Acts 18:9-10 Part 4.1

In part 4 I said that Arminians teach a doctrine of prevenient grace stated as:

God through the cross of Christ has given grace to all humanity without exception and without their consent (irresistibly) restoring their ability to believe, (they affirm total inability in theory but deny anyone actually exists in that state) and if they cooperate will give more grace which can, at every step, be resisted at which time the believer will forfeit his salvation. This grace when accepted or not resisted by the sinner will then bring about regeneration (the new birth) which the sinner must maintain (by grace) or else he will slip back into spiritual death.

Ok, that may sound good, but is it taught in the scriptures?

First off classic Arminians affirm total depravity, sometimes referred to as total inability, as a concept but deny anyone is in that state due to Christ atoning work. But let’s look at what the bible says relating to that because the whole Arminian scheme of soteriology hinges on this idea of prevenient grace and if it is not clearly taught in scripture the Arminian system falls to the ground. Paul states that before man was saved he actually walked according to the flesh, setting his mind on the things of the flesh

Romans 8:5–8 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Before someone is regenerated (indwelt by the Holy Spirit) he has his mind set on the things of the flesh which apart from the new birth will lead to death. Before the new birth man was actually hostile toward God, unable and unwilling to submit to God’s law, no hint of a prevenient grace here.

Romans 8:7 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

No hint of prevenient grace here it describes people as “hostile to God” and that they not only do not but cannot submit to God.

Romans 8:8 “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

No hint of a prevenient grace here it says “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Scripture does not speak of man’s depravity as that which is negated by prevenient grace or as a state in which no man actually ever exists; rather, it speaks of depravity as that state of man in which he currently exists and in which he will die unless an effectual work of grace is accomplished. A few more text speaking of man curranty being in a state of inability nowhere is this state of ability due to prevenient grace before regeneration mentioned just our sorry and hopeless state of sin:

Gen 8:21 Gen. 6:5 Judg 17:6 Judg 21:25 Psm 10:7 Psm 14:1-3 Psm 36:1 Psm 51:5 Psm 53:3 Psm 58:3-5 Psm 143:2 Prov 20:9 Ecc 7:20 Ecc 9:3 Isa 53:6 Isa 59:7-8 Jer 17:9 Mark 7:18-23 John 5:42-44 John 8:38-47 John 10:26-27 Rom 1:21-32 Rom 3:10-18 Rom 5:12 Rom 8:5-8 Gal 4:3 Eph 2:1-3 Eph 4:17-19 Col 1:13 Col 2:13 Titus 1:15-16 Titus 3:3

Moreover, to affirm total depravity in name and then to deny its functionality, as some Arminians do, is to rob the doctrine of its meaning and effect. The doctrine thus becomes purely hypothetical.

Here is a citation that says it well:

“These Wesleyan (Arminian) hypotheses amount to a universal restoration of spiritual and moral ability in unrepentant sinners—proposals difficult to reconcile with scriptural teaching concerning pre-Christians’ blindness, enmity, and alienation. The spiritually enslaved conditions of fallen humans appear in Scripture as actual conditions of people encountered by prophets, Christ, and apostles, not merely as hypothetical conditions. The human depravity the biblical writers taught in such strong language has an actual referent in actual persons. It does not apply only to a hypothetical condition from which all have been delivered. Such a prevenient grace hypothesis does not fit the facts of Scripture or the general experience of pastors and counselors.”

Gordon R. Lewis and Bruce A. Demarest, Integrative Theology, 3 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994)

What good is it to affirm the doctrine of total inability when no person exists in that state? What effect can total inability have if it is of no consequence to man in the moment of salvation? All they have done is come to semi-Pelagianism through the back door. Consequent to this, because of a lack of biblical support, Arminians have had to create a third new category of people - those in an “intermediate” state i.e. those who have prevenient grace but have not yet chosen to believe they are not fully regenerated but are also not fully unregenerate. Nowhere does Scripture ever recognize a sinner as being neither unregenerate nor regenerate but in an intermediate stage.

But there are a few text Arminians go to in an attempt to prove this notion of prevenient grace as biblical. let’s look at them. I have pulled these from this book:

Salvation by Grace

Matthew Barrett

John 1:9 “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” The argument from this text is that the phrase “gives light to everyone” refers to universal prevenient grace. John Wesley appealed to John 1:9 more than any other verse to argue for universal prevenient grace. However, the verse can be understood in at least three other ways than this: (1) Enlightenment refers to universal general revelation, not prevenient grace, and this illumination is grounded in creation. Such a view is improbable because the context of the passage concerns Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world, not an enlightenment at creation. (2) Enlightenment refers to the inner conviction and illumination that results in faith and repentance. Such a view argues that John uses “all” in the sense that all without distinction rather than all without exception are enlightened. In other words, not just Jews but also Gentiles are enlightened by Christ’s advent in the world (see John 10:16; 11:51–52). However, the immediate context does not seem to imply such a distinction. (3) As Schreiner, says, “The word enlighten (photizo) refers not to inward illumination but to the exposure that comes when light is shed upon something. Some are shown to be evil because they did not know or receive Jesus (John 1:10–11), while others are revealed to be righteous because they have received Jesus and have been born of God (John 1:12–13).” This interpretation of John 1:9–13 is the best because it fits the context of John 3:19–21 which says, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out by God.” When John speaks of the light which enlightens all men, he is not speaking of a light which bestows universal prevenient grace, nor of a light which conveys general revelation through creation to all of humanity, nor of a light which inwardly illumines every man, but rather of a light which “exposes and reveals the moral and spiritual state of one’s heart.” D. A. Carson explains, The verb photizei may have its primary lexical meaning “to shed light upon,” i.e., “to make visible,” “to bring to light.” Inner illumination is then not in view (whether of general revelation or of the special light that attends salvation). What is at stake, rather is the objective revelation, the “light,” that comes into the world with the incarnation of the Word, the invasion of the “true light.” It shines on every man, and divides the race: those who hate the light respond as the world does (John 1:10): they flee lest their deeds should be exposed by this light (John 3:19-21). But some receive this revelation (John 1:12-13), and thereby testify that their deeds have been done through God (John 3:21). In John’s Gospel it is repeatedly the case that the light shines on all, and forces a distinction (e.g., John 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:39–41). Therefore, the text does not teach that Christ gives prevenient grace to all of humanity, enabling man to cooperate with God’s grace, but rather that the light of Christ reveals the true condition of men as being either desperately wicked or trusting in God.

John 12:32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Arminians argue that when Jesus says here that when he is lifted up he will draw (ἑλκύσω) all men to himself, he refers to the universal drawing of humanity whereby, through prevenient grace, all men can come, if they choose, to Christ. However, such a reading misunderstands the words of Jesus as well as the context in which he spoke. First, such a reading would contradict what Jesus said earlier in John 6:37: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” And again in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” The word “draw” (ἑλκύσῃ) here is the same exact word Jesus uses in John 12:32 (ἑλκω). If all whom the Father gives to Jesus come to Jesus, and there are some in the world who do not come to Jesus, then there are some who do not come to Jesus because they are not drawn. Therefore, not all are drawn by the Father to Jesus. Why would Jesus say that only some will be drawn by the Father, then later say that all men will be drawn to the Son? This would result in a contradiction on Jesus’ part. Rather, as Carson states, “The combination of John 6:37a and John 6:44 prove that this ‘drawing’ activity of the Father cannot be reduced to what theologians sometimes call ‘prevenient grace’ dispensed to every individual, for this ‘drawing’ is selective, or else the negative note of John 6:44 is meaningless.” Schreiner concludes, “The Johannine conception of drawing is not that it makes salvation possible, but that it makes salvation effectual. Those who are drawn will come to Jesus and believe in him.” Therefore, the Wesleyan reading fails on two accounts:

(1) drawing is particular, not universal, and

(2) drawing is effectual not resistible.

Furthermore, if the reader pays close attention to the context of John 12:32, the meaning is clear. Just before Jesus says all men will be drawn, he also interacts with a dispute that occurs over the arrival of some Greeks who want to speak with him (John 12:20–26). Jesus seems to ignore these Greeks and instead says that the Son of Man must fall to the ground like a grain of wheat so that much fruit will result (speaking of his death). However, Jesus is not ignoring the Greeks, but explaining in parabolic fashion how it is that the Greeks will be saved, that is, by his death. It is through the death of the Son of Man that not only Jews but Gentiles also can receive eternal life, as demonstrated in John 10:16 and John 11:51-52. Jesus is explaining to his disciples the basis for which Greeks also will be drawn to the Son by the Father. Therefore, as Morris, Schreiner, Mounce, and Carson observe, when Jesus says he will draw all people to himself, he is not referring to all without exception, but rather to all without distinction, Jew and Greek alike.

Romans 2:4 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Grider quotes Romans 2:4 as proof that God’s kindness in leading man to repent is evidenced in prevenient grace. However, Paul says nothing about a universal grace that is provided to all people, enabling them to repent. Such a detailed description of grace is not included in this passage. Rather, the present tense verb “leads” (ἄγει) in verse 4 simply indicates that it is God’s desire that sinners repent. How exactly God goes about executing such a desire is not specified in this text. What is specified is that God, in his kindness, withheld his judgment temporarily, showing his patience with sinners who persisted in ungodliness. Such forbearance and patience is generous to say the least, and sinners would be wise not to take it for granted, but to repent, lest tomorrow God should unleash his judgment. To repeat, there is nothing here that indicates a doctrine of universal prevenient grace. What is being described is not a giving of universal grace but rather the withholding of God’s judgment for a period of time. This is reinforced in the very next verse: “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom. 2:5). Furthermore, the context of the passage demonstrates that Paul is arguing that the wrath of God is coming not only on Gentiles but also on Jews. As Peterson and Williams state, “But a closer examination of the verse reveals that Paul is making not a universal statement but a particular one showing that the Jews are condemned along with the Gentiles.” This is why Paul states that “in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things” (Rom. 2:1). In other words, God’s kindness should have alerted the Jews to repent, but instead they looked upon the Gentiles with condemnation and contempt. All the while they themselves practiced the same sins. Israel only heaped judgment on themselves by showing contempt for God’s tolerance and patience. Therefore, the passage has nothing to do with a universal prevenient grace, but rather speaks of the judgment that awaits Israel for her rejection of God’s kindness (Rom. 2:5).

Philippians 2:12–13. Arminians also appeal to Philippians 2:12–13 “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Wesley believes Paul teaches here the doctrine of prevenient grace, as do contemporary Wesleyan-Arminians like Oden. Oden interprets Paul as saying, “God working in us enables our working and co-working with God.” Since God works in us by giving us prevenient grace, Oden says, it is now on us to cooperate with subsequent grace, for the “chief function of prevenient grace is to bring the person to a state of nonresistance to subsequent forms of grace.” Therefore, “Prevenient grace is that grace that goes before us to prepare us for more grace, the grace that makes it possible for persons to take the first steps toward saving grace.” Roger Olson also cites Philippians 2:12–13 as a proof text for prevenient grace: “The directive to ‘work out your own salvation’ refers to receiving the gift of saving grace through repentance and faith; ‘God who is working in you’ refers to prevenient and assisting grace that goes before and makes possible free human reception of the grace of God.” However, Philippians 2:12–13 has nothing to do with prevenient grace, calling, or regeneration because Paul is talking here about the Christian (not the unbeliever) who is commanded to work out his salvation in sanctification. As Moisés Silva states, “Paul here points to our conscious activity in sanctification.” Likewise, Peter O’Brien says Paul is referring to the “outworking of the gospel in their [the Philippians’] day-to-day living” as they await “the approaching day of Christ when their salvation will be complete (cf. Rom. 13:11).” Two contextual and exegetical points bear this out. (1) Paul and Timothy open the letter by addressing those who are “saints in Christ Jesus” at Philippi, not those who are unbelievers being instructed on how to be converted (Phil. 1:1). Paul rejoices because these believers partnered with him “in the gospel from the first day until now” (Phil. 2:5). Moreover, Philippians 2:12–13 is parallel in language to Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Here we see Paul addressing those who are already believers, giving them confidence that God, who began such a work in them, will finish it. So also in Philippians 2:12–13 Paul is again addressing believers (“my beloved,” 2:12), exhorting them to persevere in the faith, and reminding them once again that God is at work in them and will finish what he started. This is evident by the fact that Paul then addresses them as those who are “children of God” who are to be blameless, innocent, without blemish, and lights in the world (Phil. 2:14–16). (2) The word “salvation” is not always used by Paul, as we tend to use it today in evangelical circles, to refer only to the first instance of new life. Rather, this word can refer broadly to the entire process of conversion, sanctification, and glorification. Silva insightfully explains the matter, It is conceded by all parties in the discussion that the term salvation (or its cognate verb) need not be restricted, as it normally is in contemporary evangelical language, to the initial act of conversion (“Have you been saved?”) or to the status of being in a right relationship with God (“Are you saved?”).… But the biblical concept of salvation is not thus restricted to justification; more commonly what is in view includes God’s redemptive work in its totality. Thus, while in a very important sense we have already been saved (Eph. 2:5, 8; Titus 3:5), in another sense we are yet to be saved (Rom. 5:9–10; 1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5; 2 Tim. 4:18). Calvin rightly claims “that salvation is taken to mean the entire course of our calling, and that this term includes all things by which God accomplishes that perfection, to which He has determined us by His free election.” In other words, “salvation” for Paul can refer to the total process rather than only to the initial event. Therefore, to conclude that such a passage refers specifically to the initial act of prevenient grace or, worse yet, to synergism , because God instructs the unbeliever to “work out” his salvation, does violence to the proper meaning of the text.

Titus 2:11. A final text that Wesleyan-Arminians appeal to for prevenient grace is Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” Should “all people” be interpreted as all without exception? Schreiner helpfully shows that even if the text were referring to a potential salvation of all people, Titus 2:11 “is a far cry from saying through the atonement God has counteracted the effects of Adam’s sin so that all people have the opportunity to accept or reject him.” To argue from this verse that the grace it speaks of negates total depravity and enables man to cooperate or resist is simply reading into the text more than is there. The text does not say as much as the Wesleyan wants it to say. Furthermore, one must pay attention to the context of the passage. Wesleyans like to interpret this passage as teaching universal prevenient grace. However, in the previous ten verses Paul lists all different types of people that make up the kingdom of God: elderly men, elderly women, young women, young men, slaves, and masters. Paul then says that salvation has come for all people. In light of the previous ten verses, “all people” in Titus 2:11 refers to all kinds of people, not to all people without exception. The universality of grace is one of kind and class. In light of all this, it is very surprising, as both Schreiner and Erickson recognize, that Arminians and Wesleyans continue to defend the doctrine of prevenient grace when there is so little scriptural evidence for it. Roger Olson, for example, has to say that prevenient grace is not explicitly named or stated in Scripture; one must find it, he says, “between the lines.” Even Asbury Theological Seminary professor Ben Witherington III shockingly confesses that “Wesley’s concept of prevenient grace is frankly weakly grounded if we are talking about proof texts from the Bible.” He goes on to say that arguments from the text are simply a “stretch.” Witherington concludes by admitting that though he thinks prevenient grace is consistent with God’s gracious character, “one should not hang one’s entire theology about what sinners can do by free choice on such an exegetically weakly supported notion.” This is no small confession from one who is himself within the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition. Surely Arminians do seek to ground their arguments on Scripture, but the scriptural support offered is not only mistakenly interpreted, but also meager, for they lack texts to bolster their claim.

***End of quotes.***

If the cross of Christ has in some way brought all people without exception from a state of spiritual death to an “intermediate state” of not dead but not alive, you would think this would be a major theme in scripture and wouldn’t have to be wrenched from some versus taken out of context. The Bible teaches that people are brought from death to life, from darkness to light, from satan to God.

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has (past tense with continuing effects) passed from death to life.”

Romans 6:13 “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

Acts 26:17b–18 “ the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

To be sure in the Christians sanctification there are various stages and setbacks but there simply is no intermediate state between lost and saved.

There is in scripture a universal common grace, not an effectual prevenient grace, by which the sun comes up on the evil and the good and rain is given to the just and unjust Matt5:45 and by which God has clearly displayed His divine nature and eternal power in His creation Rom 1:20 but these only go to demonstrate the total inability of fallen man to have any desire for the God of this grace Rom 1:20b.

Another common grace is found in evangelism and the preaching of God’s word. What we see here though is that it is through these means of grace that the Holy Spirit can, if He so chooses John 3:8, regenerate lost sinners so that they freely embrace the God of this grace.

Psalm 110:3a “Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power,”

Ezekiel 36:27 “And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Let’s read that last one backwards so we can more clearly see what is going on. First (last) we have the word of Christ preached 1 Cor 1:23 and in those chosen for salvation that produces spiritual “ears to hear” Matt 13:37-43. The ears to hear are possessed by those who, through the word, have been born again 1 Pet 1:23 and the first cry of a new born Christian is the cry of faith 1 John 5:1.

I want to look at one more thing. Arminians only see one gospel “call” in scripture and it is in the form of an invitation that can, at the hearers discretion, be rejected.

As I stated before this idea of universal prevenient grace by which all people are brought into a state of not dead but not alive is not found in scripture and at it’s root is sinful human pride wanting to salvage some dignity in our hopelessly fallen state. The only way we can ever have any dignity is if we find it at the cross of Christ. We are complete in Him and outside of Him we are worse that nothing. For this look at “call” let’s go to

1 Corinthians 1:18–31 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

Notice in V18 there are two types of people “those who are perishing” and “ those who are being saved” and the word of the cross (call) is spoken to both, in the former it comes across as foolishness but to the latter it is the power of God. The reason for those two responses is NOT found in the individuals because V19 begins with “For” and then quotes God speaking in Isaiah 29:14 “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

It is God causing the distinction, it is not stated here why He does it, that's coming later, it just lays out the fact that He does.

Then Paul says in V18 that “it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Here we see the first of two “calls”, the preached word. Also see that God does something “through” that call which is described as both “folly” and “salvation” cf. “folly” and “the power of God” v18

Then Paul says that “we preach Christ crucified” V23a there is the first type of “call” again and we see the same reaction from the two groups:

1( Stumbling block, folly V23b

2( The power of God, the wisdom of God V24b

But notice the difference, those who see Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God are described as those who are “called”. This must be a different “call” than the first, because the first “call” was seen as folly by some. Also remember that in V 21 God is said to do something through the preaching (call) and that is to save those who believe.

So the gospel call goes out to everyone no distinctions and through that call God issues His effectual call to some and all those now see Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God, they are saved.

Why does God act in this way?

1 Corinthians 1:27–31 “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.””

He did it this way to cut off any reason for man’s boasting in himself. Salvation is of the Lord and He will not share His glory with anyone.

Hebrews 13:20–21 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”