The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 364

REGENERATION

324

and that the good olive does not signify Christ, for he that implanted in Christ can never be severed from Him, and he that severed from Him never belonged to Him. Do we not believe

sons, is is

in the perseverance of saints? It

maybe

objected that in John xv. reference

that are cast forth from the vine

;

to

is

made

to

which we answer

:

branches first,

that

remove the difficulty that the apostate Jews of St. Paul's time were never grafted in again; and second, that with Calvin we hold that Jesus, speaking of the branches cast forth, had

this does not

reference to persons who, like Judas, seemed to be implanted

wise His

own word,

"

No man

can pluck them out of

My

;

other-

hand," can

not stand for a moment.

We arrive, Rom.

xi.

to the

manner

therefore, at this conclusion, that neither

John xv. nor

has any reference to personal regeneration in its limited sense; while Rom. vi., which speaks of becoming one plant, does not introduce the idea of ingrafting, nor make the slightest allusion in

this "

which

becoming one plant " had been accom-

plished. It

is

unnecessary to say that not a few exegetes judge the " One plant with Him," incorrect, omitting the words

translation, italicized.

dering; but

"We do not express here an opinion regarding this renit shows clearly that Rom. vi. has nothing to say con-

cerning the manner in which our union with Christ

is effected.

In fact. Scripture never applies the figure of grafting to regene-

Rom.

ration.

xi.

treats of the restoration of a people

the covenant of grace

;

Rom.

vi.

and nation

to

speaks only of a most intimate

union and John xv. never alludes to a wild branch which became good by being planted in Christ. These figures set forth the union with Christ, but teach nothing concerning the manner in which this union is effected. Scripture is utterly silent concerning it; and since there is no other source of information, mere human inventions are utterly useless. Even Christian experience does not throw any light upon it, for it can not teach anything which Scripture has not taught already and again, we can easily perceive the union with Christ where it exists, but we can not see it where it does not exist, or where it is just forming. ;

;

And

yet this union with Christ must be strongly emphasized.

The theologians who represent divine stress

upon

this matter.

And

most purely lay most may have been the most

truth

altho Calvin

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen