Hastings.. Do you have a special christian meaning for ~predestination~ that differs from the regular accepted understanding of the word?
Scripture was written in a time of many illiterates and struggling semi-literates in society,. Even when Bible was first mass printed there were many of the same in society.. So I guess God in his genius went and made it even harder for folks by giving the word a new and different meaning just for the struggling literacy Bible folk.. 😂
Romans 8:29 and 8:30 Greek text analysis and Strongs Concordance show 'predestination' is rather straighforward and how we normally understand it.
I know and have known some folks that believe in predestination in the sense that God chooses who he will save and that's it. Nothing you can do about it. That doesn't comport with common sense. As far as what paul said in Romans, he is a nut case, that contradicted Jesus, John the Baptist, Old Testament law, you name it, he took the other side. When Jonah was dispatched to Nineveh (an enemy city) against his will they were under sentence of destruction. This was headed off by repentance and outward evidence of said repentance. Mind you, this was a Jewish prophet sent to an unfriendly gentile city. The city was spared as was Nebuchadnezzar in another instance illustrating a gentile accepting salvation through repentance. Jesus did not ever explicitly endorse predestination. Getting back to repentance, I have to wonder if Judas Iscariot received salvation. He certainly repented evidenced by returning his bribe money and being distressed enough to hang himself. Pilate is claimed to have repented and is honored as a saint. Why don't you drop your guard just a little and check out Jesus? I recommend a site named Jesuswordsonly. It won't hurt to look, you can always just say no.
Patriotism (and religion) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
