Jn 12:42, PISTIS of regeneration?

Bob Wilkin ges at faithalone.org
Mon Mar 6 11:58:03 EST 2000


On 03/04/00, "CEP7 at aol.com" wrote:
> In a message dated 3/3/2000 8:33:05 PM, dixonps at juno.com writes:
> 
> << POLLOI  EPISTEUSAN EIS AUTON, ALLA DIA TOUS FARISAIOUS
> OUC hWMOLOGOUN hINA MH APOSUNAGWGOI GENWNTAI,
> HGAPHSAN GAR THN DOXAN TWN ANQRWPWN MALLON
> HPER THN DOXAN TOU QEOU.
> 
> Is this an example of PISTIS of regeneration?  They were
> not confessing Him for fear of excommunication, because
> they loved the praise of man rather than the praise of God.
> 
> In 5:44 Christ says, PWS DUNASQE hUMEIS PISTEUSAI 
> DOXAN PARA ALLNLWN LAMBANONTES, KAI THN DOXAN
> THN PARA TOU MONOU QEOU OU ZHTEITE;
> 
> Apparently Christ saw the two propositions as mutually
> exclusive: either they would love the praise of God and
> believe, or they would love the praise of man and not
> believe.
> 
> If so, then the PISTIS of 12:42-43 must be a different 
> kind than that of 5:44. >>
> 
> The question here becomes is their PISTIS temporary or their fear of the
> Pharisees? At the Crucifixion, some these men come out of the closet 
> (Nicodemus and Joseph).
> 
> Charles Powell
> DTS
> cep7 at aol.com

The idea that faith can be temporary is clearly established in life and 
Scripture. I voted for George McGovern in 1972. Today I find the crop of 
leading Republicans too liberal for my tastes.

Luke 8:13 clearly speaks of those who "believed for a while and in time of 
temptation fall away."

Did the rulers mentioned in John 12:42 cease to believe in Christ later? 
Possibly. We aren't told, so it is conjecture.

However, what we do know is that they believed in Him. Pisteuw eis auton is 
used. And we know, therefore, in light of John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25-27 
and a host of other verses in John, that they had eternal life.

The suggestion that this must not be faith in Christ, but in some other 
object, is unsupported by the context. But what of the comparison with John 
5:44?

In 5:44 Christ says, PWS DUNASQE hUMEIS PISTEUSAI 
> DOXAN PARA ALLNLWN LAMBANONTES, KAI THN DOXAN
> THN PARA TOU MONOU QEOU OU ZHTEITE;
> 
> Apparently Christ saw the two propositions as mutually
> exclusive: either they would love the praise of God and
> believe, or they would love the praise of man and not
> believe.
> 
> If so, then the PISTIS of 12:42-43 must be a different 
> kind than that of 5:44. >>

There is one major problem with this suggestion: John says they believed. 
Unless John was in error, the argument is settled.

John 5:44 does not say, as is being implied, "The one who seeks honor from 
other men cannot come to faith in Me." It poses a question. The conclusion 
we should draw from the question is that seeking the honor of men does not 
put one in a good position to come to faith in Christ. It is like Heb 11:6 
in reverse. However, we know that Saul of Tarsus came to faith when he was 
seeking the honor of men. So too did the rulers mentioned in John 12:42. 
(So did the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, in contrast to Lydia in the same 
chapter who was seeking God.) While only a fool would seek the honor of 
men, fools do come to faith in Christ in spite of themselves.

Bob Wilkin




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