Double Preparation in the Soteriology of Herman Witsius
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The doctrine of preparation, known as a distinctive Puritan understanding of conversion, was shared by other Reformed orthodox theologians. Nevertheless, it has been subjected to various controversies regarding human role for preparation. Although any study on other continental Reformed theologians would be helpful for the correct understanding of the matter, it is regretful that the Nadere Reformatie divines’ understanding of the issue was almost neglected. The goal of this essay is, therefore, to expound Witsius’s understanding of the preparation and to prove that this preparation is not human meritorious work, but God’s work for conversion. Moreover, the Puritan doctrine of preparation is not different in essence from Witsius’s, despite some seemingly different points. His idea of regeneration had two-fold meaning: the first moment of infusing divine life into a soul and the manifestation of the infused life. For the former, the humanity can't contribute meritoriously. He believed that saving faith had two faculties, the intellect and the will, both of which must be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, intellectual change always takes place after regeneration. Whereas the Puritans taught the preparation to come before regeneration, Witsius’s concept of regeneration made him regard the same process both as coming after the first sense of regeneration and eventually as preparation for saving faith completed with the change of the will. There is another preparation preceding the first regeneration. According to him, this is totally divine work on the souls of the elect for their regeneration by preventing the elect from committing fatal sin and helping them to understand divine truth by regenerating their intellect. Therefore, in his understanding of the double preparation concept, no appreciation of the human contribution to regeneration in its narrower sense was made.
Abstract
The doctrine of preparation, known as a distinctive Puritan understanding of conversion, was shared by other Reformed orthodox theologians. Nevertheless, it has been subjected to various controversies regarding human role for preparation. Although any study on other continental Reformed theologians would be helpful for the correct understanding of the matter, it is regretful that the Nadere Reformatie divines’ understanding of the issue was almost neglected. The goal of this essay is, therefore, to expound Witsius’s understanding of the preparation and to prove that this preparation is not human meritorious work, but God’s work for conversion. Moreover, the Puritan doctrine of preparation is not different in essence from Witsius’s, despite some seemingly different points. His idea of regeneration had two-fold meaning: the first moment of infusing divine life into a soul and the manifestation of the infused life. For the former, the humanity can't contribute meritoriously. He believed that saving faith had two faculties, the intellect and the will, both of which must be renewed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, intellectual change always takes place after regeneration. Whereas the Puritans taught the preparation to come before regeneration, Witsius’s concept of regeneration made him regard the same process both as coming after the first sense of regeneration and eventually as preparation for saving faith completed with the change of the will. There is another preparation preceding the first regeneration. According to him, this is totally divine work on the souls of the elect for their regeneration by preventing the elect from committing fatal sin and helping them to understand divine truth by regenerating their intellect. Therefore, in his understanding of the double preparation concept, no appreciation of the human contribution to regeneration in its narrower sense was made.
참고문헌 (18)
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