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To: grace_precedes_faith; Starwind; OrthodoxPresbyterian; P-Marlowe; xzins; Revelation 911
That verse, being translated into English says "Therefore faith by hearing and hearing by God's spoken word." Sure, hearing may precede faith, but regeneration precedes hearing. It is the word of God that regenerates the spiritually dead and gives them ears to hear.

See Ezekiel 37 4-14

"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD."

Your statement Sure, hearing may precede faith, but regeneration precedes hearing. does not follow the sequence of the text you cited.

Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. - the bones are still dry and dead.

Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones - the bones are still dead.

Everything that follows that the Lord says He will do is in the future tense.

IOW, "tell these dry bones what I will do..."

If they can't hear, why tell them before He does it?

249 posted on 10/25/2004 5:53:24 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands (Please God...deliver us from "President Kerry!")
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To: Corin Stormhands; grace_precedes_faith; Starwind; OrthodoxPresbyterian; P-Marlowe; xzins; ...
Very good point. If we want to use the dry bones prophecy to prove regeneration before faith, then it is clear that the first thing a person must do is hear the word. Nothing happens before that. It is only after they hear the word that the process of new life begins.

I don't believe this prophecy has anything to do with the regeneration of an idividual, but if it does, it certainly contradicts the Calvinist position.

In context it is clear that this passage has nothing to do with individual salvation:

Eze 37:11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
Eze 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

250 posted on 10/25/2004 6:10:11 AM PDT by P-Marlowe
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