Saturday, January 15, 2022

Timothy A. Stratton on General and Soteriological Biblical Texts Supporting Human Freedom

  

After these things God tested Abraham (Gen 22:1).

 

Though the same word in Hebrew can be translated test or tempted, here it must be understood in the sense of test, because God never solicits a person to sin (Jas 1:13). Though testing comes from God, it is a very man-centered experience. Willis describes this experience this way: “The suggestion in Deut 8:2; 2 Chr 32:21; and Psa 26:2 is that the divine proving or testing of man is to bring out the real feelings and motivations of the heart. According to Gen 22, God tested Abraham’s faith to see if he really put God’s will above what seemed to be logical, his love for Isaac, and the dreams of the future which God’s promises had aroused in his breast” (Willis, Genesis, 291. See also Heb 11:17-19). The tested individual, then, is being given the opportunity—the freedom—to demonstrate by the choices he makes what sort of person he really is. Testing also presupposes that the one giving the test is not at the same time compelling the individual to act or decide in any given way.

 

If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused to listen have stretched out my hand and no one heeded, 25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity (Prov 1:23-26)

 

Describing this individual, Bridges writes: “And think of his knowledge, instead of being a delight, being hated; his fear not chosen; none of his gracious counsel regarded; all his reproof despised. Is it not just, that the sinner, thus obstinately bent upon the choice of his own way, should not only gather, but eat the fruit of it?” (26) Awesome is the power of free choice—even against God himself. A person who refuses the mercy and counsel of God does so to his/her own detriment. As Bridges suggests, this verse seems to contradict the view that God causes and determines all thoughts, actions, beliefs, and behaviors of all humans all the time. . . .

 

If you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it”? 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it”? 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees, and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them. 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witness against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 30:10-20)

 

This passage is particularly eye-opening because Moses seems to command the unregenerate Israelites to make a genuine choice to follow God or not. He says they have options from which to choose. They are to choose between life and death, between blessings and curses. Moses pleads with them to choose life, making it clear that the Israelites actually possess the ability to make this choice. That is to say, this choice is “up to them” and not causally determined by things external to them. Further, he makes it clear that this is not only something they possess the ability to do, but moreover, it is not even too difficult for them to make this choice. He says, “You may do it.” The ESV reads, so that you can do it. This seems to be not only biblical support of libertarian freedom to choose otherwise; but libertarian freedom regarding an offer to choose God, or at the least, not to reject him. (Timothy A. Stratton, Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism: A Biblical, Historical, Theological, and Philosophical Analysis [Eugene, Oreg.: Wipf and Stock, 2020], 25, 28-29, italics in original)

 

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