The voice of John 5:25

[fralo4truth]

Jesus says here that the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and shall live. Some anti-means folks I used to affiliate with often appealed to this text as proof as their assertion that God regenerates without the use of means. It would be claimed that those dead in sins hear the voice of Christ DIRECTLY, much like those dead in the graves will hear his voice DIRECTLY. Since the physical dead will hear the voice of Christ without it going through a preacher, they would make an analogy that the same holds true for the spiritual dead in regeneration.

Now if we make hearing the voice of Christ equivalent to the first act of God upon the soul being regenerated (which I claim to be an immediate act), I have no quarrels with this interpretation, as long as we make sure to press the idea that conversion through the Word would most definitely follow, either logically or in order of time (depending on our particular view of the ordo salutis).

So my question is, do you all feel that the voice in John 5:25 is the immediate work of God upon the soul without the use of gospel means? Or is it His voice going through gospel instrumentality?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Skyler]

How does the Spirit speak to us (as believers) today? Directly, or through His word?

Personally I think the distinction is a moot one. I think He speaks directly through His word.

 

[KMK]

WSC Q.31. What is effectual calling?
Ans. Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel.

Conviction of sin comes by God's Law which is contained in His Word.
Salvific knowledge of Christ is contained in His Word.
The Gospel that is to be embraced is contained in His Word.

Even if God were to speak directly to a sinner with His own audible voice, He would have to use His Word to regenerate that sinner. I don't see how your can take His Word out of the equation.

 

[Jack K]

Jesus is talking about his own earthly ministry and preaching in that passage. He's been doing so for several verses, and right before this verse he says, "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life." (5:24)

So it makes the most sense that when Jesus says "those who hear will live" in verse 25, he's still talking about people listening to his earthly preaching. So in a sense people are hearing Christ directly, I suppose, but it is through the means of his preached word.

It would also be a mistake to take a single verse from this passage, which is chiefly concerned with establishing that Jesus has authority to speak on the Father's behalf, and from that develop a system of belief about how God works in the heart of one he's regenerating. Better to start with a passage where that topic is the main issue.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Lk.10:16 "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me."

1) Jesus speaks through his spokesmen: the apostles, whose witness is preserved in the Scriptures.

2) The unstated premise is: "whoever won't hear me (whether through you or any other way) despises me."

3) Despising the witness of the Apostles is despising Jesus himself.

4) Despising Jesus' witness is a rejection of the salvation offered to man by the Father.