Subject: Is God subject to change? |
Bible Note: Greetings John! We agree that God is not surprised by anything. :-) But, if we start making words not mean what they mean, then language becomes meaningless. :-) For instance, in the Jer. 18 passage. God doesn't say, if a nation repents, I will go ahead and do what I planned all along anyway. God says, "...then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned." I note two things in this passage. One that God does in fact change his intention. The word 'relent' is the word 'repent'. Secondly, that the judgement was not hypothetical, but God had 'planned' it. Where I think Packer is wrong in connection with this passage is that many of God's plans are conditional. When God gives options, then God's plan is flexible, not set in stone (at least from our temporal perspective). But, I don't see any justification for making the clear statements that God changed His plan mean something other than what they say. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |