Elder Grigg Thompson on Necessity of Conversion

Elder Matthew Grigg Thompson

(1811 - 1888)

Elder Grigg Thompson, oldest son of Elder Wilson Thompson, in his book "The Measuring Rod" (1860), wrote:

"If none can enter Christ's kingdom without being born of the Spirit, of course none can enter his church without being born of the Spirit. The birth of the Spirit begets in the heart repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith and repentance are fruits of the Spirit, and evidences of regeneration..." (pg. 151; and can be read here)

What do we learn from these words of Thompson? 

First, it seems that Grigg probably agrees with his fellow "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptists of that time, and like his father, that regeneration and rebirth are not the same. However, that is not certain because some in 1860 were beginning to see regeneration and rebirth as being the same, and Grigg may be the same.

Second, he believes in the ordo salutis of his brethren, and of all Hardshells and Hyper Calvinists since, that faith and repentance follow regeneration.  He put regeneration prior to faith, as do "Reformed" Presbyterians and Baptists, men like R.C. Sproul and James White, do today. Thompson plainly says that faith and repentance are "evidences of regeneration." But, are they also evidence of rebirth (follow after), or conditions thereunto?

Note: Those of Thompson's brethren who believed that regeneration and rebirth were different, the former preceding the latter (oftentimes by a long period of time), believed that regeneration happens instantly, without the knowledge and awareness of the one being regenerated,* and that it produces a sense of guilt, conviction of sin, and belief that one was lost and in need of salvation and forgiveness (or else be forever damned), and that such a regeneration was the result of the Spirit of God "implanting" the divine life and nature (like in conception) into a person, or divine "incorruptible seed" (I Peter 1: 23), and conviction of sin corresponded to time in the womb, which would in time be followed by the new birth, and that this occurred by faith and repentance (and corresponded to the child in the womb "coming forth" from the womb to be "delivered" ). So, Thompson's statement that faith and repentance follows both regeneration and rebirth, rather than being conditions thereunto, is a little bewildering. He and his brethren did not mind putting a gap of time between regeneration (implanting, conception) and rebirth (conversion, deliverance), but did they also put a gap in time between rebirth and faith/repentance? Or affirm that many of those who were born of the Spirit would never come to evangelical faith and repentance?

Third, Thompson seems to say that being regenerated or reborn instantly begets (or produces) faith and repentance. I guess it is possible that he may have thought that a person who has been "begotten to faith and repentance" might not have it in actual possession at the instant of the begetting, but until some time later. Most Reformed or Hyper Calvinistic Bible teachers will say that faith and repentance are instantly produced when a person is regenerated by God, so that there is no gap in time between regeneration and penitent faith. Is this the view of Thompson in the above citation? It surely seems so. But, it is not what his denomination has come to believe in this day.

Fourth, many "Primitive Baptists" today who are of the "Hardshell" variety, will say that they believe "that God gives faith in regeneration." But, when you question them, they will deny that they mean evangelical faith in Jesus and the Gospel is meant. They say millions of people are regenerated who never come to believe in Jesus. See my posting titled "Chapter 13 - Hardshells On Faith (Conclusion)" where I cited from several leading Hardshell elders who say that this "faith" is non-cognitive, not on a conscious level,** or will say that it is a belief in a God or gods or some Creator. (You can read that here) However, it is clear that the "faith" Thompson is speaking about is evangelical cognitive faith in Jesus, which faith requires hearing the Gospel, as Paul said: 

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?...So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10: 14, 17 nkjv)

So, the view of Thompson, reflects the general view of the first "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptists, who believed that the new birth instantly made a sinner a believer in Jesus and a penitent. He seems to clearly affirm that evangelical faith is begotten when a person is born of the Spirit, and so denies that one can be born of the Spirit and lack faith in Jesus. Here are some of Thompson's contemporaries who taught such:

Elder J. R. Respass wrote:

"When a man is born again, he, the man, becomes a new creature...but as woman in pangs of travail is delivered by birth, so he is delivered by faith, and rejoices in the truth." (Elder J. R. Respass in The Gospel Messenger, 1883, pg. 57)

Respass says "delivered by birth" is "delivered by faith" and so would disagree with Thompson.

Elder John Rowe wrote:

"Not, however, without repentance and faith, though some have been so full of folly, as to affirm that if sinners are saved upon the principles we maintain, then repentance and faith are needless things....Whereas none ever have, or will repent and believe, evangelically, except under the influence of special grace applied to them." (Elder John Rowe, "My Grace is Sufficient for Thee," in the Gospel Messenger, 1881, pg. 9)

Elder W. M. Mitchell wrote:

"In conclusion, let us not overlook the fact that in order to salvation, it is necessary that we be born again; that we have faith, repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; but as salvation is of the Lord, these things are as much of him as our redemption, calling or justification, for his “divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto, life and godliness.” 2 Pet. i. 4." ("The Southern Baptist Messenger," Oct. 1, 1880)

It was not till the end of the 19th century that we began to see "Primitive Baptists" say that most of God's born again children do not know about the God of the Bible or Jesus, and could be in fact believers in false gods and yet "regenerated." 

* If a person can be regenerated, born again, or saved, and not know it, then he could lose it and not miss it. 

** How can people believe in or love someone that they do not know cognitively?