"Receiving" Christ & Salvation

When I was a Hardshell I remember the difficulty I experienced in regard to those texts of scriptures that spoke of salvation, Christ, the Spirit, etc., being "received." That word seemed to denote a choice, or act of the will, what was not passive experience. I read where Elder C.H. Cayce confronted this problem in one or more of his debates (he had about 300 debates!). He argued that men may "receive" things passively. I recall him asking his opponent - "what did you do to receive your name?" His point was that some things are "received" passively. That may be true as in relates to the common English word, but in the Greek there are several different words used and translated generally by the word "receive" in the KJV, and each of these words carries different connotations. For an in depth look at these see here. For these several Greek words translators have a range of words in English to choose from in order to bring out the meaning in each text. Some of these English words are obtain, accept, take, welcome, etc.

In the verses that we shall look at, dealing with receiving Christ, the Spirit, or salvation, we will see that in all of them that a passive receiving cannot possibly be meant, but rather that an active receiving is denoted. After that we will look at a possible exception to the rule.

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:17 kjv)

In this text the word "receive" is from the Greek "lambanontes" and this word is a present tense participle in the active voice, not passive voice. And just what is intended by the active voice?

When verbs are in the active voice it is the subject that is the doer of the action expressed by the verb. Thus, the "receiving" of "abundance of grace" and "the gift of righteousness" (salvation) is that which the receiver actively does, representing his action. It is like receiving gifts where the gift is "accepted" or "received."

"This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?...That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:2, 14)

"Received" is from the Greek word "elabete" and is aorist active, and "receive" is from "labōmen" and is also aorist active. The Spirit and the promise of the Spirit, i.e. salvation, are actively received or accepted.

"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" (I Cor. 4:7)

Here "receive" is from "elabes" and is also aorist active.

"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." (John 1:12)

Here "received is from "elabon" and is also aorist active.

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." (Rom. 5:11)

Here "receive" is from "elabomen" and is likewise aorist active.

"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." (Col. 2:6)

Here "receive" is from "parelabete" and is also aorist active.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Cor. 2: 12-14 kjv)

In this passage two different Greek words are used for "receive." In the first instance it is the Greek word "elabomen" and is aorist active. The second instance is from "dechetai" and is either middle or passive voice. Since the passive and middle voice are both written alike in Greek, context will determine which it is. It cannot be passive voice because to affirm this would be to affirm that men are passive in their rejection of the things of the Spirit. But, this is wholly untenable. Thus, it must be middle voice, which means not only that the non receiver is actively doing the rejecting, but is doing it for or to himself. The middle voice denotes that the subject is both an agent of an action and somehow concerned with the action.

There is a distinction between lambano and dechomai. In many instances lambano suggests a self-prompted taking, whereas dechomai more frequently indicates "a welcoming or an appropriating reception" (Grimm-Thayer).

Dechomai means to accept with a deliberate and ready reception of what is offered, to receive kindly and so to take to oneself what is presented or brought by another. It means to welcome as a teacher, a friend, or a guest into one's house. Dechomai indicates that the reception was a voluntary and willing act.

Paralambano looks to the content of that which is received, whereas dechomai implies a favorable evaluation of that which is accepted.

Dechomai means to take or receive, to accept with approval, to welcome, and denotes a subjective reception. Paralambano refers to the ear, while dechomai adds the idea of appropriation and in this sense refers to the heart.

Now for a peculiar case of the word "receive."

"Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one." (II Cor. 11:24 kjv)

In this instance "recieve" is from "elabon" and is aorist active. But, it seems that a passive voice would have been more appropriate here. "Receiving" or "accepting" stripes? Surely Paul was passive in "receiving" these stripes, right? Wrong! Paul willingly suffered for Christ! He gladly received those stripes!

Thus, we conclude that the Hardshell notion that one is only passive in receiving salvation is false.