Romans 10:17 refutes total inability
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Calvinism says:
You must be regenerated before you can hear spiritually.
Paul says:
Hearing the word is what produces faith.
John 6:45 refutes total inability
“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.”
Calvinism says:
Dead sinners cannot hear or learn until after regeneration.
Jesus says:
Hearing and learning come before coming to Him.
John 6:63 refutes total inability
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
Calvinism says:
Regeneration gives life so you can receive the word.
Jesus says:
His words give life.
The life comes through the word, not before the word.
Hebrews 7:19 refutes total inability
“By this better hope we draw near to God.”
Calvinism says:
Man cannot “draw near” until God regenerates him.
But Hebrews says we draw near because of the hope provided in Christ —
not because of pre-salvation regeneration.
Drawing is made possible by Christ’s provision, not irresistible grace.
Acts 11:14 refutes total inability
“…who will tell you words by which you will be saved.”
Calvinism says:
Regeneration must happen before hearing.
Acts says/teaches:
The words of God must be heard to be saved.
Summary: All these passages show man CAN respond when taught
The pattern is consistent:
God draws by His word: people hear, people learn, people believe, people come, people receive life, people are saved.
This chain is impossible under total depravity, because total depravity demands: no hearing, no learning, no responding, no drawing near, unless regeneration happens first.
But Scripture repeatedly makes the word itself the means of: awakening, persuading, convicting, drawing, saving.
Thus regeneration cannot come before faith, and total depravity collapses.
