11 months ago

Immutability & Impassibility
discussed by Calvinist Phil Johnson.
http://www.romans45.org/articles/impa...

The revelation in scripture is that God is sovereign, and man is a free agent- (Prv.29:26, 21:1, 19:21, 16:1,4, 9, Ac.2:23, 4:27-8 w/ Jn.19:11, Lk.22:22, 37, Mt.26:24, Psa.76:10, Rev.17:17) This would be an apparent paradox or a divine mystery. God knows what free moral agents can do and what they will do before they actualize it. (1 Sam.23:10-13, Gen. 49:1; Deut. 31:29; Acts 20:29-30; 1 Tim.4:1-3) (Isa.46:10, Ac.15:18, Gen.15:13-16)
In scripture God distinguishes himself from idols by prophecy- Isa.41:22-3, 44:7, 45:21, 48:3,5. He himself can and does “Shew the things that are to come hereafter”, “the things that are coming, and shall come”. Isa.48:5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee… Jesus exercised himself in this revelation stating regarding his future betrayal in John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” God foretells in Daniel 9:25 that there will be a “going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem” from a future leader capable of commanding this who will actualize this free will decision. And Isaiah called him by name some 170+ years prior stating, “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” “Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him...” (Isa. 44:28, 45:1) Which indeed came to pass- 2 Chr.36:22-3, Ezr.1:1-2.

Jeremiah told them that they would serve Babylon 70 years and then he would punish the king of Babylon. “And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” Jer. 25:11-12, 29:10-11

To the Hyper-Calvinists we see God dealing with man in successive moments in time- Gen. 6:6-7; Ex. 32:12-14; Num. 23:19; Deut. 32:36; Jdg. 2:18; 1 Sam. 15:11, 15:29, 15:35; 2Sam. 24:16; Ps. 90:13, 106:45, 110:4, 135:14; Jer. 4:28, 15:6, 18:8, 18:10, 20:16, 26:3, 26:13, 26:19, 42:10, Eze. 24:14, Hos. 11:8, 13:14; Joel 1:13-14; Amos 7:3, 7:6; Jonah 3:9-10, 4:2; Zech. 8:14
We see God responding to man in prayer thus in time- Josh. 10:14; Dan. 10:12; 1 Kings 17:22; Matt. 7:7-11; Ex. 32:10- 14; Num. 11:1-2, 14:12-20, 16:16:20-35; Deut. 9:13-14, 9:18-20, 9:25; 2 Sam. 24:17-25; 1 Kin. 21:27-29; 2 Kin. 20:6; 2 Chron. 12:5-8; Jer. 26:19; Isa. 38:5. God establishing covenants presupposing time- Gen.6:18, 9:9-17, 15:18, 17:2-21, Ex.6:5, 19:5, 31:16, Dt.4:13,31, 7:9,12, Jer.31:31-33, 32:40, 33:20-25; Ezek. 37:25-27.