Regeneration Before Faith Proof Texts (X)

With this posting I will begin looking at those texts which the apologists for the regeneration before faith view offer as proof texts for that view. I have already given twelve affirmative arguments or proof texts which prove the opposite view, that regeneration or rebirth follows union with Christ, and union is by faith. 

Looking at those affirmative arguments a number of things are evident. First, they give direct expressions from the scriptures that affirm that regeneration is by faith, and secondly they are not based upon supposed logical deductions from scripture or doctrine. 

Proof Text #1 - I John 5: 1

I have already examined this text and shown that it did not prove that faith followed being born of God. See these two postings (here and here).

Proof Text #2 - John 1: 12-13 

Some contend, as I noted in my affirmative arguments on this passage, that "were born" shows that the divine birth preceded the receiving and the believing, but this we have shown to be false. "Received" is Aorist and so is "were born." 

Proof Text #3 - John 3: 3 

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3: 3 KJV)

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (vs. 5) 

In the years when I believed that regeneration preceded faith I never used this verse in an attempt to prove it, as others have tried to do. This proof text for that view is very weak, yea, wholly untenable. So, how do the above texts prove the born again before faith view? What is the argument on it from this text?

Wrote one author on the subject (See here):

"Calvinists lay great stress on the word “see”. They argue that one cannot believe in Christ until one first “sees” the Kingdom. They believe that “seeing” must precede “believing”. Since one cannot “see” the Kingdom of God until one is born again, then it would seem logical that one cannot believe what they “see” until they are born again. This is the more significant Calvinist argument. But will it stand up to scrutiny?"

Again, let me say that when this author (like many others) says "Calvinists lay great stress on the word 'see'" and says the "Calvinist argument," he is wrong to say that this is true of all Calvinists. He should say "some Calvinists," or Hyper Calvinists.  But, he does give us the argument that the Hyper Calvinists make on the above texts. 

The question that we must address is this: What does Christ mean when he speaks of "seeing" the kingdom of God? Is the "seeing" the "believing"? Though people often say "seeing is believing," that is not true in the above text. Jesus spoke of those who, although having "seen" him, the king of the kingdom, yet did not "believe." (John 6: 36) 

"Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20: 29)

It is my contention that "seeing" the kingdom has the same meaning as "entering" the kingdom. Jesus used both words to describe that entrance into the kingdom. When do we enter the kingdom? It is after we are born again, but it is also after we believe. There are two aspects or phases of entering the kingdom. One occurs in conversion and one occurs at the end of the age. The former is referred to in these words:

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Col. 1: 13)

The latter is referred to in these words:

"Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1: 10-11)

In order to enter or see the kingdom, either in time or at the end of time, one must be born again. But, he also must believe and repent, as the scriptures testify in many places. In the discourse of Christ to Nicodemus, Christ will emphasize the necessity of both the new birth and faith in the Messiah. He links those two together and makes them inseparable.

Is Christ teaching Nicodemus about the relation between faith and birth in the above words? Is he telling Nicodemus that he must be born again before he can believe? As we will see, this is not the case. In fact, in the remaining words of John chapter three, Christ will tell Nicodemus that he must believe in order to have life, eternal life. He must look in faith to Christ crucified as the dying Israelites looked to the brazen serpent on the post in order to be delivered from eternal and spiritual death.

Was Nicodemus Born Again?

Was Nicodemus born again when he came to Christ at night? How is such a question pertinent to the ordo salutis in regard to faith and rebirth? If Nicodemus was not born again, if he is spiritually dead and cannot therefore understand anything Christ is saying to him, then why is Christ talking to him about the kingdom of God? If he cannot see (understand) anything about the kingdom till he is born again, then Christ is acting foolishly to try to get him to see and understand. Christ's words are "spirit" and "life" (John 6: 63), and these spiritual words are addressed to a spiritually dead man, who it is said, cannot understand the new birth till he is born again. 

At least our Hardshell brothers recognize this incongruity because they all affirm that Nicodemus was already born again though he did not know it. This view, however, does not seem to be held by others of the born again before faith view. It is held by some who contend that no old testament believer was born again, no not even the apostle Peter, till after the death and resurrection of Christ and the inauguration of the new covenant. These see Nicodemus as not born again and is why Christ says to Nicodemus "you must be born again." If he were already born again, then Christ would not have said "Nicodemus, YOU must be born again." Further, Nicodemus did not even know anything about being "born again." Can people be born again who know nothing about it? Our Hardshell brothers believe so. 

In fact, I once heard a Hardshell preacher (who came from the Missionary Baptists) say about the words of Christ addressed to Nicodemus ('you must be born again') that it was an affirmation that Nicodemus was born of God. As an illustration he mentioned meeting someone and saying "you must be John Doe," meaning, it appears to me, from what I have heard about you, and from your appearance, that you must be him. Or, we might use another example as when someone speaks a lot about medicine in our hearing and we say "oh, you must be a doctor." So, Christ would be saying "you must be Nicodemus, and born of the Spirit." This is of course an extremely novel interpretation, of which the Hardshells are infamous. It is ridiculous, to say the least. 

No, rather, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "you must be born again." If he meant simply to talk about the new birth with someone who is already born again, and understood the new birth, then he would have spoken the words in the third person, not in the second person, saying in other words, "people must be born again." So, if it is true (and it is) that Nicodemus had not been born of the Spirit, then he was yet spiritually void of life, or spiritually dead. 

It is clear that he had no faith as yet in Christ, and as such was not joined to him. Being not yet united to Christ, who is "the life" (John 14: 6), Nicodemus was dead. There was no marriage or "tying of the knot" between Nicodemus and Christ at this time. Christ would later in this same discourse, in directly addressing Nicodemus, tell him that eternal life (from rebirth) would be given to those who believe in him. He told him this because faith in Christ would be the means of this rebirth, for obtaining spiritual life, a life that is not only unending but superlative in every way. It speaks of both the quality and the quantity of that life which comes through faith and the new birth.

So, at the time when Christ speaks to Nicodemus he is not a believer, has not been born of God through the gospel. If "faith is given in regeneration" (as most Hardshells have affirmed), then Nicodemus was not regenerated while he was yet an unbeliever in Christ. 

In one posting on this text I wrote the following to show how "seeing" the kingdom means the same thing as "entering" the kingdom (see here):

But, let me cite A. T. Robertson and another passage or two that refutes this view (as did D. A. Carson).

""He cannot see the kingdom of God" (ou dunatai idein tˆn basileian tou theou). To participate in it as in Lu 9:27. For this use of idein (second aorist active infinitive of hora) see Joh 8:51; Re 18:7." (A. T. Robertson - "Word Pictures in the New Testament")

To show that the word "see" means to experience I cited the following texts:

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9: 27 NIV)

"I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (John 8: 51 NIV)

Even at the end of Christ's discourse to Nicodemus Christ uses the word "see" again, saying:

"He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3: 36)

Though the Greek word for "see" (opsetai) is not the same as in the above verses, yet it has the same meaning. Notice that the "seeing" follows faith. The one who believes will be given eternal life and will "see life" in the age to come. To "see" or experience eternal life one must believe and must be born again.

D.A. Carson wrote (emphasis mine and cited previously here):

“To a Jew with the background and convictions of Nicodemus, “to see the kingdom of God” was to participate in the kingdom at the end of the age, to experience eternal, resurrection life. The same equivalence is found in the Synoptics (cf. Mk. 9:43, 45 ‘to enter life’, parallel to 9:47 ‘to enter the kingdom of God/); it is particularly strong in the Fourth Gospel, where ‘kingdom’ language crops up only here (3:3, 5) and at Jesus’ trial (18:36) while ‘life’ language predominates. One of the most startling features of the kingdom announced in the Synoptics is that it is not exclusively future. The kingdom, God’s saving and transforming reign, has in certain respects already been inaugurated in the person works and message of Jesus.” (D.A. Carson, The Gospel According To John, P. 188)

We could cite many other verses to show that "see" means to experience or partake. 

One writer on the ordo salutis, in his writing on the subject, cited leading proponents of each side in this debate. He then says this (See here emphasis mine):

"I find myself more in agreement with Lewis Chafer, John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, Paul Enns, and many others who teach that regeneration occurs either just after faith in Christ, or at the same time. This discussion is not intended to resolve the issues surrounding the ordo salutis. Though I love and appreciate the writings of theologians such as R.C. Sproul, John Piper, Wayne Grudem, J.I. Packer, John Frame, and many others, yet I am unconvinced—at least at this time—by their arguments that regeneration precedes faith in Christ. My current position is based more on the evidence of Scripture rather than well-crafted theological arguments."

I agree. If we base our ordo salutis on what is expressly stated in scripture, rather than on "well-crafted" arguments from logical deductions, we will see that faith precedes rebirth. He said further:

"Biblically, there are numerous passages that place faith as the necessary prerequisite to having new life, or regeneration. It is written, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 6:40). In these and other instances, “eternal life” is given after we believe in Jesus as our Savior. Faith is never the cause of our salvation, but rather, the means by which we receive it. Scripture clearly states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9)."  

Again, I agree and have so stated this in this series.

There are other things that Christ said were equally necessary for entering or partaking of the kingdom. Said Christ:

“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18: 3)

It seems that conversion involves being born again. One must be converted and born again to enter and see the kingdom. Of the preaching of Christ to the multitudes, which included those who were spiritually dead, we have these words from Mark's gospel.

"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1: 14-15)

Obviously Christ operated upon the belief that the people who he commanded to repent and to believe were not all spiritually alive. 

"And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus." (Acts 19: 8-9)

Paul spoke to many in the synagogue, many of which were not born again, not spiritually alive. Yet he speaks to them about the kingdom of God. The point to be made is that people see or perceive things about Christ and his kingdom before they believe and are born again but do not, however "see" or participate in the kingdom until the end of the age. That men are instructed in the kingdom before they are born again and converted, and before they enter it is seen in this text:

"Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matt. 13: 52)

Thus, sinners like Nicodemus are taught spiritual things, taught about the gift of eternal life and of being accounted worthy of the kingdom, and this before they believe and are born again. Therefore, all the "seeing" in this sense does not follow salvation, but much precedes it. Sinners are "born unto the kingdom" and they likewise are "instructed (discipled) unto the kingdom." 

That faith is required for rebirth and for entrance into the kingdom is also taught in these words:

"Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James 2: 5)

Besides being born again of the Spirit (and by the word preached), and being chosen, one must also be "rich in faith" in order to obtain inheritance in the eternal kingdom.

Of the kingdom of God Paul wrote:

"The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14: 17)

Joy and peace follows both faith and rebirth. (Rom. 15: 13) Joy and peace, as well as new life, is in Christ Jesus and is partially enjoyed in this life, but fully when the kingdom comes in its fullness at the coming of Christ and the resurrection and glorification of believers. 

In conclusion it is clear that "seeing" and "entering" of the kingdom is promised to all who believe and are born again and there is nothing in these words that teach that one must be born again before he can have faith. Also, to rely upon such texts and argumentation from it to support the born again before faith view shows that the advocates of this view have no express statements of scripture affirming it, but have to rely upon giving to the word "see" a strange and novel interpretation.