LaPalida

Can anyone cite any instances where God plays favourites (my knowledge of the Bible is rusty). After all God said that he loves us "all equally" and God does not lie, or so he says, right?

Julian

Erm, pretty much the entire OT. God is the god of the Jews, not anyone else.

Julian

LaPalida

Thanks but I figured that. I was looking for something more specific within the Bible.

Mageth

Yup...starting with Cain and Abel. Noah (saved him, but drowned everyone else). Abraham. Jacob and Esau. Etc. etc. etc. Even Jesus appeared to have had favorite disciples, including one whom he "loved" more (or differently) than the others.

Sarpedon

And how about the point where Jesus explains that he speaks in Parables so that those who are not 'chosen' will not be able to understand?


I can't think of any part in the bible where god says he loves everyone.

Johnny Skeptic

Sure. Consider the following scriptures:

Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee [Johnny: Solely because of his words? Not a chance.], and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

John 6:2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

In the NIV, Acts 14:3 says "So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders."

As I have shown, on some occasions Jesus and the disciples did not rely upon subjective spiritual/emotional experiences to confirm tangible experiences, but rather relied upon tangible experiences confirm spiritual/emotional experiences. 2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It is a fact that that is lie. A loving God would give everyone equal access to the truth. If Jesus (or some advanced alien who was impersonating him) returned to earth and perform miracles, surely some people would become Christians who were not previously convinced that the Bible is true.

Clearly, God is not an equal access provider.

LaPalida

Thanks for the help guys.

John Kesler

The Bible claims that God "never lies" (Titus 1:2) and that he "shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34-35), but I don't know of a passage which states that God loves "all equally." The oft-quoted John 3:16 doesn't speak to God's love for specific people. To the contrary, Malachi 1:2-3 says that Yahweh loved Jacob but hated Esau. Even if "hated" should be interpreted as "loved less," a double-standard is still evident. See also Paul's exegesis of this passage in Romans 9.

mikem

Matthew 24:31 HE WILL SEND OUT HIS ANGELS WITH A LOUD TRUMPET CALL, AND THEY WILL GATHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR WINDS

1 Thessalonians 1: 4 For we know brethren beloved of God that he has chosen you

1 Corinthians 1: 26ff For consider your call brethren, not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.

James 2:5 Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?

Romans 9: 22 What if God desiring to show his wrath, and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy, WHICH HE HAS PREPARED BEF0REHAND FOR GLORY, EVEN US WHOM HE HAS CALLED?

This is what Calvin, and an older more honest generation of Evangelical theologians used to call Double Predestination.