Not So, Brother Hassell! (4)

For the previous postings in this series see here, here, and here.

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Rom. 8:13-14 kjv)

Said Hassell: "If the conclusion in these sentences means eternal punishment, then Arminianism is true." One of those sentences was "if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die" from the above passage.

Hassell argued that the use of the word "if" by Paul in the above words denoted a condition and says that this fact was enough to show that the death threatened for living after the flesh could not be eternal death. I have already shown in the preceding posting how this clearly contradicted what Hassell had elsewhere written on the nature and effects of regeneration and concerning perseverance.

Further, Hassell in other places did not argue this way on the use of the word "if." 

If the use of the word "if" denotes that the thing being conditioned cannot be eternal life and salvation, then we have some serious problems.

The Problems

"But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Rom. 4:24)

How can one escape damnation if he has not the righteousness of the Lord Jesus imputed to him? And, to whom is it imputed? Is it conditional? Yes, "if we believe."

But, Hassell's proposition about the word "if" makes the consequences of not believing in Jesus a mere temporal loss! But in reply we say -

if what is here consequentially lost by unbelief (non imputation of righteousness) is merely temporal, then logically we must say that what is consequentially gained by belief (imputation of righteousness) is also merely temporal! Thus, the consequence of Hassell's proposition as it relates to this text is that unbelief does not damn and belief does not save.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and (if) shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)

Again, same retort as above. Faith in Christ and his resurrection (the essence of the gospel message) are conditions for salvation. Saying this by no stretch of the imagination supports Arminianism, as Hassell falsely reasons.

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister..." (Col. 1:2123)

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end...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: 6, 14-15 kjv)

"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1: 8-11 kjv)

"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." (Heb. 10:26-27)

"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:" (Heb. 12:25)

There is simply no way to honestly make the consequences connected with these "if" statements to be temporal, denoting either temporal salvation or temporal punishment. It would seem to be a waste of time to wrangle with those who would deny their clear eternal significance.

Except and If

In the NT the Greek word translated "except" is ean mē and is what is called a conjunction particle.

The KJV translates Strong's G3362 ('except') in the following manner: except (33x), if not (16x), whosoever not (with G3739) (5x), but (3x), if no (1x), not (1x), before (1x). The best word besides "if not" are "unless."

Notice these passages with "except" (keeping the words "if not" and "unless" in mind as synonyms)

"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3,5)

"Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." (John 6:53)

"Except you believe that I am, then you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3)

Again, you cannot make "have no life in you" to refer to regenerate people, or to affirm that the consequence of having no life is a mere temporal calamity.

Good Comments On Rom. 8:13

In regard to the text "if you live after the flesh you shall die," Barnes wrote (highlighting mine):

Ye shall live - You shall be happy and saved. Either your sins must die, or you must. If they are suffered to live, you will die. If they are put to death, you will be saved. No man can be saved in his sins. This closes the argument of the apostle for the superiority of the gospel to the Law in promoting the purity of man. By this train of reasoning, he has shown that the gospel has accomplished what the Law could not do - the sanctification of the soul, the destruction of the corrupt passions of our nature, and the recovery of man to God.

"Either your sins must die, or you must." Amen! God help us to keep putting to death the flesh, the old man, the one we left buried in the waters of baptism. Another commentator (JFB) said - "If ye do not kill sin, it will kill you." It is a "fight to the death"! You cannot win by your own wit, will, and strength. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ can you prevail.

Gill wrote:

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die - Such persons are dead, whilst they live, and shall die a second or an eternal death, if grace prevent not. It may be asked, whether one that has received the grace of God in truth, can live after the flesh; flesh, or corrupt nature, though still in such a person, has not the dominion over him: to live in sin, or in a continued course of sinning, is contrary to the grace of God; but flesh may prevail and greatly influence the life and conversation, for a while; how long this may be the case of a true believer, under backslidings, through the power of corruptions and temptations, cannot be known; but certain it is, that it shall not be always thus with him.

Was Hassell more knowledgeable in the Scriptures than Gill? He thought so, it seems. He said that if eternal damnation were under consideration, then it supported Arminianism. Gill, supporting Arminianism! Gill gives the real old or primitive Baptist position.

JFB's commentary has these good words:

and he uses the word "mortify" (put to death) as a kind of play upon the word "die" just before. "If ye do not kill sin, it will kill you." But he tempers this by the bright alternative, that if they do, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, such a course will infallibly terminate in "life" everlasting.

Wuest's commentary:

For, assuming that you are living habitually under the dominion of the sinful nature, you are on the way to dying. But, assuming that by the Spirit you are habitually putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

We should note that both "if" clauses are first class conditional sentences ("if you are living according to the flesh" & "if by the Spirit") which assume the actuality of the thing stated. In other words the conclusions following the "if" statements are assumed to be true and logically follow. Their solemnity corresponds to the seriousness of the action in the “if” clauses.

Note that in 8:13a the life of the flesh is the death of man but in 8:13b, the death of the flesh is the life of man. Chew on that awhile!

Not only are the if clauses first class conditions, but both are present tense linear. In the words "if you live after the flesh" the word "live" is present tense and may be translated "if you are living after the flesh." Also, "you shall die" is also present tense and may be translated "you are being about to be dying." Also, in the words "do mortify the deeds of the body" the mortification (killing) is linear and progressive. The words "you shall live" is futuristic middle voice and translated "you shall be living." Again, there is much to chew on here! But space is limited.

Interesting also is the fact that "as many as are led by the Spirit" (vs. 14) is also present tense, but in this case it is not in the active or middle voice, but in the passive voice! A better way to express it is to say "as many as are being moved or pushed along by the Spirit." Thus, the effect of this being moved along (or "led") is that they do not walk after the flesh (vs. 1) nor live after the flesh (vs. 13).

The view of Hassell, that affirms that eternal death cannot be the thing warned against, makes me think of the words of the Serpent in the garden who said "You shall not surely die." Paul says "if you are living after the flesh you will be dying" but Hassell says "you shall not die, at least not eternally."