Aletheia Teste

When the debate with Leandro Quadros I said "there is no proposition on the free will that has direct support in the Scriptures," the professor said: "There are so many proofs (already mentioned) that only the doctrine of the court is enough to prove it . He mentioned Rom 14:12, 2 Cor 5:10 and 12:14 Ec as evidence, questioning "the arguments for how God will judge mankind" according to the work "if a person can not voluntarily choose to do good or evil? ".

For clarity, a proposition is a statement that admits two values, true or false. Not every sentence is a proposition, only those that can be tested and demonstrated to be false or true. I'll turn the objection made a proposition and test it for validity, noting that when it comes to doctrine, the Bible is proof that the truth or falsity of a statement. That is the proposition made by Leandro:

"Without free will, there can be no fair trial."

It can say that is either false or true, never both at the same time. And we can prove the falsity of it simply showing that the Bible is God's Judgement is based on free will or else presenting at least one case in which free will as understood by the teacher, was not taken into account in court. For that, I'll stick to the three biblical passages mentioned by the teacher, leaving him with full freedom to specify any other passage in the Bible says, or leads to a necessary conclusion, that without free will there can be no fair trial.

Romans 14:12

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:12

Firstly, this verse says nothing about the role of free will in the Divine Judgement. We find, however, the duty to give account of himself, which is nothing but the definition of responsibility. That is, the passage states that we are responsible before God, without putting the free will as a basis or condition of such responsabiliade. Looking around this verse we find interesting information about the divine right to judge each one of us. Verse 4 says "Who are you to judge another's servant?". Why should not judge a brother? Why he does not belong to us, and yes to God. What the brother of our free trial is not whether or not free will but the fact that he owned the Lord. The right to judge it is up to God, for He is the Creator and Lord of someone. This explains the term authority, which comes from the author, creator. The authority of God to judge from the fact Him be the Creator and Owner of every man.

In the same chapter, verse 11, God declares, "as I live, saith the Lord, every knee will bow to me." Here we see that the right to judge and should be judged not depend on a human faculty, but a divine attribute. Being that lives and that makes life, God has the right to judge. More than that, the passage grinds prtenso any confidence in free will, because even if the person does not want, with or without free will, every knee will bow.

Finally, at the end of the chapter is written, "but one who has doubts is condemned to eat, why not come by faith, and everything that is not of faith is sin" v.23. Here, the reason for someone to be tried and convicted is doubt or lack of faith, not whether or not free will. We conclude that Romans 14 does not support the illusion of free will and shows that the right to judge the lack of faith rests upon the authority and lordship of God.

2 Corinthians 5:10

Another passage states: "For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, that each one may receive what he has done through the body, whether good or evil." 2Co 5:10

In all fairness, we recognize that this passage is referring to the trial of believers, and not lost. Therefore, does not offer much direct support in the matter under discussion. Still, we note some important details. The next verse says "So, knowing that one should fear the Lord" v.11. The trial stems from the fact that everyone is under obligation to fear God. But we know that fallen man has no fear because the Bible states "There is none righteous, no not one. There is nobody who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless. There doeth good, no not one ... There is no fear of God before their eyes. " (Rom 10 to 12.18). Thus, there is free will, but due to the fear that Paul uses to justify the tribunal of Christ.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

The last verse cited by the Adventist teacher is "because God will bring to court all the work, and to everything that is hidden, whether good or evil." Ec 12:14

Here again the court is stated as fact, without doing so, however, depend on free will. Just as in the passages above, the right to judge the result of who God is and the duty of every man to obey Him. The previous verse says "fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man", v.13. Although fear and obey God is a duty, "the heart of the sons of men is fully set to do evil" Ecclesiastes 8:11. The fact of the fallen nature of man to enable only do what is wrong and never right before God, do not you take responsibility and not hinders the law that God has to bring him to trial and convict him of his wickedness.

As seen, the passages quoted by the professor, no necessitates the existence of free will to divine that the trial is fair. This should suffice to state the proposition presented by the teacher as false in the light of the Bible on the court. But we still have the second point to reinforce this fact, a case in which the divine determination did not take the responsibility of man:

"For truly against your holy servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, were gathered together, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel to do whatever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be there to do. " Acts 4:27-28

In this passage we see that the hand of God and the board had determined in eternity past, all that the Roman authorities, Jewish leaders and Jewish and Gentile people did to Christ. Could they stand up in court and say that God has no right to judge them, since they only met the power and wisdom of God predestined? No way. Peter complains seriously the people saying "this you have been delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, hold on, crucified and killed by the hands of unjust" Acts 2:23. The fact that "God so fulfilled which before the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer" (Acts 3:18) not freed them from the accusation "killed the Prince of life, which God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses "(Acts 3:15) or the need for repentance to rid themselves of condeção:" Repent therefore, and repent, so that your sins may be blotted out " (Acts 3:19).

Thus, it is demonstrated that the proposition "without free will there can be no fair trial" is false because the Bible does not just depend on the trial of free will and shows that the determination does not take God or His authority to judge, nor responsibility of man in court.