Dr. John Piper on Ordo Salutis

I have a lot of respect for Dr. John Piper. I have been reading his writings for many years. I am in agreement with a lot of what he writes and believes. But, I do not agree with him on several issues. 

Over the years in reading Dr. Piper I have seen him speak (as do many other Calvinists) contradictory to what he says in one place compared to what he says in another place. This is true on the question of the ordo salutis, on whether faith precedes, follows, or occurs together with regeneration or rebirth. Many times he will assert that faith is necessary for regeneration, affirming that no unbeliever is regenerate. Other times he will say that one must be first regenerated, or quickened, in order to believe and repent. The following are some citations from "What Is Hyper-Calvinism?" (here). I want to make some comments about Piper's comments.

Wrote Dr. Piper (emphasis mine):

"Now, the reason I say that’s irrational and unbiblical to draw that inference from election and deadness and sovereign grace is this: nothing in reason says that summoning a spiritually dead sinner to repent might not be the means God uses to perform the miracle of making him alive, and thus demonstrating he is elect. I say it’s unbiblical because the Bible tells us to preach the gospel to everyone, and the sheep will hear the Shepherd’s voice in the preaching and follow him (John 10:27)."

Many Calvinists say it is illogical, against reason, to preach to and "summon" one who is dead. Yet, in the above, Piper seems to deny such reasoning. In fact, he says it is reasonable to summon spiritually dead sinners and to call upon them to repent. Such a statement, however, overthrows what he says elsewhere about why regeneration and life must precede faith. So, is it logical and reasonable to talk to the dead and call upon them for action? Or, is it not? Well, from a human perspective yes. From a divine perspective however it is not. Also, notice the kind of contradiction I mentioned as evident in the above words of Dr. Piper. He clearly puts repentance before being made alive. He says the summoning of the dead sinner is "the means God uses" in order to make the sinner "alive." But, if the summoning to repentance is a means, why is not repentance itself also a means? It would be "repentance unto life" would it not? (Acts 11: 18)

Piper also said:

"God raises the dead. He grants faith, and he does it through preaching. We’re supposed to say precisely to dead bones, “Live! Live! Why would you die?” That’s the way we should preach: indiscriminately, to all people, offering the gospel to everyone, and trusting God to call his own."

What does God do through preaching? He raises the dead and grants faith. Okay, but does he grant faith after he has given life? Then life came through the gospel apart from faith in it? Surely life comes through the preaching only as it is believed. I agree that God says to the dead, through the preaching of the gospel, "awake you who sleep and arise from the dead and Christ shall give you light." (Eph. 5: 14) 

From a human perspective, from the standpoint of human logic and power, it is foolish to speak to the dead and to talk to them (although Necromancy was talked about in the OT, but that is beyond the scope of this posting). What I am talking about is not an attempt to speak to the spirits of the departed (for many attempt to do this and think it is not foolish) but the attempt to speak to the body and to its faculties (hearing, seeing, thinking, etc.). Doing the latter would be thought foolish. Yet, in the scriptures, this is what God commands us to do. He says to go and preach to the spiritually dead, just as Ezekiel was told to go and prophesy to the dry dead bones so that they might hear and live.

Piper said further:

"The question is this: Does Piper submit his so-called Calvinism to the Bible? Does he bring it into alignment with the truth of the whole Bible? Does he bring it into balance with the way the Bible teaches the sovereignty of God?"

Well, that is certainly a good question for all of us who are Calvinists to ponder. Spurgeon pondered it. Brother Bob Ross pondered it. I have pondered it. I do not study my bible with Arminian or Calvinist spectacles.