Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Suffering and God's providence | Bible general Archive 3 | atdcross | 163086 | ||
Hi Mark, I am not against the concept of divine discipline; it is Biblical. Like a parent, I just think it is something God does not have on his mind to do unless it is necessary and it is not the ideal way he wants to encourage obedience. In addition, there are some things that cannot, at least in my mind, be construed as discipline, e.g. being sick or raped. The former, if one is to intepret it as from God, is rather divine judgment; the latter is just plain evil, an inspired act from evil powers. |
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2 | Suffering and God's providence | Bible general Archive 3 | mark d seyler | 163093 | ||
Hi Atdcross, Let's back up a step before we talk about rape. You have said that "God does not bring suffering" (post 162232). In that you are "not against the concept of divine discipline", that is to say that you understand and agree that God will on occasion discipline His children as necessary? Is not discipline by nature what we would think of as painful (physically or otherwise), and is this not what the Bible portrays? (Heb 12 "He scourges every son He receives) Does not the use of "scourging" as an example of His discipline indicate what we would think of as severe suffering? Are God's hand's tied that He can only use suffering instigated at the hands of another (i.e. a criminal, or older brother) to bring discipline, or is God sovereign, restricted by no one, and can operate according to how He sees fit? Is not discipline a valid example of suffering, what we call suffering but actually for our good, coming direct from the hand of our God? Does this example not show that what is in our mind suffering is actually, in the eternal scheme, a blessing? What do you think? Love in Christ, Mark |
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3 | Suffering and God's providence | Bible general Archive 3 | atdcross | 163104 | ||
When I made that comment, my mind was not thinking of divine discipline but things like rape, murder, sickness, etc. Occasions where the Bible does show God inflicting these things or allowing it occurrence, it is due to judgment against sin. I was also thinking in terms of God not desiring, intending, or planning for his people to suffer in any way. Again, there basically is no argument against the idea of divine discipline per se. I can see two reasons for divine discipline: (1) to correct us for either sin or error in judgment, i.e. a purifying from, or (2) although one may already be blameless before God, God desires him to obtain more discernment and power for the task set before him, i.e. a purifying for. The suffering itself, from discipline or otherwise, is not the blessing; the good obtained is the blessing. I have no time to submit specific verses (except for Jer 29:11; Ps 91 and 103:1-6) but, for me, this is the whole tenor of the Bible. |
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