Does It Exclude Conversion?

With this posting I will begin to examine those texts of scripture which supposedly divorce regeneration (or quickening) from conversion (of which faith and repentance are the essence).

Propositions

1. The first Reformers and Calvinists viewed conversion as regeneration, seeing this as what was evident in scripture. This is acknowledged by many including Louis Berkhof. The separating of regeneration from conversion was a later development within the Calvinistic and Reformed community. It was called a refinement in theology. However, it was not a refinement, but a radical change, and one not in keeping with scripture or the first Calvinists, as Calvin himself.

2. The scriptures speak of them as being the same and a study of those texts dealing with regeneration (quickening) and conversion show this. Later Calvinist theologians began to speak of "strictly defined" regeneration, and "broadly defined" regeneration. The former excluded conversion, the latter included it. The bible very clearly defines it broadly as including conversion.

Text #1 

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places...And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus...For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (1: 13-14; 18-20; 2: 1-6, 8-10)

Those who promote the regenerated (quickening) before faith view will quote Ephesians 2: 1 "and you has he quickened who were dead" and then say "see there, regeneration precedes faith." But, no where in the passage does it say such a thing. In fact, the context clearly shows that the quickening, like the salvation, like the sealing, is the result of God making believers by the working of his mighty power via the gospel. 

The language of the text shows that by quickening (being made alive) the apostle is looking at the moment in time when the Ephesians became believers, when they repented, when they were turned around in the course of their lives. The changing "course," of conduct, is what is associated with repentance and conversion, with placing trust in Christ. Before faith the Ephesians were dead. When they believed by the working of God's mighty power they were made alive. In Paul's thinking the quickening, like every other redemptive benefit, results from becoming identified with Christ, with receiving Christ, with becoming one with Christ by faith. What Paul is saying is that the time before conversion, before faith, was a state of death and the time after conversion is a state of life. 

The same "salvation" is under consideration in both chapters. That is why I have posted such a long citation from both chapters at the heading. The salvation that is "by grace" (2: 5) is the same salvation that is "by grace through faith" (2: 8). To make these two references to salvation to be denoting different experiences of salvation is not sound interpretation. 

The salvation "by grace" (without the mention of faith), and the salvation "by grace through faith" includes the quickening of verse one. It is also the same salvation mentioned when Paul speaks of their faith in the gospel and their being sealed with the Spirit thereby, speaking of "the gospel of your salvation." When he says "and you he made alive" he is clearly referring to the time when they believed and were converted, when they were saved by faith. The context forces us to conclude that the quickening, salvation, and sealing occur at the same time. In the words "quickened with Christ," the preposition denotes union, as when the similar expression is used, i.e. "in Christ." Said W. E. Vine:

"to quicken together with, make alive with" (sun, "with" and No. 1), is used in Eph 2:5; Col 2:13, of the spiritual life with Christ, imparted to believers at their conversion." 

Those who teach that the quickening occurs prior to faith cannot prove it based upon the syntax or context of Paul's words to the Ephesians. Their whole purpose in citing the words "and you has he quickened who were dead" is so that they can next say - "dead people cannot hear or respond, so obviously they must be made alive before faith." But, that is a logical argument from the passage. There is no intimation in the language of Paul itself to support the contention that one is quickened before believing, before sealing, before salvation. Now let us notice these words he says later in the epistle:

"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." (Eph. 4: 17-20 nkjv)

This passage deals with "the life of God," with having it or not having it, and therefore alludes to what the apostle had previously said about that (2: 1-5) when he spoke of being quickened or made alive. To be spiritually "dead" is to be "alienated from the divine life." Death involves being "separated" from life, to be separated from God who is life. This spiritual death Paul says is evident in "the rest of the Gentiles," by which he means the Gentile unbelievers. As such they were not joined to Christ, having no connection with him. 

This spiritual death is the result of inner ignorance and blindness of heart. On the other hand, spiritual life is the result of being enlightened, with having "learned Christ," and with having "been taught by him." If, as our Hardshell brothers affirm (that Paul believed that many unbelievers among the heathen are possessors of spiritual life), then Paul could not make such a blanket statement about all the unbelievers among the Gentiles. But, he did make such a blanket statement because in his mind a darkened understanding, unbelief, were proofs of an unregenerate or dead state. Many may be regenerate (have divine life) but who have not come to faith in Christ (been converted), according to this ordo salutis view (which separates regeneration from conversion). Paul, however, clearly says that all unbelievers, be they Jew or Gentile, who do not believe the gospel are spiritually alienated from the divine life.  

Certainly divine teaching precedes being quickened to spiritual life in the teachings of Jesus in John 6. He there taught that one must first have "heard and learned of the Father" before "coming" to Christ for "life." (John 5: 40; 6: 44-45)  

A darkened understanding is what characterizes the unregenerate state of mind. The mind of the spiritually dead is one of false belief and understanding. The regenerate mental state, however, is one of understanding and belief of divine or religious truth. Spiritual life involves the mind and the understanding. So Paul said - "to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8: 6). Regeneration is not only what makes right thinking possible, but right thinking is essential to it. A man is not regenerate till his understanding has been enlightened. While his understanding is darkened, he is unregenerate.

Philosophers speak of "the life of the mind." In regards to spiritual life and death, it is manifested in how and what a man thinks about God, life, righteousness, and religion. Spiritual death is chiefly seen in what men think and believe. So too with spiritual mental life. An "understanding heart" (Greek for heart is "cardia" which includes a man's thoughts) is part and parcel of a regenerate soul. Solomon prayed to God for an "understanding heart" and God gave it to him. (I Kings 3: 9, 12) After this we find Solomon exhorting the simple minded, saying: "O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart." (Prov. 8: 5) An "understanding heart" is the opposite of "darkened understanding" being an enlightened understanding. While the understanding is darkened the sinner is "alienated from the life of God." 

The understanding becomes enlightened and vivified when it is taught of the Lord, when it grasps Christ as Savior and Lord, when it has "learned Christ," when it has been "taught by him." All through the scriptures the new birth, or regeneration, or conversion, involves being enlightened, with receiving knowledge and revelation, and so it is in this passage. Sinners are educated by the Spirit through the word in the work of regeneration and conversion. They "learn" things in regeneration. It is therefore viewed by the apostle as a cognitive experience, and not what takes place on the sub conscious level (as those who teach the born again before faith view assert). To learn denotes cognition. 

So, when were the Ephesians "alienated from the life of God"? It was when they were in a state of darkness and unbelief. 

There is nothing therefore in the context of Ephesians 2: 1 to show that Paul taught that life preceded faith, preceded enlightenment, preceded conversion. In fact, as we have shown, it is all "by grace through faith."