Default: nkjv niv

Ephesians 2:5, 8-9

First, as sinful, unregenerate human beings, people can do nothing good for God, nothing to earn or merit eternal life, and nothing which might put them in God’s good graces. Frankly, I agree with this, as do most Christians. It is because Calvinists use this widely-accepted Christian idea that their system of beliefs gains acceptance as well. Usually, once a Calvinist is able to gain assent to this first idea of their doctrine, they quickly move on to the second main point of Calvinism, that of Unconditional Election. We will look at this point in the next chapter, but for now, we need to slow down and consider several steps within the Calvinistic logic which occasionally go unmentioned.

Based on the idea that a person cannot do anything good to please or appease God or to earn eternal life, the Calvinist, if pressed, will say that this includes faith. They would argue that “believing in Jesus” is a good thing, and since we cannot do anything good, we cannot even believe in Jesus. In this way, they are saying that faith is a good work, or that faith is meritorious. Earlier in this chapter we looked at several Calvinistic quotes which stated this very thing. But of course, this is exactly where the discussion of Total Depravity begins to get off course. Faith is not a work, and is not meritorious. We will see why later in this chapter, but for now, let us continue to follow the Calvinistic logic.

Following on the idea that faith is meritorious, and therefore impossible for an unregenerate person to do, Calvinists nevertheless recognize that there are scores of passages all over the New Testament which call unbelievers to believe in Jesus for eternal life. So they say that since God requires people to believe in Jesus for eternal life, but knows that they cannot, God Himself gives the “gift of faith” to people so that they can then believe in Jesus. They have a couple texts they use to defend this idea, one of which is Ephesians 2:8-9, which will be considered below.

Some people object, of course, to the idea of God giving the gift of faith to unregenerate people, for if unregenerate people can do nothing good—not even believe—then the gift of faith to unregenerate people is worthless, for the unregenerate person would be able to do nothing with it. In other words, if unregenerate people can do nothing good, then they cannot believe even if God gives them the gift of faith. So to solve this problem, the Calvinist says that “regeneration precedes faith.” In other words, God regenerates a person before they believe, in order that they can use the gift of faith which He gives to them. Again, there are numerous quotes above in the section called “Regeneration Precedes Faith” which allows Calvinists to explain this idea in their own words. No matter how it is explained, however, this idea is more blatantly wrong than any of the other logical steps leading up to it. Scripture everywhere states that people are given life (or regenerated) in response to their faith; not as a precondition to it. In Colossians 2:12, for example, Paul states that we were raised with Christ (that is regenerated, or “made alive,” 2:13), through faith (cf. John 3:16-17; Acts 5:32; 15:7-9; 16:30; 1 Pet 1:22). People are regenerated by God because they believe; not so that they can believe. One of the key texts to support his idea is Ephesians 2:5.

Though many Calvinists use Ephesians 2:5 and Ephesians 2:8-9 to teach that “regeneration precedes faith” and “faith is a gift of God,” a careful examination of these texts reveals that they teach the opposite. The understanding of both texts builds upon what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3, which we looked at in the previous section. If you do not recall how those verses are to be understood, you may want to go review that section before reading further in this one.

Here is what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:5, 8-9:

[God] … even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) … (Eph 2:5).

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 (Eph 2:8-9).

To begin with, Ephesians 2:5 does seem to support the idea that regeneration precedes faith. After all, Paul has just explained that even though all of us were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1, 5), and now he says that God, out of His great mercy and love, made us alive together with Christ. There is no mention here of faith in Jesus Christ, but only the grace of God.

However, this is a classic example of a verse that, when taken out of contexts, sounds like it is teaching the opposite of what it really is. God’s activity in salvation is the theme of Ephesians 2:1-10. In this passage, Paul takes his readers from the depths of sin in Ephesians 2:1 to the heights of God’s righteous plan for our lives from before the foundations of the world in Ephesians 2:10. The “salvation” in this passage, by the way, fits the same definition we saw earlier in this book. Salvation in Ephesians 2:1-10 is not simply justification or receiving eternal life, but also includes sanctification (Eph 2:10) and glorification (Eph 2:6).

So when Paul writes in Ephesians 2:5 about God raising us up in Christ, he is not stating everything there is to know about being raised up to new life, but is simply introducing a theme which he will explain further in the following verses. After a brief explanation about what this life in Christ, this “salvation” entails (Eph 2:6-7), Paul picks back up the “by grace you have been saved” statement in Ephesians 2:8-9 and explains it further. And what is it Paul says? He modifies what he wrote in Ephesians 2:5 by pointing out four additional things about this life which we received by the grace of God: He says this life is also (1) through faith, (2) is not of yourselves, (4) it is a gift of God, and (3) is not by works.

You may notice a bit of a chiastic structure in these four items, where “through faith” is further explained by “not by works” and “not of yourselves” is further explained by “it is a gift of God.”
Main Point: By grace you have been saved

A Through Faith

B Not of yourselves

B' The gift of God

A' Not by Works

This helps us see several beautiful things about Paul’s point. First, by clarifying as he has about how this life is received, Paul clearly puts faith prior to regeneration. By stating that we are “saved through faith,” Paul indicates that faith is a condition to receiving new life in Christ. Yes, there would be no life whatsoever without the grace of God, but in the same way, God does not force His life on others without them first believing in Jesus for it. Regeneration does not precede faith; faith precedes regeneration.

Secondly, Paul is clearly contrasting faith and works, as he does elsewhere in his writings (cf. Rom 4:4-5). As seen above, Calvinists sometimes argue that faith would be meritorious if people could believe in Jesus for eternal life, and therefore, faith is a work. Paul does not agree. By contrasting faith with works, Paul shows that the life we receive from God is not by works, but it is by faith. If faith were a work—even if it was a work of God—Paul’s point would be reduced to gibberish for he would be saying that salvation is not by works but it is by the work of faith. When we allow the clear contrast between faith and works to stand, Paul’s points is clearly seen. Yes, we cannot in any way work to earn or merit eternal life in Christ. We can, however, believe in Jesus for eternal life. Faith is not a work, but it is the avenue by which we receive the life of Christ.

Finally, the middle two items of the chiasm reveal that this salvation package from God did not originate with man, but with God. It is His gift to humanity. As can be seen through comparative religion, no human philosopher or religious leader has ever invented the idea that God fully and freely accepts human beings without any effort or work on their part. Instead, every human philosophy and religious system is filled with ideas about working our way back into the good graces of whatever deity is being worshipped, and about pleasing and appeasing the gods who are angry with us. It is about sacrifice, fear, and effort. But not so with the God revealed in Jesus Christ! He gives the salvation package–from sin and death and slavery to exaltation in the heavens (Eph 2:1-3, 6-7)—freely, by His grace, without any human works, effort, or sacrifice involved. No human could have dreamed this up, but God did, and God gave this revelation to us as a gift.

This then leads us to understand what Paul is referring to when he says “it is the gift of God” in Ephesians 2:8. Again, many Calvinists look at this verse and notice that a few words earlier, Paul mentioned faith, and based on this, argues that “faith is the gift of God.” R. C. Sproul, for example, argues that “The faith by which we are saved is a gift of God.”⁰ Elsewhere he states that “The rules of Greek syntax and grammar demand that the antecedent of that be the word faith.”⁰ Despite Sproul’s bold claim, he is exactly wrong. The theology, the Greek syntax, and the grammatical layout of this text demand that the antecedent of the word “that” cannot be “faith.”

In Greek, pronouns must agree with their antecedent in gender and number. English somewhat does this with pronouns like “he” and “she” but other pronouns like “they” and “it” are more difficult to determine. No so in Greek. All pronouns in Greek have gender and number, and they must always agree in gender and number to the noun they are pointing to, whether it is masculine, feminine, or neuter. In Ephesians 2:8-9, the word “that” (Gk., toutō) is neuter, but the word “faith” (Gk., pistis) is feminine. So also is “grace” (Gk., charis). In fact, if we keep looking for a neuter noun to which the pronoun “that” can refer, we will search in vain. There are neuter nouns in the context, but they make no sense as an antecedent. So when Paul says “and that … is the gift of God,” to what is he referring?

There are five views on how to understand Paul’s statement. First, some just say that Ephesians 2:8 contains a grammar mistake or an exception to the rule. They argue that contextually, the word “that” refers to faith, regardless of the fact that this contradicts basic rules of Greek grammar. In this view, Paul is saying, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and faith is not of yourselves, faith is the gift of God.”⁰ The second view is similar, but argues that instead of “faith,” the pronoun refers to “grace.” Again, those who hold this view must argue that the verse contains a grammatical mistake or an exception to the rule. In this second view, Ephesians 2:8 says this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and grace is not of yourselves, grace is the gift of God.” Neither option is likely, since this sort of basic grammatical mistake is not found elsewhere in Scripture, nor is there any example of this “exception to the rule” being used elsewhere.

The third view is that Paul is using the phrase “and that” (Gk., kai toutō) in an adverbial way, to add emphasis to “faith.” In this view, Ephesians 2:8 could be read this way: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and it is especially not of yourselves, it is especially the gift of God.” The idea is that Paul specifically and intentionally changed the case of the pronoun to add force and emphasis to what he was writing about faith being a gift. However, in the twenty-two instances where the phrase “and that” is found, none of them change the gender for emphasis. This view seems to be a case of desperately reading one’s theology into a text in order to force it to say what you want.

The fourth and fifth views are similar. Both views note that the neuter demonstrative pronoun “that” (Gk., toutō) can refer to a concept or phrase, rather than to a single word. Where it refers to a multi-word concept, the gender of the pronoun remains neuter, regardless of the gender of the antecedent (cf. Luke 3:20; 5:6; John 11:28; 18:38; 20:20; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor 7:37; Php 1:9, 28; Heb 6:3). Based on this observation, the fourth view is that the pronoun is referring to the entire “by grace you have been saved through faith” concept, and the fifth view is that the pronoun only refers to the concept which Paul has stated twice in the context, namely, “by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:5, 8).

It seems that one of these two final views is the best, but which? Those who argue for the first view are still able to say that faith is a gift of God to the unbeliever because it too is part of the package of “by grace you have been saved through faith” which was given by God. Of course, even if this fourth view is correct, it does not necessarily require faith itself to be a gift of God. If this fourth view is correct, Paul could simply be saying that the gift of God is the entire plan of salvation, which means that God decided before the foundation of the world to make salvation available by His grace and through human faith.

Nevertheless, it seems best to adopt the fifth and final view, for it not only places emphasis on the conceptual phrase which Paul has stated twice, but it also takes notice of the chiastic structure which Paul uses to further explain the gift of God. As seen in the chiastic structure noted above, the parallel statements “not of yourselves … the gift of God” are not explaining “faith” but are explaining “by grace you have been saved.”⁰ In this case, we once again see that the salvation-by-grace package originated with God in eternity past, is received by human faith (not by works), and is not something that we dreamed up, but is a gift of God to all people. This seems to be the best way to understand Ephesians 2:8-9.

In this chapter, then, Paul is not teaching total depravity, total inability, that regeneration precedes faith, that faith is a work, or that faith is a gift. When properly understood in it’s historical, cultural, grammatical, and contextual contexts, Ephesians 2 is a chapter which does not defend the Calvinistic system of theology, but disproves it at every turn.

Ephesians 4:17-19

This text from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is often quoted along with 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, and Ephesians 2:1-5 as evidence that the unregenerate person has no ability to understand, comprehend, or respond to the truth of God and the gospel.

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 (Eph 4:17-19).

Note several things about this passage. First, Paul is calling upon his readers to stop walking in the way that other Gentiles walk. While Paul’s readers are most likely regenerate, Paul’s exhortation implies that walking in darkness is a distinct possibility for believers. This will be seen more later when we look at the Calvinistic doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints.

Secondly, however, and more to the point about Total Depravity, it appears that even these Gentiles who walk in the futility of their mind do so because they have chosen to do so. In Ephesians 4:17-18, Paul strings together several perfect participles, which means that they are dependent upon the time of the main verb in his statement. The main verb is the past-tense (aorist) found in Ephesians 4:19 where Paul says that “they have given themselves over.” In other words, this means that the reason these Gentiles are futile in their minds, have their understanding darkened, have blindness of their heart, and are past feeling, is because they gave themselves over to lewdness, uncleanness, and greediness.

There is no doctrine of Total Depravity or total inability here. What there is, however, is the all-important biblical message that first we make our choices, and then our choices make us. Paul is saying that the Gentiles of whom he is speaking made the conscious choice to live in sin, and as a result, they have become darkened in their mind, feelings, and understanding. We might say that their conscience is seared, that they live in willful ignorance, and their past choices are reaping present results.

Based on this understanding, it only makes sense then, that Paul warns his believing readers to not make the same choices. Choices for sin, though they do not cause someone to lose their eternal life once they have it, can cause serious long-term consequences in the life of the believer. Paul wants his readers to put off that old way of conduct, and live their new life in the Spirit with the new man which was created by God for righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:22-24).

Ephesians 4:17-19 is not teaching about Total Depravity or total inability, but about the devastating results of choosing sin over righteousness. These truths apply not just to unbelievers, but to regenerate believers as well.

Titus 1:15

Though not as common as some of the previously mentioned texts, Titus 1:15 is sometimes referenced as further proof for the doctrine of Total Depravity and its twin, total inability. The text says this:

To the pure all thing are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled (Titus 1:15).

Pulled out of context, this passage appears to be quite similar to some of the others we have looked at above, and similar arguments could be used to understand Paul’s point. Upon closer inspection within the context, however, Paul’s argument contains a surprising point we have not yet specifically encountered. This verse contains a warning about those types of “Christian” theologies that condemn other people and other things as being impure and depraved. In other words, although Calvinists sometimes use Titus 1:15 to defend their doctrine of Total Depravity, this verse might actually condemn theologies that include teachings like Total Depravity as being “unchristian.”

To see this, we must understand that Paul was writing a letter to a young pastor named Titus who was ministering in Crete but was facing numerous problems in the church. Chief among these problems were certain teachers who had risen up within the church and were leading people astray by what they taught. Though we cannot know everything these false teachers in Crete were saying, the context does give some indication about their ideas and words.

Apparently, certain Cretan Christians were teaching the ideas and theology of a group called the “Judaizers.” The Judaizers were not necessarily Jewish in heritage (though many of them were), but might also have included Gentile coverts to Judaism. In Titus 1:10, Paul calls them “the circumcision.” Due to Paul’s emphasis on grace, he encountered opposition from these Judaizers almost everywhere he went. His letter to the Galatians is written against the influence of the Judaizers, and there are numerous hints in his others letters about his opposition to their teachings (e.g., Col 2:22).

The main teaching of the Judaizers was that they wanted all followers of Jesus to continue to obey the Mosaic Law. Though these Judaizers considered themselves to be Christians and professed to know God (Titus 1:16), they believed that Jesus, as a Jew Himself, wanted all His followers to practice and obey the Law of Moses, including the laws of the Sabbath, the laws of circumcision, and the laws of ceremonial and personal purity.

One of the specific things these Judaizers were teaching was the necessity of keeping the Mosaic purity laws. The Mosaic Law stated that if a person became unclean through touching a dead body, having an emission of blood, or getting a disease like leprosy, they polluted everything they came into contact with. If someone who was pure touched someone who was impure, the impurity passed to the pure person as well, making both impure. This is why Paul says that “to the defiled … nothing is pure” (Titus 1:15). He is not saying that certain people sin all the time or that they do not and cannot understand the things of God. To the contrary, Paul is referencing a point drawn from Jewish purity codes that impurity passed from that which is unclean to that which is clean, and not the other way around. One who was clean could not cleanse the unclean by touching it, but would instead become unclean himself. As will be seen, Paul does not agree with this idea, but he references it because this is what the Judaizers were teaching.

It appears that these Judaizers in Crete were teaching that everything was impure, everything was sinful, everything was wicked, evil, and depraved, and so in order to remain pure, believers needed to keep themselves separate from the “impure” people of this world. They could not have “impure” friends, could not eat with “impure” Gentiles, and could not spend time with “impure” sinners lest they themselves become impure (cf. the teachings of the Judaizers in Galatians). The Judaizers taught that all unbelievers were impure sinners who should be shunned and avoided.

A specific example of their own teaching is found in Titus 1:12, where Paul quotes one of these Cretan Judaizers as saying that “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” It is extremely unlikely that all Cretans acted this way, and Paul knew it. Such a statement is a prejudiced stereotype. Paul knows this statement is a racist stereotype, which is why he says, “This testimony is true” (Titus 1:13). As Grant Hawley, author of The Guts of Grace pointed out to me, when Paul says this, he is not stating agreement with this blanket condemnation of Cretans, but is stating that he has accurately reported what one of these Cretan prophets has said. In other words, when Paul writes, “This testimony is true,” he is not saying, “I agree,” but rather, “I am not making this up! He really said that!”

Paul includes the quote from this Cretan Judaizing prophet because he wants to use this false teacher’s own words against him to show how foolish this teaching really is. So after quoting this racist condemnation of Cretans, Paul tells Titus to rebuke the Cretan Judaizers who teach these things (Titus 1:13). Why? Because if all Cretans are liars, evil, and lazy, then this must be true as well of the Cretan Judaizers as well! Therefore, they should be rebuked.

Paul builds on this idea in Titus 1:15, stating that “to the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.” It is possible the Judaizers were teaching something similar, and it may be that this is another example of where Paul is using a literary technique called epistolary diatribe to quote and refute the false teachers, but either way, Paul’s point is clear. According to a legalistic interpretation of the Mosaic Law (which Jesus Himself rejected time and time again), God’s people needed to stay separate and distinct from the defiled and unclean “sinners” of this world, because eating with them and hanging out with them causes the defilement of the “pure.”

The example of Jesus and the instructions of Paul reveal the exact opposite: that the righteousness of God in our lives has a redemptive and reconciling effect on the world. We bring light and love to the world by befriending sinners and living among them with grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The impure do not defile the righteous, but the righteous help sanctify the impure.

To sum up then, in Titus 1:15, Paul is saying that if the Judaizers are right in teaching that impurity makes everything it touches impure, then the fact that they are Cretans and all Cretans are liars, evil, and lazy, means that according to the theology of these Judaizers, even their mind and conscience are defiled. In other words, if the Judaizers are right, then they are wrong. If the Judaizing theology is correct and that which is impure makes everything it touches impure, then the thought process of Cretan Judaizers is impure for all Cretans are lazy, evil, and liars. And if their thought process is impure, then their theology cannot be trusted either. It too must be wrong.

Paul is not teaching some sort of doctrine of Total Depravity or total inability. Instead, using a brilliant strategy of using his opponent’s teaching against them, Paul shows that those who teach that everybody else is evil and defiled have painted themselves into a theological corner. Their own logic disproves their position. Therefore, it is highly improper to apply Titus 1:15 to the unregenerate person. This verse is more applicable to the religious teacher who legalistically hangs on to the principles of the Mosaic Law as guidelines for followers of Jesus, and specifically for those who teach that all people are liars, evil, lazy, corrupt, and depraved.

1 John 1:8, 10; 5:19

The book of 1 John is popular among Calvinists for multiple reasons, but much of this is due to faulty interpretations of various texts (frequently found in the NIV and ESV), and poor understanding of some of the key words in 1 John, such as “to know” and “to abide.” Many of these key texts will be looked at in later chapters of this book. There are, however, a few verses that are sometimes used to defend the idea of Total Depravity. Three of these are 1 John 1:8, 10 and 5:19.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:10).

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19).

The first two texts, 1 John 1:8, 10 do not require much explanation. It is obvious that John is not teaching any sort of doctrine of Total Depravity, but is simply saying that everybody sins, and that if anybody claims to be without sin, they are sinning by making such a claim. No non-Calvinist disagrees with this. Almost all Christians of all types believe that everybody sins. It is a straw-man fallacy and non-sequitur to say that if a person denies the Calvinistic idea of Total Depravity then they don’t believe that all people are sinners. You can deny Total Depravity and still accept the biblical teaching about the universal sinfulness of humanity.

The third passage quoted above, 1 John 5:19, is sometimes quoted in reference to total inability. Like 1 Corinthians 2:14 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 1 John 5:19 is used to say that people are under the control of the devil, and therefore, cannot see or understand the truth of the gospel, nor respond to it, for the devil, who controls them, will not allow it. The first thing to note about 1 John 5:19 is that the words “control” or “sway” are not found in the Greek at all. These words are added by the translators in an attempt to make sense of what John writes. The addition of these words is due in large part to a second translation issue in this verse.

The second difficulty with 1 John 5:19 is with the phrase “the wicked one.” Technically, the word “one” in “wicked one” is not there. This is why the King James Version, for example, translates the word as “wickedness” rather than “the wicked one.” The Greek word is a substantival adjective, which means that it is an adjective used in the place of a noun. We do this in English, as with the Clint Eastwood movie, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” So in 1 John 5:19, translators have to decide whether the substantive adjective (Gk., tō ponērō) is referring a thing (wickedness) or to a being (the wicked one). Those translators that opt for “a being” called “the wicked one” then add additional words to the verse to show how the world lies on the wicked one. They say it lies under “the power” or under “the sway” of the wicked one (NIV, NAS, NKJV). Those translations that opt for a thing, “wickedness,” need no additional words to explain John’s point (KJV, Rheims).

I am generally uncomfortable in adding words to the biblical text to smooth over translations, and so prefer what is found in the KJV on this text. John is saying the world lies in wickedness. It is covered in wickedness. This point would be identical to what John wrote earlier in his letter, that everyone is a sinner (1 John 1:8-10). Even if, however, we accept what is found in the majority of other modern translations, and John is understood to be saying that the world lies under the power, control, or sway of the wicked one, this verse still does not teach total inability for at least two reasons.

First, since the words “power,” “control,” or “sway” are not found in the text, the translator is free to add whatever words he wants to help the reader understand what John is saying. Usually the translator will try to add words that fit best with the overall context of the passage and book, but more often than not, the translator will add words that also fits with their own preconceived theology. This is why the NIV, which is heavily influence by Calvinistic scholars, chose the word “control.” This is the strongest of the possible words that could have been used here, as it implies that Satan is in complete control of this world and therefore, unregenerate unbelievers have no ability to understand, respond, or believe the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The NKJV, however, uses the much more ambiguous word “sway.” This does not imply complete control, but instead is closer to the idea of “influence” or “guidance.” Obviously, I prefer this sort of idea, for it better matches my theology. Calvinists may criticize me for choosing a translation of this text which matches my theology, but that is exactly the point. This verse is ambiguous, and all sides of the debate need to understand that we tend to force our theology upon the text to get it to say what we want, rather than allow it to remain ambiguous and move on to other texts which might be more clear.

Nevertheless, there is at least one additional reason from the context of 1 John for why the Calvinistic teaching of total inability cannot be found in 1 John 5:19. Even if we say that the verse is properly translated as Calvinistic theology requires, and we allow John to be saying that the “whole world is under the control of the evil one,” this does not mean that the whole world is unable to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Earlier in his letter, John has written about the “whole world” and has stated that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). We will look at this verse in more detail when we discuss the Calvinistic idea of Limited Atonement, but for now, it is enough to note that even if the whole world lies under the control of the wicked one, Jesus has done what is necessary to liberate the whole world from the evil one so that they can respond to the gospel and believe in Jesus for eternal life (cf. 1 John 5:7-13).

The entire book of 1 John is engaged in this idea about good and evil, light and darkness, truth and error, and John is intent on showing his readers that based on who God is and what Jesus has done for all people, we can choose to live in love, light, and righteousness, rather than abide in hatred, darkness, and evil. That is how to understand John’s final exhortation of his letter. John is not making a statement about Total Depravity or total inability, but is calling upon his readers to “Choose this day whom you will serve.”

1 John 5:1

One final text that will be considered in this chapter on Total Depravity is 1 John 5:1. This text is sometimes cited in reference to the Calvinistic idea that regeneration precedes faith. The statement in question is found in the first part of the verse, as quoted below:

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God … (1 John 5:1a).

In his article about the Calvinistic teaching that regeneration precedes faith, Dr. R. C. Sproul cites 1 John 5:1 as evidence for this teaching.⁰ In doing so, he quotes from the NRSV translation of the Bible, which more clearly brings out the point that Sproul is trying to make: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” Note that by translating the verse this way, being “born of God,” or regeneration, seems to precede faith, which in context is the belief that Jesus is the Christ.

R. C. Sproul is not the only Calvinist to have this understanding of 1 John 5:1. The view is quite common. Here, for example, is a quote from leading Calvinistic author and apologist, James White:

And what is the inevitable result of being born of God? Belief that Jesus is the Christ. ...this means that in 1 John 5:1 the belief in Jesus as the Christ is the result of being born of Him. ... Therefore, sheer consistency leads on to the conclusion that divine birth precedes and is the grounds of both faith in Christ as well as good works.⁰

Calvinistic scholars and commentators defend such a view by pointing to the Greek tense in the text. The word for “believe” is in the present tense participle, and the verb for “born” is in the perfect tense. Since the perfect tense can carry the meaning of past action with present results, and since the participle “believing” is in the present tense, it is argued that being born of God in the past results in faith in the present. It is also pointed out that the perfect tense verb “has been born” is in the passive voice, which means that God alone accomplishes this birth, with no help or requirement from humans.

I don’t want to get too lost in the technical weeds on this text, which would be easy to do, since there is a great debate among top Greek scholars about how to understand the “time” of present participles in Greek. For now, let me just say that 1 John 5:1 is not the only place in John’s writings where he pairs a present participle with a perfect tense verb. In John 3:18, for example, John quotes Jesus as saying, “He who believes [present participle] in Him is not condemned [perfect tense verb].” I do not think that even Calvinists would say that people believe in Jesus as a result of not being condemned. To the contrary, according to the Calvinists, the whole world lies under condemnation, and even though they would say that regeneration precedes faith, I have never heard of any Calvinist who claims that being freed from condemnation, or being declared “not guilty,” or being justified, precedes faith as well. In the typical Calvinistic ordo salutis (“order of salvation”), while regeneration precedes faith, justification follows faith.

In the more immediate context, 1 John 5:10 is also helpful. John writes that “he who does not believe [present participle] God has made Him a liar [perfect tense].” It seems quite obvious from this verse, that God being made a liar does not precede a person refusing to believe God, but vice versa. When a person does not believe God, it is as if they are claiming that God is a liar. The perfect tense, “making God a liar,” is a result of the present participle, “not believing.”

We could go on and provide numerous similar examples, not just from the writings of John, but from other New Testament authors as well, but we have seen from just a couple of examples that present participles in connection with perfect tense verbs do not clearly indicate anything about the timing of one compared to the other. To say that they do is to read one’s theology into a text in order to get it to say something it does not.

Some Calvinists recognize this, and so avoid the “verb tense” argument and point instead to the Greek word for being born (Gk., gennaō) in 1 John 5:1. They argue that wherever this word is used in 1 John, it produces various results. Along with faith, they say that being born of God produces righteousness (2:29), the ability to stop sinning (3:9), and love for God and others (4:7). In every one of these cases, the verb for “born” is in the perfect tense, matching almost perfectly the tense usage in 1 John 5:1. And since practicing righteousness, avoiding sin, and loving God and others are all results of being born again, rather than conditions to it, it seems that faith also must be a result of being born again, rather than a condition of it.

There is an alternative understanding to 1 John 5:1, however, that does not resort to the idea that regeneration precedes faith. In this first letter of John, he is describing the conditions and characteristics for fellowship with God and with one another (1 John 1:3). He is not giving tests of life or doctrinal and behavioral indicators by which to determine whether or not you have eternal life. No, John is writing to believers who are facing an early form of Gnostic heresy and is instructing them to turn away from that false dualistic teaching, and instead come into a fuller understanding of God who is light and love. In this way, they will have true fellowship with God and with one another.

Related to this, the idea of being born (Gk., gennaō) in John’s letter is the way he is describing the new life which all believers share with God and through which we come to know Him more intimately. The phrase “born of God” which is frequently found in the letter, is not exactly a reference to being justified or having eternal life, but is a way of speaking about the new divine characteristic that is created inside each and every believer. To use Pauline terminology, being “born of God” is to be new creation, to have a new man (cf. Col 3:9-10). So when John writes about being “born of God,” he is describing the characteristics of this aspect of our life, and contrasting it with the part of us that is “of the world.” Again, Paul would write about being “of the flesh.”

This helps make sense of what John writes in 1 John 3:9 where he says that “Whoever born of God does not sin.” He is not saying that true Christians never sin, for that would blatantly contradict what he wrote earlier in his letter, where he said that everybody does sin, and the one who claims he does not sin is a liar (1 John 1:8-10). Instead, what John is saying in 3:9 is that sin does not come from the “born of God” part of us. Just as God is light and love and there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5), so also, the part of us that is “born of God” is light and love and there is no darkness in it. The “born of God” part of us does not sin. It cannot sin, because it is born of God. When sin comes, as it always does (1 John 1:8-10), it does not come from the “born of God” part of us, but from the world and the flesh (1 John 2:16).

This helps us make further sense of the various places in 1 John where we read about what it means to be “born of God.” The part of believers that is “born of God” helps us practice righteousness (1 John 2:29), helps keep us free from sin (1 John 3:9), helps us love God and others, (1 John 4:7), and helps us continue to believe that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 5:1). When understood this way, it becomes clear that 1 John 5:1 is not referring at all to the initial faith which grants a person eternal life, but rather to the ongoing faith which is necessary for sanctification and godliness. Certainly, as believers in Jesus we need ongoing faith, and what would be more natural and right than for the new birth to serve as an instrument of God whereby our faith in Christ grows and multiplies?

The Christians to whom John was writing were already believers, but they were in danger of falling prey to unhealthy teaching about God. In writing to them, John encourages these believers to rely upon their new birth in God for teaching, instruction about righteousness, abiding in faithfulness, and remembering that Jesus is the Christ, and that by Him, they have life in His name.

So 1 John 5:1 is not a verse which proves that regeneration precedes faith. But nor is it a verse which proves that faith precedes regeneration. John is not concerned with that question at all. Instead, John is concerned that these genuine believers to whom he is writing—who already have been regenerated, who already have eternal life, and who are already born of God—will abide and remain in that position of being born of God, so that their righteousness, fellowship, and faith will grow and increase daily. He wants them to live in the light they already have, and not be swayed by darkness and lies of the false teachers in their midst.

Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2014
2014 -> For want of a nail
2014 -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014
2014 -> Ihbb asian Championships 2014 middle school bowl Round 4 First Quarter
2014 -> Ihbb european Championships 2014 Bowl Round 4 First Quarter
2014 -> International History Bee and Bowl 2013-14 Asian Division Question Set Bowl Round Six
2014 -> United states patent and trademark office
2014 -> Coffs harbour eisteddfod vocal syllabus
2014 -> Listen News Programs Schedule pledge now
2014 -> Slow club announce third album complete surrender

Download 0.79 Mb.

Share with your friends: