The Gospel Hardens

[trident343]

Calvinists say the Gospel saves the elect and hardens the reprobate.
Is there any passages in scripture which say the gospel hardens the unsaved?

 

[Tallen]

Calvinists say the Gospel saves the elect and hardens the reprobate.

Do you have any examples of this?

 

[Kennesaw42]

I can see how one could get this idea from I Corinthians 1:

"18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[c]

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. "

But this passage is teaching that the gospel is the power of salvation to believers, not that it hardens unbelievers (even though they are foolish).

The same is taught succinctly in Rom 1:16,17.

In what follows that, however (in Rom 1:18ff), Paul clearly teaches that it is sin (including unbelief in particular) which hardens the heart, to the point where "God gave them over to the lusts of their hearts," etc.

Maybe it's a fine point, but why can't we just say that when men reject the gospel, it is their sin, unbelief in particular, that hardens their hearts and makes them hate the gospel even more? The gospel is the glorious truth of God's redeeming love through Christ. As such, it accomplishes its grand purpose of calling out people to bow the knee to King Jesus. It is sin that hardens the sinners heart, not the gospel.

 

[GrinningDwarf]

First, the phrase is not to be found dirtectly from the Scriptures; it's actually a quote from a Puritan writer. (I can't recall which one.) It was made in the sense of a comparison. A paraphrase would be something like:

"The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay. The Gospel, in a like manner, softens the heart of the regenerate and hardens the heart of the reprobate."

And I would have to say it's more of an observation of what occurs when the Gospel is preached than a Scriptural mandate.

I'll see if I can find out more about the context in which the original Puritan writer intended it.

 

[GrinningDwarf]

The earliest reference to that quote I can find is with Origen...a little earlier than the Puritans!

Like I said, it's mostly an observation of what happens in life rather than a direct Scriptural quotation.

"The same problem that causes one person to draws closer to God causes another person to distance himself from God. The same problems that causes one person to become appreciative of God causes another person to become bitter and angry with God."
Biblehelp.org

The closest I think we see in Scripture to this quote is in John 12:39-40, when Jesus quotes Isaiah:

For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them" (Jn 12:39-40, quoting Is 6:10).

John says people were not able to believe because God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, as revealed by Isaiah. How does God go about blinding and hardening? The clue is in the next verse: Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him (v. 41). More literally, Isaiah said "these things," that is, both quotes from Isaiah are in view. "Isaiah could report on Christ's saying concerning the predestined unbelief of the Jews because he had in his vision [in Isaiah 6] seen the glory of the crucified Son of God" (Dahl 1976:108). Isaiah spoke about him, and thus the verbs that have God as their subject in Isaiah are taken here as referring to Jesus (cf. Carson 1991:450). This would be in keeping with John's earlier statement that no one has ever seen God (1:18), but we have beheld the glory of the only Son (1:14) so that those who have seen the Son have seen the Father (14:9). For the glory of God revealed in Jesus is the self-sacrificing love evident in the Suffering Servant. The scandal of the arm of the Lord revealed in the Suffering Servant corresponds to the scandal of the love of God revealed in Jesus. And as the revelation of the arm of the Lord produced mute disbelief in Isaiah 52:12--53:1, so the glory of the Lord revealed in Jesus has produced disbelief. God's revelation of his glory has caused the blindness and the hardness (cf. Jn 9:39-41). The same sun that melts wax, hardens clay (Origen On First Principles 3.1.11). The hardness of heart found in these opponents is that which rejects God's offer of mercy. Specifically, it is his offer of healing that they reject. This offer of healing, which has blinded and hardened, has come from God through Christ.
John 12 Commentary - John Reflects on the Tragedy of Unbelief - BibleGateway.com

And here is reference to another heart-hardening...
Why and How did God ‘Harden’ Pharaoh’s Heart? « Ordinary Pastor

Any other questions?

 

[heymikey80]

Are you specifically looking for something whereby the Gospel preaching itself is said to harden people? More particularly the idea is that the outward response to the Gospel shows people God has hardened against His redemption.

That's not to say there aren't Scriptures that point it out as a reaction to the Gospel -- the Gospel being Jesus Christ as Savior, right?

Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Rom 9:31-33

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:34-35

God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Rom 9:18

 

[Shulamite]

Are you specifically looking for something whereby the Gospel preaching itself is said to harden people? More particularly the idea is that the outward response to the Gospel shows people God has hardened against His redemption.

That's not to say there aren't Scriptures that point it out as a reaction to the Gospel -- the Gospel being Jesus Christ as Savior, right?

Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Rom 9:31-33

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2:34-35

God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Rom 9:18

Amen. He hardens whom He hardens and softens whom He softens. He hardened Pharoah's heart so that His power and love could be displayed to Israel. He hid meanings from His own disciples until the Spirit was given and it was the proper time, He hardened the soldier's hearts at the crucifxion so that His death for us could be carried out... oh there are so many more examples!

 

[Pisteuo428]

Calvinists say the Gospel saves the elect and hardens the reprobate.
Is there any passages in scripture which say the gospel hardens the unsaved?

I think this passage written by the apostle Peter may state something about it:

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. (1 Peter 2:7-8 KJV)

 

[LeeD]

2 Corinthians 2:16 "...to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life."

Matthew Henry on the above verse: " Unto some, the gospel is a savour of death unto death. They reject it to their ruin. Unto others, the gospel is a savour of life unto life: as it quickened them at first when they were dead in trespasses and sins, so it makes them more lively, and will end in eternal life."