In the last post, we looked at how Piper used Calvin in his work on the nature of faith. JV Fesko believed Piper had misused Calvin, so we considered the critique Fesko offered. Fesko also argued that Piper had misused John Owen. In this post we consider that charge.

Here is the particular Owen quotation that Fesko takes issue with: “[Faith] is to receive the Lord Jesus in his comeliness and eminency…Let us receive him in all his excellencies,…comparing him with other beloveds,…and preferring him before them, counting them all loss and dung in comparison of him” (Piper, The Nature of Saving Faith, emphasis Piper’s). This quotation from Owen is found in Owen’s discourse on communion with God (Communion with God, Banner of Truth, vol. 2). Piper uses this quote to prove that Owen defines faith in ways that correspond to Pipers own work. That is, to exercise saving faith is to receive Jesus and his excellencies. To borrow from Piper’s language, faith receives Jesus as a treasure.

According to Fesko, however, Piper goes wrong at this point because he does not read Owen in context. In short, Fesko argues that the quote above is found in a section where Owen is talking about communion with Christ. Owen, according to Fesko, does not have justification by faith in view at all. That is, at this point in Owen’s writing, he is merely talking about receiving or preferring Jesus and his excellencies in communion, not justification. Therefore, the language of preferring Christ in this context does not have anything to do with the nature of saving faith. This, then, is a category confusion on the part of Piper. He is discussing the nature of the faith that justifies but Owen, according to Fesko, is discussing a different topic altogether. A few responses are warranted.

To begin, the logical progression of the chapter includes not only ongoing communion with Christ but the initial act of the soul in receiving Christ for salvation (i.e. the exercise of justifying or saving faith). Let’s take a look at the larger context.

First, Owen moves from discussion of communion with the Father to communion with the Son. He writes, having “treated in the foregoing chapters” communion with the Father, “we now proceed to the consideration of that which we have with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (Communion, 40). In the first chapter, he simply shows, from various biblical texts, the reality of fellowship with Jesus. In chapter two, he “show[s] wherein it is that [the saints] have this peculiar communion with [Jesus]” (46). Then, in chapter three, Owen moves to “the way whereby we hold communion with the Lord Christ…” (54). It is here we need to pay close attention to the logical progression of Owen’s work.

The “way” we hold communion with Jesus is unpacked in two parts: (a) mutual resignation of the sinner and Jesus to each other; and (b) mutual, consequential, conjugal affections (56). When Owen discusses “mutual resignation,” two things are mentioned: (1) Christ gives himself to the soul and (2) the saints freely and willingly consent to receive, embrace, and submit unto the Lord Jesus, as their husband, Lord, and Saviour,—to abide with him, subject their souls unto him, and to be ruled by him forever (56–59). In short, self-resignation includes acts on behalf of Jesus and the human person. Jesus gives himself to the soul of the sinner-saint. The sinner-saint receives, embraces, submits to, and subjects their whole soul to Christ their King.

Owen calls the resignation of the sinner to Christ “self-resignation.” Importantly, this self-resignation is brought to completion in two ways. First, the liking of Christ for his excellency, grace, and suitableness. Second, accepting Christ is by the will. “This is called ‘receiving’ Christ” (John 1:12), which includes not only “the solemn act whereby at first entrance we close with him, but also for a constant frame of soul in abiding with him…” (58). That’s an important statement. This “solemn act” is described as that act “whereby at first entrance we close with [Christ].” This suggest the intial act of saving faith is in view. Therefore, self-resignation, which includes receiving Christ, who is liked for his excellency, is not absent from Owen’s mind.

In addition, when Owen references receiving Jesus a few sentences later, he uses the language of preference. Self-resignation includes receiving or preferring Jesus to all other beloveds. It includes both an initial solemn act and an on-going “constant frame” (58).

This context is important because this is the immediately preceding section of Piper’s use of Owen. In the next part of this paragraph where Owen continues to unpack willingly receiving Jesus, receiving is linked to the soul “consenting” and “takes Christ on his own terms, to save him” (59). This then issues into communion, to be certain. Yet, to receive the Lord Jesus, in all his excellencies, comparing him with other beloveds, and preferring him before them all, is conceptually linked to this whole discussion of self-resignation. Again, this self-resignation whereby the sinner-saint prefers Jesus and therefore embraces him, has both an initial act and a “constant frame.” This initial act connects to saving faith, thus supporting Piper’s position. The constant frame affirms Fesko’s assertion that preferring Jesus is linked to communion.

The initial act of the soul in self-resignation is preferring Jesus. That sounds very much like Piper.

Two More Evidences from Owen

I’ll offer two more pieces of evidence that Piper and Owen are on track.

First, the idea of taking hold of Christ in this section is also juxtaposed with those who have failed to do so. That is, while Owen discusses communion with Jesus, he takes time to write to those who have not yet embraced Jesus. As he does, Owen employs affectional language to describe receiving (rather than rejecting) Jesus.

In the chapter immeidately preceding Piper’s quote, Owen writes, “Behold here a fit object for your choicest affections, —one whom you may find rest to your souls, —one in whom there is nothing will grieve and trouble you to eternity” (53). Owen, in this instance, does not seem to be talking to those who have already placed justifying faith in Jesus. He is talking to those who are pursuing other “beloveds” and not the “Beloved.” He says, “What are all your beloveds to this Beloved? What have you gotten by them?…Their paths are crooked paths, whoever goes in them shall not know peace” (53).

Owen then calls these individuals away from these paths that do not offer peace. Instead, “Behold here a fit object for your choicest affections.” And once you behold him, “reject him not” (53). Instead, if you are “seeking earnestly after righteousness,” you should ask yourself, “Has Christ his due place in your hearts” or whether or not “you know him in his excellency and desirableness” (53). “Do you prefer almost anything in the world” over and above “his excellency…” (54).

Stated simply, do not prefer empty paths and lesser beloveds to the Beloved, namely Jesus. Instead of rejecting him, receive the one who is a “fit object for your choicest affections.”

Second, looking at the broader corpus of Owen, we find language that sounds like Piper. Consider Owen For John Owen, being a new creature in Christ “consist[s]…in renewed faculties, with new dispositions, power, or ability to them and for them” (Owen, Discourse on the Holy Spirit, Banner of Truth, vol. 3, 221). This renewal of the faculties of the soul, which causes the soul to repose on Christ, is foundational to the act of faith.

For Owen, the act of faith included the whole soul. Here he has stated clearly that, due to the work of the Spirit ad intra, the soul is imbued with new dispositions. Disposition, tied to the soul, is thus tied to the act of faith. So much is the new creature disposed to Christ, that Owen can employ “love” to describe clinging to God. He writes, “a prevailing love is implanted upon the affections by the Spirit of grace, causing the soul with delight and complacency to cleave to God and his ways” (Discourse on the Spirit, 335).

Like Calvin before him, Owen leans into emotional language to explain what marks the new creational man and woman. These new creatures have Spirit-wrought new dispositions that bend towards God and His Christ. The Spirit has worked to implant love within the believer that causes them to cling to God with delight. Ideas of clinging to God and emotions of delight mark Owen’s thoughts on receiving Christ.

In Summary

I conclude, then, that Piper has not misused John Owen. For Owen, self-resignation on the part of the human person includes an intitial act and a constant frame that prefers Jesus. In addition, Owen calls unbelievers to stop pursuing lesser beloveds and instead, receive (rather than reject) one who deserves your “choicest affections.” And finally, “a prevailing love is implanted upon the affections by the Spirit of grace, causing the soul with delight and complacency to cleave to God and his ways.”

It sounds to me like Owen and Piper are not too far apart when it comes to describing believing in or receiving Jesus.