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NASB | Ecclesiastes 6:10 ¶ Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ecclesiastes 6:10 ¶ Whatever exists has already been named [long ago], and it is known what [a frail being] man is; for he cannot dispute with Him who is mightier than he. |
Subject: Such thing as a choice? |
Bible Note: Dear Brother Tim, You wrote, "The reason I asked this series of questions should be obvious." I had a pretty good suspicion, but it might not be obvious to our readers -- for whom we have a responsibility to be clear and concise. Besides, I rather prefer that people declare explicitly what they believe. You wrote, "The message of Jonah contains no recorded 'out'. The people of Nineveh had no reason to expect an 'out' - per 3:9." That's correct, it does not. Jonah, on the other hand, suspected such (see v4:2). We are also told that the possibility that the Ninevites would repent was why Jonah ran away at the beginning. He knew that if he preached God's message, there was a chance the people would repent and be spared. The response to preaching was really incredible, and included the entire population of the city, much to Jonah's chagrin. So, we have three solid points: 1. Jonah knew that God might withhold judgment if the people repented (v4:2) 2. The people had some hope that God would withhold judgment if they repented (v3:9) 3. God did indeed withhold judgment when the people repented (v3:10) You write, "Personally, I see that as a change of plan!" Why would you think that this was a change of plan instead of a brilliant plan carried out in perfect accordance to God's will? Furthermore, this unorthodox interpretation will necessitate a reinterpretation of other statements of Scripture in order to maintain consistency (e.g., Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 57:15; Job 23:13; 41:11; Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11; Psalm 33:11; 1 Samuel 15:29; Proverbs 19:21). The belief that God's mind can be changed was first disavowed in Christendom by the Council of Orange. It is alien to the theologies of Roman Catholicism, Calvinism, and Arminianism. It did surface again with Mormonism in the 1800's and has recently been asserted in Open Theism (see post 151486). The orthodox view asserts that God's proviso was tacit. It is affirmed by Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jacob Harmensen, John Gill, Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, John MacArthur, and many others. In Him, Doc |