Originally Posted by simon kole

There is a basic doctrinal inconsistency in the Bible. The Calvinists take one side, while the Arminians take the other. What is more, both sides are found in Scripture.

Examination of the Scriptures shows that the key to understanding this seemingly doctrinal contradiction is Dt 29:29 (cf 1Co 4:1) - "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow (obey) all the words of this law."

So do we have an example anywhere in the Bible of these two wills in operation? Yes, we do.

The relationship between the secret things and the revealed things which we are to obey is shown in Ex 7:1-3.
In v.2, God gives his revealed will for Pharoah, "Let Israel go."
Then in v.3, God gives his secret will for Pharoah (secret to Pharoah, but not to Moses), "But I will harden his heart. . .so he will not listen to you."

NB: The first mention of Pharoah's heart in the account (4:23) is that God will harden his heart. I'll return to what "hardening the heart" by God involves.

But back to the account. Because God is sovereign, he can ordain in his secret will** that which is contrary to his revealed will.***The Scriptures at the bottom give examples of acts of God** which are diverse from his revealed will.***

Now the implications of Dt 29:29. That God's revealed will (Arminianism) of to come, to repent, to believe, to be saved; i.e., words we are to obey (Rev 22:17; Eze 18:32; Mk 1:15; Ac 2:49, 17:30; 1Tim 2:4; 2Pe 3:9, etc.) are in fact disobeyed does not mean that God's secret will (Calvinism) is not done (Mt 18:7; Mk 13:7, 14:21; Jn 13:27; Ac 2:23, 4:28, 13:48; Ro 11:25; Eph 1:11).

When Scripture indicates that something happens contrary to God's will (Ex 9:17), it is contrary to God's revealed will (Ex 9:13). Nothing is contrary to God's secret will (Ex 4:21; Ps 33:10; Pr 20:24; Is 8:10, 14:24, Lam 3:37; Ac 4:28).

While Scripture shows that God's secret will for men (Ex 10:1-2, 11:910, 14:4, 17) is not always the same as his revealed will for men (Ex 9:13-16), it is his revealed will that is to govern men's actions. His secret will governs his actions. Sometimes those wills coincide, as they did for Paul (Ac 9:15-16); sometimes they do not, as they did not for Pharoah (Ex 4:21-23). But mankind will be judged by the revealed will of God (Arminianism), the words they are to obey, and not by the secret will of God (Calvinism)--Dt 29:29.

And this leads to one more consideration on the subject.
When Scripture declares what man is forbidden to do (revealed will), that is not to say God is forbidden to do it (secret will). Man is forbidden
to hate his enemies (Mt 5:44),
to withhold forgiveness (Mk 11:25),
to take revenge (Lev 19:18),
to retaliate (Lk 6:29),
to judge the hearts of others (Mt 7:1), or
to punish the sons for the sins of their fathers (Dt 24:16).

While God
hates his enemies (Ps 5:5-6, 11:5, 34:16; Pr 3:22, 11:20, 16:5; Jer 12:8),
forgives only those who repent (Mk 1:4, Lk 13:3, 24:27; Ac 3:19, 5:31),
revenges (Na 1:2; Ro 12:19; Rev 19:2),
retaliates (1Sa 15:2-3; 2Pe 2:13),
judges (1Pe 4:5), and
punishes for the sin of the fathers those sons who do not repent of those sins in their own lives (Ex 20:5; Lk 11:48-51).

The God of the Bible is sovereign.
The will of the God of the Bible is not thwarted by men (2Chr 20:6; Job 9:12, 42:2; Is 14:27; Da 4:35), but quite the contrary (Job 5:12; Ps 33:10).
Nor are the plans of the Bible's God conditioned on, or determined by, the actions of men (Ex 9:16; Ac 4:28).
Likewise, he sustains no loss because of the actions of men (Jn 6:37; Ac 13:48; Mt 5:26).

It is men, not the Bible, who present God as simply knowing "in advance" what men are going to do.
The Bible presents God as causing men to do what he wills them to do.
(See Ge 20:6; Ex 3:21; Dt 2:25, 30; Jos 11:20; 1Sa 10:9; 2Sa 24:1; 1Kgs 22:23; 1Chr 5:26; Ezr 1:1, 5, 7:27; Ne 2:12; 7:5; Pr 21:1, Eze 14:9; Da 1:9; Jn 6:37; Ac 2;23, 4;28, 13:48; Ro 9:18; 2Co 8:16; Rev 17:17).
God knows in advance what is going to happen, because he has decreed/ordained that it shall happen.

So in light of all the Scriptures, there is no basic doctrinal inconsistency in the Bible.

And now to God hardens men's hearts.
Actually, men's hearts are hardened from birth, as the result of Adam's sin (Mk 3:5, 6:43--dulled 8:17-21, 10:5, 16:14; Mt 7:21, 13:14-15, 15:16; Lk 19:42). They have to be "unhardened" (Jn 3:3, 5-6) by God's grace. All God has to do is withdraw his softening grace in order to "harden" men's hearts, or to confirm them in their hardness.

SUMMARY: God not only is sovereign, he also acts sovereignly.
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**Ex 9:12; Jdg 9:23; 1Sa 18:10; 1Kgs 22:23; Eze 14:9; Mt 18:7; Mk 13:7, 14:21; Jn 13:27; Ac 2:23, 4:28; Ro 11:31-32

***Ex 9:13; Eze 18:32; Mk 1:15; Ac 17:30; 1Tim 2:4, 4:10; 2Pe 3:9
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Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

Oh great and powerful Yahweh: If your heaven is full of apologists, theologians and otherwise smug biblebots, please send me to hell.

Originally Posted by simon kole

Are you sure about that?

Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

100%

Originally Posted by simon kole

Are you sure about that?

Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

100%

Originally Posted by Jedi Mind Trick

100%