Rev. Herman Hoeksema
[Source: Reformed
Dogmatics, vol. 2, pp. 304–307]
I Peter
1:23–25
Among the passages that have frequently been
quoted in favour of mediate regeneration is I Peter 1:23–25:
Being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the
flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But
the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you.
The proponents of mediate regeneration argue
that it is plain from this text that regeneration is wrought only through the
means of the preaching of the gospel. This interpretation is based on the fact
that the apostle in verse 23 refers to the word of God through which we are
reborn; in verse 25 that word of God is referred to as the word "which by
the gospel is preached unto you."
However, such an interpretation of the text
fails to distinguish properly and sharply between the different concepts of the
text. Especially important are the two prepositions "of" and
"by" in verse 23. The elect are regenerated of an incorruptible seed, and at the same time they are regenerated
by the living and abiding Word of
God.
Regeneration is presented as developing out of
a seed. This seed is the principle of regeneration wrought immediately in the
heart by the Holy Spirit. It is wrought in our hearts not only without our will
or effort, but also even without our consciousness. In that seed as a principle
of the new life, the whole of the new life, even unto glorification, is
implied. Just as the acorn is the principle of the oak, so that nothing is
added to the acorn in order to develop the oak, so also this seed of
regeneration implies all that will ever develop into the new man in Christ.
The development of the new birth out of that
incorruptible seed takes place "by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever." This Word is certainly not the same as the Scriptures or
the preaching of the gospel, but is the ever-living and abiding Word of God. The
Scriptures or even the preaching of the gospel cannot be said to be either
living or ever-abiding. This description can be applied only to the causal,
creative Word of God that is wrought efficaciously in the heart. By that
powerful, efficacious Word of God the heart is opened to hear the word of
truth, as in the case of Lydia (Acts 16:14). This implanting of the seed of
regeneration and the influence of this efficacious, living, and abiding Word of
God are both in themselves immediate and therefore can be applied to the
smallest infant as well as to the adult. In verse 25, Peter writes that this
living and ever-abiding Word of God is also preached.
Conceiving of the work of regeneration as a
whole, we may distinguish three stages. First, the seed of the new life is
implanted in the heart immediately by the Holy Spirit. Second, by the Word of
God, living and abiding forever, this seed of regeneration is developed into
the new birth. Finally, through the preaching of the gospel men are externally
called, and in connection with the gospel they are brought to consciousness of
regeneration through the power of the same living and abiding Word of God.
Ephesians
5:14
Those who teach mediate regeneration also refer
to Ephesians 5:14: “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise
from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” The reference is certainly
not to the preaching of the gospel as such, but to the same powerful,
ever-living, and efficacious Word of God through Christ, whereby men are
quickened and given ears to hear and eyes to see the things of the kingdom of
God. Here, too, the work of regeneration is presented as a resurrection from
the dead. This resurrection from the dead is certainly a wonderful work of God,
which is effected without the means of the preaching of the gospel.
The
Parable of the Sower
The parable of the sower in Matthew 13 and Luke
8 is frequently adduced as a proof of mediate regeneration. The seed, so it is
said, is the word preached, for in his own explanation of the parable the Lord
tells us, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). It is argued that the word
as preached is the seed of regeneration. Again, we must make careful
distinctions in order to understand the true meaning of the parable. If by
regeneration is meant the first development of the new life into conscious
activity, we have no objection to explaining the seed as being the word of God.
Nevertheless, that this is not the whole of regeneration is plainly taught by
the parable of the sower and many other passages of Holy Writ. This seed of the
word of God falls on three different kinds of spiritual soil without bringing
forth proper fruit: the soil represented by the wayside, the soil represented
by the rocky ground, and the soil represented by the ground full of thorns and
thistles. Only those who are represented by the good ground “are they, which in
an honest and good heart, having the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with
patience” (Luke 8:15).
It ought to be very clear that the soil in
nature is not prepared by the seed,
but rather for the seed. The
preparation of the soil is entirely independent of the action of the sowing.
This is no less true in the spiritual sense. The heart is not prepared by the gospel, but for the gospel and independently of its preaching, that is, by the
direct and immediate work of the Holy Spirit connected with the living and
abiding and efficacious, powerful Word of God. Thus conceived, it ought to be
very plain that the parable of the sower teaches not a mediate but an immediate
regeneration. The preparation of the heart in the work of regeneration precedes
the preaching of the gospel as the seed that must fall into good ground in
order to bear fruit.
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