Hidden Presuppositions
No one approaches the text of Scripture with a blank mind. We all bring our biases, presuppositions, or traditions to it. In other words, we all have “hidden assumptions” that others are unaware of. Presuppositions can be obvious or not. As students of Scripture, we must learn to detect these, so that we can expose and challenge them to see if they’re biblical.
Let me demonstrate with an actual example.
John 1:12-13 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born… of God.” To as many as Receive/believe in Jesus he gives the right to be born again. It’s not complicated. I do not understand why people ignore John 1:12-13 when they talk about being born again. It explains how a person becomes born again just 2 chapters before Jesus talks about it with Nicodemus in John 3:3-5. Believing and receiving precede regeneration! Calvinist have it backwards.
In this example, there are both hidden and obvious assumptions. Both were brought to John 1:12-13 in an attempt to refute Calvinism. The person is actually unaware of the hidden one, and I never pointed out the obvious one – but it’s right there in plain sight. In this exchange, I was more focused on the hidden one, and asked, “What is the reason for their rejection (vv.10-11)?” The answer was never given because Libertarian Freewill is assumed, and that’s what I wanted to bring out to challenge.
If anyone knows English he can understand the meaning of verses 10 and 11. Here I will quote them for you. "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." John 1:10-11. I, unlike Calvinist am allowed to believe what the Bible actually says. Jesus was in the world, the world was made through Him, the world did not know Him, He came to His own (people), and They did not receive Him. It actually does not say WHY they did not receive Him in verse 10-11. The Gospel of John elaborates on this later in the book. THEN John 1:12-13 says "BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM (so some people did receive Him, when they came to know Him) TO THEM (those who received Him) HE GAVE THE RIGHT (authority, power) TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD, (who gets this right or privilege?), TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME...". So, it is clear that FAITH and RECEIVING precede regeneration/being born again. Unless you are a Calvinist and must find a way to explain it away and claim that the Bible does not mean what it says but means something else. If you ever read the writings of John Calvin, you will see him repeatedly citing a quote from the Bible and then explaining that it doesn't mean what it says, because it doesn't fit his own theology.
In an exchange like this, we often talk past each other as we cling to our presuppositions. Very often, others have difficulty understanding or accepting our arguments because their own presuppositions cloud their judgment, and they filter our words through them, and vice-versa. It’s easy for anyone to say, “If anyone knows English he can understand the meaning of verses 10 and 11.” But the reality is that no one approaches the text with a blank mind, as stated earlier. Libertarian Freewill is assumed in verses 10–11, and that assumption is then read into verses 12-13, leading to a mishandling of the text. But what if I told you that biblical freedom is not the same as Libertarian Freewill?
At the end of the day, we all must examine the presuppositions we bring to the text, and a good theological discussion can often bring those assumptions to the surface for examination.