Born of the Word, Not a Monergistic Monolith: How James 1:18 Refutes Calvinist Monergism

The Calvinist Position: Regeneration Precedes Faith

In his book Chosen by God, R.C. Sproul lays out a cornerstone of Calvinist theology: regeneration must come before faith. On page 72, he writes, “Regeneration liberates us from original sin,” arguing that God’s act of making a person spiritually alive is what enables them to believe. Sproul insists this is a unilateral act of God’s grace—often called monergism—where God alone changes the human heart without any prior human response. He doubles down on page 70, interpreting the Greek word helkō in John 6:44 (“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them”) as “compel,” suggesting God irresistibly draws the elect to faith. For Calvinists like Sproul, the sequence is clear: God regenerates, then the person believes. The Word of God, while important, is secondary—a tool God uses only after He’s already done the decisive work in the soul.

This view shapes the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, particularly the “I” in TULIP: Irresistible Grace. It’s a tidy system: God chooses the elect, regenerates them, and only then do they respond with faith. But does this hold up under the light of Scripture? Let’s turn to James 1:18 and see why this monergistic framework might be more of a theological monolith than a biblical truth.

James 1:18: Regeneration Through the Word

James 1:18 says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” This verse is a dagger to the heart of Calvinist monergism. Notice the phrase: “through the word of truth.” James doesn’t depict regeneration as a secret, internal zap from God that happens before any human engagement. Instead, he ties new birth directly to the Word. God chose to regenerate us, yes—but He did it through the proclaimed truth. The Word isn’t a secondary tool; it’s the very means of spiritual life.

Think about that. If regeneration precedes faith, as Sproul claims, why does James emphasize the Word as the channel of new birth? The Greek here helps us: “give us birth” (apokyeō) means to bring forth or produce, and “through the word of truth” (dia logou alētheias) points to the instrument God uses. This isn’t God acting alone in a vacuum—it’s God working through His revealed truth to awaken us. The Word isn’t an afterthought; it’s the agent of regeneration.

Acts 2: Peter’s Pentecost Sermon and the Priority of the Word

Let’s test this with a real example from Scripture. In Acts 2:37–41, Peter preaches at Pentecost. He proclaims the gospel—Jesus crucified and risen—and the crowd’s response is immediate: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” Peter tells them to repent and be baptized, and about 3,000 souls are added that day. Where’s the monergistic regeneration-before-faith sequence here? The people hear the Word, they’re convicted, and then they respond with repentance and faith. The Word pierces their hearts first—there’s no hint of a prior, hidden regeneration.

Calvinists might argue, “Well, God regenerated them invisibly, and that’s why they responded.” But that’s an assumption, not a text. Acts 2 doesn’t whisper a word about a secret regeneration preceding their hearing. Instead, it’s the preached message that cuts them to the heart. The Holy Spirit works, sure—but He works through the Word, not apart from it. This aligns perfectly with James 1:18: new birth comes through the truth, not before it.

Does Scripture Ever Separate Regeneration from the Word?

Here’s a challenge for Calvinists: show me one clear passage where regeneration happens without the Word. Sproul leans on John 6:44, but even there, Jesus says the Father “draws” people—He doesn’t say how. Could that drawing be through the gospel? John 12:32 hints at it: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Jesus connects His crucifixion—a truth proclaimed in the Word—to drawing people. Nowhere does Scripture say, “God regenerates, then you hear and believe.” Instead, we see a pattern:

• Romans 10:17: “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
• 1 Peter 1:23: “You have been born again… through the living and abiding word of God.”
• Ephesians 1:13: “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

In every case, the Word is front and center. Faith and regeneration aren’t detached from hearing the truth—they’re born from it. Calvinism’s “God changes hearts first” feels like a theory hunting for a verse, not a doctrine rooted in the text.

Dismantling the Calvinist Counterarguments

Calvinists like Sproul have some standard defenses. Let’s tackle them head-on:

• “The natural man can’t respond without regeneration” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
  Sproul might say, “The unregenerate can’t understand spiritual things, so God must regenerate them first.” Fair point—1 Corinthians 2:14 says the natural person doesn’t accept the things of the Spirit. But does that mean they can’t respond to the gospel at all? Romans 1:16 calls the gospel “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” The Word itself has power to convict and awaken. Peter’s audience in Acts 2 weren’t regenerate when they heard—they were “cut to the heart” by the message. The Spirit uses the Word to overcome our natural resistance, not a prior regeneration.
• “Helkō means ‘compel,’ proving irresistible grace”
  Sproul’s take on helkō as “compel” in John 6:44 sounds forceful, but the word can also mean “attract” or “draw gently.” In John 12:32, Jesus uses it for His crucifixion drawing all people—not forcing them. The gospel’s pull isn’t a coercive yank; it’s a compelling invitation. Calvinists read “irresistible” into it, but the text doesn’t demand that. People can—and do—resist the Word (Acts 7:51).
• “God’s sovereignty requires monergism”
  Sproul ties regeneration-before-faith to God’s sovereignty (p. 26: “If God is not sovereign, then God is not God”). But sovereignty doesn’t mean God micromanages every step. He can sovereignly choose to work through the Word, making it the means of new birth, without losing control. James 1:18 says He chose this method—His sovereignty shines in His decision to regenerate through preaching, not apart from it.

The Flaw and Its Fallout

Calvinism’s monergism treats the Word as a secondary tool, a mere follow-up to God’s hidden act. But Scripture says the Word is the very agent of new birth. This isn’t a minor quibble—it’s a crack in the foundation. If regeneration precedes faith, and the Word isn’t essential to that first step, then why does God bother with preaching? Why does Paul call the gospel “the power of God”? The Calvinist view risks sidelining the Bible’s own emphasis, turning regeneration into a mystical event detached from the means God Himself ordained.

The implications ripple out. If the Word is the means, then evangelism isn’t just a duty (p. 209)—it’s the lifeblood of salvation. People aren’t passively waiting for a zap; they’re called to hear, respond, and believe. This elevates human responsibility without ditching God’s grace. It’s not monergism or synergism—it’s God and man meeting in the Word.

Conclusion: A Theology of the Living Word

Calvinism’s regeneration-before-faith doctrine might feel airtight, but James 1:18 and the broader witness of Scripture unravel it. We’re not born again by a monergistic monolith—God sovereignly breathing life into us apart from any means. We’re born of the Word, the truth that pierces hearts and sparks faith. Peter’s Pentecost crowd didn’t need a secret regeneration; they needed the gospel. So do we.

This isn’t about denying God’s initiative—He chose to give us birth, after all. But it’s about honoring how He does it: through the living Word, not a silent decree. Let’s preach it, hear it, and trust it. That’s where new life begins.