Brother Stephen has correctly asserted in the past that Elder C.H. Cayce was one of the primary individuals who helped to instill the notion of time salvation among some of the Primitive Baptists of the 20th century. We say some for not all imbibe this idea. We should therefore not find it strange to see Cayce attempting to give an explanation of those many passages in the bible which connect the proclamation of the gospel with salvation, especially the tenth chapter of Romans.
Here is his view on Rom. 10:17.
"So, then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."--Verse 17.
"The word here is the speech of God. God speaks to the sinner who is dead in sins, and by the power of that speech the sinner is made alive in Christ, made alive from the dead..." (Cayce's Editorials, Volume 5, pages 123, 124)
To be honest, I'm a little shocked by what Cayce states here. His argument that the word is the 'speech of God' (apart from the gospel - KF) is, of course, a well-known and oft used defense by ultraists today who oppose the gospel means position, but the fact that he uses that argumentation here is strange. It is actually inconsistent with how, we think, he would treat the tenth chapter of Romans itself. Obviously, those who have passed on are not able to come to their defense, so we should be careful in our assumptions about what they would profess. Nevertheless, due to our familiarity with the time salvation paradigm we are almost positive that Cayce would practically be FORCED to treat Romans 10 in the same way as today's extremists. He would claim that Paul is proclaiming his desire for Israel to be the recipients of some form of temporal deliverance. That being the case, we find it odd that he would not allow the faith spoken of here to be that which comes through the gospel, which the immediate context proves beyond the shadow of a doubt (v.14-16)! In fact, instead of utterly opposing it he ought to be seeking to establish that it is the preached gospel under consideration! This would be the only way to be consistent with his assertion that the chapter is speaking of a GOSPEL or time salvation! The fact that he endeavors to demonstrate the hearing of the word as the speech which comes directly from God apart from the gospel proves that he was treating the passage and chapter itself as if it WAS treating of eternal salvation, something which today's extremists flatly deny! Otherwise, why the need to explain away the obvious teaching here that the faith mentioned comes through the proclaimed gospel? His opposition to gospel means in the scheme of salvation forced him to offer another way for faith to come---one which denied the very context of the passage, and would fit in with his anti-means hermeneutics! In order to be consistent with the time salvation paradigm, however, Cayce's argument should have run thus:
"The faith in verse 17 does come through the gospel, but since Romans 10 is speaking of 'time salvation' it presents no problems."
Something like this is what should have been stated and defended by the elder. He would have still been wrong, but at least it would have been in harmony with the system he helped to create. It is our belief that Elder Cayce devoted so much of his energy to attacking the gospel means position that he did so where even the slightest appearance of 'Arminianism', as he would erroneously see it, appeared. That is obviously what happened here. But again we state...if Romans 10 is speaking of 'time salvation', then there was no need for him to fret at the idea that the faith spoken of here came through the gospel!
By his interpretation of this passage Cayce finds himself at odds with his time salvation descendants. The advocates of this system today will admit that the faith of verse 17 DOES come through the gospel. But they find their necessary escape from the unwanted implications of gospel instrumentality by saying that Romans 10 is not speaking of eternal salvation, but time salvation, and that the faith mentioned is evangelical faith which is not essential for salvation. The interpretation given by Cayce is therefore incompatible with the very superstructure he helped to erect and is being defended by its proponents today!
Ah, what confusion reigns amongst those who so mutilate the scriptures under the pretense of 'rightly dividing' it!
It is certainly nice that we find a sound interpretation of this passage given to us by Dr. Gill:
"Ver. 17. So then faith comes by hearing,.... That is, by preaching; for the word hearing is used in the same sense as in the preceding verse; and designs the report of the Gospel, or the preaching of the word, which is the means God makes use of, to convey faith into the hearts of his people; for preachers are ministers, or instruments, by whom others believe: "
CHALLENGES:
1) Does faith come by hearing?
2) Was Elder Cayce treating Romans 10 as speaking of eternal salvation? If he
wasn't, why the need to deny the faith of verse 17 as coming by way of hearing
the gospel? If he was, is he therefore "out of order"?
3) If the faith of Romans 10:17 is part of an optional 'gospel salvation' for the
elect, should not Cayce be trying to PROVE that the faith comes by the 'gospel'?
4) Does the preposition 'by' in v.17 signify that means of some sort are to follow in the passage?
5) Is the faith which comes by hearing a gift of God's grace or a work of men?
6) If the faith which comes by hearing is of God's grace, then why is it stated that it is part of 'time salvation', which is a system of works?
7) If faith comes through the gospel does it cease to be of God?
8) Is Christ the author of 'evangelical faith' ?
9) If my faith in Christ is part of how I ‘save myself while I live here’, does it
not follow that I am the author of my own faith?
10) Is it hypocritical to sing the following words of "I Know Whom I Have Believed" in the song service? If so, why is it sung?
"I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.
I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word ,
Creating faith in Him."
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