On his website, Arminian Perspectives, Ben Henshaw has a questions page at which he answers questions about Arminianism and Calvinism that visitors to his site pose in the comment section of the page. Here is a question adapted from a question submitted by someone with the screen name Credulo followed by Ben’s answer:
Question: Regarding irresistible grace, in Stephen’s sermon in Acts, he said that the Pharisees were “uncircumcised in heart.” A Calvinist might claim that it is the same as “regenerated before believing.” How would you respond to the claim that “circumcision of the heart” is regeneration before believing?
Answer: I would refer to Romans 2:28, 29 and Col. 10:2-13. In both places it is obvious that circumcision of the heart takes place by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit for those who are “in Him [Christ]”, and we know that we receive the Spirit and are joined to Christ by faith (Gal. 3:2, 5, 14; Eph. 1:13; 2:18; 3:17). So a circumcised heart, while it is the result of regeneration, does not precede faith. Also, as far as Stephen’s statement, while an uncircumcised heart can explain their resistance to the Holy Spirit, it doesn’t mean that their resistance can only be remedied by their hearts being circumcised. That simply does no follow. Prevenient grace enables the uncircumcised heart to stop resisting, but it does not cause it to stop resisting. Only when the grace enabled heart responds in faith is that heart changed. See my post on Ezek. 36 for more on that:
https://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/category/ezekiel-3626-27/
