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NASB | Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:20 For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. [Ps 19:1-4; Eph 2:10] |
Subject: Is God somehow responsible? |
Bible Note: "Here is exactly where we disagree. I would say that unless the text modifies 'all' in some sense, or unless we have an obvious example of hyperbole, then 'all' does include every single possilbe thing or person that can belong to the category in question." But, see, that doesn't even address all the verses I cited in my previous post. Let's just look at the first one: "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." --Matthew 21:22 This verse is frequently used by the "name-it-and-claim" it crowd to suggest that riches and power and perfect health are theirs for the asking. There is nothing in the immediate context that modifies the term "all things." So are these folks right in their interpretation? I think we would both say "no." What would be your answer to why "all things" really doesn't mean "every single thing imaginable," using only Matthew 21? "Rom. 3:23 does not qualify or restrict 'all' in any sense, so we would both be in agreement that 'all' here means every single individual; past, present, or future." But Paul does not intend to include every single individual here, but rather every single individual minus one. The rest of Romans and the rest of the New Testament makes it plain, as you and I will agree, that Jesus Christ the human individual is exempted from this judgment. We have already discussed 2 Peter 3:9 several timesbefore. We just disagree on whether the context of the verse ("patient toward YOU"), the chapter and the epistle qualifies the word "all" or not. And looking at longer, more explanatory passages like John 6:38-65 and Romans 9:18 ff. and Matthew 13:10-15 (the larger context of the New Testament), I see the same type of exegetical work required as we have in excluding Jesus from the "all have sinned" statement. By the way, I agree wholeheartedly that it is absurd to even suggest that Paul had Jesus in mind here, but the basis of declaring it absurd is not from the lexical use of the word "all," but rather the overwhelming testimony throughout the New Testament of Jesus' perfection. The verse in 1 Peter 3 is, of course, not nearly as obvious, but the Reformed arguments regarding this verse are not nearly as ridiculous and as unfounded on Scripture as their opponents claim them to be. --Joe! |