Calvinist Standard Version (CSV)
Enlarged July 1, 2021 (first published December 13, 2016)
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143,
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“There is not a single verse in the Bible to indicate man is incapable of responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit to repent of his sin and receive Christ as his personal Savior” - (Bob Kirkland).

According to Calvinist TULIP theology, God unconditionally and “sovereignly” elects who will be saved, and this election has nothing to do with anything the sinner does, including exercising faith in the gospel. Those who are sovereignly elected will be irresistibly drawn and saved, and those who are not elected cannot be saved.

Consider the words of the Westminster Confession: “By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life and others foreordained to everlasting death. These angels and men, thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished. ... The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.”

John Calvin expressed the doctrine of unconditional election in these words: “Predestination we call the decree of God, by which He has determined in Himself, what He would have to become of every individual of mankind. For they are not all created with a similar destiny: but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal damnation for others” (
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, chap. 21).

Calvin emphasized his belief in sovereign reprobation as follows: “[God] devotes to destruction whom he pleases ... they are predestinated to eternal death without any demerit of their own, merely by his sovereign will. ... he orders all things by his counsel and decree in such a manner, that some men are born devoted from the womb to certain death, that his name be glorified in their destruction. ... God chooses whom he will as his children ... while he rejects and reprobates others” (
Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book III, chap. 23).

In light of this theology, we believe it is fair to say that a Calvinist Standard Version would read as follows:

Psalm 78:21-22 - Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation [not being of the elect].

Psalm 78:41 - Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and tried to limit the Holy One of Israel, [though we know that this is not possible].  

Psalm 10:4 - The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, [cannot] seek after God [unless he is one of the elect]: God is not in all his thoughts.

Proverbs 1:22-32 - Turn you at my reproof [ye elect who are being sovereignly drawn]: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused [I am now talking to the non-elect]; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye [non-elect] have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer [because the non-elect do not and cannot call upon me sincerely and savingly]; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me [because their seeking is a non-elect seeking]: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: [The non-elect] would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the [non-elect] simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. [But the elect will turn, heed my words, call upon me, seek me, and find me because they are drawn by irresistible grace.]

Proverbs 29:1 - He [the non-elect], that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Isaiah 1:18 - Come now [ye elect], and let us reason together, saith the LORD [after you are sovereignly born again, of course]: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Isaiah 45:22 - Look unto me, and be ye saved, [mine elect in] all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of [some].

Isaiah 55:1-3 - Ho, every one that thirsteth [among mine elect], come ye to the waters [after you are sovereignly born again], and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me [ye elect], and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me [after you are born again]: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Jeremiah 7:25-26 - Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them [to call the elect by my sovereign grace]: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck [not being of the elect]: they did worse than their fathers [also of the non-elect].

Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye [elect] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 15:28 - Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith [which was sovereignly given to you from God]: be it unto thee even as thou wilt [seeing that you are one of the elect]. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Matthew 23:37 - O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, [but ye were not mine elect so I would not].

Mark 16:15-16 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth [of the elect] and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned, [knowing that they are not the elect.]

Luke 8:50 - But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only [which you can do because you are one of the elect and God has sovereignly given you faith], and she shall be made whole.

Luke 13:3, 5 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish [and you cannot repent if you are not of the elect and if you are of the elect you will surely repent by God’s irresistible grace].

Luke 18:40-42 - And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy [sovereignly given] faith hath saved thee.

Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save [some of] that which was lost.

John 1:11-12 - He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many [of the elect] as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them [of the elect] that believe on his name.

John 1:29 - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of [some of] the world.

John 3:14-18 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever [of the elect] believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved [some of] the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever [of the elect] believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him [being sovereignly elected] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because [he is not one of the elect and therefore] hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 4:48 - Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe [and unless you are elect, ye cannot believe]

John 5:40 - And ye [cannot] come to me, that ye might have life [because you are not elect].

John 6:28-29 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent [and you will believe if you are elect, and you can’t believe if you are not].

John 12:46 - I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me [of the elect] should not abide in darkness.

John 12:32-33 - And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw [some] men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.

John 16:27 - For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God [which you have done because you have been irresistibly drawn].

John 20:31 - But these are written, that [the elect] might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing [the elect] might have life through his name.

Acts 7:51 - Ye [non-elect] stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Acts 10:43 - To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him [of the elect] shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 15:9 - God ... put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith [after they were sovereignly born again, as we know that dead men can’t believe].

Acts 17:30 - And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent [and the elect will repent by sovereign grace and the non-elect cannot repent].

Romans 9:33 - As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him [of the elect] shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:11 - For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him [of the elect] shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:13 - For whosoever [of the elect] shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:21 - But to Israel he saith, All day long I [would] have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people [had you been of mine elect].

Romans 11:32 - For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all [meaning some].

1 Corinthians 10:33 - Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they [the elect] may be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 - And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world [of the elect] unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [of course, if you are elect you cannot be reprobate and if you are not elect you can only be reprobate]?

2 Thessalonians 2:10 - And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved [since they were not of the elect].

2 Thessalonians 2:12 - That they all [of the non-elect] might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 1:15 - This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save [some] sinners; of whom I am chief.

1 Timothy 2:3-8 - For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all [meaning some] men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all [meaning some], to be testified in due time.

Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men [but will benefit only the elect],

Hebrews 2:9 - But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every [meaning some] man.

Hebrews 3:15-19 - While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation [which, of course, you will do if you are not elect and you will not do if you are elect]. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not [because they were not elect]? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief [since they weren’t elect].

Hebrews 10:25 - See that ye refuse not him that speaketh [of course, you can’t refuse him if you are elect, and you can’t but refuse him if you aren’t]. For if they [the non-elect] escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we [could actually] turn away from him that speaketh from heaven [but of course we can’t if we are the elect].

2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any [of the elect] should perish, but that all [the elect] should come to repentance.

1 John 2:2 - And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of [some of] the world [those being the elect].

1 John 4:14 - And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the [elect in the] world.

Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever [is made willing, of the elect], let him take the water of life freely.



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