Few would dispute that man is fallen in sin. However, there is a notion out there that says something much more than this.... that man is unable to believe the good news of God without being first born again. This belief insists a man cannot believe and obey God without first being born again. They say a man cannot and does not believe to be born again. This error can be seen in many ways by simply reading the Bible. Their error is based on many false presumptions. Here we will simply illustrate why this doctrine is wrong.
NO ONE in the Bible was born again prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In spite of this, there are NUMEROUS people who believed and obeyed God in the Bible who were not born again. The new birth was a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it was not possible for man to be born again unti this occurred. Jesus was the firstborn out of the dead so that he might be pre-eminent in all things and the firstborn among many brothers (those who are begotten by God). Of course God is not limited to time and space. However, we cannot confuse what God can do with what God does do. There is NO Biblical evidence that anyone was born again prior to the Resurrection or that God made that happen to anyone and we have no license granted to us to imagine that he did. Although it is rather obvious that Pentecost was the time and place where God offered the Spirit to all and new birth was now a possibility, there are those who wish it were otherwise.
There is a good reason everything changed when Jesus rose from the dead. There is a reason the old ways of the law were abandoned.
Jesus said, "I WILL build my church." Future tense. The church of Christ did not even exist when Jesus made this statement. By definition, the church is the temple of the Holy Spirit. By definition, the church is the people who have been born again. By definition, the church is the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ because they have been born anew into the resurrected body of Christ, and raised up with Jesus in his resurrection glory, he being the firstborn among many brothers, the firstborn out of the dead. The new birth was not possible until Jesus rose from the dead. There was no church of Christ, no body of Christ of born again believers, until Jesus rose from the dead. A Jewish assembly is not a church of Christ.
John taught, "the Kingdom is at hand" meaning the Kingdom was near. A person is born again into the Kingdom. That is how you get there. In the person of Jesus, the Kingdom was near. It had only NOW come upon the Jews of Israel. Before this time, the Kingdom was NOT there. And so no one could then be born again into the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God was a new reality for the people of Israel and this is why The Kingdom was not a place, but the Kingship reign of God on the earth and Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, "your Kingdom come." He taught the people that the Kingdom had been forcing its way into the world since John the Baptist began preaching (Mt 11:12). When Jesus rose from the dead, he tells the disciples God have given him (kingdom) authority over all heaven and earth. And then we find the disciples went out preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God (Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31). The Kingdom of God was a brand new reality. Until then, one could not be born again into the Kingdom. Jesus made that possible as a new reality.
Jesus taught no man was ever greater among those born of a woman than John the Baptist. But the least in the Kingdom of God was greater than John. Why? John was not born again. He was born of a woman but he was not born anew by God. Having the Spirit poured out on a prophet is not new birth. The new birth is being raised up with Jesus into his resurrection reality. So it stands to reason that a spiritually reborn person is greater than any man who was born of the flesh, no matter how great than man was. John was not born again because Jesus was not yet raised out of the dead.
God commanded all OT Jews to sacrifice animals for their sins. If ANY of those Jews were born again this is an insult to His own son since he is the ultimate sacrifice for sins (See Heb 10:26-32). The Book of Hebrews in fact says this appeal to the ways of the Law would insult the Spirit of grace and the blood of Jesus. Indeed, the Bible says that these animals sacrifices did not take away sins but Jesus' sacrifice does take away sins. How ludicrous it is to sacrifice animals to cover one's sins when Jesus took them away. But the truth is that Jesus had NOT washed the sins away of ANY of these people. jesus came to save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21) and Hebrews 9-10 explains his death atoned for all the sins committed under the Law. These people were saved WHEN Jesus died for them on Calvary, not during their lifetime. You must first die with Christ to be born anew. How is this possible if Christ has not yet died and rose again? It is not possible. That is why everything changed with his death and resurrection. This was a NEW covenant in his blood.
"But NOW a righteousness of God is manifested" (Rom 3).
The new birth was a NEW and LIVING way made possible by his death. (Heb 10:19-22)
These are but a few reasons of many which the Scriptures show that this doctrine of Total Depravity (Total Inability) is completely false. No one was born again prior to the Resurrection of Jesus yet many before that time believed and obeyed God. Of course, this still leaves Calvinists confused over many of their other false beliefs that led them to this false conclusion in the first place.
JMW
NO ONE in the Bible was born again prior to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In spite of this, there are NUMEROUS people who believed and obeyed God in the Bible who were not born again. The new birth was a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it was not possible for man to be born again unti this occurred. Jesus was the firstborn out of the dead so that he might be pre-eminent in all things and the firstborn among many brothers (those who are begotten by God). Of course God is not limited to time and space. However, we cannot confuse what God can do with what God does do. There is NO Biblical evidence that anyone was born again prior to the Resurrection or that God made that happen to anyone and we have no license granted to us to imagine that he did. Although it is rather obvious that Pentecost was the time and place where God offered the Spirit to all and new birth was now a possibility, there are those who wish it were otherwise.
There is a good reason everything changed when Jesus rose from the dead. There is a reason the old ways of the law were abandoned.
Jesus said, "I WILL build my church." Future tense. The church of Christ did not even exist when Jesus made this statement. By definition, the church is the temple of the Holy Spirit. By definition, the church is the people who have been born again. By definition, the church is the body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ because they have been born anew into the resurrected body of Christ, and raised up with Jesus in his resurrection glory, he being the firstborn among many brothers, the firstborn out of the dead. The new birth was not possible until Jesus rose from the dead. There was no church of Christ, no body of Christ of born again believers, until Jesus rose from the dead. A Jewish assembly is not a church of Christ.
John taught, "the Kingdom is at hand" meaning the Kingdom was near. A person is born again into the Kingdom. That is how you get there. In the person of Jesus, the Kingdom was near. It had only NOW come upon the Jews of Israel. Before this time, the Kingdom was NOT there. And so no one could then be born again into the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God was a new reality for the people of Israel and this is why The Kingdom was not a place, but the Kingship reign of God on the earth and Jesus taught his disciples to pray to the Father, "your Kingdom come." He taught the people that the Kingdom had been forcing its way into the world since John the Baptist began preaching (Mt 11:12). When Jesus rose from the dead, he tells the disciples God have given him (kingdom) authority over all heaven and earth. And then we find the disciples went out preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God (Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31). The Kingdom of God was a brand new reality. Until then, one could not be born again into the Kingdom. Jesus made that possible as a new reality.
Jesus taught no man was ever greater among those born of a woman than John the Baptist. But the least in the Kingdom of God was greater than John. Why? John was not born again. He was born of a woman but he was not born anew by God. Having the Spirit poured out on a prophet is not new birth. The new birth is being raised up with Jesus into his resurrection reality. So it stands to reason that a spiritually reborn person is greater than any man who was born of the flesh, no matter how great than man was. John was not born again because Jesus was not yet raised out of the dead.
God commanded all OT Jews to sacrifice animals for their sins. If ANY of those Jews were born again this is an insult to His own son since he is the ultimate sacrifice for sins (See Heb 10:26-32). The Book of Hebrews in fact says this appeal to the ways of the Law would insult the Spirit of grace and the blood of Jesus. Indeed, the Bible says that these animals sacrifices did not take away sins but Jesus' sacrifice does take away sins. How ludicrous it is to sacrifice animals to cover one's sins when Jesus took them away. But the truth is that Jesus had NOT washed the sins away of ANY of these people. jesus came to save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21) and Hebrews 9-10 explains his death atoned for all the sins committed under the Law. These people were saved WHEN Jesus died for them on Calvary, not during their lifetime. You must first die with Christ to be born anew. How is this possible if Christ has not yet died and rose again? It is not possible. That is why everything changed with his death and resurrection. This was a NEW covenant in his blood.
"But NOW a righteousness of God is manifested" (Rom 3).
The new birth was a NEW and LIVING way made possible by his death. (Heb 10:19-22)
These are but a few reasons of many which the Scriptures show that this doctrine of Total Depravity (Total Inability) is completely false. No one was born again prior to the Resurrection of Jesus yet many before that time believed and obeyed God. Of course, this still leaves Calvinists confused over many of their other false beliefs that led them to this false conclusion in the first place.
JMW
Are you saying that scripture is fallible? 
