Persuaded to Trust

The Greek verb "Peitho" (G3982) is interesting as its use sometimes indicates the action of lost unregenerate people to trust in the Gospel.

On the cross one of the thieves says Jesus had "trusted" in God, certainly not an unregenerate action. Matthew 27:43.

Luke 16:31
“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Here those not open to God's word, having rejected the Prophets, also are not open even to the risen Lord.

However in the passage Acts of the Apostles 17:1-4, our word is used of being persuaded to trust in Christ:

Acts of the Apostles 17:4 NASB
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a significant number of the leading women.​

 

Acts of the Apostles 18:4
And Paul was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

If you believe the lost cannot ever be persuaded unless compelled by irresistible grace, you have to wonder why Paul thought some of the lost could be persuaded to put their trust in Christ.

 

Act 28:23 NASB
When they had set a day for Paul, people came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

Here people came to Paul, desiring to hear from Paul about this "sect" (the Way or Christianity). And note Paul uses the word of God, the Law of Moses and the Prophets, to lead them to Christ.

So from verse after verse, anyone can see that Paul did not say in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the lost cannot understand any spiritual thing from God, but that the lost cannot understand some of the things of the Spirit, spiritual solid foot (meat) so to speak. That is why in 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul spoke to new Christs just as he spoke to unspiritual people, using the milk of the gospel.

 

Act 28:24
Some were being persuaded by the things said by Paul, but others would not believe

Here we that some of the lost had begun to be persuaded, but had not yet been fully persuaded, while others among the lost would not even start to put their trust in Christ.

Certainly presents a picture of being persuaded, rather than the "fait accompli" of compulsion. OTOH, the rejection of those with closed minds was indeed "fait accompli" These then were "not of My sheep" and not open to God's word. John 10:26

 

2 Corinthians 5:11
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade people, but we are well known to God; and I hope that we are also well known in your consciences.

Here we have a declarative statement, Paul and his fellow-laborers, do indeed persuade some people to put their trust in Christ. To make this jive with "compulsion of irresistible grace" we have to rewrite the verse as "...we think we persuade people, but actually we just stumble across some of those elected before time which God chose to compel while we happened to be witnessing." Not very likely!!

 

Philippians 3:3 (Interpretative translation)
We are the circumcision, the ones offering service to God in the Spirit, and rejoicing in Christ Jesus, no longer trusting in the flesh.

Here we see that those who have undergone the spiritual circumcision of Christ offer service to God rather than trusting in ourselves or the provisions of the world.

 

Psalms 112:7
He will not fear bad news;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

No matter the future, we can be anxious for nothing because our future rests with our Lord.