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NASB | Romans 9:18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 9:18 So then, He has mercy on whom He wills (chooses), and He hardens [the heart of] whom He wills. |
Bible Question:
I would agree with you - that the vast majority of the Scripture narrative deals with God's wrath towards those who do evil. But I would argue - Romans is not a story or God speaking directly to a group of people that He is going to wipe out or punish but it is a book about God and the way God works. So if in Romans it says that, "...it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. " (Romans 9:16, NASB95) Then we should look at the rest of Scripture through this filter - That God is the reason things happen the way they do - not because men made a choice to do them, but that God wanted it that way. The argument that if there is one molecule outside of God's control than God is not God, rather that molecule is. Because that one molecule might prevent Jesus from coming back - therefore it would be more powerful than God and God is no longer God because the very definition of God is one who is in control of everything. I do not negate man's responsibility - I only am pointing out that if God has nothing to do with those being damned than the question Paul raises would never be raised - for if Pharaoh went to hell because he hardened his heart then we say that is justice - but Paul is saying that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and so he went to hell - and then he raises the question - "If God did it, why does Pharaoh go to hell?" Do you see my reasoning? The question exists in Paul's Theology - should it not come up in our own? |
Bible Answer: Hi, nwells! Your argument reminds me of a person who confessed to me that he was having trouble accepting God as a loving God and yet condemning people to Hell (he pointed out several Scriptural passages, including the devastation and wrath to come in Revelation)... God's Way is not easily understood... His Way differ from our finite comprehension so that we, in good intent, fall out of our Faith... To better understand what you are proposing (God's accountable for our wicked acts and desire because he controls all, all of the time, lest He losses His Authority...) read, carefully, Romans 9:1 through 11:32--specificly, pay close attention to 11:32! God has no need for us to perish (eternal damnation in Hell) and He states so unequivocally throughout Scripture (Isaiah 1:18-20; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Matthew 16:26; Luke 9:56; John 3:17-21)... it is our choice that free us or condemn us! And don't fret for those who died prior to the Word's incarnation... these people were truly unaware of Christ's Mercy, yet they too were taken into account by God's Salvific Plan! (1 Peter 3:18-20) God Bless! Angel |