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According to Calvinists, Paul, in Ephesians 2:8, is telling us that the faith by which one is saved is the gift of God. So, when we hear the Calvinist saying that "regeneration precedes faith," it seems we can understand them to be saying "regeneration precedes [the gift of God]," which, of course, seems bizarre, at best. We can also find Calvinists telling us that "This regeneration is the gift of God by His Holy Spirit." So, now, what do we have?
"regeneration precedes faith" → "regeneration precedes [the gift of God]" → "[the gift of God] precedes [the gift of God]"
Now, that is a funny Calvinism fail; that's TULIP theology giving itself a FATLIP.
It seems that anyone wanting to do justice to the Bible, or at least wanting to be thought of as wanting to do justice to the Bible, would readily admit that being dead in trespasses and sins precedes, and is a necessary condition for regeneration. I mean, could God have regenerated anyone from a state of being dead in trespasses and sins into a state of not being dead in trespasses in sins without them first having been dead in trespasses and sins? Obviously not. Do Calvinists, then, wish to tell us that one's being dead in trespasses and sins is 1) not of oneself, but is 2) the gift of God, as they like to say about one's faith?
It seems that anyone wanting to do justice to the Bible, or at least wanting to be thought of as wanting to do justice to the Bible, would readily admit that being dead in trespasses and sins precedes, and is a necessary condition for regeneration. I mean, could God have regenerated anyone from a state of being dead in trespasses and sins into a state of not being dead in trespasses in sins without them first having been dead in trespasses and sins? Obviously not. Do Calvinists, then, wish to tell us that one's being dead in trespasses and sins is 1) not of oneself, but is 2) the gift of God, as they like to say about one's faith?
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