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发帖数: 3781 | 1 Biblical Support For Total Depravity?
The words "total" and "depravity," as already noted, are not found in the Bi
ble. Of course, neither is the word "trinity," but the Bible overwhelmingly
teaches that doctrine. The Bible does not, however, teach the inability of T
otal Depravity as defined in Calvinism: that all men are by nature unable to
believe the gospel.
To show that the Bible does indeed teach total depravity as inability, the C
alvinist cites such scriptures as "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man wa
s great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his hear
t was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5; 8:21). Other verses offered in al
leged proof of this doctrine include Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked," and Romans 3:10-18, "There is non
e righteous ... none that seeketh after God ... none that doeth good ... no
fear of God before their eyes," and so forth.
Obviously, however, that man's thoughts are only evil continually, that his
heart is desperately wicked and deceitful, and that he neither seeks nor fea
rs God, does not say that he is therefore unable, unless first of all regene
rated by God, to believe the gospel even if convicted and convinced thereof
by the Holy Spirit. Paul teaches otherwise: "ye were the servants of sin, bu
t ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered yo
u" (Romans 6:17). Clearly, servants of sin responded to the command to repen
t and believe in Christ - then they were saved, regenerated, changed.
Nor does the statement that "none seeks after God" deny that any man, no mat
ter how depraved, can respond by intelligent choice without first being rege
nerated if God seeks and draws him. Neither does the Bible teach that God on
ly seeks and draws an "elect" but no others. Indeed, many passages affirm th
at under the drawing of the Holy Spirit sinful man can make a moral response
k me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremia
h 29:13); " . . . he [God] is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (
Hebrews 11:6). Even the wicked are commanded to turn unto the Lord, with nev
er so much as a hint that this is impossible until God first regenerates the
m (Isaiah 55:6-7). |
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