JAMES WHITE RE-HASHES THE DEBATE WITH
BOB WILKIN
ON "REGENERATION BEFORE FAITH" [04/26--2005]
We
understood from the anouncement on James White's website that he was to engage
Bob Wilkin of the Grace Evangelical Society on the proposition that
"regeneration precedes faith."
Now, on his website, following the
debate, White is evidently "re-hashing" the debate, blogging the type of
material we suppose he must have presented in the debate. In so doing, he has
yet to offer any argumentation which would serve to support the proposition that
a person is Born Again prior to, apart from, and without faith.
I will
continue to visit the website to see what "proof" White offered in support of
the idea that the New Birth takes place prior to, without, and apart from faith.
So far, all I see is that White is doing what he calls "exegesis," which means
he would have his reader believe that he is giving an expository explanation of
some text, but in reality he has not proposed any text yet which teaches in
either the Greek or English that one is born again prior to faith.
He
refers to some verses in the sixth chapter of John, such as 6:37 and 6:44, but
neither of these teaches that one is born again prior to believing in Christ.
The context deals with the fact that the Father teaches and draws those given to
Christ to come to Christ. The means used to accomplish this drawing and coming
is referred to in 6:45, "And they shall be all taught of God. Every man
therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
This verse indicates that the teaching, hearing and learning are the
constituent and necessary ingredients in one's coming to Christ. There is no
teaching in these or other texts to the effect that one is already born again
prior to or apart from being taught, hearing, learning, and coming to Christ.
While all the efficient power is of God, these texts clearly reveal that
means are used to accomplish His purpose. -- Bob L. Ross
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