What Bible Preachers Said To The Dead

Those Calvinists who carry the doctrine of "total depravity" to extremes, such as the Hardshells and Hyper Calvinists, and those who teach the regenerated before faith view, tell us that it is foolish to preach to spiritually dead sinners because they are dead like corpses and therefore have no ability to hear, see, think, or do. The gospel and word of God, therefore, is not to be addressed to such characters. In a posting titled "Elder Sonny Pyle's Heresy" (here) I cited these words of Pyles (from a sermon):

"It would be just as ridiculous to go down in Virginia or Kentucky and start yelling at the rock and the mountains as it would be for me to preach the gospel to an alien sinner never born again of the Spirit of God."

"It would be just as foolish to go over to the shopping center, walk up to a brick wall and start saying "by grace are ye saved through faith" - and people would think I was a moron."

Well, by this standard, as we will see, Pyles makes the preachers of the bible (prophets, apostles, etc.), yea, even that of Christ himself, to be "ridiculous," and themselves to be "morons." Did Jesus, the prophets and apostles, think like Pyles? Did they do what he said was ridiculous? Did they preach the gospel to the dead or not? 

In another posting titled "Hardshells Declare Non Fellowship Against Gospel Preaching" (here) I cited these words from "Cayce's Editorials" for 1905. 

"The Forked Deer Association met with the church at Flowers Chapel, near Rutherford, Gibson county, Tenn., on Friday before the second Sunday in September, 1905. Elder John Grist, of Friendship, Tenn., was moderator, and L. J. Law, Trenton, Tenn., was clerk. The following appears in their minutes as the third and fourth items of their business on Saturday:

By motion and second, agreed that we adopt as the sense of this association the action of five of our churches as expressed in their letters, that we declare non-fellowship for the idea of a federal form of government, that the commission was given to the church and not to the apostles or ministry, that it is the duty of the ministry to admonish the alien sinner to repent and believe the gospel, and against affiliation in and with secret institutions."

So, if we can show how Christ and the preachers of the bible did admonish alien sinners to repent and believe the gospel, then the Forked Deer Association (one I attended but is now gone out of existence), and the Hardshells in general, have declared non fellowship with Christ and the prophets and apostles!

Dr. John Piper said (See here - emphasis mine):

"There is such a thing as hyper-Calvinism, which is not historic Calvinism. Hyper-Calvinism has always been a tiny group who have twisted the Bible by their unbiblical logic to say that the only people you should invite to Christ are those who give evidence of being among God’s elect. So if you are a hyper-Calvinist, you don’t share the gospel indiscriminately — like I do — but you wait and look for signs among unbelievers that they might be elect.

That’s absolutely wrong. It is not what Romans 9 teaches or implies. It is not what any other text in the Bible teaches or implies. The lover of God’s sovereignty who is saturated with a big, biblical view of God’s power in saving sinners says to every human being, without exception, words like these: 

 

Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? (Isaiah 55:1–2) 

 

In other words, we are pleading with them, “Come to the water of life. Drink freely, everyone! If you will receive Jesus Christ as the Son of God — crucified for sinners, risen from the dead — and put your trust in him as your only and precious Savior, you will receive with him everything that God has done through him. Everything that God is for you in him — you will have it all. Nothing good will be withheld from you. If you will have the Lord Jesus Christ, you have everything that he achieved, climaxing in everlasting joy in the presence of God.”

In John chapter five we have one example among many that show that Christ preached the gospel to the spiritually dead alien sinner. First let us notice the opening words of this sermon message of our Lord.

"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5: 16-18)

This whole sermon is addressed to those who are lost, who are alien sinners, dead in trespasses and sins. This is clear from the opening words of the sermon and, as we will see, in the body of the message. Who are the "them"? It is those Jews who persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him. Are these people spiritually alive? Surely not. Next, we have these words:

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you" (vs. 19).

Again, who are the "them" and the "you"? It is the same dead sinners. In the rest of the sermon, given below, notice 1) the pronouns highlighted, and 2) what he says to these dead sinners. I have also highlighted some of those things he said to them.

"The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel (you) not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. 31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. 32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33 Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. 35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search (you) the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

This wonderful sermon was preached to spiritually dead sinners! Look at what he said to them, my Hardshell brothers! By the standard of Pyles and the Hardshells Jesus was "ridiculous" for preaching such a wonderful and spiritual sermon to them! A "moron"! Not only this, but they would have declared non fellowship with him. God help them for this indictment of gospel preaching.

Here is what God says to lost sinners via his word:

"Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth" (Isa. 45: 22)

"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (John 5: 40)

"These things I say unto you that you might be saved" (John 5: 34)

"Except you repent you will likewise perish" (Luke 13: 3)

"Awake you who are asleep and arise from the dead and Christ will give you light" (Eph. 5: 14)

We could list hundreds of such verses and sermons! They all show how utterly false is the Hardshell and Hyper Calvinist idea that it is against scripture to preach to the spiritually dead and say the things to them that our Lord did!