Does Regeneration Precede Faith?

In his book What Is Saving Faith?, the Reformed theologian and Calvinist John Piper appeals to 1 John 5:1 attempting to support his belief that regeneration precedes faith and that saving faith is a gift of God. In chapter 12, titled “A Supernatural Creation of God”, Piper begins by saying: “As a supernatural creation of God, saving faith is not a natural reality. It cannot be produced by a human being apart from God’s supernatural intervention.”[1] Let me just pause there for a moment. I agree that apart from the universal convicting work of the Holy Spirit, no sinner would ever see their need for a Savior and trust in Christ for salvation (see Jn. 16:8-9; Acts 7:51). But this is not what Piper means. Instead, Piper believes that the unsaved are so spiritually dead that they can’t even believe![2] Thus, his view is that saving faith must be a gift of God. This is why Piper goes on to say, “Therefore, it [i.e. saving faith] is different from any faith that demons or man can have apart from a supernatural new birth.”[3] In other words, this is Piper’s Calvinistic presupposition that regeneration therefore must precede saving faith. Sound backwards? It is backwards according to the Bible! But Calvinism is not based on the Bible; it’s based on the teachings of John Calvin. At its core it is philosophical, not biblical.[4] 

 

Piper continues by saying, “The point here is not merely that faith is a gift of God. To be sure, it is a gift of God. The apostle John writes, ‘Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God’ (1 John 5:1).”[5] Piper uses 1 John 5:1 as his proof text to support his claim that saving faith is a gift of God. Since 1 John 5:1 clearly says nothing about faith being a gift of God, Piper quotes John Stott (another Calvinist) to read this into the text. Piper writes, “John Stott observes, ‘The combination of present tense (ho pisteuōn, believes) and perfect [‘has been born’] is important. It shows clearly that believing is the consequence, not the cause, of the new birth.’”[6] But notice in regards to Stott’s statement that he conveniently fails to mention that ho pisteuōn is not merely present tense; it is a present tense participle. For those who may be unfamiliar with Greek grammar, a participle is a word with an “-ing” ending; ho pisteuōn literally means “the believing [one]” or “the [one who is] believing”. Bill Mounce, author of the best-selling book Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, explains the significance of the Greek present tense participle by saying: “The imperfective participle [i.e. the present participle] describes an action occurring at the same time as the main verb.”[7] Daniel Wallace, another leading New Testament Greek scholar, concurs by saying: “The present participle is used for contemporaneous time. (This contemporaneity, however, is often quite broadly conceived, depending in particular on the tense of the main verb.)”[8] Wallace goes on to point out that “the present participle could be causal”.[9] As it relates to 1 John 5:1, this would indicate that the “believing” was the cause of the “having been born”. Wallace explains further about the causal use of the present participle by saying: “That the present participle could be causal may seem to deny its contemporaneity. But its contemporaneity in such cases is either broadly conceived or the participle functions as the logical cause though it may be chronologically simultaneous.”[10] Later in his book, Wallace goes on to elaborate on his earlier statement: “The present participle is normally contemporaneous in time to the action of the main verb....But this participle [i.e. the present participle] can be broadly antecedent to [i.e. preceding] the time of the main verb, especially if it [i.e. the present participle] is articular”.[11] As this relates to 1 John 5:1, this would mean that the present participle “believing” could be viewed as “contemporaneous in time” to the action of “having been born” (v. 1a). This goes against Piper’s view that believing is the result of “having been born”. But more importantly, Wallace clarifies that although the present participle “is normally contemporaneous in time to the action of the main verb”, the present participle “can be broadly antecedent to” (i.e. preceding) the time of the main verb, “especially if it is articular”. Notice that Wallace says, “especially if it is articular”. What does this mean? It simply means that the Greek present participle has the definite article (the Greek word ho) in front of it, as it does in 1 John 5:1: ho pisteuōn. In other words, what Wallace is saying applies “especially” to the articular present participle ho pisteuōn in 1 John 5:1! Thus, the Greek grammar allows for and is even favorable to the interpretation of 1 John 5:1 that understands “believing” as preceding “having been born”!

Notice how Wallace’s insights on the Greek grammar are at odds with Piper’s conclusions related to 1 John 5:1. Rather than showing “that believing is the consequence, not the cause, of the new birth” (as Piper wants us to believe), the Greek grammar indicates quite the opposite: that the “believing” either precedes or takes place concurrently with the new birth! This is an exegetical point that cannot be lightly dismissed, which is probably why instead of providing an exegetical basis for his beliefs, Piper instead simply quotes another Calvinist.

Piper’s Calvinistic presupposition that regeneration precedes saving faith does not hold up in light of the Greek grammar. He is reading into the text of 1 John 5:1 something that is not there. It is his theological presupposition, not what the text actually says. This is admirably pointed out by Georg Strecker in his commentary on The Johannine Letters, when he writes the following in regards to 1 John 5:1:

“The perfect gegennētai [‘having been born’] occurs 9 times in the Johannine corpus. This use does not present a reflection on the ‘priority’ of being born of God over faith, so that faith would be understood as a result of being born of God. That, however, is the opinion of John R. W. Stott, The Epistles of John (TNTC 19; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964) 172. In contrast, Chaine (Les epitres catholiques, 210) places faith prior to being born of God. Differently, and correctly, Brown, Epistles, 535; according to him it is probable that ‘the Johannine writers think of believing and begetting as belonging together and simultaneous.’”[12]

Strecker is right to point out that Stott is merely presenting his “opinion”, not biblical exegesis!

Commenting on 1 John 5:1, Brooke Foss Westcott furthermore points out that in light of the context, the apostle John is not even talking about the initial aspect of the new birth; he’s talking about how to recognize if someone is a Christian! Concerning this Westcott writes: “Faith here is regarded simply as the sign of the life which has been given. Nothing is said of the relation between the human and the Divine—the faith of man, and ‘the seed of God’ (iii. 9)—in the first quickening of life.”[13]

The new birth as it pertains to “the first quickening of life” is addressed by the Apostle John in his Gospel, in such places as John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, etc. These texts (and many others like them) clearly show that believing precedes having life! This is the biblical and thus the correct order, and it clearly refutes the Calvinistic notion that regeneration precedes faith.

References:

[1] John Piper, What Is Saving Faith? (Wheaton: Crossway, 2022), p. 127.

[2] For a response to this view, see the excellent article by Roy L. Aldrich titled: “The Gift of God” (Bibliotheca Sacra 122, Jul 1965). A preview of the article can be seen at this link: https://www.galaxie.com/article/bsac122-487-08 (accessed July 13, 2022).

[3] Ibid., p. 127, brackets added.

[4] See the apostle Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8 in regards to “philosophy” that is “based on human tradition”.

[5] Piper, What Is Saving Faith?, p. 127, italics his.

[6] Ibid., p. 127, italics and brackets his.

[7] William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019), p. 311, brackets added.

[8] Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), p. 614, italics his.

[9] Ibid., p. 615, footnote 5.

[10] Ibid., p. 615, footnote 5, italics his.

[11] Ibid., p. 625, italics his, brackets added.

[12] Georg Strecker, translated by Linda M. Maloney, The Johannine Letter (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), p. 174, italics his, brackets added.

[13] Brooke Foss Westcott, The First Epistle of St John (London: Macmillan and Co., 1902), pp. 176-177. Related to this, some Bible expositors interpret the participle ho pisteuōn in 1 John 5:1 as being a result of the new birth, but not in the sense of saving faith. Rather, they understand it as referring to Christian fellowship. Commenting on 1 John 5:1 in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Charles Ryrie says: “Believing in Christ is the ground of our fellowship.” (Charles C. Ryrie, “The First Epistle of John.” Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary [Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute, 1962], p. 1476.) Thus, the believing is specifically understood to be Christian faith (cf. Ja. 2:1; 1 Jn. 5:4-5). Ryrie goes on to say, “the Christian has exercised faith in Christ”. (Ibid., p. 1476.) Raymond E. Brown affirms that in 1 John 5:1 “confessed belief may serve as a sign of having been begotten.” (Raymond F. Brown, The Epistles of John, The Anchor Bible [Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1982] p. 535.) But in no way does this passage support the Calvinistic viewpoint that regeneration precedes initial faith in Christ. Commenting on 1 John 5:1, the New Testament scholar I. Howard Marshall affirms: “John is not trying to show how a person experiences the new birth; his aim is rather to indicate the evidence which shows that a person stands in the continuing relationship of a child to God his Father: that evidence is that he holds to the true faith about Jesus.” (I. Howard Marshall, The Epistles of John [Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1978], pp. 226-227.) J. B. Phillips conveys this meaning in his translation of 1 John 5:1: “Everyone who really believes that Jesus is the Christ proves himself one of God’s family.” (Phillips New Testament)