Category Archives: Open Theism

hardening pharaoh’s heart

Posted on January 7, 2015 by christopher fisher

In Exodus, often misunderstood is Pharaoh’s role in the story. To Calvinists, they see Pharaoh as a pawn without a will of his own. God hardens Pharaoh and uses him as a tool. To Free Will advocates, Pharaoh is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, God, Omnipotence, Open Theism, Theology | 1 Comment

understanding jeremiah 3

Posted on December 14, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Jeremiah 3, the author (presumably Jeremiah) attempts to convince Israel to repent and to return to God. To do this, the author attempts various means. The author condemns. The author forgives. The author incentivizes. Both the carrot and the … Continue reading →

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when God killed children in vain

Posted on December 9, 2014 by christopher fisher

Jer 2:30 “In vain [shawv] I have chastened [naw-kaw’] your children; They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion. In Jeremiah 2, God is lamenting that Israel has abandoned Him. In this chapter, God … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, God, Morality, Omniscience, Open Theism, Theology | 5 Comments

understanding jeremiah 18

Posted on December 8, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Jeremiah 18, God explains to Israel how He operates. Israel, at this time, was very wicked in the eyes of Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s purpose was twofold: to warn Israel of a coming destruction (which would prove God’s anger) and to … Continue reading →

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understanding psalms 90

Posted on November 25, 2014 by christopher fisher

Psalms 90 styles itself as a psalm written by Moses or passed down from Moses. The authorship is interesting concerning the content. The theme of the psalm is how man lives for a short time, yet God lives forever. In … Continue reading →

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walter brueggemann on david’s celebrity

Posted on November 24, 2014 by christopher fisher

From Walter Brueggemann’s Theology of the Old Testament: By focusing on this material, we immediately center on David, the “star” of Israel’s narrative, who pushes Israel’s storytellers to imaginative extremes. More than this, the text as we have it suggests … Continue reading →

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satan borrows God’s power to use against job

Posted on November 10, 2014 by christopher fisher

In the book of Job, Satan approaches God and offers up a bet against God’s most favored human being, Job. Satan actually makes two bets (the first of which Satan loses fairly quickly). Both bets involve supernatural acts levied against … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, God, Omnipotence, Open Theism, Theology | 3 Comments

God intended it for good – genesis 50:20

Posted on October 30, 2014 by christopher fisher

When Calvinists want to use a verse that shows God decreeing or predestining evil for His good purposes, they often turn to Genesis 50:20. This is peculiar because Classical theologians for the most part reject the descriptions of God found … Continue reading →

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walter brueggemann on God’s unpredictability

Posted on October 24, 2014 by christopher fisher

From Walter Brueggemann’s Theology of the Old Testament: The tension, oddness, incongruity, contradiction, and lack of settlement are to be understood, not in terms of literature or history, but as the central data of the character of Yahweh. This suggests … Continue reading →

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walter brueggemann on genesis 18

Posted on October 24, 2014 by christopher fisher

From Walter Brueggemann’s Theology of the Old Testament: Thus in Gen 18:16–19:29, Yahweh the judge is ready to act massively and decisively against Sodom and Gomorrah in response to their grave affront: How great is the outcry against Sodom and … Continue reading →

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