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NASB | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, "Can it really be that God has said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" [Rev 12:9-11] |
Bible Question:
ENTER THE DRAGON ("...He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth becase there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44 ) From a Calvinistic point of view, Man was created good and then, according to the will of God, became evil. This is also the case with some of the angels; they were condemned when they sinned (II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). But in Satan's case, how would it be contrary to the goodness of God for God to have created Satan evil? Is it not the right of the the Potter to make a vessel as he sees fit, to "prepare some for destruction? (Rom 9:21) Was Agatha Christy evil for writing murder mysteries? And weren't they "good" stories? But it is noteworthy that though everything was made in the space of six days, including Satan, his first appearance on the scene is as an evil being. If he were created good how did he fall and so quickly? (Note that I do not accept the popular interpretaion of Ezek. 28 regarding the fall of Satan.) Lionstrong |
Bible Answer: Dear Lionstrong...You are correct and I apologize for not doing better. You do not ask one question. You ask five. I only see one that is important for a study ( maybe two) but I understand that sometimes the best debates must begin with non-essentials to make a point. If we only ask rhetorical questions we will never address substance. Here are the five questions you asked. 1. How would it be contrary to the goodness of God for God to have created Satan evil? ...Good Question...I will try to answer later. 2. Is it not the right of the Potter to make a vessel as he sees fit, to "prepare some for destruction? .....It is not the right of the potter to make a vessel that will result in harm to others. He may make something that looks like a vessel and save it for destruction but it is not a good vessel and is, therefore, no vessel at all since we expect vessels to be a certain way. He does not have the right to put a defect in the vessel that would defeat the purpose of the vessel. Making a vessel with a defect, and offering for use, is dishonest. That does not mean that the potter does not have the power to do so, only that it would be dishonest. "God don't make no junk." In everyday life we expect to get what we are paying for. If we were to buy a vessel from this potter and it had a hole in the bottom so that the vessel carried no water, we would return to the potter and expect that he make good on it. The potter could not argue that he had a right to make this vessel the way he did, eventhough it harmed others or did not perform the way we were led to believe. That would be an argument away from the standard of good. (Which is written on our hearts) 3. Was Agatha Christy evil for writing murder mysteries? ....No.... 4. And weren't they "good" stories? ....Some were, some were not....it is a matter of taste. I do not like mystery stories. I like science fiction and biographies. 5. If he (Satan) were created good how did he fall so quickly? .... I addressed this question in an earlier post that tried to explain how "time" is relative. I still offer that post as a scientific proof/theory that Satan is "timeless" for the purpose of our discussion. He had a start and he will have a stop. But his time is not like our time. Now to the first question. Evil by definition is sin. All sin is evil. Anything evil is already sin, or a result of sin. Anyone who brings about evil is said to have sinned, or "missing the mark", so that for God to have brought about evil in the form of Satan, or anything else, would be missing the mark. Further, we agreed that Lucifer was created in the first six days of Earths existence. GE 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. At one point...., at some point within the first six days Lucifer was also "very good" if we are to believe what God said. I want to thank you, Lionstrong, for putting me on this study. You really know how to ask a pointed question that cuts to the heart of issues. Since I have read some of your other posts I know that you are familiar with the Scriptures that support my position in general. I try to avoid "dualing scriptures" if I can :-) Now if I have answered as you instructed will you please answer my question. Do you, or do you not, believe that God created evil? God Bless....Jensen |