As most of you are aware from a recent thread I started on Regeneration, I have been looking into a number of issues concerning this issue.
Although in the past I have read a fair amount of material on the subject as well as been a participant on threads of that nature on the subject.
I thought it might be beneficial on my part to do a Bible study on the issue, using a number of methods to do so.
Other than what you have seen so far from the other thread,
I thought I would start off with a brief description of 3 basic positions on the subject of Regeneration.
I thought I would share a bit of what I have been doing in the last few hours. It is by no means complete and I may end up changing a lot of it, because of either error or finding a better way to think about the matter. But it is one of the ways I find to be beneficial in my studies.
I don’t normally share things like this, before I have finished, but thought it might be helpful to so in this case.
Besides the boards have been quite slow lately.
With that in mind, I am submitting it for your benefit and/or criticism if you deem it necessary.
Regeneration: Prior or after Faith?
The debate over whether or not regeneration occurs prior to or after faith has been going on for centuries.
There are basically three positions for those who call themselves “Protestants”. (This does not include the full Pelagian view)
*Arminians (semi-Pelagians) - Believes that the fall did not cause man to not be able to choose whether or not they will come to Christ or not. Thus they believe that regeneration occurs after faith.
*Arminians (Wesleyan prevenient grace)- Believes that because of the fall man died both physically and spiritually and as a result must have something happen inside of them to allow them to have faith (prevenient grace). This grace can be resisted, but it does allow the person to overcome their spiritual death (total depravity), in such a way that the can respond in faith. In this belief, faith must occur before someone is regenerated.
*Reformed (Calvinists) - Like those who believe in Wesleyan prevenient grace, Reformed believers believe that at the fall man died both physically and spiritually (total depravity). They also agree that something must occur in man before they will respond in faith. Yet unlike the former, they believe that that something is regeneration which can not be resisted. Therefore believe that regeneration comes before faith can occur.
Arminians of the semi-Pelagian variety do not believe that man died spiritually (Though some say that man did die spiritually)and therefore is able on their own whether or not they want to believe on Christ for salvation.
Although many might agree that the fall affected the way man behaved both in their disposition towards God and how they lived. It in no way makes man unable to choose Christ for salvation. It could be said that they believe that they are sick in trespasses and sins. Though they may believe that the Holy Spirit can help in making the decision for Christ easier; the person must respond to this themselves.
In this way, the Holy Spirit acts similar to medicine to a sick patient.
There are a number of reasons why I believe semi-Pelagian view must be rejected. But Scripture is clear (see Eph. 2:5) that at the fall man did indeed die spiritually.
With that in mind, although I will not go into detail, let us examine the other two.
To do that let us bring up John 6:37 which is a very relevant verse in the matter.
Here is what John Wesley in his Bible commentary say concerning the verse that I believe speaks very strongly about the prevenient grace view.
Verse 37
“[37] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" “All that the Father giveth me — All that feel themselves lost, and follow the drawings of the Father, he in a peculiar manner giveth to the Son: will come to me - By faith. And him that thus cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out - I will give him pardon, holiness, and heaven, if he endure to the end-to rejoice in his light.”
John Wesley is correct that those who feel themselves lost and are drawn by the Father will be given to the Son. But Wesley words this in a way that is not found in text, nor it’s context.
First of all the context tells us in previous verses that if anyone that comes to Jesus will have eternal life. Then in verse 36 Jesus says “But I said unto you, That ye have also seen me, and believeth not.” So with that in mind, verse 37 gives the reason why they did not believe; which is because only those that the Father gives to Jesus will believe.
The words “giveth” and “shall” in verse 37 are very definite; meaning in this context that if the Father gives someone to Jesus, they definitely will come to Jesus. This does not allow as some would have us believe that if the Father gives someone to Jesus they “might” come to Him.
So while Wesley correctly gives the credit to the Father for drawing people to Christ before they come to Jesus. He does not equate this drawing with regeneration; instead he equates it with the doctrine of “prevenient grace” which is a grace that makes it possible for someone to come to Jesus, but in the end denies that it is irresistible, despite the fact the verse and the context speak against the notion of anybody resisting the drawing.
While there are a lot more Scripture passages that we could consider in a study like this, I believe there is very good reason to believe that the Reformed position is the biblical model of regeneration.
Tom
