What is the proper order of faith and regeneration? Does regeneration precede? Or does faith? Or are they simultaneous? Consider twelve miraculous works of Jesus recorded in the gospels. These miracles involve acts of physical healing or physical regeneration performed by Jesus. Often the text indicates that spiritual regeneration occurs in the person’s heart as well, although this is not always made clear. These miracles also involve expressions of faith or confessions of faith. In these, which comes first, the faith or the regeneration?
The Man with the Withered Hand (Matt 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 4:38-39)
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. There was a man present with a withered hand. Jesus said to him “Stretch out you hand!” The man stretched it out and he was healed.
Here the obedience to the command of Jesus and the healing are simultaneous.
The Centurion’s Servant (Matt 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)The Centurion, as a gentile, knew that Jesus was not permitted to enter his house. So, he actually requested Jesus to heal his servant without coming. Jesus was astounded at the man’s faith. He exclaimed that he had not found anyone with such faith in Israel. Then Jesus said “Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed.” Those who returned to the house discovered that the servant was healed the hour that Jesus spoke the words.
Notice the great faith that the Centurion had. Jesus marveled at his faith. Why would Jesus marvel at his faith if the man had been unable to believe?
Notice that the man believed before he met Jesus, so the faith preceded the regeneration.
The Nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-54)This story is remarkable similar to the story of the centurion in that it is a “long-distance” miracle. However the details are so different that it is a separate event. The nobleman went a good distance to see Jesus and ask him to heal his son. Jesus said “Go your way; your son lives.” John records, “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.” The servants of the nobleman meet him later as he travels home and tell him his son is well. They determine that the healing occurred at the same time Jesus pronounced that he was well. John records that the nobleman believed and his entire household.
Note that the man believed and then the son was healed. The healing results in deeper belief by the nobleman and the salvation of his household.
The Woman with the Issue of Blood (Matt 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48)This woman, who was very weak physically because of her constant bleeding pressed her way through a crowd to get to Jesus just for the chance to touch his garment for she believed this would heal her. She touched it and was healed. This would have gone unnoticed, but Jesus stopped so as to call attention to what she had done. He called her out and encouraged her to tell what she had done, which she did. Then Jesus said “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Notice that her faith preceded her healing.
Notice that Jesus referred to her faith as “her faith”.
The Caananite Mother (Matt 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)This woman was a Gentile. She followed Jesus and begged him to heal her daughter who was oppressed by a demon. Jesus ignored her and told her he was “sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel“, not to Gentiles. She continued to beseech Jesus. Finally Jesus answered her “O woman great is your faith! Be it done to you as you desire”. Immediately her daughter was healed.
Notice that the woman gave clear evidence of faith, so much so that Jesus marveled at her faith. THEN he healed the girl. The faith preceded the regeneration.
Notice also that Jesus refers to the woman’s faith as “her faith”.
The Epileptic Boy with the Demon (Matt 17:14-19; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42)This man brought his demon possessed son to Jesus’ disciples while Jesus was on the mount of transfiguration with Peter, James, and John. Jesus’ disciples were unable to help the boy. The man said to Jesus, “if you can do anything, take pity on the boy and help us!” Jesus replied, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” The man replied, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Then Jesus cast out the demon and physically regenerated the boy.
Notice, the faith was weak, but it was there. The man asked for help with his unbelief.
Notice that the faith was expressed first, then Jesus healed the boy.
The Daughter of Jairus (Matt 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56)Jairus approached Jesus and asked him to come heal his daughter. Before Jesus could get the to house messengers came and reported that the daughter had died. Jairus became greatly discouraged, but Jesus said to him “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she shall be made well.” Then Jesus went to Jairus’ house and raised his daughter from the dead.
Notice that Jairus was first commanded to believe, then the regeneration of his daughter took place.
The Raising of Lazarus (John 11)After it was reported that Lazarus was dead, Jesus told his disciples, I am glad that I was not there so that you may believe. Jesus met Martha and encouraged her to believe. Then he met Mary and encouraged her to believe. Next Jesus raised Lazarus and it is reported that “many of the Jews who had come to Mary and beheld what he had done, believed in him.
In this story, Jesus allows the tragedy to occur. In the face of the tragedy, he encourages his followers to believe and, after raising Lazarus, their faith is strengthened and others believe. So the faith is both before and after the regeneration.
Two Blind Men (Matt 9:27-31)Two blind men followed Jesus crying out “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord” they said. Jesus healed them.
Faith precedes the regeneration of their eyes in this story.
Blind Bartimaeus (Matt 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43)As Jesus passed through Jericho, blind Bartimaeus called out continually after him, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd tried to quiet him, but he persisted. Jesus had them bring Bartimaeus over. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartmaeus replied, “Lord, I want to receive my sight!” Jesus replied “Receive your sight, your faith has made you well.” Immediately Bartimaeus received his sight.
Notice that Jesus acknowledged Bartimaeus’ faith before he healed him.
Notice that Jesus referred to Bartimaeus’ faith as “his” faith.
The Man Born Blind (John 9)This man was healed of his blindness by Jesus, for the glory of God, as Jesus said. After his healing, a great trial ensued as the Pharisees tried to discredit and disprove what had happened. The more they investigated, the more irrefutable the miracle became. Eventually, they excommunicated the man from the synagogue. After this Jesus found the man and approached him about his faith. Jesus asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “And who is he Lord that I may believe in Him?” Jesus revealed himself and the man said “Lord, I believe.”
Here, regeneration occurs first and faith comes later. However, the man was healed before he knew Jesus’ identity. He could not believe on one whom he did not know. Once Jesus revealed himself, the man believed.
The Man and His Four Friends (Matt 9:2-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:18-26)In this story, four men bring their lame friend to Jesus for healing. They could not get into the house because of the crowd so they went on top and dug through the ceiling and let the man down in the room before Jesus. Luke says “And seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Then after making a point to the Pharisees, Jesus said “Rise, take up your bed, and go home.” The man did so.
Notice that faith precedes the forgiveness of sins which precedes the physical regeneration in this story.
Notice that Jesus saw “their” faith.
These stories deal with Jesus healing physical conditions like blindness, lameness, and death which illustrate man’s lost spiritual condition. In all but one story, faith precedes or is simultaneous with regeneration. In the one exception, the man in question did not believe in Jesus because he did not know who he was at the time he was healed. This is powerful biblical evidence that the norm is that faith precedes regeneration. Comments or feedback?
9 comments:
Here is something further to think about: is the "ordo salutis" defined by the 'timing' of the order, or is it rather qualitative, in that the order is not defined or constrained by an order in time, but rather by logical order? We will agree that the point of 'time' in one's salvation is simultaneous, but that is not what the ordo salutis is referring to. I think that non-Calvinists define and confuse the ordo salutis as strictly being one of time rather than one of logical order.
By using your examples, you are marking the definition of the ordo salutis by time, not by its biblical and logical order. Without regeneration being first, one cannot then trust and believe God in faith. Hence, in all cases, it was God who regenerated the person into salvation (first by hearing the Word, which is a prerequisite in understanding the truth of the Gospel), then that person was able to respond in faith. I think at this point you may be cherry-picking Scripture passages that, on the surface, may support your view, but you have ignored other Scriptures which explicitly state that regeneration precedes faith (Romans 8:28-30, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:1-10). In one passage, which you did not refer to, which is found in Acts 16:11-15, Paul is witnessing the Gospel to Lydia, who was specifically stated that "the Lord opened her hear to pay attention to what was said by Paul". It would be difficult to assume in this passage that it was her 'faith' was something inherent in her believing Paul, but rather it was the Lord who regenerated her heart so that she would receive the gift of faith and thus believe. There is nothing in the Scripture passages that you cite where any mention of faith that precedes regeneration in that logical order. Hence, you are assuming that the person who is saved first has faith and then is regenerated because of a faulty view of the 'timing' (chronological versus logical) of salvation in an individual, and by ignoring other NT passages that speak of regeneration being the gift of God. Thus, your view is systemic error. In the Reformed/Calvinist view, the ordo salutis is 1) election, 2) predestination, 3) gospel call 4) inward call 5) regeneration, 6) conversion (faith & repentance), 7) justification, 8) sanctification, and 9) glorification (Rom 8:29-30).
Hi Larry,
The Acts 16 event is a proof text often cited by calvinists, but this text does not demonstrate that regeneration precedes faith. Note in verse 13 that Paul went on the Sabbath to a place on the river where people typically gathered to pray. Those gathering on the Sabbath to pray were either devout Jews or Jewish proselytes. Paul always sought out faithful Jews when he went to a city and evangelized them first. Lydia was one of these. So, when the Lord opened her heart she was already a person of faith, though her knowledge was only of the OT. However, when the gospel of Christ was preached to her, the Lord opened her heart. This opening of the heart is not regeneration, for she was already a believer. It the the Holy Spirit's work of illumination in which he reveals spiritual truth to a person. Having believed the message of the OT, her heart was opened to believe the message of the NT. The concept of regeneration does not appear in this text.
In my post I have cited twelve miracles from the life of Jesus in which regeneration and faith occur in relation to one another. In each, with only one exception, faith occurs prior to regeneration. You say that I am surface reading and deriving a faulty idea from the text. I will await your proper interpretation of these stories. You say that I am cherry picking. I will await your stories in which regeneration precedes faith. You say that I am concerned with chronological order rather than logical order. I do not see how logical order can completely contradict the chronological order that is clear in these stories
A proper interpretation of the passages you cited would not do justice to soteriology without understanding other passages that speak of God's sovereign power in saving men from their state of sinful inability. In other words, what I'm saying is that you're putting the cart before the horse; the passages you cite are moot since they aren't describing the inward call and will of God in saving sinners, nor are they describing any view of the ordo salutis. In each case that you have cited, it would be understood that each person who is saved had been regenerated first. At this point you're probably pulling your hair out at my generalization, but consider this first: the sovereign intervention of God's will in saving a sinner gives the individual the 'ability' to respond positively in faith. In this we (Calvinists) will state that we are saved by grace and that faith is a gift, a gift given to us because He first regenerated ("born again") us and made us alive in Him (John 1:12-13, 3:8, 6:37, 39, 44, 6:63-65; James 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:24-25; Romans 9:16). Although not specifically stated in the passages you cited, the regeneration of the sinner precedes their gift of faith. If you took just the passages you cited at 'face value' in regard to the ordo salutis, you might have a case, but you have ignored (not deliberately, but rather ignorantly) other Scripture passages that indicate that it was God's will for us who are saved to be regenerated according to His will, not ours. Even if I had heard the Gospel numerous times and 'intellectually' understood its demands for repentance and faith, I still do not have the ability to be saved in and of myself. My inability is what inhibits me from being saved, which completely depends on God's mercy and grace, which would therefore necessitate a 'born again' regeneration that solely is from God ("Salvation is of the Lord!"- Jonah 2:9). This is why there is not a mere 'chronological' order to our salvation; it is logical that we ought to be born again first (regeneration and conversion) that precedes our 'ability' to respond to God in faith, which is a gift and not of our own will.
Larry, I love you man, but the way you're presenting yourself, you're coming across like a condescending, pompous prick.
Basically this is because (well, other then your "out of ignorance" comment, which is particularly egregious since Jody put more time into formal study then you did) you're not interacting with Jody's argument. You're laying out your system and telling him that what he's saying doesn't fit into your system. That's not discussion, that's pedanticism.
Don't get me wrong, I still like you. You just have a tendency to confuse intellectual structures with true understanding. Some points of theology we accept as axiomatic and then we spend our lives trying to submit our understanding to that axiom (i.e. Paul refers to mysteries). Other points of theology we can logically define and thrash out into logical consistency. However, if every point in our theology is logically self-consistent then all we've done is reduce God to the level of our understanding. So to cite the logicalness of theology as a proof of it's truthfulness is simply pride.
-Matt Eckman
Jody,
I gotta be honest, I think it's an interesting argument but I couldn't personally put much weight on narrative. If I'm understanding correctly you're essentially saying that the chronological presentation of the events in these stories is an indication that the logical order of salvation/regeneration is faith, then regeneration; not regeneration, then faith. Personally I see it as grounds for reflection, but since it's narrative, then the exegetical point to ponder seems to be whether the author(s) are trying to present the logical order in their chronological order, i.e. how do they use time order vs logical order overall. You'd almost have to look at every story in the gospels to determine that usage before using those stories as proofs. Was that at all clear? Sorry if it wasn't, I can try to reexplain.
-Matt
Hi Larry and Matt,
Thanks for your posts.
Uh, Larry, the "ignorance" comment is really over the top and unnecessary. I may be ignorant. On the other hand, I could be an alien life-form with an intelligence so advanced that you cannot conceive of it. Ultimately, you have no way of knowing. The only way you could know is if you are God. It's pretty ironic for you to defend God's sovereignty then speak as though you were him. Please deal with the discussion and leave the intellectual posturing out.
Also, one note on the importance of this argument. The order of regeneration and faith is not a core tenant of calvinism. Calvinists do not agree uniformly on the order, so my argument is not an attack on calvinism since it has no uniform stance on this topic.
Matt,
In the narratives I selected, all had in common a regenerative act by Christ and an exercise of faith by humans. I am not aware of any other narratives in the gospels that contain both elements. Another point that I highlighted was Jesus' repeated references to the person's faith. Many calvinsts say that people do not have faith, it is a gift.
I don't think I addressed the "order salutis" (sp?) of eternity past in my comments. This issue was brought up later. I think the discussion between Larry and me raises these questions.
Do these stories show faith preceding regeneration?
If so, can the order saludis differ?
Does the order saludis actually differ?
I understand your reluctance to build a complete theology from narrative, however, "all scripture is profitable for doctrine", not just didactic passages. Those who emphasize an order saludis in eternity past certainly use a variety of genre to come to their conclusions. A proper conclusion must use all of the biblical material.
Jody,
The use of the word 'ignorant' was not meant to demean you in any way. It appears that this is what you may have taken it as, then I offer my sincerest apologies and ask forgiveness of you. In order to clear up what I intended to say, it is that I wanted to convey is that you probably weren't aware of the other Bible passages, and I believe that your analysis of the passages solely based on Acts was made out of 'ignorance' of other passages in the Scriptures that more better apply to the doctrine. In better words, I don't believe that your post wasn't made to deliberately malign the doctrine (or Calvinism), but rather that you weren't thorough in your thesis. The dictionary use of 'ignorance' isn't necessarily mean that I am trying to demean your intent or 'scholarship' with regard to the comments from your post. I just felt that you could have done a more thorough job in researching all views on the subject, particularly on passages that I cited from other books in the NT. I hope that this clears up any misunderstanding. Also, it is possible that some Calvinists may have taken your comments as being inflammatory since they would, like myself, have seen that you didn't include other texts from the NT that would more apply to the ordo salutis. I don't know if any other Calvinists read your blog, but I would have felt upset at the misrepresentation of a brief survey of selected passages from the book of Acts and then made the conclusion that faith precedes regeneration. It's a deeper subject than the one you presented, and it's not merely academic. In a way, it's a spiritual issue since it is not in us that causes regeneration and faith-- it's entirely of God! My salvation in Christ is/was something entirely the work of God.
Matt,
Your comments don't deserve much else than that you should know better than to respond in such a 'snarky' way. He who gives an answer before he hears a matter is folly and shame (Proverbs 18:13). It would behoove you to not respond in a manner that is Christ-like, here or anywhere else. What you said is not necessary, even amongst close friends or even to an enemy.
To Jody again,
At this point, this discussion has bended beyond what I would call 'civil', and I don't believe that it would be profitable to go beyond what has been stated here. I will only comment further on any other comments from Jody regarding my 'ignorance' statement (if Jody feels that it needs to be addressed).
Larry,
You apologize for calling using the term "ignorance" and then defend your use of it. I don't see how that is an apology. It is basic unfairness to assume that another person is not aware of other arguments than the ones that they state. If I was not aware that some calvinists teach regeneration before faith there would have been no reason for me to post my argument in the first place and if I was not reasonably sure that their position could be refuted I would be foolish to enter into the debate. Ultimately, a position on the matter of the relationship between faith and regeneration must take into account ALL the scriptures that pertain to it. I have not read a calvinist who considers the passages that I cited in their understanding of the relationship of f&r. This lack is why I consider the position that r precedes f to be inadequate. If you are convinced of your position, that is fine. However, you need to consider this material because it appears to contradict your position. You need to show that you can integrate these passages with your position, or that they are irrelevant to the issue, or you need to change your position. Dismissing the passages from the life of Christ as irrelevant to the discussion, as you have done, does not answer the issue that I have raised. Until you do this, every time that you state that r precedes f, you will have an intellectual nagging in your subconscience that tells you there are passages that argue otherwise and you have not dealt with them and do not know how to.
regardless of the order (and it agrees you have made a good case for faith preceding regeneration) we must note above all that the Bible states we bes saved by grace, through faith, and THAT (i.e. the faith) does not come from ourselves but bes the gift of God, not of works, lest any should boast. scripture also states that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So ultimately we bes thrown back upon the regenerative power of the Word of God, the sole agency of Creation ex nihilo, to generate and regenerate, by producing hearing which in turn produces faith which in turn enables us to lay hold of grace, which in turn appropriates all goodness and blessings from God which we do NOT merit by our own lives or deeds one whit whatsoever.
The reason the devils believe and tremble bes that truth puts them beside themselves; it unhinges them with a desire for reclamation and rehabilitation which utterly confuses them because they have been convinced of the theological and theolegislatural impossibility of such a thing. So they tremble but not for the reasons most imagine.
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