John 8: 47 and Hyper Calvinism

This writing is a follow up to my recent posting titled "Because You Are Sons?" (See here)

Back in 2008 I dealt with this text in my series of writings called "The Hardshell Baptist Cult." (See here) It is one of the chief texts used by those Hyper Calvinists who put regeneration or rebirth before faith. They are convinced that Jesus is saying that a person must first be "of God" by regeneration before he can hear and believe the word of God. However, that is certainly not what the text is intended to teach us.

"He who is of the male species, has XY chromosomes, you have not XY chromosomes because you are not of the male species."

This sentence does not tell us that being of the male species precedes having XY chromosomes, nor vice versa. It simply is saying that being male and having male chromosomes are essentially related. We can either say "he who has XY chromosomes is a male" or say "he who is a male has XY chromosomes." Both are true. That being so, we may say -- "he who hears God's word is of God, you are not of God because you are not hearing his word" in addition to saying "he who is of God hears God's word, you hear not because you are not of God." 

We can do this because hearing God's word and being "of God" are essential to each. In other words, you cannot have a person who is "of God" but who is not hearing God's word, and you cannot have a person who is hearing God's word but who is not "of God." We can therefore say "you are not of God because you are not hearing God's word." So, both statements are true. We can say "People don't hear God's word because they are not of God" and also say "people are not of God because they don't hear God's word" for both are true. Notice this sentence again:

"He who has XY chromosomes, is a male, and you have them not because you are not a male."

That sentence does not tell us which comes first, being male or obtaining male chromosomes. When the existence of two things depends upon each other, we can say either "you don't have X because you do not have Y," or "you don't have Y because you don't have X."

This being true, the words of Christ may be paraphrased as follows:

"Whoever is of God hears God's words, you do not hear God's words, therefore, you are obviously not of God."

Further, John 8: 47 cannot contradict what Jesus elsewhere taught about becoming "of God," i.e. being born "of God." Jesus did say that one had to hear the word of God before being born "of God." In John 5: 25 Jesus said that the "dead" must "hear" the voice of Christ in order to come to life. Many other verses of scripture teach the same. Said the Lord to Israel: "Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live." (Isa. 55: 3) So, John 8: 47 cannot contradict such verses.