Defense, by James White of Man's Inability

A Careless Man

Everything James White says is wrong, passage after passage, paragraph after paragraph. It is uncanny. His rebuttal in chapter 2 immediately bears false witness on page 83 against Dave Hunt. White said, "he does not even note the argument presented" for Romans 8.7-8 "by ignoring the exegesis I offered, which shows how his explanation is faulty." What was White's argument? White claims on page 67-68 "the mind set on the flesh.... Literally, they are 'unable'" because "a leopard's spots are part of its nature, and sinners, fallen sons and daughters of Adam, likewise share his corrupted nature" (p.66). Every soul is a son of Adam which he claims are all Totally depraved-the idolatry of Calvinism; thus, his real issue is the "autonomous will of man" and "how such a person, enslaved to evil, an enemy of God, incapable of doing what is pleasing to Him, could in fact exercise saving faith and repentance" (p.68). White said those of the flesh mentioned in verses 7-8 are unsaved.

What was Hunt's response that White alleges does not exist? In Hunt's response on page 78, he said, "White misapplies Romans 8.6-8.... 'Brethren...if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live' (Rom. 8.12-13). The terms 'not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (vv. 1,4), 'carnally minded...spiritually minded' (v.6), 'carnal' (v.7), and 'in the flesh' (v.9), do not refer to the unsaved. Telling Christians that they cannot please God while walking after the flesh, Paul urges them to walk after the Spirit." This shows how White misreads Romans 8.7-8. Hunt says "he fails to cite a Scripture that says...'they will always respond...with rebellion [and] rejection'." (p.79)

To repeat, verse 12 and 14 read, "brethren...-for if you live according to the flesh you will die.... For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship" (v.14). Paul is warning them who are saved not to walk like the unsaved walk. He is not saying they will lose eternal life, but they will lose rewards. One must realize a Calvinist reads every passage of Scripture in the Bible diabolically opposite to how a Christian reads the Scriptures. A clear choice is given for the believer to overcometh here, but White says, "Some mistakenly think he is talking about two groups of Christians here, but that is manifestly untrue" (p.67). Hunt's not denying there are those who are unsaved living by the flesh. Nor is he saying the Holy Spirit doesn't bring the sinner to salvation, for he said, "the non-Calvinist does not deny the work of the power of the Holy Spirit in bringing the sinner to salvation" (p.78). What is manifestly true is that Paul is warning "for if you live according to the flesh" indicates some may do so. Some may lose rewards as carnal Christians. Therefore, Paul is saying those living by the flesh in verses 6-8 are Christians, living like the unsaved even though they are born-again believers. Cannot a Christian set his mind on the flesh? Of course, we are not always in the spirit by the Spirit. We would be perfected already if that were true.

Basically, White says they are all Totally depraved and his god of Calvinism picks out some irresistibly. Whereas Hunt is saying there are those who are unsaved, living in the flesh, but the passage was given to warn Christians not to behave that way or they will lose rewards. Nothing in the passage is indicating an irresistibly imposed salvation or that man is Totally depraved. White is reading into the text, so he wastes his time and your time with an improper reading of the text. He inserts his own assumptions into the text. He is boring. There is nothing in the text that says a person born in the flesh is unable to receive the gospel of salvation or that God does not provide sufficient grace for all to have the choice.

White does this constantly. He is always bearing false witness and never thinks twice about his cavalier words. I'm embarrassed for him. He is a careless man.

Always Inserting Total Depravity

On page 83, still in the first paragraph, after White's misreading of Romans 8.7-8, he accuses Dave Hunt by saying that he "dismisses 1 Corinthians 2.14 as being about 'the deep things of God' rather than the gospel'" and "failing to respond to the contextual argumentation presented. But Hunt did respond to them, and said on page 79, "In fact, the 'things of the Spirit of God' are not the gospel but the 'deep things of God' (v.10) that are known to 'no man, but the Spirit of God' (v.11)." White says the gospel is known to man, so the gospel is not the point to 1 Cor. 2.14. Even White admits "those who are dead in sin can indeed understand the facts of the gospel message" except that White is unable show any verse for his claim "they will always respond in the same fashion: with rebellion, rejection" (p.69). Hunt is not saying man doesn't need the Holy Spirit to draw man in or that God is not the one doing the saving, but that there is nothing in the text to bring on the assumption that God doesn't provide sufficient grace for all, so as not to be an evil tyrant that is in Calvinism who is unwilling or unable to.

So, White can't use this text to deny man the choice to obtain the gift of faith. One verse at a time. White's rebuttal was he himself is interpreting this verse correctly. No he is not. As Hunt said, "These things 'are freely given to us of God...[who] have received...the Spirit who is of God' (v.12). Paul is encouraging Christians that the deep things of God will be revealed to those who 'have the mind of Christ' (v.16)." There is simply no other way to read this passage. You cannot insert into this text Total depravity/Total inability. Stating the present condition of an unsaved person or a saved person in their attitude does not equal Total depravity.

The New Living Translation says very clearly as well, "But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means" (1 Cor. 2.14). The Revised Standard Version reads, "The unspiritual man does not receive the [9] gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." How do you get out this Total depravity? It's impossible. All this verse is saying, is the unsaved person does not receive spiritual truths in Christ which are above and beyond the new birth of regeneration. Where is the Total depravity in this verse? It's not there. If it's not there, then stop arguing that it is there, for you just embarrassing yourself James White. White is not born-again, so he can't spiritually discern these spiritual words. Therein lies the problem. 

Who Says Not Able?

White said on page 83, Dave Hunt "turns the phrase 'is not able' in John 6.44 and 8.34 into 'is not willing'." Where do these two verses say 'is not able'? 6.44 reads, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" and 8.34 reads, "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." Where does it say a servant of sin is  Totally unable? Where does God's drawing of people disallow them from having the ability to have the choice to be drawn? Where does this verse say everyone who is drawn comes? It says those who come must be drawn. So White is wrong. Hunt is correct when said, "That men serve sin does not prove that they cannot repent and turn to Christ when convicted by the Holy Spirit" (p.80). Should we not read the Scriptures without overassuming? Why can't White be humble enough to do that?

Wouldn't that be weird when White said, "You cannot hear my word" or "bear to hear my word" (8.43 RSV) actually means, you are unable to hear my word. There Jesus is pleading with them, but instead White is saying, Jesus is not pleading them, but giving them a statement of fact they are Totally unable. So what is the point of telling them that? Is that not twisted? Can you feel the pride in that? Imagine yourself standing before another person and declaring to them they don't understand what you are saying, because they can't understand. And you reiterate by saying to them, its not that you are unwilling to understand, but you can't understand. You don't have the brain or the soul or the spirit to be able to. That's the pompousness of James White who is merely just following the evil spirit in his spirit.

Hunt correctly said on page 80, "that 'those who come to me' must be drawn by the Father.... He is teaching not human inability but that His Father is in charge." White misreads this text totally so that Jesus is not pleading with the Jews, but instead would be pompously and arrogantly stating they don't have the ability to listen. To bad for you guys! Suckers! James White makes God an evil steward when he said, "How could the very ones whom the Scriptures had been entrusted reject the Messiah Himself? The answer is not found within the rebel sinner, but in the free grace of God." (p.71) It's not the sinner's fault? The reason why the Jews reject Christ is because God was unwilling to provide them sufficient grace so as not to cause them believe in Him? That insufficient grace of the god of Calvinism is showing his evil colors. White should heed his own words: "Inferences cannot be used to contradict direct, plain, clear teachings" (p.70). That would include the clear, direct plain teachings, God created man to give Him the choice which He affords the man to have a relationship with those and does not deny anyone the sufficient and enabling grace, otherwise God would be a sadistic God.