Chapter 21 - Direct Voice Speaking (Doctrinal Analysis)

John 5:16-47 & The Voice Of God

"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel (Ye) not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (John 5: 16-47)

"If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." (10: 37,38)

The Voices In John 5

Voice of God
Voice of Christ
Voice of John
Voice of the Holy Spirit
Voice of the Miracles
Voice of the Scriptures (prophets)

I will begin an analysis of the above sermon of Christ as it relates to Hardshell views thereon and upon the subject of the spiritual resurrection of which Jesus speaks. I thought it good to begin this examination by taking note of the various "voices" alluded to by Christ in this sermon. The word "voice" itself is used specifically in relation to both the Father and the Son. However, the often repeated use of the terms "witness" and "testify," imply a "spoken voice." Hence, my list above delineating those "voices."

One thing I also want to point out, in preparation for an upcoming chapter, to be titled "Addresses To The Lost," that this sermon was addressed to a specific audience, to a group who were clearly not regenerated, clearly not among that group who had already "come to Christ for life." And what do we then see? Simply this -- CHRIST PREACHED THE GOSPEL EVEN TO THE LOST, TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT REGENERATED AND POINTED TO THEM THE WAY TO BE SAVED, YEA, EVEN EXHORTING THEM TO BELIEVE AND BE SAVED!

YOU WILL NEVER HEAR A HARDSHELL PREACH SUCH A SERMON TO THOSE THEY KNOW ARE NOT REGENERATED!

Take this then as a prelude to a more indepth discussion of this whole issue of whether the gospel is to be preached to all men, for the purpose of exhorting them to come to Christ for salvation.

Another thing clearly discovered here, in this sermon, is the relationship of key words and phrases, like "hearing," "believing," "coming," "word," "voice,"and words like "witness," "testify," "willing," "saved," etc.

What Christ Preached To The Lost

"...and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."

"That all men should honour the Son."

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth..."

"...but these things I say, that ye might be saved."

"...ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light."

"Search the scriptures..."

"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"

"But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

How can a man read these words of Christ and deny:

1. That the gospel is to be preached to all men, even to those who are known to be unregenerate?

2. That in preaching to the lost, they are to be exhorted to believe in Christ for salvation, to come to him for life?

3. That hearing the "voice" of Christ is the same as hearing the "word" or "words" of Christ?

4. That it is the will of God the Father that every man "honour" Christ, "marvel" at his person and work, "believe" in him and his words, if for no other reason that for the sake of his works?

5. That Christ was preaching to these unregenerate souls in order "that you might be saved?"

It is clear that it was the intention of the preaching of Christ to point these lost souls to the way of salvation, to faith in him. These to whom Jesus preached were "dead in tresspasses and sins," and yet Christ is talking to them, preaching to them about what it takes to be saved and regenerated, how to come out of that state of death, and live in Christ.

The Hardshells, as I have said earlier in this work, do not understand how salvation is both unconditional and conditional, and they do not understand how there are two aspects to the "will of God" or will of Christ, one revealed and stated in commands, and one hidden, called the "secret counsels of the Lord." Our Old Baptist and Calvinistic writers understood all this, like Zanchius, Gill, and others. Spurgeon too understood this, hence he believed that the "all men" that God "will have saved" (I Tim. 2:4), was not only to the elect, but literally to all men, and yet he also believed that this "will" for all men to be saved did not preclude the secret will of God in election, whereby he sovereignly and unchangeably wills the salvation of only the elect. I will have a separate chapter where I will try to discuss how salvation is both conditional and unconditional.

I will ask this question of every "Primitive Baptist"--"Why is hearing the word in verse 24 hearing the gospel and teachings of Christ but hearing the voice in verse 25 is something totally different from hearing the gospel and teachings of Christ?"

If Christ is speaking to unregenerate people (and he clearly is), then are they not hearing his word directly from him? Were they not hearing his words and his voice spoken directly to them? If then they are hearing him speak "directly" to them with his "voice," meaning, by Hardshell definitions, "direct speaking" to people, then why were these not regenerated?

Why is it that the word of Christ lacks omnipotence to convert but his voice has power to regenerate?

An Old Baptist Test On John 5

I wish now to look more closely at the "addresses to the lost" or remarks made by Christ in his sermon in John 5 and compare them with Hardshell views and interpretations on them.

"That You May Marvel"

"...and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." (verse 20)

The preaching and works of Christ had an intention with regard to the unregenerate and to the non-elect. Christ says to these, that he preaches and works miracles in order "that you will marvel." But, to what end does Christ will their "marveling" at his teachings and his works? Is it not a marveling to salvation? That they put their faith in that which is superbly marvelous?

That All Men Honor The Son

"That all men should honour the Son." (verse 23)

Two things in this statement go counter to Hardshell views. First, they do not believe that the Lord has any intention at all that everyone "honor" Christ. Second, they do not comprehend what is intended in men "honoring" Christ. What greater "honor" can be given to Christ, as John Bunyan wrote, than to believe in him and to hear his words?

Hearing and Believing For Life

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth..." (verse 24)

Why is Christ even wasting his time preaching to those who are clearly spiritually dead, that is, by Hardshell logic? Why is he telling them what they must do "that you might be saved"?

Who does Christ say "has eternal life"? What descriptive words does he use to describe them? He says clearly that those who "have eternal life" are such who have "heard" his "words" and "believed" them. To affirm, as do the Hardshells, that those who "have eternal life" are composed of BOTH believers in the words of Christ and those who are not, is to teach the opposite of what Jesus is telling these people. If one can "have eternal life," as the Hardshells teach, and be gospel rejecters, then what Christ here taught us is false! He limited the number of those who "have eternal life" to those who "hear" and "believe" Christ and his "teachings" (or "words" or "voice").

That You Might Be Saved

"...but these things I say, that ye might be saved." (vs. 34)

Again, these words are a tough nut for the Hardshells. Here is Christ telling unregenerate people that the purpose of his preaching and teaching them was so that they "might be saved."

You Were Willing For A Season

"...ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." (vs. 35)

Knowing the Hardshells like I do I could almost get them, based on the above words, to say that these people were already "regenerated," for the text speaks of these unregenerate souls as being "willing," and they would want to make this "willingness" an "evidence of regeneration." But, then again, if they do that, then they are in a very difficult situation trying to reconcile all the descriptive things Christ says of these people with the descriptions of a child of God. What is Christ's intention in saying these words to these unregenerate souls? Is he speaking persuasively to them? Is he speaking with the intent to show them their sins? If so, to what end? Was he simply condemning them without pointing them to the way of justification?

Search The Scriptures To Find Christ & Eternal Life

"Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life, but they testify of me." (vs. 39)

Again, it is not Hardshell doctrine to say that all men are commanded to "search the scriptures." Certainly it was unregenerate men who Christ commanded to search the Scriptures. Again, Hardshells do not command unregenerate souls to "search the scriptures." If they do so exhort unregenerate men, then to what end? Do they tell them to search those scriptures for any other reason than to find Christ? And, ultimately, to find Christ thereby and salvation?

I have heard this verse used by the Hardshells to say that these perverted and lost souls were condemned for thinking that they had eternal life from the Scriptures, or by means of them, and thus, they argue, he condemned the gospel means position! All the "Means Baptists," they affirm, also think that they have eternal life in and by the Scriptures, and thus this view is here being condemned by Christ.

Is it not strange that no Old Baptist, prior to the "rise of the Hardshells," so understood these words of Christ? I think Christ is actually teaching just the opposite of what the Hardshells teach! He does indeed tell them to "search the Scriptures," not that the eternal life can be had by just "reading" them merely, for if one reads them without finding Christ in them, and believing on him through them, then of course the Scriptures do not avail in salvation. Besides, these words of Christ show conclusively that it is through the Scriptures that Christ is known and that he cannot be known by any other medium. Will the Hardshells tell us that Christ can be discovered apart from the witness and "voice" of Scripture? Also, this "witnessing" of the Scriptures, does it not imply that the Scriptures have a "voice"? To "hear" the "voice" of Scripture, the "voice of the prophets" that are read when the Scriptures are read, is the "voice of Christ" not also being heard?

What other reason would Christ be exhorting them to search the Scriptures if not to find him and salvation thereby?

Condemned & Pointed To The Way Of Justification

"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." (vs. 40)

I have written on these words of Christ previously and shown how they are not in accordance withHardshell teachings. Coming to Christ precedes the reception of this life. Therefore, Hardshellism is false.

Is Christ saying these things to these lost souls with no thought that they hear how to be saved? Is he simply trying to tell them why they are lost without also telling them how they can be saved?

That You May Know and Believe

"...believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."

Again, this is said to those who, Christ said, "are not of my sheep," those who were lost unbelievers. In John 10 Jesus is working miracles and preaching so that they would believe and come to know the truth about him and his Father. Again, this is not what the Hardshells believe and preach.

The Rhetoricals Of Christ To The Unregenerate

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" (vs. 44)

"But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (vs. 47)

What is the purpose of these pointed rhetorical questions of Christ? Was it not to show them how they were not only missing salvation but how they might also obtain it?

Is Christ not again involved in persuasion of them? And, to what end, I again ask? Can we not change these rhetorical questions into indicatives or imperitives, saying,

"Do not receive honour one from another that keeps you from believing"?

Or, "Seek the glory that comes from God alone by getting rid of your practice of honoring one another"?

Or, "You ought to stop seeking your own glory"?

And in regard to the second rhetorical question, can we not change it into an imperitive by saying,

"Believe the writings of Moses! Then you will believe me"?

The Comparison -- Physical Resurrection & Spiritual Resurrection

It is argued vehemently by the Hardshells that since the resurrection from the grave, or physical death, in John 5:28, is "without human means," then so must the spiritual resurrection of John 5:25. Is this reasoning sound?

First of all, the "resurrections" that were occurring then, during Christ's ministry, "and now is," refers to BOTH physical resurrection and spiritual resurrection. People were being raised from the grave of physical death as well as spiritual death during the ministry of Christ. Were any of these physical resurrections then ongoing done by the medium of the apostles? Did not Peter say to a young dead sister in the church, "Tabitha, I say unto you, arise"? When she heard the voice of Peter, did this exclude the voice of Christ? Yes, it would, if Hardshell reasoning is accepted as valid, which it is not. Means were used to resurrect Tabitha. It was the voice of Christ that raised her by it being one with the voice of Peter.

Also, it is clear from many passages that I have already commented upon, that spiritual life comes through the medium of faith, and faith comes through the medium of hearing the word of God. Thus, God uses means not only in raising the physically dead, but also the spiritually dead.

Now, can we say then that no creature means are used in physical resurrection? No, we cannot. I think it is even true that the final resurrection of the dead will not be without means, without the angels coming forth to "gather" both the wheat and the tares. I don't see how one can disconnect this "gathering" from the resurrection. We also know that there will be a trumpet blown at the time of the resurrection, a trumpet whose sound calls forth the sleeping dead. This trumpet is sounded in conjunction with the "voice of the archangel" (I Thess. 4), and so I do not see how ascribing the resurrection of the final dead to the "voice" of Christ eliminates creatures and means even then.

In the next chapter I will continue this doctrinal analysis of the "Direct Voice" theory, and enlarge further upon what it means to hear the "voice" of Christ, the voice of Scripture, the voice of the prophets and apostles, the voice of those who come bringing the saving good news.