Friday, February 20, 2015

Free Will found in Scripture? No.

"The matter of 'free-will offerings' is easily disposed of. There are several other Old Testament verses that use this phrase. But they have nothing to do with theory of free will. The Hebrew term for 'free will,' as an English word, means abundantly, spontaneously, voluntarily. It contrasts with the offerings that are prescribed by law, and which therefore are not spontaneous, nor even abundant. The question as to whether or not God controls the decision is entirely absent. So too in [Ezra] 7:13 the same Hebrew word is used the English term 'free will,' we would not be greatly impressed by his theology, Artaxerxes simply meant that if any Jew wanted to return to Jerusalem, he was free to go - free from royal restrictions. But Ezra, to indicate the inspired view of the matter, adds in 7:27, 28, 'Blessed be the Lord . . . who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart . . . and has extended mercy unto me before the king.' Ezra does not reflect on God's moving some Jews to return to Jerusalem, but he is very clear that God controlled Artaxerxes." - Gordon H. Clark, Predestination

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