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Question 1
David Bercot argues that the Reformation/Calvinist “total depravity” view doesn’t fit Scripture’s own descriptions of people like Job, Zacharias, and Elizabeth; as a group, how do you weigh those specific passages (Job 1; Luke 1:5–6; Jesus’ reference to “righteous men” in Matthew 13:17) against proof-texts often used to defend total depravity?
Another way to ask: Bercot says the Bible calls people like Job, Zacharias, and Elizabeth “righteous,” which seems to clash with “total depravity.” As a group, how do we compare those passages with the verses people use to support total depravity?

Direct Answer Based on David Bercot’s teaching, those passages should carry heavy weight because they show God Himself calling certain unregenerate people “righteous” and “blameless,” which clashes with the claim that all fallen humans can do no good. He argues we should interpret “proof-texts” in light of the total biblical picture rather than letting a few verses override many clear descriptions.

Support from Transcript:

  • He says the Reformation view “contradicts both Scripture and our own human experience.”
  • Job 1 is central: God tells Satan Job is “a blameless and upright man” who “fears God and shuns evil.”
  • Luke 1:5–6 says Zacharias and Elizabeth were “both righteous before God…blameless,” though “not born again.”
  • Jesus refers to “many prophets and righteous men” (Matt. 13:17), affirming OT people as “righteous.”
  • He argues there are “about 200 instances” in the OT describing people as “righteous,” so Job isn’t isolated.
  • He critiques “selectively pull[ing] a few proof texts” (he mentions Luther) and says we must look at “the totality of Scripture.”
Discussion Follow-ups How do we responsibly handle texts like “filthy rags” without letting them cancel passages where God calls people righteous? What does “righteous” mean in “the way that God assesses mankind,” as Bercot puts it?

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