In the link to the Reformed Synod provided for me his statement was in the paper that the Reformed Synod presented under the section "The
Body of Christ."
< People in the Old Testament, even those born into the commonwealth of Israel, were born dead in sin; they were guilty of sin and deserving of the curse of God upon their sin; they were as totally unable to make themselves acceptable to God as people today. Apart from the future provision of redemption in Christ, they could have had no hope, and when by faith they did trust God for His deliverance, they must have experienced the equivalent of the "new birth". The truth "Ye must be born again" was as true in Old Testament times as it was when Jesus said it to Nicodemus, even though the terminology was unknown till Jesus used it.
That OT saints could experience the "equivalent of the new birth" is a pretty amazing statement to me. An attempt is made to explain some of the dynamics behind the statement. The statement did not say it was regeneration the OT saints experienced but the '"equivalent" of it. I always thought that NT regeneration was a unique privilege only able to be experienced by NT believers and Jesus said those who are least in the kingdom of God are greater than John the Baptist who was extolled as very great by Jesus. Does anyone have any thoughts that may help better explain the synod's statements?
< People in the Old Testament, even those born into the commonwealth of Israel, were born dead in sin; they were guilty of sin and deserving of the curse of God upon their sin; they were as totally unable to make themselves acceptable to God as people today. Apart from the future provision of redemption in Christ, they could have had no hope, and when by faith they did trust God for His deliverance, they must have experienced the equivalent of the "new birth". The truth "Ye must be born again" was as true in Old Testament times as it was when Jesus said it to Nicodemus, even though the terminology was unknown till Jesus used it.
That OT saints could experience the "equivalent of the new birth" is a pretty amazing statement to me. An attempt is made to explain some of the dynamics behind the statement. The statement did not say it was regeneration the OT saints experienced but the '"equivalent" of it. I always thought that NT regeneration was a unique privilege only able to be experienced by NT believers and Jesus said those who are least in the kingdom of God are greater than John the Baptist who was extolled as very great by Jesus. Does anyone have any thoughts that may help better explain the synod's statements?
Also remember Jesus said to Nicodemus "one must be born
again" and that He was amazed Nic didn't know this, since he was a teacher of the law during the "old" dispensation.
Nah. Much to my chagrin, I realize I've never studied the verse in any depth
but there's no time like the present.
