All men love darkness in the natural estate. And I believe that men of their own volition believe. But it is God who is both the author and finisher of our faith. Were it left to us alone, we would never come to faith. And were it left to us, we would all fall away. Thankfully, there is no stipulation in regard to our failures other than chastisement. The first covenant was not so gracious.
I'm learning a lot here brother-and new terminologies-but I don't hold to Calvin and his view of the elect-no offense.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
So then faith cometh ... - This I take to be clearly the language of the objector. As if he had said, by the very quotation which you have made from Isaiah, it appears that a report was necessary. He did not condemn people for not believing what they had not heard; but he complains of those who did not believe a message actually delivered to them. Even by this passage, therefore, it seems that a message was necessary, that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the divine message. It could not be right, therefore, to condemn those who had not obeyed the gospel because they had not heard it; and hence, not right to make salvation dependent on a condition which was, by the arrangement of God, put beyond their power. The very quotation from Isaiah, therefore, goes to confirm the objection in Rom_10:14;15.
By hearing - Our translation has varied the expression here, which is the same in two places in the Greek: “Isaiah said, Who hath believed our report τῇ ἀκοῇ tē akoē? So then, you must admit that faith comes by that report ἐξ ἀκοῆς ex akoēs, and therefore this report or message is necessary.” When it is said that faith cometh by hearing,
it is not meant that all who hear actually believe, for that is not true; but that faith does not exist unless there is a message, or report, to be heard or believed. It cannot come otherwise than by such a message; in other words, unless there is something made known to be believed. And this shows us at once the importance of the message, and the fact that people are converted by the instrumentality of truth, and of truth only.
Albert Barnes.
1 ) "So then faith cometh by hearing", (ara he pistis eks akoes) "Then the faith comes out of hearing;" He who refuses to hear the Word, through which knowledge of condemnation and conviction of sin comes, Pro_1:22-24 will never have or ' take hold of the "gift of faith," thru which media every sinner is offered salvation by placing his divinely offered gift of faith in Jesus Christ, Eph_2:8-9; Joh_3:16.
2) "And hearing," (he de akoe) "And the hearing," The hearing comes, the comprehensive, understanding comes, by the Word of God, as the holy spirit is poured out upon the sinner to make him understand the gravity or seriousness of his sins, Pro_1:22-23; Isa_32:14-15; Joh_16:7-11.
3) "By the word of God," (dia hrematos christou) "Through the clearly declared Word of Christ," God's Holy Spirit accompanies the teaching and preaching of the Word to convict and call sinners to repentance, to salvation, and to separated, consecrated living, to godliness. 0, that men might but obey the call of the Word and the spirit to service, as well as the call of men to accept, believe the true-form-gospel (three-tier-gospel) that Jesus Christ -
a) "died for our sins
b) was buried for our sins
C) and rose again, the third day for our sins, according to the scriptures." Any other form or pattern of belief, one that leaves out or doubts the resurrection, etc., or adds something to this and calls it "obeying the gospel," is a perverter of, not a proclaimer of the gospel of good tidings, according to the scriptures, 1Co_15:1-4; Gal_1:6-9; Act_1:14-16; Rom_10:16 above cited, certifies "-believing the report," glad tidings, good news report of Isa_53:1-12, is obeying the gospel.
I'll be interested to know your view of Calvin and the elect-opening a can of worms here-I know.
J.
