"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10: 16 KJV)
Some Hardshell debaters and apologists, like Elder Lemuel Potter, have used this verse to uphold their "Spirit Alone" view of "regeneration," their aberrant "born again before and apart from faith" view.
Elder Potter argued, in his debate with Elder W. P. Throgmorton, that this verse proved that sinners are "regenerated" apart from the gospel and faith, that heathen who had not yet heard the word and truth of God, and who were worshipping false deities, were nevertheless "born again."
He cited the words of Christ in John 10 to show that people who had not yet been "brought" were "sheep," and that the fact that they were "sheep" before they were "brought" proves that they were "regenerated" before they were "brought," before they heard the truth of the gospel and were brought to faith and converted.
I must confess that I never heard this argument made by any Hardshell preacher when I was affiliated with them. This appears to have been an argument unique to Potter (much like the argument of Elder Grigg Thompson was unique on Romans 10 - see earlier chapters on that passage) and perhaps the time period in which he lived (2nd half of the 19th century). Nevertheless, I have included Potter's argument from John 10 in this series because it is worth addressing.
The question we must ask is simply this - is the term "sheep," in John 10 and elsewhere, used as a synonym for "regenerated person"? If it is, then Potter's argument is a valid one.
Obviously, however, the term "sheep" is synonymous with "elect," and not with "regenerated person." Certainly a person is "elect," or a "sheep," BEFORE one is saved, born again, or regenerated. Certainly he is "elect" BEFORE he is "brought to Christ" by the gospel.
If we make "sheep" to be synonymous with "regenerated person," then we must not only avow that they are "regenerated" before they are "brought," but also before Christ calls them, before they hear his voice, obey, and follow him. Such a view makes these things not a part of regeneration, what is not essential to it, but something apart from it, something ad hoc.
Such absurd consequences can never be made to harmonize with the bible teaching. The idea that a sinner can be said to be "regenerated" or "born again" who has no idea who is Jesus, or who is the one true God, and who has no faith, is absolutely rediculous and against the plain and express teachings of the scriptures.
Such an argument, though not made by today's Hardshell apologists and debaters, nevertheless was made by one of the leading apologists and debaters of the denomination. Elder Potter is an undisputed "authority" among the Hardshells. Such argumentation as Potter made on John 10, however, betrays his reputation.
In future chapters I will be having much more to say about this veritable second generation Hardshell patriarch.
The argumentation that Potter put forth in debate regarding the passage in John 10, is similar to arguments Hardshells make on a few other passages. Since the argumentation is similar, I will deal with them now also.
"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." (Acts 18: 8-10 KJV)
"And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee." (Ezekiel 3: 4-6 KJV)
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." (Revelation 5: 9 KJV)
The case of Cornelius also is connected with this idea of "sheep," or "regenerated persons" existing among the heathen, among those who did not have faith in Christ, for the Hardshells use his case in an attempt to prove that sinners are first regenerated, apart from the gospel, and that the experience of "regeneration" is enjoyed by those without faith in Christ. But, I will not deal with the case of Cornelius here in this chapter but will saved it for when I get to the book of Acts and look into the examples the Hardshells bring from that book in an attempt to prove that people are "regenerated" apart from the gospel and faith in it.
Hardshells also attempt to use Romans 2: 12-14 to prove that "heathen" people, who do not know nor believe in the one true and living God, and who do not have faith in Christ, nevertheless are "regenerated" and "born again" souls. Such an attempt, however, as I have already shown, and will yet show further, is vain. The scriptures everywhere refute such an idea.
I have already shown how John Gill held no such view, nor the writers of the old London Confession of Faith. Both he and they affirmed that salvation, including "regeneration," was impossible apart from the gospel, and from faith in Christ. They affirmed that faith in Christ was not possible apart from a knowledge of the gospel, per such passages as Romans chapter 10.
I have also clearly shown their affirmation to be contrary to a host of scriptures (see earlier chapters on key verses in defense of 'gospel means' and in the 'hot shot' series).
Now let me look at the above verses that also supposedly teach Hardshellism, that there are heathen peoples who are "regenerated."
"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." (Acts 18: 8-10 KJV)
When the Lord informs Paul that he already "has" or "possesses" a "people" in Corinth, even before Paul's preaching to them, the Hardshells argue that this proves that they were already "regenerated," even though "heathens," and that they were now prepared or "enabled" to be "converted," to come to saving faith and repentance.
But, does the fact that the Lord identifies these yet untaught, and as yet unbelieving sinners, as his "people" prove that they were already "regenerated" apart from the gospel and faith? No! The passage only proves that there were "elect" people in Corinth, people who as yet needed to be "called" and "regenerated" by the gospel (I Cor. 4: 15; James 1: 18; I Peter 1: 23-25, etc.), not people who are were already "regenerated." Compare this passage with Matthew 1: 21, a passage that gets much "play" among the Hardshell preachers.
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
Does this mean save the already "regenerated," the already "saved"? No, clearly not.
Here the term "his people" means "his elect," those who have been "chosen TO salvation, and TO regeneration and TO faith."
Hardshells will no doubt admit this when pressed on the matter. Yet, in spite of acknowledging, on the one hand, that "his people" does not mean "his already regenerated people," but only "his elect," they will nonetheless argue elsewhere, on other passages of scripture, as did Potter, and affirm that such expressions that speak of sinners being God's "people" or his "child" before their regeneration, mean and prove that they were "regenerated" or "born again." They are inconsistent in their argumentation. For instance, on the following passage they will argue in the following manner.
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4: 6 KJV)
Here the Hardshells correctly argue that "because you are sons" means "because you are sons (by election or decree of God), God has sent forth is Spirit into your hearts (regenerated you)..."
So, the inconsistency is quite apparent. When the Hardshell wants to do so, upon his whim, he makes "his people" to simply mean those "chosen TO salvation," though not yet actually saved, but then also makes it, at other times, to mean "already regenerated."
So, the passage in Acts 18 does not prove that there were souls in Corinth who were already regenerated apart from the gospel and faith, but only that there were "elect" souls there who needed to be called and converted, regenerated and saved by, the gospel. There were people there just like the woman in John 4 whom Christ converted at Jacob's well. She too was a "child of God" by divine election, though not yet "begotten" or "born of God" by the gospel. Thus, Christ's expressed need to "go through Samaria," so that he might thereby encounter her, preach the word to her, beget faith and life in her, and she be not only a "child" of God by election alone, by also by divine regeneration.
"And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee." (Ezekiel 3: 4-6 KJV)
Elder Sonny Pyles, one of the greatest Hardshell preachers of the last part of the last century, and who is still, to my knowledge, alive and preaching, used this passage in a sermon, preached in the last few years, in order to fight a view gaining prominence among some of today's Hardshells (mainly those identified with Elder Lasserre Bradley, Jr., and of those called "liberal" by the "conservative" wing, by those who oppose any modern efforts of Hardshells to finally begin preaching the gospel to the heathen, to support missions and theological schools, and bible classes or Sunday schools, and perhaps musical instruments in worship, and who favor having open fellowship with the Progressives and with those "Reformed" Missionary Baptists who accept the Hardshell "ordo salutis"), that avows that all the elect will hear the gospel.
I will be reviewing that sermon, together with the writing of his son, Elder David Pyles (who has many writings on Hardshell doctrine on the internet), wherein the son seems to be trying to "tip toe through the TULIP" by trying to occupy a "middle ground" between those who affirm and those who deny the proposition, the proposition that says that "all the elect will hear the gospel," after they are regenerated, but before they die) but for now will simply address the argument that the father made, wherein he argued that the above passage in Ezekiel proved that God had "born again" and "regenerated" people among the heathen who had no true knowledge or faith in Jehovah. It was, needless to say, a "vain attempt" on his part. So, does the passage in Ezekiel prove that the heathen, alluded to by the Lord, were already saved, born again, and regenerated, though they were ignorant of the truth, and therefore lacked biblical faith? No!
Pyles might as well have tried to prove that the "Sodomites" and "wicked inhabitants" of the "plain" were "saved," and "born again," as to attempt to prove that the "heathen" referred to by the Lord, in the above passage in Ezekiel, for in both passages, Christ only speaks "hypothetically," of what could have been, not what is the actual case.
"Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." (Matthew 11: 20-23 KJV)
A number of points need to be affirmed from this passage, and then some questions need to be asked and answered, in view of the argumentation of Pyles.
First, both passages deal with "hypothetical" cases, not with actual ones.
Second, both passages affirm that certain groups of heathen peoples "could have" been saved had a certain event or sufficient condition taken place.
Third, both passages indicate that the necessary event or condition did not take place, and thus the heathen under consideration did not "hear" and "learn" of Jehovah, nor come to know him as the one true God, nor that they escaped being eternally judged and condemned, nor from being "cast down to Hell."
Thus, they could not have been "elect," nor already "regenerated," for their fate is described. It is a vain attempt then for Pyles to try to use such verse to prove that there are actually elect sinners who die without coming to saving faith, or without being converted to Christ by the gospel.
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." (Revelation 5: 9 KJV)
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12: 3 KJV)
This is a favorite verse of today's Hardshells to cite in an attempt to prove that there are multitudes of "heathen" who are saved, even though they die without knowledge and faith in the true God, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse does not actually state their proposition, but they attempt to apply their infamous Hardshell "logic" to the verse in another vain effort to prove that heathen are saved apart from faith in Christ.
What is the "logical" deductive argument that the Hardshells make from this verse?
First, they argue that people are saved from every "family," and from every small segment of the human race. Then, having proven this premise, they add the second, the one that affirms that "every family, kindred, tongue, and tribe, has not heard the gospel." Then, they add their conclusion to the syllogism, one that says - "therefore the hearing and believing of the gospel are not absolutely necessary for being eternally saved."
But, this is not "proof," and this the Hardshells themselves must be "logically" forced to admit, if they are honest. This is clear when one remembers that it is the Hardshells who constantly remind us of the billions of "infants" who die in infancy, and who have, by their contention, been "regenerated" apart from faith and apart from the means of the gospel. Why can't these infants be part of the various groups enumerated? Did I not show, in earlier chapters, how the common Baptistic apologetic on this matter has been to affirm their regeneration in an "extraordinary" manner, unlike adults?
Did I not cite Spilsbury too on the matter of "infant regeneration" to show what was the first Baptist view and apologetic on the matter? Did he not affirm, like other Particular Baptists of the period, that one could not use the hypothetical case of "infant regeneration" to prove anything relative to the matter of regeneration and means?
Besides the possibility of the case of infants satisfying the Hardshell incongruity of seeing how all families and tribes could have saved people, but yet not all these groups having had the gospel preached to them, I mention also the fact that it cannot be successfully proven that these groups did not have the gospel preached to them.
As I have shown in other writings of mine, the gospel was "written" in the stars, or the ancient Zodiac or Mazzaroth, as others have demonstrated, and also in the meanings and significations in the names of the first ten descendents of Adam, and in the names (with their significations) of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and in the names of the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, and perhaps even in other ways, such as in the Pyramids of Giza, and in the Sphynx. Certainly the magi who "came from the east" were men who, following the gospel written in the stars, and in these other ways, understood the gospel and believed it.
Also, it is amazing that the Hardshells argue as they do from Revelation 5:9, seeing they argue at other times, when trying to affirm that the "Great Commission" has been fulfilled, that "every nation has already heard the gospel," citing such passages as Colossians 1: 23!
I have also heard other Hardshells cite the various nationalities mentioned in Acts 2, who were assembled in Jerusalem on Pentecost and who heard the gospel preached by Peter, as also evidence that all the nations heard the gospel that day! So, they can say, on one hand, that all have heard the gospel, but then argue, on the other hand, that all have not heard it.
So, I see no proof in any of the passages, analyzed in this chapter, that uphold Hardshellism and Hyper Calvinism, nor the born again before faith, or salvation apart from Christian faith, errors.
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