Article: The Vengeful God

[Brandan Kraft]

You can view the page at http://www.predestinarian.net/conten...e-Vengeful-God

[Saint Nicholas]

Great post Jimmy! In retrospect, pastors who speak or dare teach this subject "vengeful God" are limiting their abilities to grow the church membership roll. Goats want their ears tickled with smooth sayings. And churches grow their fastest with increased tare memberships.

Lord Jesus come quickly!

Nicholas

[kenaz]

Thank you for posting this.

[GraceAmbassador]

I can say that we err if we don't understand HOW PERFECTLY PROPORTIONAL GOD IS AND HOW PERFECTLY PROPORTIONAL is the doctrine He revealed in the Bible. Example:

God's LOVE for the elect is proportional to the HATRED he has for the UNGODLY, (or reprobate)
God REWARDS in CHRIST the elect in the exact proportion he PUNISHES the UNGODLY (or reprobate)
God gives ETERNAL LIFE to the elect and ETERNAL DEATH to the UNGODLY (hence my aversion for annihilationism)
God VINDICATES His Elect proportionally to how he AVENGES his ENEMIES.

So, to preach LOVE without establishing the proportionality of the terrible destiny of the UNGODLY is not picturing God completely, therefore INCORRECTLY.

However we can have "hints" as to how we present God from the way Jesus, and the Apostles, especially Paul, presents the above mentioned proportionality; If such a completely balanced and perfectly designed proportionality was good for Jesus and the Apostles, it is good enough for me!

Good article!

[Robert R. Higby]

Augustine, THE CITY OF GOD, Book XXI, Chapter 12:

But eternal punishment seems hard and unjust to human perceptions, because in the weakness of our mortal condition there is wanting that highest and purest wisdom by which it can be perceived how great a wickedness was committed in that first transgression. The more enjoyment man found in God, the greater was his wickedness in abandoning Him; and he who destroyed in himself a good which might have been eternal, became worthy of eternal evil. Hence the whole mass of the human race is condemned; for he who at first gave entrance to sin has been punished with all his posterity who were in him as in a root, so that no one is exempt from this just and due punishment, unless delivered by mercy and undeserved grace; and the human race is so apportioned that in some is displayed the efficacy of merciful grace, in the rest the efficacy of just retribution. For both could not be displayed in all; for if all had remained under the punishment of just condemnation, there would have been seen in no one the mercy of redeeming grace. And, on the other hand, if all had been transferred from darkness to light, the severity of retribution would have been manifested in none. But many more are left under punishment than are delivered from it, in order that it may thus be shown what was due to all. And had it been inflicted on all, no one could justly have found fault with the justice of Him who takes vengeance; whereas, in the deliverance of so many from that just award, there is cause to render the most cordial thanks to the gratuitous bounty of Him who delivers.

Gus was the originator of the doctrine of hell as we know it today. I will have more comments on this when I get to publishing my series on the 5 points of Augustinian doctrine (SPOOF). --Bob