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NASB | Romans 1:18 ¶ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:18 ¶ For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, |
Subject: response |
Bible Note: You wrote: "I agree 100 percent! I am glad you have come to a common Armenianist assumption: God’s foreknowledge comes before his predetermined path! RC Sproul, however, would string you up and shoot you for conceding that point to an Armenianist in this debate. J RC jumbles this list up and places Predestined as first on the list in the ordered chain, because it is the only way the passage will make sense—In his Theology." 1. R.C. Sproul has not been known to string anyone up. 2. It is not HIS theology. 3. You are 100 percent wrong about R.C. Sproul. Foreknowledge of the elect does indeed precede predestination. Where you err is not having a good understanding of what it means to "foreknow" someone in this sense. You seem to think that this passage implies that God foreknows the CHOICES that everyone will make. That is not what this passage is saying at all. Every verb here applies to one group of people and one group alone. He foreknew the elect, predestined the elect, called the elect, justified the elect, glorified the elect. It ruptures the meaning of this passage to say that it refers to God foreknowing DECISIONS that both the elect and non-elect would make. "Foreknowing" means "fore-loving," knowing in an intimate sense, not in an "I am aware of something" sense. We see the Bible employing the verb "know" in this sense several times in Scripture, where it is clear that it means much more than to simply be aware: "but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him." --1 Corinthians 8:3 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" --Galatians 4:9 So we see that even Paul uses this verb to describe an intimate knowledge rather than just an intellectual awareness. Note again that the Romans verse does not say that he knows something ABOUT people, but rather that he knows PEOPLE. Furthermore, it simply makes no sense that an omniscient God would simply foreknow one group in an intellectual, perceptive sense and not the rest of humanity. I must say that I am also a little put out by your misrepresentation of Sproul here. It is very sloppy. I suggest that you go pick up a copy of his book _Grace Unknown_ before you start putting words in his mouth. The Reformed view of Romans 8:29 is very well-explained there. --Joe! |