Did Jesus Get Confused?
Matthew 22:39
And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
KJV
Jesus commands us to love one another in Matthew 22:39. Yet, notice what He said in Luke 14:26. Cross reference this with Romans 9:10-13. Did Jesus command us to do something and then change His mind? Did God literally hate someone Himself? Was Christ confused? Research and discuss at length your conclusions.
However, having established there is an absolute love in the Matthew verse and a comparative "hate" associated with it in the Luke verse, Paul’s comments in Romans presents more of a challenge. Commencing at Luke 10:29, Jesus answered the question, "Who is my neighbor?" His answer may be summarized as saying that anyone in need is a neighbor. When it comes to the statement of the commandments as found in Matthew 22, a neighbor becomes anyone needing God’s help. Knowing that all men have sinned and are in need of God, a neighbor potentially becomes every person in the world. If we are to love everyone, we are shocked at the statement of Romans 9:13 where God is said to hate someone.
This apparent conflict must be resolved with careful consideration of the context of the both the original quote and the context of Paul’s usage. Only then may we determine if there is a conflict in the Scriptures or if Jesus was confused or provided inconsistent directions.
Rebecca and Isaac appear to have become pregnant in the normal course of events, but Paul draws upon the Old Testament account of the birth of Jacob and Esau to demonstrate that God made his choice of the lineage of Christ and the chosen nation of Israel before the birth. The underlying thrust of this verse is that God chose Jacob prior to the birth of the twins, clearly pointing to a choice of grace and not of works.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Does this mean that God elected Jacob to salvation and Esau to destruction before their birth? I must answer no, and do so on two immediate grounds generally obvious from the Old Testament quotes.
The idea of "hate" in the Hebrew is an idiom used as a contrast to love (Luke 14:26). Thus, here, to hate is to reject in the sense of a positive election. Since the actual context of Paul’s quote (Gen 25:23) is about two nations, the idea of two nations probably carries through in these verses.
The Genesis quote does not relate to salvation. Rather, in the context of the prophecy, as fulfilled in history, Esau the individual was the servant of Jacob. The story of the twins is not this straight forward, but, clearly, Jacob got the better of Esau. Moreover, then, the Genesis quote must be reinterpreted in light of Malachi’s comments. The Malachi quote is clearly not about Jacob and Esau as individuals (both being long deceased at the time of Malachi), but, rather, about the nations comprised of their descendants. Jacob’s children became Israel. Esau’s children became Edom. In general, one may read history to see that the Edomites were the servants of Israel.
And, having chosen Israel, God loves them with that special love granted to those who believe and trust in Him. At the same time, Edom was hated in the same fashion God hates all non-believers (1:18-3:20). It is worth remembering what Paul says in the next verse of the Ephesians passage quoted above:
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Records 3 to 3 of 4
|
|
|
|
