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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | what are the laws of God | Luke 24:44 | DocTrinsograce | 159643 | ||
Dear John, The word "law" is used in many different ways in the Scripture. For example, it can mean the Law of Moses, natural law, societal law, etc. It can even mean a repeatable, observable principle in human behavior. In your question, you are mixing several of these definitions. If you mean "law" in the sense of commands of God: I recall that there were something over six-hundred individual commands in the Mosaic Law. Depending on how you count them, Christ gave something between 50 and 200 commands. We'd necessarily need to expand that by explicit directives from the apostolic writings to get the full count from the New Testament. Why were you asking? In Him, Doc |
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2 | what are the laws of God | Luke 24:44 | john divico jr | 159671 | ||
doc, i'm writing a book / putting together notes on human suffering and our resulting perception of god's character/nature; of course arguing for his love and faithfulness in it all. my premise is that suffering and death ahve entered into the human race as an invader from outside god's will, yet necessarily. not because god desired that we should suffer, but as a result of our transgressing his laws of goodness and holiness. we have used our freewill to go outdside, but yet many blame him for the suffering in the world. it is my intention to illustrate that god's nature and laws predated us and when we pushed [push] beyond them it occurs apart from his will and results in separation, and in the case of our race in general, sickness and death. my own battles with cancer have taken quite the toll on my family's and my faith, and while i feel we are recovering, i'm sure many seek a healthy perspective on the subject. it really bothers me when people sat that god is the author of tragedy. NO! he is the author of what exists in heaven [joy, love, peace,]and anything contrary has "entered in some other way" i seek a simplified list of the laws of god that we have transgressed that illustrate the point. i plan to compare how we cannot similarly transgress the set laws of nature expecting unnatural results. this, i hope will clarify for Him, john |
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3 | what are the laws of God | Luke 24:44 | DocTrinsograce | 159675 | ||
Dear John, The field of theology that you are discussing is called theodicy. It is the the attempt to reconcile the the goodness of God with the existence of evil. Sometimes the word is used for a theory that attempts such a reconciliation. If you deal adequately with the subject, you'll need to delve into the historical arguments of Christian theologians and teachers. I believe the first person that I know to deal with theodicy in any kind of a formalized way was Augustine. A whole theology (Open Theism) recently came on the scene to deal with this question. You should be careful because at its roots, it is a "why" question. The Bible rarely deals with "why." For example, the book of Job is entirely concerned with the question of why good people suffer. It is a book that falls into the category of a "Wisdom" book. None of the Wisdom books answer the question why. Reformed theologians explain this by dividing the Will of God into two sections: The Revealed Will of God and the Secret Will of God (cf Deut 29:29). We are responsible for the Revealed Will of God, but the Secret Will of God is, very bluntly, none of our business. God wants us to know how to live, not why things happen. One might use the analogy of driving. When a fellow cuts me off in traffic on my way to work, I might ask myself, "Why did he do that? What was he thinking? Where is he going? Where did he come from?" etc. However, none of these questions are really important. The important thing is for me to know how to deal with someone cutting me off in traffic. That is what the Bible is concerned with, knowing how we ought to live, not why things happen. Another caution is that this issue is often posited as a false dichotomy. (Harold Kushner does this in his book.) Either God is sovereign, and therefore not truly good, or He is truly good, and therfore not really sovereign. People conclude from this -- contrary to the clear message of Scripture -- that God is good, but not really able to control everything. The fact is that the answer to the question of "Why?" may be beyond our ability to comprehend. After all, why questions usually have the most complex of answers. The other kinds of questions are the easy kind: What? When? How? etc. God is infinite and His ways are past finding out, as the Scripture puts it (Is 55:8; Rom 11:33; Job 38-42). Our intelligence is limited. Of course, that has never stops us from prying! :-) Finally, if you pursue the theory that you have posited, you will have to deal with some uncomfortable verses; like 1 Ki 22:22-23; Ecc 7:14; Act 4:27-28; 2 Cor 12:7; to name a few. Charles Hodge discusses the question of evil (see "The Existence of Evil" at www.mbrem.com/apologetics/chodge-evil.htm): "[We ought] to rest satisfied with the simple statements of the Bible. The Scriptures teach: 1. That the glory of God is the end to which the promotion of holiness, and the production of happiness, and all other ends are subordinate; 2. That, therefore, the self-manifestation of God, the revelation of his infinite perfection, being the highest conceivable, or possible good, is the ultimate end of all his works in creation, providence, and redemption; 3. As sentient creatures are necessary for the manifestation of God's benevolence, so there could be no manifestation of his mercy without misery, or of his grace and justice, if there were no sin. "As the heavens declare the glory of God, so He has devised the plan of redemption, 'To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God,' (Eph 3:10). The knowledge of God is eternal life. It is for creatures the highest good. And the promotion of that knowledge, the manifestation of the manifold perfections of the infinite God, is the highest end of all his works. This is declared by the Apostle to be the end contemplated, both in the punishment of sinners and in the salvation of believers. It is an end to which, he says, no man can rationally object. "'What if God, willing to shew his wrath (or justice), and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that He might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory,' (Rom 9:22-23). Sin, therefore, according to the Scriptures, is permitted, that the justice of God may be known in its punishment, and His grace in its forgiveness. And the universe, without the knowledge of these attributes, would be like the earth without the light the sun." I don't think you can help God off the hook, John. The Word states that God is supremely good and ALSO sovereign. May He bless you in your study. I hope my two cents will help. In Him, Doc PS Here's another good discussion worth your time: www.str.org/free/commentaries/apologetics/evil/sixtysec.htm |
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4 | what are the laws of God | Luke 24:44 | kalos | 159711 | ||
Doc: Excellent post! Kalos |
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