Rebutting Hardshell Arguments (4)

In this fourth and final post I will continue to critique an Internet treatise titled "Primitive Baptist Church: Bible Basic Doctrines" (See here) authored by Elders Johnson Vernon, Michael Ivy, and Don Watson, and found at the web page of Denton Primitive Baptist Church (www.dentonpbc.org). As I have been showing, their treatise is full of examples where they twist and distort the scriptures and seem to do so with much carelessness.

There are so many things in their long apologetic for Hardshell beliefs that are wrong that it would take much labor to address them. The preceding ones are enough to show how the way they approach scripture impugns their motives and methods. But, before I close this series, let me give the reader a few more examples of how they give forced and unnatural interpretations of scripture so that they can retain their man-made propositions. For instance, they wrote further:

"First, the gospel is directed to God's people. Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." The creature is the spirit born children of God." (pg. 56) 

Here they uphold their view that it was never God's will for the gospel to be preached to every man. In the preceding chapter I cited from one of their associations in 1905 which declared non-fellowship for the belief that the gospel is to be preached to unregenerate sinners, saying they "declare non-fellowship for the idea that it is the duty of the ministry to admonish the alien sinner to repent and believe the gospel." So, it is no wonder that they would not want to believe that "every creature" meant every man. So, they say that "every creature" means "every new creature." That is a ridiculous interpretation and invention, made so that it doesn't contradict their proposition. 

The above view is easily refuted. First, because it is far-fetched, not being what the ordinary person would understand. Second, the next verse says "he that believes and is baptized shall be saved but he that believes not shall be damned." So, among the "every creature" class to whom the gospel is to be sent there are those who are believers and those who are unbelievers, those who will be saved and those who will be damned. That disproves such a ridiculous interpretation. I question the honesty, and even the salvation, of men who can handle the word of God so deceitfully. It disproves their idea that says the gospel is not to be preached to every creature and they ought to throw away their idea and accept what the text says. But, because of their greater loyalty to their own man-made set of propositions they would rather pervert the scriptures than uproot those propositions! 

Further, how could the ministers Christ is commissioning know who was a new creature and who was not so as to only preach to the new creatures? So, no one should announce the good news to anyone until they can discover that they have already been made a new creature?

Other verses of the scriptures confirm that the gospel is to be preached to every person and that it is the duty of every Christian to tell others the good news. Wrote the apostle Paul:

"Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." (Col. 1: 28-29 nkjv)

Paul preached to "every man." In the Greek text "man" is from "anthropon" which means a human being, whether male or female. In the text "every man" is mentioned three times. 

Further, as we have seen, Christ preached the gospel to those who he identified as unregenerate children of the Devil. So too did John the Baptist preach to those he called snakes and who he warned to flee from the coming wrath. So too did all the apostles preach to those who they knew were unregenerate sinners.

They also wrote:

"We do not teach people to know the Lord! Heb. 8:11 “And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.” The Lord’s born again children know the Lord through the miracle of the new birth." (pg. 65) 

I have refuted the nonsensical interpretation that Hardshells put upon this text. First of all, we are indeed to teach people to know the Lord. This is clear if we look at the passage in Jeremiah that the Hebrew writer is citing, which says:

"No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD." (Jer. 31: 34 nkjv) 

Notice the words "no more." Those words tell us that it was the case in the old testament that every man (in Israel) taught his Hebrew neighbor and brother to know the Lord. So, it cannot be argued that it was never good for a man to so teach his neighbor or brother. What the text is saying is that this old covenant teaching of people to know Yahweh was to no longer be restricted to Jews teaching Jews but under the new covenant was to be extended to teaching everyone, including the Gentiles. Also, it will be true when the new heavens and new earth are realized on earth, when "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9; Hab. 2: 14), just as there is no need to teach people in heaven to know the Lord. Why? Paul says "for they shall all know me." Once everyone knows the Lord, there will no longer be a need to teach people to know the Lord.

During Christ's ministry on earth he restricted his preaching to the Jews, saying to his missionaries - "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10: 5-6 kjv) After his resurrection, Christ then commissions his missionaries to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" or "every man." The purpose of this is to teach people about who God is, who Christ is, who the Spirit is, and the way of salvation. Paul said in Romans chapter ten that no one can know Christ unless someone tells him or her about Christ.

God also has providential ways that he uses to bring people to know him. So we read:

"And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." (Exo. 7:5, 17; 8:10,22; 14:4, 18 kjv)

"Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him." (Deut. 4: 6 kjv)

There are many such verses in the old testament that say the same thing. Rahab the harlot learned of Yahweh and claimed to believe in him. How? We read this testimony of Rahab to the Hebrew spies:

“9 I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. 12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” (Josh. 2: 9-13 nkjv) 

So, how did Rahab come to know and believe in Yahweh? We know that she was a believer from this testimony: 

"By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace." (Heb. 11: 31 nkjv)

How did she come to know the Lord and place her faith in him? It was by hearing about him, about his providential doings in destroying Israel's enemies and delivering Israel from bondage. This was what God intended. He wanted the news of what he had done in judging the enemies of his people and in delivering them to be spread abroad and by that means bring many to know him. So we read:

"For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."" (Rom. 9:17 nkjv)

People come to know the Lord through hearing about him, learning of his attributes and character, his works and ways. Notice how this is affirmed in this text:

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye (all) may know how that I am the LORD." (Exo. 10: 1-2 kjv)

The pronoun "thou" (you) in the text is a singular and denotes Moses, but the pronoun "ye" (you) is plural and means "you all." I say this because the text says that sons and grandsons are to be taught the ways and works of the LORD in order that they might thereby come to know the LORD. So, the idea that people cannot come to know the LORD by hearing his word, or that he cannot reveal himself through his word, is not scriptural and thus the Hardshells are wrong when they say that God does not reveal himself through his word. Wrote the Psalmist:

"Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." (Psa. 100:3 nkjv)

Here people are commanded to know the Lord and to know that Yahweh is God. But, this is what is denied by the above authors who are defending Hardshellism. They do not think it is right for preachers to exhort sinners (those who do not know LORD God) to know God. Nor do they think that men choose to know God, to do what the Psalmist commanded them to do. Yet, we read of people who "through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD." (Jer. 9: 6 kjv) If they can choose not to know the LORD, they surely can choose to know him.

They also wrote:

"Flesh and blood did not reveal Christ to Peter, but the Father in heaven revealed him to Peter. While we do not teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord” we do teach about the Lord." (pg. 66)

If such revelation occurs in being regenerated or born again, then why have Hardshell leaders over decades averred that believing in Jesus is not necessary for salvation from sin and that myriads of people are going to heaven who never heard about Jesus, and if they did, never believed in him? Why do they say there are born again people who are polytheists or Muslim monotheists?  

Why do the authors of this treatise assume that God does not use his commissioned preachers as means to reveal Jesus? Did Paul not say that no one can believe in Jesus unless a preacher informs him about him? (Romans chapter ten) Did Paul not say that he and Apollos were "ministers by whom you believed"? (I Cor. 3: 5) Jesus said that the Father teaches and draws a sinner prior to that sinner coming to Jesus for life. (John 6: 44-45) Surely it is by the Father and Spirit opening the eyes to hear and understand the gospel that this revelation of the person of Christ is revealed. 

Further, just because a few people have had a revelation of Christ by a personal appearing of God, Father, Son, or Spirit, as Saul of Tarsus, does not mean that everyone obtains that revelation the same way. 

Further, though teachers of the word give the word of God to people and the people, by that word, obtain a revelation of who Christ is, yet it is not the giver of the word that does the revealing but the Father, Son, and Spirit who blesses that word to impart that revelation to sinners and thereby make believers of them.

They also wrote:

"When we were "dead in trespasses and sins we heard the life giving voice of the Son of God speaking spiritual life into our very being and thus we now live spiritually." (pg. 103)

So, dead people "hear" before they are made alive? I thought the Hardshells taught that the dead can't hear the word of God? That people must be made alive before they can hear? 

Also, in Ephesians chapter two, where the above words about being made alive from being dead in sins are found (2: 1,5), Paul says this salvation from death is "by grace through faith." (vs. 8) So, these dead people heard the word or voice of the Son of God and believed it before they were saved from spiritual death. 

The Hardshells will say that this "voice" is not heard in hearing the word of God or the gospel but is a direct speaking of the Son of God apart from the word to the sub-conscious mind. However, that is far from being scriptural. Many times you will hear their preachers say, in expressing this idea, "folks, you are hearing the words of God in my preaching but you are hearing my voice." To them the "voice" of the Lord is a direct vocal speaking of Christ personally and directly apart from the written word of God. However, that is not what is meant by the "voice" of God or Son of God. 

First, in the scriptures we read about "the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath day" (Acts 13:27 kjv). Notice that the "voices" of the prophets are "read" in the synagogue each Sabbath. This fact alone destroys the Hardshell invention about the voice of the Lord not being what is heard in hearing the word of God read. Yes, "voice" (Greek phōnē) may denote the "sound" or noise of speech, but it also means speech or the word spoken. 

By the argumentation of the Hardshells about what "voice" of the Son of God means they are admitting that people cannot hear Christ's voice when they hear Hardshell preachers preach the word! When I was saved as a young man of sixteen I heard the voice of the Lord calling me when I heard preaching of the word. I specifically remember hearing Christ in my head when the invitation hymn was being sung that said "Where he leads me I will follow" and the line "I'll go with him all the way" and heard Christ say to me "I will go with you all the way" and I in turn said to Christ "I will follow you all the way." The apostle Paul said that Christ was "speaking in him." (II Cor. 13:3) Jesus said to his missionaries - "whoever hears you hears me" (Luke 10:16). Notice these words of Paul:

"So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me." (I Cor. 14:9-11 kjv)

Here "voices" are associated with words heard and understood. Not only that, but those who hear the word of God and reject it are refusing to hear the voice of the Lord. Notice the proof of this:

"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness...For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Heb. 3:7-7-8, 13-14 kjv) 

"Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (4:7) 

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." (12: 25 kjv)

They also wrote:

"How many ways are there for being born again? Were people in the Old Testament days born-again in a different way than in these New Testament days? Are those who die in infancy or those who are mentally incapable of responding to the gospel born-again in a different way than those who do hear the gospel? Are people who never have an opportunity to hear the gospel born-again in a different way than those who hear the gospel?" -- "every one" is born of the Spirit in the same way." (pg. 110) 

There is only one way to be born again. Peter said it is "by the word of God which lives and abides forever" and which is "by the gospel is announced." (I Peter 1: 23-25) James said God "begat us with the word of truth." Paul says people are "begotten by the gospel." (I Cor. 4: 15) Where is the text that says it is not by the word of God? 

Are these brethren saying that people go to heaven as unbelievers? We cannot base our ideas about how God saves adult sinners on how he saves those who die in infancy or the mentally incapacitated, especially since the scriptures do not address that issue specifically. We must simply take what the scriptures say about how people who are able to think and do are saved and that is clear in scripture. They must hear the gospel and believe it, and believe in the one true and living God, and in the Son of God as the Messiah, and in his resurrection. 

I am sure that these elders thought that they had given unanswerable proofs for their Hyper Calvinistic beliefs. But, if they really believed that, why do none of them engage with others in debate, such as I, on these topics? 

This will conclude this short series.

Rebutting Hardshell Arguments (3)

In this third post I will continue to critique an Internet treatise titled "Primitive Baptist Church: Bible Basic Doctrines" (See here) authored by Elders Johnson Vernon, Michael Ivy, and Don Watson, and found at the web page of Denton Primitive Baptist Church (www.dentonpbc.org). We are still looking at the section titled "Relationship Between Belief and New Birth"  (pgs. 112-113).

Next, they wrote:

"F. John 10:26-28, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." In this passage the sheep are those to whom Christ gives eternal life. Those who are not given eternal life do not believe. Only those who are given eternal life believe, thus belief is the evidence of the fact that God has given us eternal life (new birth)."

My Response

In all the scriptures these three apologists for Hardshell Hyper Calvinism have brought forth as proofs for their belief that 1) regeneration or rebirth or quickening precedes faith and repentance and that 2) faith and repentance are not necessary conditions for being regenerated or eternally saved, none actually affirm those propositions, but actually deny them. The above text, ironically, does not deny that believing in Christ is a necessary condition for being one of the sheep of the Lord as these authors surmise. Rather, again, they teach just the opposite, affirming that faith in Christ and following him are necessary for being a sheep in the sheepfold of Christ. It is bewildering how anyone could read the above words of Christ and come away saying that faith in Christ is not necessary for being eternally saved.

How does Christ describe and define a sheep of his? 

First, he says that they hear his voice. By "hearing" he means more than just mere hearing but means hearing in the sense of paying attention to the voice of Christ, to heeding it, and following it. That is clear from the context. 

Second, he says that they "follow" Christ and his voice. So, the voice cannot be some voice heard on a sub-conscious level so as not to be understood cognitively. Sheep when they hear the voice of their shepherd respond to it for it commands them. Further, following is what disciples do, and so one cannot be a sheep if one is not a disciple of Jesus. 

Third, the sheep have an intimate relationship with their shepherd. He knows the sheep and the sheep know him. So, to be a sheep one must have an intimate relationship with the shepherd, that being what it means to "know" another. The idea that a person can be a sheep without knowing the shepherd (the Hardshell idea) is ridiculous. 

Fourth, Jesus also says that the voice of a "stranger" (or another shepherd unfamiliar to the sheep) will not be followed, and the sheep will flee from him. (vs. 5) This shows that the sheep are they who remain followers of Christ.

Recall our logical formula which says "If P, then Q"; And, therefore, "if not Q, then not P." So, if you are a sheep, then you will be a follower of Christ, which is what is the essence of faith. You will know Christ and know his voice and heed that voice. If you do not follow Christ, do not know him, and do not heed his voice, then you are not a sheep. Sheep follow their shepherd because they know and trust him. If you follow another Savior or God, then you are not of the sheep, a proposition denied by most Hardshells who say that many of the sheep (regenerated) remain believers in false gods and do not know Christ nor believe in him.

Where in the text does Christ say that the sheep have everlasting life before or apart from their knowing and believing and following Christ the Shepherd? Answer: no place. Hardshells say that many who do not know Jesus and who follow other gods are sheep as Christ describes them. Huh? In this post (here) I give several citations where Hardshell leaders have affirmed this very thing. In this post (here) I cited these words from Elder T.L. Webb Sr.:

"I believe that God is the author of prayer. I have thought, and I believe today with all my heart, that every person in this world, who has prayed, will finally be around the throne of grace in heaven."

So, every religious person in the world is a regenerated, born again, sheep of Christ!

Next, they wrote: 

"G. John 13:37, 38, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" It is not the miracles we see with our natural eyes that enable or entice us to believe, but it is the miracle performed within us (new birth) that enables or causes us to believe. God must first cause us to be born again (reveal his holy arm within us) and then we can "believe the report.""

My Response

What an unscholarly commentary! First, the text cited is from John chapter twelve, not thirteen. Second, these Hardshell apologists read things into the text that are not there and make statements on the text that are foreign to it. In a recent series, where I gave a critique of another Hardshell apologist (Elder Harvey) who argued that when Jesus said the Sodomites would have repented had they seen the miracles Christ was doing that this proved that the Sodomites were children of God. (See here) Well, if the above authors are correct, the Sodomites did have the greatest miracle of all, i.e. the new birth. Third, verse 36, which I cited in the previous chapter, and which the authors of the treatise we are now examining left out, goes against what they say in their commentary on verses 37-38 in the above citation! In it Jesus says "believe in the light that you may children of the light." So, if faith precedes becoming birthed children of God in verse 36, why do the above authors say that verses 37-38 teach the reverse? 

Next, they wrote:

"H. 1 John 5:1, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." Once again, "believeth" is in the present tense and "is born" is in the past tense, thus again showing us that the new birth precedes belief and in this case "belief that Jesus is the Christ." Plainly it can be seen from the several verses quoted that John taught that the new birth comes before belief." 

This argument has been often made by those who believe that the new birth precedes faith. I have shown however that this argument is weak and does not prove that the birth preceded the believing of the text. (See these posts here, here, here, here) I give examples where a present participle is used with a perfect verb and where it is evident that the action of the verb did not precede the action of the participle, such as in this sentence:

"All thinking people (present active participle) have realized (perfect passive) this truth." 

Here we see where the verb realized did not occur before the thinking, but was the result of the thinking. I could also say - "whoever is saying such things has shown himself to be a fool" where the participle "whoever is saying" is a present tense participle and "has shown" is a perfect tense. In that sentence the saying action of the participle preceded the verb has shown. 

I also show that it is likely that the present tense participle (the ones believing) is a universal or gnomic present tense so that a past tense believing is included in the present tense, and so the text may be read thusly - "whoever has believed and who continues to believe has been born of God." I even cited Daniel Wallace, Greek scholar, who wrote the following:

“The gnomic present is distinct from the customary present in that customary present refers to a regularly recurring action while the gnomic present refers to a general, timeless fact…The gnomic present is generally atemporal.”

That is probably the case with I John 5: 1 and I John 2: 29. Said Wallace further:

"Further, the present participle, especially in such formulaic expression Πᾶς ὁ + present participle and the like, routinely belong here." (Greek Grammar here)

Πᾶς ὁ + present participle is what we have in I John 5: 1 and Wallace says such expression "routinely belongs" to such a gnomic class of present tense. 

The text says "whoever is believing continually that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." We can write the same sentence this way: "whoever is not believing continually that Jesus is the Christ has not been born of God." Can we say that the unborn state preceded and caused the unbelieving state? 

John is affirming that those who are not believers have not been born of God. John's purpose is not to establish an ordo salutis. His purpose is to identify those who have been born of God. John is not in the above text contradicting what he wrote elsewhere. In John 1: 12-13 he plainly says that people received Christ and believed in him and as a result Christ gave them the right or privilege to become the birth children of God, saying that those who received him were born of God when they received him. He recorded the words of Jesus who said "believe in the light that you may become sons of light." (John 12: 36) 

Also, folks who believe that the text teaches that the birth precedes the believing will say that the perfect tense means that something that happened in the past has present effects. That is true. However, they err when they say that the effect implied is the believing, when in fact the birth itself or becoming children of God thereby, is the continued effect. 

In the first post in this short series I cited what the authors said about John 1: 12-13 and focused in on how they omitted very important parts of this text, parts that contradicted their interpretation. They actually did it more than once. In another section of their work they wrote:

"Similarly, John 1:11-13 teaches us that God is sovereign in bringing about the new birth: "He came unto his own...even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This passage teaches the Sovereignty of God in causing us to be born again by first ruling all other possible causes. First, man's belief is ruled out as a cause for the passage shows that the birth took place prior to man's belief. This leaves us with the only logical conclusion that belief cannot be a cause of the new birth...Fourthly, the new birth is not the result of man's will or choice. Thus, man does not choose to be born again and because of his choice the new birth comes about. " (pgs. 101-102)

Notice the ellipsis once again (the...). They again left out the part that says "to as many as received him to them gave he the right to become children of God." I wrote about how the Hardshells have often used the ellipsis to take words out of context, whether it be from texts of scripture or texts from human writings. This is a tactic of dishonest people. See these posts here, here, here where I give examples of this. 

Man's will is not excluded in his being saved, quickened, born again, or regenerated. John 1: 12-13 does not exclude the will of the one being born of God. How do I know that? First, because the text says that people "receive" and "believe" Christ in order for them to be given the privilege of becoming begotten children of God and members of the family of God. People choose to receive and believe. Both those words in the Greek are in the active voice which means that those people were the ones who actively did those two things and not passively. 

Second, it is true that one cannot be saved or born again by the will of the flesh, which means it is not a choice that is originated by an impulse coming from the depraved nature of the sinner nor the result of natural generation. It is also true that no one can be saved or born again by the will of another person, such as a parent. But, this does not exclude God working in a sinner "to will" to receive Christ and to believe in him, and a will to be saved or born again. (Phil. 2: 13) The Psalmist said "thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power" (110: 3) and Paul says that sinners willingly and actively "believe" when God exerts "the working of his mighty power" (Eph. 1: 19) to make that happen.

In the Hardshell doctrinal treatise I am examining the authors have a section where they correctly say that being born again is also described as being "circumcised in heart." People choose, by God's grace and working, for that to happen. Moses told Israel, “Circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.” (Deut. 10:16) Jeremiah exhorted: 

"Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." (Jer. 4: 4)

Commented Dr. Gill:

"Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart - Content not yourselves with, nor put your confidence in outward circumcision of the flesh, but be concerned for the circumcision of the heart; for removing from that whatever is disagreeable to the Lord, even all carnality, sensuality, hypocrisy, and superfluity of naughtiness, and for having that put there which is well pleasing in his sight; and which though it is the work of God, and he only can do it and has promised it, yet such an exhortation is made to bring men to a sense of their need of it, and of the importance of it, and to show how agreeable it is to the Lord, and so to stir them up to seek unto him for it." (Gill's Commentary)

See my posting on spiritual circumcision (here).

So, it is not against scripture for sinners, by God's grace and inner working, to will for God to circumcise their hearts, to make them new men, transform them, to give them repentance and faith. We are told in scripture that "whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2: 32; Acts 2: 21; Rom. 10: 13). Surely people do that because they willed or chose to do so.

Jesus also said that people "come" to the Lord (which is equated with believing in him) because they willed to do so. So Jesus said to some alien sinners - "you will not come to me that you might have life." (John 5: 40) The Bible speaks of a "willing mind" (II Cor. 8: 12) and surely the grace of God at work in a sinner's heart preparatory to his regeneration produces such. Paul said "to will is present with me" and that was a will to do God's will. (Rom. 7: 18) The question for my Hardshell friends is this - can God produce a willing mind before regeneration? If not, why not? Solomon said "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord" to turn it in whatever direction the Lord pleases. (Prov. 21: 1). Christians sing "Oh happy day! That fixed my choice on thee my Savior and my God." Even Hardshells sing this song. 

Rebutting Hardshell Arguments (2)

In this second post we will continue to critique an Internet treatise titled "Primitive Baptist Church: Bible Basic Doctrines" (See here) authored by Elders Johnson Vernon, Michael Ivy, and Don Watson, and found at the web page of Denton Primitive Baptist Church (www.dentonpbc.org).

The treatise spends a lot of time trying to prove that a sinner is born again or regenerated or quickened before he believes in Christ or the gospel and before he repents of his sin. This is not only a tenet of the Hardshell Hyper Calvinists but is also a view held to by others, such as the Reformed Baptists, or some Presbyterians such as the late Dr. R.C. Sproul. These folks want to try to get people to believe that this view is the view of Calvinists, which is not the case, for many Calvinists do not believe that sinners are born again before faith. John Calvin himself did not believe it, affirming rather that sinners were born again or regenerated by faith. The older Calvinists at the time of the Protestant Reformation generally agreed with Calvin. 

The above text disproves the proposition that regeneration precedes faith. Believing in Christ the Light precedes becoming children of the Light. Children of the Light is the same as children of God. In First Thessalonians chapter five Paul says to the believers "you are all sons of the light and sons of the day." (vs. 5) We saw in the previous chapter of this critique how John 1: 12-13 taught the same truth, that people believe in Christ and receive him in order to be given the right to become begotten children of God. We are still looking at the section titled "Relationship Between Belief and New Birth"  (pgs. 112-113).

Next, the authors of the treatise wrote:

"B. John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life..." Again, "believeth" is present tense and "hath" is past tense. Thus everlasting life (new birth) precedes belief."

My Response

No, "believeth" is a present tense participle (the one who is believing) in the active voice and "hath" (has) is not a past tense verb in the Greek but is also a present tense indicative active. 

The text cannot be twisted so as to say that people have everlasting life before faith. In the very same chapter Jesus said "whoever believes" in him the Christ "will not perish but have everlasting life." (vs. 16) Obtaining eternal life follows believing. Why would it be different in verse 36? Not only that, but the Hardshells don't simply say that regeneration precedes faith but say most people who are regenerated never come to faith in Christ, a position that the Reformed Baptists and many Presbyterians don't believe, for they say that regeneration only logically precedes faith, not chronologically, affirming that at the very moment a sinner is regenerated he believes in Christ. 

The words of Christ are intended to teach us that unbelievers are not regenerated. That is the point that the Hardshells reject, and yet it is the main point Christ is affirming. Whoever does not believe in him does not have everlasting life! 

Notice also that the authors again omitted a crucial part of the text! What part? The part that says "he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him." Why would the above authors leave that part out? Is it not for the same reason that they omitted a crucial part of John 1: 13-14, that part that says "those who received him to them he gave the right to become the children of God"? The very text above that these unscrupulous authors used to try to prove that faith is not a necessary precondition for having eternal life actually says that those who do not believe do not have, nor will they have, eternal life but also says that the wrath of God abides on them. So, unbelievers do not have spiritual life nor are they justified, but are spiritually dead and condemned. 

Many Hardshell lay people will not even attempt to act as the noble Bereans and study the passage to see if what the above authors are saying is correct. They will just accept the view that "hath" is past tense when it is not. Many will even miss the main point which is to say that unbelievers do not have eternal life. They will simply and blindly accept the Hardshell interpretation that says that all Christ is saying is that faith is an evidence of a prior salvation but is no condition for salvation, for they say that many go to heaven who were regenerated but who did not believe.

Next, they wrote:

"C. John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." Once again, "heareth" and "believeth" are present tense and "hath" is past tense. Hence, everlasting life comes before we can hear or believe. Thus we must be born again prior to "hearing" or "believing." Hearing and believing are evidences of the new birth."

My Response

No, "hearing" and "believing" are both present tense participles in the active voice and "hath" again is likewise a present tense indicative active verb. "Is passed" is a perfect tense indicative active voice verb, a similar construction to I John 5: 1. However, in John 5: 24 the perfect tense verb is in the active voice but in I John 5: 1 the perfect tense "is born" is in either the passive or middle voice.

When two things are integral to each other, where it is impossible to have one without the other, one may say whoever has A has B and also say whoever has B has A. I could say "whoever is (present tense) a male has (perfect tense) XY chromosomes" or say "whoever has (present tense) XY chromosomes is (perfect tense) a male." Whoever is a present ongoing believer has been born of God. Whoever is born of God has believed. Both statements are true. This is what is called in logic a contrapositive. Example:

Original: If it is raining, then the ground is wet.

Contrapositive: If the ground is not wet, then it is not raining.

So, if a person has been born of God he has believed, and if a person has believed he has been born of God. If a person is of God, then he will be hearing the word of God, and if he is not hearing the word of God, then he is not of God.

Further, as I wrote about in my exegesis of I John 5: 1, there are what are called universal or gnomic present tense participles which are verbal adjectives that express a timeless, general truth, habit, or characteristic without being tied to a specific moment in time. So, when John speaks of "believing ones" he means those who have believed (past tense), are still believing (present tense), and who will continue (future tense) to believe. So, whoever has believed has been born of God is included in the use of a gnomic present tense. 

Next, they wrote:

"D. John 6:47, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." You show me someone who believes on Jesus and I will show you someone who already has everlasting life."

My Response

No, once again "he who believes" is a present tense nominative participle in the active voice and "hath" is also again a present tense active verb. The text does not say that the believing ones possessed everlasting life before they became believers. This is a case of "handling the word of God deceitfully" (II Cor. 4: 2) and of "twisting" scripture. (II Peter 3: 16) In the previous chapter we saw where these authors said that the new birth was the cause and believing was the effect. If that is true, then everyone who is born again should believe or else we have a case of a cause not producing an effect. 

So, what is the state of those who believe not? What happens to them? When Jesus says it is those who believe that have everlasting life, he intends to say that those who do not believe do not have spiritual life. Further, Christ actually says this many times. Jesus said in John 3: 16 that those who believe will be given everlasting life as a result of believing and said "he who believes not is condemned already because he has not believed in Christ." (vs. 18) The condemnation is contrasted with having eternal life and so it too is eternal. Christ said the same in Mark 16:16 - "the one who believes not shall be condemned." We also saw this in John 3: 36 where Christ gave the negative, "the one who does not believe shall not see life but has the wrath of God abiding on them." Jesus also plainly declared: "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." 

Next, they wrote:

"E. John 8:43, 47, "Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word." "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." Clearly, you must first be of God (born again) before you can hear God's words (gospel)."

My Response

No, that is false reasoning. In this text we have another contrapositive. It is another "if, then." In logic it is "if P, then Q." In that logical formula it also implies "if not Q, then not P." But the implied contrapositive, "if you are of God, then you will hear God's word," is what is denied by the Hardshells, for they teach that the overwhelming majority of those who are "of God" will never hear and believe God's word! The text's logic says "If you are not of God, then you have not heard God's word." Such a statement also says "if you do not hear God's word, then you are not of God." We can rightly say "whoever is alive is breathing" as well as say "whoever is breathing is alive." As I have stated, when two things are essentially and necessarily joined together in such a way that one cannot exist by itself, then one may say to have one is to have the other, and vice versa.

Verse 47 of this chapter is addressed to those who Christ identifies as not being of God as Jesus said. He even says to them that "the Devil" is their father. So, why is Christ even preaching to them? Hardshellism says it is wrong to preach the gospel to the unregenerate. In this article (here) I cited these words from a sermon by Elder Sonny Pyles:

"It would be just as ridiculous to go down in Virginia or Kentucky and start yelling at the rock and the mountains as it would be for me to preach the gospel to an alien sinner never born again of the Spirit of God."

"It would be just as foolish to go over to the shopping center, walk up to a brick wall and start saying "by grace are ye saved through faith" - and people would think I was a moron."

Pyles makes Jesus a moron for he was doing that very thing in John chapter eight! He tells spiritually dead and unregenerate sinners what it takes to be saved, i.e. believe in Christ. In that same article I cited the following from Elder C.H. Cayce's paper "The Primitive Baptist," from an editorial written by Cayce in the year 1905, where Cayce wrote:

"The Forked Deer Association met with the church at Flowers Chapel, near Rutherford, Gibson county, Tenn., on Friday before the second Sunday in September, 1905. Elder John Grist, of Friendship, Tenn., was moderator, and L. J. Law, Trenton, Tenn., was clerk. The following appears in their minutes as the third and fourth items of their business on Saturday:

By motion and second, agreed that we adopt as the sense of this association the action of five of our churches as expressed in their letters, that we declare non-fellowship for the idea of a federal form of government, that the commission was given to the church and not to the apostles or ministry, that it is the duty of the ministry to admonish the alien sinner to repent and believe the gospel, and against affiliation in and with secret institutions."

So, Christ is not only a moron for wasting his time telling those children of the Devil how to be saved but he is also violating the will of God in doing so! Unbelievable! In the same chapter we have another contrapositive in these words said to the same people:

“You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, (then) you would have known My Father also." (vs. 19) 

Here we have another "if, then" logical statement, involving the protasis "if" and the apodosis "then" (which is often implied). The Bible is full of them, just as every day speech is full of them. We see where two things are so essentially linked together so that neither can exist by itself. It is impossible to know the Father without knowing the Son, and vice versa. It is another "if P, then Q" and "if not Q, then not P." So, there is no such character who is "of God" but who is not at the same time one who is hearing (listening or heeding) the word of God. Yet, this is exactly what the Hardshells try to convince others that this is what the Bible teaches. Here is another "if, then" from the same discourse to the same people:

"And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, (then) you will die in your sins.” (vs. 23-24)

Notice the "if" (protasis) in the text. The apodosis (then) is implied. Hardshells do not believe that faith in Christ is essential for being saved from sin, death, and eternal punishment. Yet, the above text proves otherwise. "If P (you don't believe), then Q (you will die in your sins)." What is the contrapositive? "If not Q (you do not die in your sins), then you had believed." 

Notice again how Christ clearly identifies these people not only as children of the Devil but as being "from beneath," who he would later refer to as being "children of Hell" or Hell's offspring (Matt. 23: 15), and as being "of this world." 

Now I invite any of the above elders to come here and answer my refutation of their interpretations of scripture. The same is true with any other Hardshell. If I am wrong, come and show me how I am wrong and how you are right. The fact that I have been calling on you all to do this for the past eighteen years through these blogs and only one of you attempted to debate the issues shows that you all know that you cannot refute them. Why not come here and debate these issues? Each month we get thousands of visitors, even over 300,000 per month over the past year. So, let all these people see that you all are not cowards or perverters of the word of God by coming here and discussing these things in the way Christ would want us to do.

In the next chapter I will continue, and probably finish, this rebuttal to the argumentation of the elders who wrote the apologetic for the Denton Primitive Baptist Church.

Rebutting Hardshell Arguments (1)

The Greek word "logismos" in the above text is translated as "imaginations" (kjv), "reasonings," and "arguments," and "speculations" in other translations. Anyone who is in the business of "correcting" errors in religion or Christian doctrine, in doing "apologetics" (what the apostle Peter called giving a defense or answer to those who inquire into why you believe the way you do - I Peter 3:15), will be involved in "casting down arguments" that heretics give to support their heresies. One of the things that the "scriptures" do is to "correct" people who hold to religious errors. (II Tim. 3: 16) 

In my writings over the past eighteen years via my blogs I have been "casting down arguments" against many false teachers and their teachings and that is certainly true in regard to the errors of the Hyper Calvinists and Hardshell Baptists. I have also written and debated much against Arminianism, such as from those of the "Church of Christ" or the followers of Alexander Campbell. I have refuted all the arguments of the Hyper Calvinists and the Hardshell Primitive Baptists and the Hyper Arminians concerning the doctrine of salvation (soteriology). 

I have written rebuttals to Hardshell apologists such as Elders Bernard Gowens, Ben Winslett, Ronnie Loudermilk, Joseph Holder, Gary Harvey, Jason Brown, Michael Ivey, Harold Hunt, Sonny Pyles, David Pyles, and other present day defenders of Hyper Calvinism, as well as recognized Hardshell leaders of the past, such as Elders Sylvester Hassell, Gilbert Beebe, Samuel Trott, Wilson Thompson, Grigg Thompson, Thomas Dudley, S.F. and C.H. Cayce, Lemuel Potter, John R. Daily, R.V. Sarrels, etc. 

I have, of course, cited from several first generation "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptists who I thought taught the truth and who were at odds with other Hardshellers who were going astray after strange doctrines, such as Two Seedism, men such as Elders John M. Watson, John Clark, James Osbourn, C.B. Hassell, R.W. Fain, J.B. Stephens, J.R. Respass.

One of the errors of Hardshells and Hyper Calvinists says that people are born again or regenerated before faith and repentance, and the error of some of them that say people can be regenerated and never embrace the Christian faith but remain believers in false gods. It is a very serious error to say that regeneration is distinct from evangelical conversion. Another of their errors says that the written word of God, or the preaching of the gospel, is no means in effecting regeneration or in obtaining eternal salvation, another very serious error with perilous consequences. Another Hardshell error says that regenerated people may be kept or preserved from losing salvation but most will not persevere in faith and holiness, or allegiance to Christ.

I have a series titled "The Means of Grace" where I refute the arguments of those who deny that the word of God is a means in regeneration and in eternal salvation and present affirmative arguments for the means view. All are in their own blog (see the link on this page "The Gospel - The Means of Grace" here).

I also have a series titled "Regeneration Before Faith Proof Texts" where I answer the arguments of those Hyper Calvinists who say that people are born again before faith and I have also given arguments for the belief that people are born again by faith. All these articles also are in their own blog titled "Ordo Salutis Debate" (see link on this blog here). In that series I showed that the view that says regeneration precedes faith leads to another error which affirms that regeneration precedes justification. I argue that the historic Protestant doctrine affirms that justification by faith precedes regeneration by faith.

This writing will be another rebuttal to the apologists of Hardshellism, particularly from an Internet treatise titled "Primitive Baptist Church: Bible Basic Doctrines" (See here) authored by Elders Johnson Vernon, Michael Ivy, and Don Watson, compiled by Brother Filden Oroni and found at the web page of Denton Primitive Baptist Church (www.dentonpbc.org). I have written a lengthy rebuttal to Michael Ivey's book "Welsh Succession of Primitive Baptists." 

I will begin with the section titled "Relationship Between Belief and New Birth"  (pgs. 112-113), where they say (emphasis mine throughout):

"In this essay we will look at the relationship between belief and the new birth. Most people today are taught and believe that you must hear and believe the gospel in order to be born again. In a cause/effect relationship, they think that "belief" is the "cause" and that the "new birth" is the "effect." This concept is to them supported by an erroneous belief in what John 3:16 teaches. In truth, the "new birth" is the "cause" and "belief" is the "effect" of the new birth."

"A. John 1:11-13...to them that believe on his name: which were born...of God." For the sake of brevity we didn't quote all the above passage, but please note "believe" is in the present tense, while "were born" is in the past tense. Grammatically, therefore, the birth must precede the belief; i.e., they were born of God prior to believing."

My Response

Why not "quote all the above passage" from John 1? They say it was "for the sake of brevity"! Who can believe that? Is it not because the part left out refutes their argument about the grammar supposedly proving that the birth precedes receiving Christ? Let us cite all the verses.

"11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (nkjv)

The word "received" is an aorist past tense or action, meaning "it happened." Likewise, "were born" is an aorist past tense. So, to say that the birth occurred before the receiving is false. It is true that the participle "the ones believing" is a linear present tense. The participle is simply a declaratory statement identifying the ones who savingly "received" Jesus as Christ. John may have given this explanatory comment about the receivers of Christ in order to let readers know that John does not include those who simply invited Christ into their homes or gave him a hearing. Simon the Pharisee is one such person. We read about him in Luke 7: 36-50. He invited, welcomed, or received Christ into his home. Yet, the story shows that he was not a true believer in Christ. Let us give the story.

"36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 

Jesus says to Simon, 

“44 Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much." 

Notice that Simon "asked" or "invited" Christ to enter into his house. But, he did not believe in Christ, not even believing he was a prophet of God. He also did not believe he was a sin sick sinner in need of repentance and forgiveness. Christ also described how Simon did not show him the loving kindness that the sinner woman did who was washing his feet. Christ said to Simon that her sins, though many, were forgiven, implying that Simon's sins were not forgiven. He "received" Christ into his house but not into his heart and did not become a believer. Perhaps John therefore says those who "received" Christ are they who are believing and trusting in Christ.

So, did the birth occur when the receiving and believing occurred? The argument by our Hardshell apologists says that the birth preceded both the receiving and the believing. Why? Because, say they, the tense for the participle "the believing ones" is present tense while the tense for the verb "born" is, say they, "past tense." Actually, however, "born" is an aorist past tense just as is the word "received." So, their argument is invalid. The birth occurred when they received Christ and this receiving of Christ was by faith, by believing in him. What the text is saying is that those who are the believing ones are they who have previously received Christ and been born of God. 

Our Hardshell "scholars" want to try to make John contradict himself in the text. John clearly says that receiving Christ preceded obtaining the privilege of becoming the children of God. Why would he then say that they were born children of God before they received him? When did they become children of God? When they 1) received Christ and 2) were born of God. So we have the order thus: 1) received Christ by believing in him, 2) born of God, 3) become children of God. 

Also, the Greek word for "children" is from "teknon" and denotes a birthed child. Becoming a birth child follows receiving Christ. 

To say that John is affirming that those who received Christ and believed in him were born again children of God before they received and believed is to affirm that receiving Christ is not the way people receive spiritual life and all the blessings of redemption. To say people are born again before they receive Christ is to say that they were children of God and spiritually alive while separated from Christ. Yet, the Bible is very clear that spiritual life comes by being united to Christ who is Life.

In the next chapter we will look at more of the arguments for the Hardshell ideas about how to be saved and on whether regeneration or rebirth occurs apart from faith in Christ.\

Sound Doctrine

 

Several New Testament texts speak of what is called "sound doctrine." (I Tim. 1:10; II Tim. 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1) By "sound" (Grk. hygiainō) means healthy or what is good and profitable for you, therapeutic. The same Greek word is translated as "whole" in contrast to "sick." (Luke 5: 31; 7:10) In III John 3: 1 it is actually translated as "be in health." Paul speaks of sound doctrine in these words:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome (Grk. hygiainō) words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness." (I Tim. 6: 3 kjv)

He also spoke of Bible teachers teaching or delivering "sound words" (II Tim. 1: 13), warning that "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (II Tim. 4: 3). Sound doctrine is wholesome, beneficial, good for your spiritual and mental health. It will also improve your overall health, your mental, spiritual, and bodily well being. Wrote Solomon:

"My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life." (Prov. 4: 20-23 nkjv)

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones." (Prov. 17: 22 nkjv)

"The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy." (Prov. 15: 30 nkjv)

The Gospel is good news and so is good for the mind, and the mind affects the body.

"A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones." (Prov. 14: 30 nkjv)

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." (Prov. 3: 5-8 kjv)

Solomon gave good fatherly advice about the benefits of good doctrine and the knowledge of truth when he wrote:

"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law." (Prov. 4: 1-2 kjv)

Again, that is true in regard to all the sciences, but especially in the knowledge of God, of his character, works, and ways. Good doctrine is good in itself, good for you, good because it is profitable. In the New Testament there are several Greek words that are translated by the singular English word "good." At times the word may mean what is worthy, as in "good" seed. Sometimes it may mean what is profitable. At times it may mean what is essentially or morally good. "Good doctrine" would include good theology, good instruction, good because it is true and right. Our Father in Heaven has given us good doctrine. Wrote Moses of the doctrine of the LORD:

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." (Deut. 32: 1-2 kjv)

The doctrine of the scriptures is as beneficial and right as rain. So the apostle Paul wrote:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..." (II Tim. 3: 16 kjv)

In the Bible we have only "words of faith and of good doctrine" (I Tim. 4: 6). A Bible believer is one who is "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught," and is "sound in the faith," and is thereby "able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict themselves," and if necessary to "rebuke sharply" those who oppose the faithful word of God. (Titus 1: 9, 13 nkjv) A Bible believer should be rooted in the faith, one who "gives attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." (I Tim. 4: 13 kjv) They should all "labor in the word and doctrine," especially teachers of the word (I Tim. 5: 17 kjv). 

Christians need to be on alert about false doctrine, especially when it comes to the fundamental tenets of the Bible. They need to be "rooted and grounded" in love, and in Christ, which cannot be done apart from being rooted and grounded in what he taught, in the knowledge of the truth. (Eph. 3: 17-19) If a person's life is not founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is destined for destruction. Said Jesus:

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matt. 7: 24-27 nkjv)

Importance of Sound Doctrine

"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Rom. 6: 17-18 kjv)

"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." (II John 1: 9 kjv)

These texts tell us that doctrine is so important that it is connected with salvation. That is not to say that a person must be right in properly interpreting every text of holy scripture, but it does tell us that one must be correct in the fundamental teachings of the Bible concerning the nature and works of God, the way of salvation through Christ or the message of the Gospel, and of the person of Christ, etc., and not over tertiary issues.

The apostles constantly warned believers about this matter. The apostle Paul firmly gave this solemn warning to them:

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Eph. 4: 14 kjv)

Such professing Christians show how unstable they are and may reveal that they have never truly known the way of truth and were never begotten by it. Peter wrote about these hypocritical believers in this language:

"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (II Peter 2: 20-22 nkjv)

Obviously these professing believers were not true disciples, but were people who had a head knowledge of Christ and the doctrine of the faith but who did not hold on to it. By this head knowledge and through  having made a profession of Christ they had for a time "escaped the pollutions of the world" through the "knowledge" of the doctrine. They received temporary benefits from abiding by the morals of the Christian faith, but no lasting benefits. The teachings of Christ were not made the foundation of the lives of these shallow ground hearers. We must remember these words of Jesus about what he taught:

"Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." (John 7: 16-17 nkjv)

Doing God's will cannot be divorced from knowing the doctrine of Christ which is the doctrine of God. A saved person knows the doctrine. If he does not, he is not saved. 

Christians must be on guard against false teachers and their false doctrines. So exhorted the apostle who had so much to do with codifying Christian doctrine (Paul):

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Rom. 16: 17 kjv)

Christians must not be reluctant to learn doctrine nor to make sure that what they believe is correct, for if they do not, they may be found doing what the apostle Paul warned about, i.e. "that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed" (I Tim. 6: 1 kjv). Rather, Christians should rather strive to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" (Titus 2: 10 kjv)

Bad Doctrine

Obviously sound doctrine is very important. That is true in all the sciences, but especially in theology. It is repugnant that some Christians talk badly of doctrine, saying it prevents unity and causes division and does not promote love. However, this idea is foreign to what the scriptures say about doctrine and its importance. Truth will always divide. Said Jesus:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ " (Matt. 10: 34-36 nkjv)

Of course, false doctrine is harmful, but good doctrine is highly beneficial. False doctrine is also called "damnable heresies" (II Peter 2:1) because they are condemned by the scriptures and because they confirm people in their condemned state and bring upon them greater condemnation. 

Paul spoke of "science falsely so called" (I Tim. 6: 20 kjv). Knowledge that is not correct does no one any good. It is called "falsehood" in the Bible. People do themselves no good when they give heed to untruths and to falsehood, whey the "take refuge in their lies" and "hide themselves under falsehood." (Isa. 28: 15) They have "trusted in falsehood" (Jer. 13: 25). This is true whether it be errors in psychology, philosophy, medicine, etc., but especially in what they know about God. Paul warned of these false doctrines when he warned:

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." (I Tim. 4: 1-3 nkjv)

It is interesting that when the truth is spoken of in scripture that it is called the "doctrine" (singular) and not "doctrines" (plural), as we see in the above text where Paul speaks of "doctrines of demons." We should not think merely of demonic doctrines in theology alone, but should recognize that doctrines of demons are also to be found in philosophy and its branches, such as in modern psychology (which justifies homosexuality for instance), in ethics, in political science, etc. In the above text Paul gave some examples where demonic doctrines may be found, such as in beliefs about marriage and the family, about diets, religious or otherwise, involving all kinds of "lies" and "deceptions" in a given society. 

The Lord Jesus warned about several specific false doctrines. He warned his disciples to "beware of the leaven or doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matt. 16: 12 kjv) The specific "leaven" that Christ has in mind is "hypocrisy" (Luke 12: 1) but would include legalism, the idea that a person's works determine whether he is saved or lost. The Sadducees erred in denying the existence of angels, the resurrection of the dead, and in accepting only the Torah and not the prophets, and that salvation came by keeping the law. (Acts 23: 8)

In Revelation chapters two and three the ascended Lord Jesus dictated and sent letters to seven churches in Asian Minor. In them he warned about the danger of false doctrines.

"But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." (Rev. 2: 14, 15 kjv)

"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden." (Rev. 2: 24 kjv)

It is not necessary for me to elaborate on what are the doctrines of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans. The reader can research that for himself or herself.

Brethren, make every effort to be certain that your beliefs are right. 

Brethren, Keep These Words In Mind

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (I Peter 3: 12 kjv)

This text has been on my mind lately as it has in the past. It is comforting to me to know that the eyes of the Lord are watching over me, as a watchman or guardian, and that his ears are open to my prayers, even though he does not grant many of my prayer requests. The words of the Apostle Peter are well worth our time spent musing upon them. Recall that the Apostle Paul wrote:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil. 4: 8 kjv)

Our subject text is worth thinking deeply upon. If you are a believer and one that seeks to do good as God defines it, rejoice, but if you are one who is an unbeliever and a doer of evil, beware of the face of the Lord. 

In the above text God is said to have eyes, ears, and a face. Does that mean that he has a physical body? No. Jesus says "God is Spirit" (John 4: 24), and should not be translated as "God is a Spirit." (kjv) The absence of the definite article "the" does not always imply the indefinite "a." Translating it as "God is a spirit" is grammatically misleading because it makes God sound like just one member of a general category of spirit beings. We have other "God is" statements in the Bible that are also anarthrous nouns, such as "God is love" (I John 4:8) and "God is light" (I John 1:5). 

When God is said to have eyes, ears, hands, feet, or a face, mouth, etc., theologians call these anthropomorphisms, and the ascribing of emotions to God as anthropopathisms. What these are intended to teach us is that God hears, sees, speaks, moves about (though he has no physical body), and can appear in a physical form when he chooses, as he appeared in a burning bush, and as he appeared in a human body in the old testament and when he appeared in human flesh in the person of Christ. 

The eye(s) of the Lord denote his omniscience. The arm of the Lord denotes the execution of his divine power. So, when the text says that the "eyes of the Lord are over the righteous" it simply means that he sees and watches over the righteous. God is seen as a "watchman" in Psalm 121 where he is said not to sleep as do human watchers. Said the Psalmist David: 

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep (or guard) the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psa. 127: 1 kjv)

God employs watchers, both angels and men, to watch over his people, but over them he is the chief watcher and if they fail, he does not. LORD God also said to his ancient people: "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psa. 32: 8 kjv) God has what is called "the all-seeing eye." He sees and knows all. Nothing escapes his notice. So Solomon said: "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Prov. 15: 3 kjv) Though Peter focuses especially upon God's watching over the righteous, for their good and protection, yet he sees all that every man does. So wrote the Psalmist: "The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." (Psa. 11: 4 kjv) 

By God's "eyelids" of course we are not to understand that he literally has them, but his "eyelids" are said to try men, because, when physical beings closely scrutinize or inspect a thing, they customarily drop their eyelids and half close their eyes. They also sometimes stoop down towards a thing to get a closer look, as the angels are said to do as regards the gospel and things pertaining to redemption, being things "the angels desire to look into." (I Peter 1:12) On the words "look into" Ellicott says the following in his commentary:

"The word which has here shrunk into our word “to look into,” means really, to bend aside to see. In its literal sense it occurs in John 20:5; John 20:11, and in Luke 24:12, of people standing at the side of the cave so as not to get in their own light, and stooping sideways to peer in."

So God closely examines each man. But, he especially looks upon the righteous, those who by faith have the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. He does not watch over them looking to find fault, but he looks upon them because he delights in them. The Psalmist David said "But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God." (Psa. 40: 17 nkjv) What a blessed and wonderful thought to know that God thinks upon us because it pleases him to do so!

It is also very comforting to know that the Lord's ears are open to hear the prayers of the righteous. It is implied that the Lord's ears are not open to hear the prayers of the unrighteous. It is important for all to keep in mind that righteous living produces greater odds for being granted prayer requests. So James said: "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5: 16 niv) By "righteous person" we are to understand a righteous living person. Unrighteous living, even for the child of God, will hinder his prayer effectiveness. So the Apostle Peter said:

"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." (I Peter 3: 7 nkjv)

Every Christian has had times when it seemed that God was not listening to his prayers. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, exclaimed - "Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer." (Lam. 3: 8 nkjv) Still, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to persevere in prayer, and never give up. He taught this by this story:

"1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." (Luke 18: 1-8 nkjv) 

It is necessary for Christians to keep in mind that they have need of patience and perseverance in their prayer lives. They need to remember that his ears are open to their prayers and that there is never an inopportune time for them to approach the Lord. Moses reminded the ancient covenant people of God:

“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?" (Deut. 4: 7 nkjv)

Peter says that the "face" of the Lord is "against" them who do evil. Of course, the "face" of the Lord is "for" his people, for those who do good, who do the things he has commanded them. It seems as if Peter should have mentioned this positive aspect of the "face" of the Lord since he has just mentioned how the eyes and ears of the Lord are positive things for the righteous. The face or countenance of the Lord may frown upon a person or may smile upon him or her. Children know they have done bad when they get a frowning face from their parents and know they have done well when they get a smile of approval from them. This is described in the well known priestly benediction from Numbers chapter six which says:

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." (vs. 24-26 nkjv)

Brethren, I hope you get as much good from meditating upon I Peter 3: 12 as I have. 

Answering a Hardshell Polemic (4)

"But the fearful, and unbelieving...

shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: 

which is the second death." 

(Rev. 21: 8 kjv)

In this fourth post of this series I will continue to examine an Internet article titled "Why Primitive Baptists are not Calvinists" by Elder Gary Harvey (read here). Elder Harvey wrote further:

"Calvinism (and Arminianism) errantly places faith before regeneration, or at the very best simultaneous with regeneration. They make faith a requirement for eternal salvation. But the scriptures are abundantly clear that regeneration comes before faith in the life of every single child of God."

I have many citations from "Primitive Baptists" who say that faith is given "in" regeneration. Recently I examined a writing (here) by Elder Joshua Winslett who cited Elder Bernard Gowens (both present day Hardshell ministers) who said:

“This verse describes the initial gift of faith in regeneration. When the Lord Jesus Christ speaks the life-giving voice to one who is dead in trespasses and sins (Joh 5:25), He creates faith in the soul by the sheer power of His command, so that the sinner irresistibly responds to His effectual call. The sinner is “made willing in the day of [God’s] power” (Ps 110:3). Like Lazarus, he responds to the Divine imperative involuntarily – below the level of consciousness. The power that raise Jesus from the dead is the very same power that creates faith in the soul (Eph 1:19).” (You can see where Gowens said this in this Internet article here)

If faith is given in regeneration, then no one is regenerated who does not have faith. Further, not all Calvinists put faith before regeneration. Perhaps the majority of them today do not, though John Calvin and the older Calvinists did, and as I do. In this blog (here) I have all my articles on proving that faith precedes salvation, including regeneration or rebirth.

How anyone can deny that faith is a requirement for salvation, in all its phases, is bewildering. Does Harvey believe sinners go to heaven as unbelievers? Does Harvey not know that the first "Primitive Baptists" founders of his sect did not deny that faith was necessary to be eternally saved? In my series titled "What The First Hardshells Believed" (See this post here that gives links to most of the articles in that series), for instance, in the tenth article in the series I wrote:

Wm. C. Hunter in "The Primitive Baptist" for August 9, 1845 (See here) wrote the following (emphasis mine):

"Then we should never think we are doing the works of God only, by believing on him whom he hath sent; for this, says the scripture, is the works of God, and so soon as we get faith in the only begotten of the Father, our chains all fall off. Hence it is, if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. Then faith, says Paul, is the gift, of God; yet faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Thus, we hear the scriptures and we acknowledge our condemnation to be just; this is belief, we believe there is a God and that he is just. Thus faith comes by hearing; then after the legitimacy of his claims are admitted, the Lord works in us to believe in his Son and thus we work the works of God by believing on him whom he hath sent. Thus we get the righteousness of Christ, that came by faith, called the faith of God's elect. This righteousness is not imputed to the heirs of promise, because they are any better than others; but that the purposes of God according to election, might stand not according to their works, but according to God's own purpose and grace, which was given them in Christ Jesus, before the world was made."

In II Thessalonians 2: 13-14 we are told that God has chosen some to salvation and that this salvation is "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." I wrote about how this text completely refutes the Hardshell belief that belief in the truth is not a requirement for salvation. (See here and here)

Fate of Unbelievers

The text at the head of this post says that all "unbelievers" shall go to the lake of fire and suffer the second death. The Greek word for the adjective "unbelieving" is apistos and means "without faith." It is also translated in the KJV as "faithless" or "unbelievers." In the many texts that speak of these unbelievers, we see that they are styled a "perverse generation," or "infidels" (II Cor. 6: 15; I Tim. 5: 8), and are they "whom the god of this age has blinded their minds" and have not had the "light" of Christ to shine in their hearts (II Cor. 4: 4), and have a "defiled mind and conscience." (Titus 1: 15) When Jesus spoke of a person having his "portion with the unbelievers" (Luke 12: 46) he was describing the second death in the lake of fire. Jesus also said: 

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3: 18 nkjv)

He also repeated this in giving the great commission, saying "he who believes not shall be condemned" (Mark 16: 16). He also said to the unbelieving Jews: "Except you believe that I Am, you will die in your sins" (John 8: 24).

Further, the scriptures are rather clear in saying that it is by faith that sinners are quickened from spiritual death, reborn or regenerated, or made children of God. Notice these substantiating texts:

"buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Col. 2: 12 nkjv)

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1: 12-13 nkjv)

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3: 26 nkjv)

Further, the authors of the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith was a confession endorsed by the leaders of the "Primitive Baptist Church" in the year 1900 when assembled in Fulton, Kentucky. What did the signatories of the 1689 confession believe on this matter? Did they not affirm that faith in Christ was essential for salvation? In the Catechism attached to the confession we have these words:

Q. 34. How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

(Eph. 2:8; 3:17)

Q. 35. What is effectual calling?

A. Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, He does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel.

(2 Tim. 1:9; John 16:8-11; Acts 2:37; 26:18; Ezekiel 36:26; John 6:44,45; 1 Cor. 12:3)

Q. 92. What does God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?

A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.

Q. 93. What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel."

John Spilsbury, signatory to the 1644 London Baptist Confession agreed, writing as this in his "Personal Confession of Faith" (you can read here; emphasis mine):

"I believe that God of his grace, in his own time, effectually calls such as shall be saved to the knowledge of the truth, who is said, of his own will to beget us by the word of truth: in which work of grace, nature is as passive, as a child in the parents begetting of it; and so God by His Spirit works faith in the hearts of all such to believe in Christ, and his righteousness, only for justification. And thus they are made righteous before God in Christ, and so conformable to the will of God the Father through the Son; and also made holy through the work of regeneration, and the holy Spirit of grace dwelling in them; yet all such have still, as long as they live here in the flesh, remaining in them, an old man, that original corruption, the flesh that wars against the spirit, which hinders them in their obedience both to God and to man, and many times draws them to that which is evil, and contrary to their intentions; yet all of them shall through Christ overcome, and safely be brought to glory at last."

Harvey wrote further:

"God knows that a person dead in sins cannot do anything acceptable in His sight, whether man knows that or not. God knows better than to require spiritual action from the dead person prior to regeneration." 

If "dead in sin" people cannot do anything acceptable in God's eyes, then why is it not also true that people who are "dead to sin" cannot do anything unacceptable to God? If the dead cannot do anything to be saved, then why did Jesus say that the dead must "hear the voice of the Son of God" in order to be brought to life? (John 5: 25) Why did Jesus say to dead sinners "you will not come to me that you might have life"? (John 5: 40) Further, Jesus says to the dead: "Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” (Eph. 5: 14 nkjv) 

Why tell the dead to rise from the dead if they can't do anything? Through the prophet Isaiah God said: "Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David." (Isa. 55: 3 nkjv) If God can say “Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see" (Isa. 42: 18 nkjv), then he can also say "arise you who are dead." Jesus, the apostles, and all new testament preachers addressed dead sinners in their preaching and were always telling them what they must do to be saved.

Harvey wrote further:

"I heard Elder Charles Sandage say forty years ago, "To incorporate the gospel in the eternal salvation of sinners in any way is to completely destroy grace." I say Amen to that. To do so actually decreases the number of people that we can logically assume will be saved." 

What Sandage condemns is what the scriptures teach and show, for they clearly show that the gospel is a means in saving sinners from sin and eternal death, and such a view does not "destroy grace." Notice these scriptures:

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." (Rom. 1: 16 nkjv)

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1: 13 nkjv)

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain." (I Cor. 15: 1-2 nkjv)

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." (I Cor. 4: 15 nkjv)

"that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel." (Eph. 3: 6 nkjv)

"in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Thess. 1: 8 nkjv)

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Thess. 2: 13-14 nkjv)

Typically the Hardshells will argue that any text that connects salvation through hearing and believing the gospel is a "time salvation" or an evangelical "conversion," one not necessary for eternal salvation, and yet in doing this they must totally ignore the fact that the contexts of these texts deal with eternal salvation. Such a position also forces them to say that 1) conversion is not necessary for eternal salvation, and 2) that being converted is not by grace. As we saw, Sandage and Harvey say that if salvation is effected by the gospel, then it is not by grace. Ergo, conversion is not by God nor by his grace.

Next, he says that the gospel cannot be a means in eternal salvation because it "decreases the number of people that we can logically assume will be saved."

But, how is that so if what Harvey's leading spokesmen have said in the past, men such as Elder C.H. Cayce and Elder Sylvester Hassell? Notice what Cayce and Hassell said:

"Q. Have Baptists always denied the use of means in regeneration?

A. In careless expressions some Baptists have advanced this error, but the same men, when taking into consideration the entire teaching of the Scriptures on this point, have, in their more exact expressions, repudiated it."  (see here)

In the same question and answer writing, however, Hassell says:

"Jesus is the Great Preacher, and, by His omnipresent Spirit, He preaches His gospel savingly to His people (Isa. 61:1-3,10,11; Luke 4:16-30; Heb. 2:11,12; Psalm 110:3)."

In another editorial on 1 Peter 3:18-21 for October 23, 1906, Cayce wrote:

"By the same Spirit by which His body was quickened He went and preached unto the spirits in prison. This shows very clearly that there is a work upon spirit which is performed by the direct work of the Spirit. “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” - (Ephesians 2:17-18). There is a preaching, or a work, which Jesus does by His Spirit, or by the Holy Spirit. This work is what is also called regeneration. Through the work of Jesus, His offering, both Jews and Gentiles have access to the Father by one Spirit in the work of regeneration. The Holy Spirit makes the application of the blood of Christ in the work of regeneration."

So, if Christ personally preaches the gospel to all the elect, then how is the number of the saved decreased by the gospel being a means? Further, cannot the Lord send an angel to preach the gospel to anyone? Paul speaks of this in Galatians 1: 8. Also, in Revelation 14: 7 we read:

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Rev. 14: 7)

The reasoning of Harvey and the Hardshells that says - "whatever soteriological view saves the most people is the right one" I addressed in the previous chapter. Why then is Harvey not a Universalist? 

Harvey wrote further:

"I remind you of the many, many times that God has threatened to destroy His own people down through history. And how He has destroyed them, over and over and over. He has killed them in some pretty spectacular ways too, hasn't He? The Flood comes to mind. Sodom and Gomorrah too." 

Here again we see how close to Universalism are the Hardshells, as if we have not seen enough already. Where is the scripture that says God's people were destroyed in the flood or the hell fire that rained down upon Sodom and her sister cities? Harvey makes such claims and yet gives absolutely no proof from scripture to support them. The Bible rather says that God brought the flood in upon the "world of the ungodly." (II Peter 2: 5) In Genesis chapter six we see that the whole race of men are described as filled with great wickedness, that "every imagination of their hearts were only evil continually." Of these wicked men God says he repented that he had ever created them. How could that be said of any of the Lord's people? It was said of Judas however. (Matt. 26: 24) It was only Noah who the Lord judged to be perfect and righteous and he alone found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (verses 5-9) 

The only righteous person in Sodom was Lot. So the Bible says:

"turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority." (II Peter 2: 6-10 nkjv) 

This text tells us that it was Lot alone who was righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah. The others, the ones condemned to destruction, are described as being unrighteous, ungodly, characters of filthy conduct and lawless deeds, and who walked according to the flesh. Paul says that saved people "walk not according to the flesh" but "according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8: 4) Those who walk after the flesh are not saved people. Only a Hardshell or Universalist would claim otherwise.

In Genesis chapter eighteen Abraham asks the LORD if he will destroy the righteous with the wicked in destroying Sodom and her sister cities. He ends up saying that he would not destroy the cities if he found ten righteous souls in it. So, the idea that many righteous people were destroyed in that judgment is absurd.

Harvey wrote further:

"In Matthew 11:23, Christ indirectly proved that there were children of God that died in Sodom. He says that if the people of Sodom had seen the mighty works performed in Capernaum, they would have repented, and the city remained."

Because Christ said the Sodomites would have repented had they seen the miracles proves that the "people of Sodom" were children of God? Are you kidding me? Wrote Jude the Lord's brother:

"as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1: 7)

Jude says the sinful inhabitants of Sodom are "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire"! These are God's people? The LORD God says through Ezekiel:

"Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit." (Eze. 16: 49-50 nkjv)

Wrote the Apostle Paul:

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Gal. 5: 19-21 nkjv)

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (I Cor. 6: 9-10 nkv)

These verses describe the people of Sodom and Gommorah and they are not children of God.

Harvey wrote further:

"I remind you also of Korab and all those that appertained unto him, as we read in Numbers 16. The earth opened up and swallowed them. Uzzah, who in ignorance touched the Ark to steady it, was smitten and died (II Samuel 6:1-9). Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu changed the recipe for the incense and offered this "strange fire" before the Lord in Leviticus 10. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord (verse 2). These two men were priests of the Lord too. Yet each of these, if they were God's elect, was eternally preserved from the sad effects of their sin." 

Why is Harvey and other Hardshell Baptists so prone to make every wicked apostate in the Bible a child of God? Having been a Hardshell Baptist, and the son of a leading Hardshell Baptist minister, I can make a good guess. It is because of their invention of the "time salvation" ideology. Elder Afton Richards told us what it basically is in the following quotation. I wrote about this (here), citing from Elder David Montgomery:

"Elder Afton Richards wrote a pamphlet in 1956 entitled, "Why I Am A Primitive Baptist". On page 21, he gives a definition of time salvation. Elder Richards says, "Primitive Baptists read the Scriptures with the desire of getting the harmony taught therein, and they enjoy much comfort that others do not get. When salvation refers to what God does for man without action on his part, and by the meritorious work of Christ, they know and realize that it refers to salvation in its highest order; preparing one to live with God in glory after death. When salvation is mentioned in connection with the acts of men; or man is to perform some action to bring about a better situation for himself, they know it is to be to the child of God (one freed from the guilt of sin), and refers to a timely deliverance, or something that is for man's benefit while he lives here in the world.""

Why was this formula created? Answer: it was formed because the "Primitive Baptists" at the end of the 19th century had come to believe that the word of God was not a means in the eternal salvation of sinners and that faith was no condition, nor anything that a sinner does. Having formulated that proposition, how were they going to deal with the numerous Bible passages that disprove this formula? Answer: they would assert that those passages deal with a "time salvation," one that is not necessary for eternal salvation. This of course led them out of necessity to also believe in a "time damnation" or "time destruction" or "time perishing." 

So, when the Hardshells read such texts as Mark 16: 16 that say whoever believes and is baptized will be "saved" and whoever does not believe will be "damned" (kjv) they not only have to say that the salvation is temporal but also that the damnation is temporal. 

If Hardshells like Harvey can make children of God out of those who were destroyed in the flood or in Sodom and Gomorrah, it is no wonder that they would do so with the other evil characters mentioned by Harvey, such as Korah, Cain, Balaam, Nadab and Abihu, etc. However, let us again return to the Book of Jude and see how this inspired writer describes them. 

"But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah...These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever...These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage...These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. " (Jude 1: 10-13; 16; 19 nkjv) 

Who are the persons designated by the pronouns in these words (which I have put in red)? It is the very people who Harvey is intent to make into children of God. They are described as being natural brute beasts, hardly a description of saved people! They are said to be "sensual," which is from the same Greek word translated as "natural" in I Cor. 2:14, which all Hardshells interpret to mean an unregenerated person. They are also declared to "have not the Spirit" and "twice dead." Harvey says Jude is describing children of God! "Be astonished, Oh ye heavens!" 

Is Harvey saying that Nadab and Abihu are children of God because they were priests? So, there were no unsaved wicked priests in Israel? 

Hophni and Phinehas were wicked sons of the high priest Eli who abused their power in the tabernacle at Shiloh. They stole the best parts of the meat offerings meant for God, threatened worshipers with force, and sexually abused the women serving at the entrance of the tent of meeting. God ultimately judged them for their severe sin. Both Ezekiel and Malachi delivered God's indictment against the wicked priests.

This will finish my review of Elder Harvey's reasoning for not being a Calvinist. I am glad he is not because he is an embarrassment to that system of theology which has produced many of the ablest theologians in the history of Christianity. In fact, Hardshells of today are more Arminian than Calvinists. Even in the mid nineteenth century the more orthodox among the "Primitive Baptists" accused their brethren, who were beginning to deny that faith and the gospel were means in the eternal salvation of sinners, of being Arminians. In the mid 19th century men like Elder John M. Watson and Elder John Clark, two great leaders in the newly formed "Primitive" or "Old School" sect, even though they were accused of being "Arminian" for contending for the truth that God uses his word in saving sinners, responded by saying that it was their Brethren who denied means who were the real Arminians. Wrote Clark (See my previous post giving these citations here): 

"The theory that we must preach to men according to the power they possess to obey is sublimated Arminianism, and yet; the advocates of it are very fraid of being called Arminians. Christians know, however, by the word of his grace, and by the revelation of that word in their hearts, when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, that Christ’s word is true which says, “Without me you can do nothing.” The Spirit takes the word of Christ and shows it to his people, and thus it is verified in the experience.

To preach to men upon the ground that they have power to do what is commanded, or to refuse to preach to them because they have not the power, shows that the confidence is in the flesh and not in God; that they depend upon the will of the flesh and not upon the power God, and that is the very essence, double refined, of Arminianism.

The minister of Christ does not preach to any class of men upon the consideration of their ability or inability. He has the sentence of death in himself, and therefore cannot trust in himself; and he has no confidence in the flesh of any other, but his confidence, his faith and hope, is in God, from whence alone are his expectations."

("What To Preach and How To Preach" Written by John Clark in Zion's Advocate--August 1875)

What think ye?

"Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things." (II Tim. 2: 7 nkjv)