Begotten Through Gospel Truth
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word (logos) of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures...Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted (implanted) word (logos), which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word (logos), and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1: 18-22)
These words of the apostle destroy the Hardshell "Spirit Alone" view of regeneration/new birth. God begets, gives birth to, sinners and he does this via an instrument, through "the word of truth." Hardshells, because they will not accept any verse that destroys their premise of "no means regeneration," and because they will not give up the unscriptural premise, must twist and distort these words of the apostle and affirm that they are not talking about being "born again" that Jesus talked about in John 3. They affirm that the new birth that Jesus talked about, with Nicodemus, is accomplished without the means of gospel truth, and so, when they read these words in James, will not affirm that they are talking about the same experience. There is, of course, nothing in the context, either of James, or of the scriptures in general, to warrant affirming that James is not talking about the same "begetting" or "birth" that Jesus talked about in John 3.
Jason, our Hardshell apologist, with whom I have been debating the past week, takes the traditional Hardshell view that the "word of truth" is a reference to Jesus who is called, in several places in the writings of the apostle John, the "word of God." Those who take this view interpret the "begetting" of James as being the same as talked about by Jesus in John 3. But, they say, the "word of truth" is Jesus and so James is saying "of his own will begat he us with Jesus." Others believe that the "word of truth" is the gospel, but make the "begetting" not to be regeneration, or being "born again" per John 3, not a sovereign efficacious work of God which all the elect experience, but a "conversion" experience, or "time salvation," what is not necessary for being eternally saved.
Jason was inconsistent on this passage, for he affirmed that the "word of truth" was Jesus and that the experience was conversion, and not regeneration. Yet, if he excludes the gospel, why can he not make it regeneration?
An honest bible interpreter will want to know what James had in mind when he wrote his inspired words. Was he talking about the new birth or to an optional post regeneration work of "conversion"?
The times in scripture where Jesus is called, by name and title, "The Word of God," it is only by the apostle John. There is no clear text where any other writer of scripture called Jesus by this title. Thus, the burden of proof is on Jason and the Hardshells to show, from the context, that James is using the Johannine title of Jesus. The apostle John's reference to the Lord Jesus by this title is couched in language and a context where it is clear that Jesus is meant. In John's gospel, chapter one, Jesus is called "The Word," and we know this by what John said about it. He said "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." He also said, "and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory." All this clearly identifies "the Word" as being a person, to Jesus, the Son of God. Also, in I John 5: 7, where John says "there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," the language clearly identifies "the Word" as being Jesus. So too in the Book of Revelation, the title of "Word of God" is in a context where there is no doubt that it is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Rev. 19: 13)
Where in the context or language of James 1: 18 is there any indication that James is alluding to Jesus Christ? The burden of proof is on the Hardshells to prove it. We can say for sure that the only apostle to clearly use "the Word" as a reference to the person of Christ was John and therefore to say that James is using it as such would contradict its strictly Johannine usage. Also, the places where Jesus is called the "Word of God" in scripture have a context that clearly establishes it as such. But, the language of James has nothing in the context to indicate that he is, like John, talking about Jesus Christ. Besides all this, Jesus, in the Johannine instances, is called simply "the Word" or "the Word of God," never "the word of truth." This is further evidence that James is not referring to Jesus as "the Word of God."
James mentions God's "word" in other verses in his epistle. Do they likewise refer to Jesus? Or, is James 1: 18 the only place? If the only place, why? Notice these verses in the context of verse 18 that clearly has reference to gospel truth.
Several are in bold in the opening words of James, cited at the heading of this posting. This is "the word" that they are to "receive with meekness," and to hear and obey. Most Hardshells will acknowledge that "the word" in these verses refer to new testament teaching, or to the gospel. But doing so makes them inconsistent in making "the word" of verse 18 to be different from "the word" in the same context.
Finally, it is not properly the language of scripture to say that the Father begets through Jesus. Rather, this begetting is said to be done either "through the Spirit" or "through the word," but not "through Jesus." True, it is done for Jesus sake, on the basis of what he has done, but it is not typical of the bible writers to say the Father begets through the Son.
The normal, common, or usual usage of "the word of God," whether "logos" or "rhema," in scripture, denotes divine communication of truth, often to the written oracles. It's abnormal, rare, and unusual usage is when it refers to Jesus Christ. The reference "word of God" is used hundreds of times in scripture, but only a half dozen of times does it refer to Jesus Christ. It is a rule of biblical interpretation to take words in their normal sense unless context or common sense dictates otherwise. Applying this rule to James 1: 18 means that "the word of truth" refers to the biblical revelation and not to Jesus Christ. The burden of proof is on the Hardshells to give evidence and reason for their abnormal interpretation of the passage.
Now let us look at the normal use of the term "begotten" (or to one of its forms) in scripture.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, 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. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1: 12, 13)
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3: 3-8)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (I Peter 1: 23)
"If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." (I John 2: 29)
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (I John 3: 9)
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." (I John 4: 7)
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." (I John 5: 1)
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (I John 5: 4)
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." (I John 5: 58)
"For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." (I Cor. 4: 15)
"I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds." (Philemon 1: 10)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (I Peter 1: 3)
I contend that all these verses are talking about the same "begetting," the same "birth." Hardshells will admit that they are all talking about regeneration, except for the ones that mention the word of God as a means, in which case, some Hardshells will try to make such birth not to be regeneration. The majority view does however interpret these verses as talking about regeneration, but will say that both James and Peter, when speaking of being born again "by the word of truth" or "word of God," are talking about Jesus. But, the context of both passages show that Jesus is not intended by the term.
Here is what the Old Baptist preacher, Dr. John Gill, said about James 1: 18 (emphasis mine - SG):
"The apostle instances in one of those good and perfect gifts, regeneration; and he pitches upon a very proper and pertinent one, since this is the first gift of grace God bestows upon his people openly, and in their own persons; and is what involves other gifts, and prepares and makes meet for the gift of eternal life; and therefore may well be reckoned a "good" one, and it is also a "perfect one"; it is done at once; there are no degrees in it, as in sanctification; a man is born again, at once, and is born a perfect new man in all his parts; no one is more regenerated than another, or the same person more regenerated at one time than at another: and this comes from above; it is called a being born from above, in John 3:3 as the words there may be rendered..."
"...with the word of truth; not Christ, who is the Word, and truth itself; though regeneration is sometimes ascribed to him; and this act of begetting is done by the Father, through the resurrection of Christ from the dead; but the Gospel, which is the word of truth, and truth itself, and contains nothing but truth; and by this souls are begotten and born again; see Eph 1:13 and hence ministers of it are accounted spiritual fathers. Faith, and every other grace in regeneration, and even the Spirit himself, the Regenerator, come this way: and the end is..."
Gill emphatically denies that "the word of truth" is a reference to Jesus and so he was no supporter of Hardshell hermeneutics.
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