships. E.g., Regeneration and Sanctification are not separate aspects of salvation, although they are distinguished in the ordo salutis. In fact, they are one seamless experience of the transforming grace of God.

a. Regeneration is used in Scripture to refer to the entire process of
renewal, e.g. Titus 3:5, Matt. 19:28.

b. In the ordo salutis, Sanctification is normally viewed as a step that
follows justification; however, see I Cor. 6:11 where sanctification is
mentioned first, and Rom 8:14 where sanctification precedes adoption.
See also I Cor. 1:30.

3. An ordo salutis can serve to obscure the biblical-theological emphasis on union with Christ. For a discussion of this, See R.B. Gaffin, The Centrality of the Resurrection."

http://acad.erskine.edu/facultyweb/gore/Doctrine%20of%20Salvation%20Notes.pdf

Besides the historical information regarding the "ordo salutis," the above web page asks some very good questions on this topic. I hope to address more of them in the near future.