Higher Criticism, Pete Enns, and Biblical Authority

Dale · August 8, 2021, 5:44am

Consider this:

I think Paul’s ‘what ifs’ need to be kept in mind. He’s not saying that God necessarily did, but what if…?

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory – even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Romans 9:22-24

What if he did?

When talking about morality and sin, people rarely seem to consider what sin against God might entail – thinking and saying wrong things about God and rejecting his authority certainly qualify. We dare not presume what justice for lèse-majesté, “to do wrong to majesty”, might entail (one might expect some serious repercussions if they called a queen a whore to her face). That’s something that Job did not do amidst his many sufferings:

In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

The point being, what makes us think we are in any position to judge God or his righteousness?! That sounds hubristic to me!

Speaking of sinning against God, lèse-majesté, it occurs to me that denying his existence is may be the worst sin? Why should he not have the right to deny us our existence? And don’t we in effect deny his life when we do not respect his kingship and authority?

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for your souls upon the altar; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11

Jesus is called the Agnus Dei, slain from the foundation of the world, and when he died, the veil in the temple was rent. That suggests something fairly definite, I should think, especially considering what was required of the High Priest on the Day of Atonement.

The Agnus Dei rescues us with his blood and resurrection.