Ross On Arthur Pink & Hardshellism

Bob L. Ross

In "A. W. PINK REVISITED ABOUT THE NECESSARY USE OF "MEANS" IN THE NEW BIRTH" author Bob L. Ross of Pilgrim Publications [02/27--2006 - see here] wrote the following (bold highlighting mine):

I find it rather amusing that Hardshells, hyper-Calvinists, hybrid-Calvinists, and others who teach that men are born again before they believe the Gospel, often will snatch snippets from Pink and others, as if to get aid and comfort for their erroneous teachings on what they call "regeneration." It is often the case that one can rake thru the voluminous materials of men such as Pink, John Gill, and C. H. Spurgeon and find a few comments, if isolated from the whole of what they taught, would appear to render meager support to a peculiar idea for which the person contends.

However, this is not a very responsible approach, nor will it be of any persuasive significance to those who are broadly acquainted the writings of these men. How often have I, in public debates with Campbellites, even had to "rescue" Baptist writers who are perverted, distorted, and misappropriated by Campbellite debaters!

For the benefit of anyone who missed these materials from Arthur W. Pink which I sent out in the past, here is that information once again.

REPLY TO A HARDSHELL BAPTIST ON THE USE OF MEANS IN THE NEW BIRTH [03/27/04]

Since my email about the Hunt-White Debate, I have had some responses from various ones who express various points of view. I had one email from a Primitive Baptist, or Hardshell preacher, and he gave a few isolated quotes from the likes of Boyce, Spurgeon, Pink, and Owen, alleging that they were in agreement with the Hardshells on the internal, pre-faith work of the Holy Spirit. Here is my reply to this preacher (there is no highlighting of mine in this citation):

Dear Brother:

I think you know very well that all the men you quoted believed in the Holy Spirit's working in conjunction with the necessary use of "MEANS," which Hardshells deny. I challenge you to show that any one of them ever taught that the new birth ever took place, or can take place, apart from the Holy Spirit's use of means.    

None of the men mentioned denied, nor do we deny, that there is a pre-faith work of the Holy Spirit in the lost person, variously described in terms, but no one disassociates this from the use of means. 

And even though some writers may be found who may broadly apply the term "regeneration" to include or cover this preliminary pre-faith work of the Spirit, they do not mean that this constats the new birth at that point. By the term "regeneration" they do not mean that this pre-faith work is the new birth, but it is only a partial or preparatory work. Furthermore, they insist that it involves the conjunctive use of means.

(1886-1952)

Concerning Pink's views against the Hardshell no means view, Ross wrote:

In his booklet, The New Birth, he has a section entitled, "The New Birth is effected by the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit" (page 22). He says "the Scriptures are termed 'The Word of Life,' because they alone are capable of quickening those who are dead in trespasses and sins" (page 23). He goes on to say that "dead souls are born again, but by the Word of the living God" and quotes James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23. 

"Believe and preach the Word of God, for by it, and it alone, are dead souls born again" (page 24). 

In his booklet, Regeneration or the New Birth, Pink says "the only means or instrument which the Holy Spirit employs" in the new birth is the Word (page 29). In his comments on the raising of Lazarus, which are reproduced in book form in his Commentary on John, Pink says the following on the "voice" of Christ which raised Lazarus: "And, too, it perfectly illustrated the MEANS which God employs in REGENERATION.   Men are raised spiritually, pass from death unto life, by MEANS of the WRITTEN WORD, and by that alone" (page 613).

In his Studies in the Scriptures magazine, the issue of October 1952, he comments on 1 Thess. 1:5:

"It is for the preaching of the GOSPEL to be ACCOMPANIED by the supernatural operation of the SPIRIT, and the efficacious grace of God, so that souls are Divinely QUICKENED, convicted, converted, delivered from the dominion of sin and Satan.   When the WORD is applied by the SPIRIT to a person, it acts like the entrance of a two-edged sword into his inner man, piercing, wounding, slaying his self-complacency and self-righteousness -- as in case of Saul of Tarsus (Romans 7:9, 10)"  (page 233).

The Hardshells are infamous for how they can take "snippets" from the voluminous writings of our old Baptist forefathers and make them say what they do not say. But, we have more than once shown how the Hardshells twist historical records as well as the scriptures. This is certainly true in regard to the views of A.W. Pink.