Our Destiny?
so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 1 Thessalonians 3:3 NASB
Have been destined – Go ahead. Read verses 1-4 of the third chapter of Paul’s letter. Do you find it a little strange? Does Paul really mean to suggest that suffering was foreordained for his little band of brothers? It surely seems as though that’s what he thinks for he repeats the idea in the next verse. He essentially says, “We told you in advance that we were going to suffer because of this and that suffering is the inevitable outcome of our commitment to the gospel. It has arrived. Don’t be surprised.”
Paul’s choice of Greek verb here is also a bit odd. The verb is keimai. In its derivatives it means, “to lie, to rest on, to lie down, to lie in readiness.” Here Paul uses it figuratively so that it takes on the sense of “to be appointed.” But this is quite amazing. Perhaps Paul has the rabbinic view in mind. “Everything is foreseen, yet permission is given.” In other words, the rabbis embraced both free will and foreordination. They were comfortably familiar with this paradox of Scripture. [It is incumbent upon me to mention that this paradox is the result of a Greek spatialization fallacy resident in the Hellenistic view of time, but that discussion takes us too far afield. Cf. God, Time and the Limits of Omniscience.] Paul is being a good first century rabbi. God knows and I am accountable. As Guttmann notes: “The epigram just quoted, concerning the relationship between divine providence and human freedom, may be taken as a complete theology in one sentence;”[1]
Does this make you try to swallow a garlic ice cream theology and like it? Are you feeling like the meal at the table is a McDonald’s Big Mac with a glass of 1968 Chateauneuf Du Pape? Paradox. It’s at the heart of Jewish understanding of Scripture. And it is completely opposed to the Greek mind that desires—no, demands!—reconciliation of divergent conclusions. How long has Christian theology struggled with divine providence versus free will? With election versus “all may come”? With “not willing that any” versus the specter of eternal punishment? Sometimes the end is paradox. Not always, of course. And we are challenged to never give up the quest for consistency. But sometimes the prophet tells us that God is the author of good and evil.
Paul is comfortable suggesting that he is destined to suffer. Perhaps he remembers what God told Ananias about him. “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). Predestined choices, right?
So what about us? What are we destined for? What inevitable ends come because we choose? Or did you think God does it all—or you are your own captain?
Topical Index: keimai, to lie, destined, appointed to, 1 Thessalonians 3:3
[1]Julius Guttmann, Understanding Rabbinic Judaism, from Talmudic to Modern Times, p. 47
Perhaps Paul was recognizing that as we pursue certain courses according to God’s purpose there is some inevitability that there will be conflict with the world. I remember warning my children that certain behaviors would end with definite consequences — it wasn’t (technically) foreordained, but it was predicting the most likely scenario if they behaved in a particular way. If we live according to God’s purposes, most of the world is not going to like it and we will probably have some affliction. I guess that’s “our destiny”. 🙂
Skip, I just wanted to express my gratitude to you for allowing God to use your heart and mind in such a way. I am so grateful to Him, too, because out in the world there are certainly “many inventions” and if we keep insisting that it has to be simple, then I am afraid that all we are really doing is laying down in front of a snowplow.
I am absolutely certain that there is plenty of assurance in scripture that we can pursue with confidence a re-defining of all the problems and solutions from a Biblical point of view. but if we just lie down like so many others, and keep trying to figure it out from the popular secular and supposedly religious perspectives, NO ONE is ever going to get it right! We should never be afraid to, as Ella Wheeler Wilcox put it so well, “thrust aside half-truths to grasp the whole”.
God bless us all!
We live on a battlefield. Lucifer has made it very clear that it is his goal to rule and reign-placing his throne high over the throne of earth’s Creator and our Father. Does my Father create evil? Absolutely not – but living on this battlefield assures us that life will be a battle-especially if your life is one that can be used to uncover the enemies’ plans. Our Father has ultimately provided for our every respite – are we attuned to hear His provision-and run into His cover? My Father will be glorified!
But what do you do with this? https://skipmoen.com/2011/08/04/see-no-evil/
I’m sure my children used those adjectives as well as many others when their foolish (without understanding) will crossed the line of “Mother’s understanding of safe boundaries”. If I understand the true meaning of Love, as in “God is Love” as being: “Giving with understanding” then I can see that whatever comes my way-whether it be due to my own foolish choice or outright demonic attack – He will give me the wisdom, strength and grace to be victorious…He doesn’t leave me hopeless. That is not to say it will be fun and I’ll love every minute of it! It is to say, “Okay Father, now how do I get through this one?”
Good morning, Skip. I’ve been enjoying reading your articles, but you said something this morning that confused me. Can you clarify how the prophet said God can be the author of both good and evil? I’ve never heard that taught before. Can you shed some light on that for me? Thank you so much and blessings to you! 🙂
Check out Skip’s post above….Isaiah 45:6-7 “….I am God and there is no one else, forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil. I, God, do all these.” (Scriptures Bible)
My Hebrew Bible reads, to Cyrus, “I am arming you, although you don’t know me, so that those from the east and those from the west will know that there is none besides me – I am Adonai; there is no other. I form light, I create darkness; I make well being, I create woe; I, Adonai, do all these things.”
I can honestly say as a “present in the present” Mom – I created a good deal of woe when my children’s lives and futures were at stake…and if things would have gotten (thank You Father they did not) completely out of hand with a response or an enticement being pulled through in hate driven rebellion….oh my goodness. In working with children from dysfunctional backgrounds and responding out of unspeakable experiences – I have come to the place of needing to “draw the line” so that what remained could be sound. Did I create “woe” for that new adult? Yes-and it filled me with grief….as I believe our sins do our Father. What a wonderful example of His “non denying” Love that He arms and protects even those who do not know Him but have right hearts in the earth.
Wouldn’t the people of God be so much better served in their churches if the pastors would prepare them as Paul prepared the Thessalonians. Just a simple, “Look folks, this is God’s law. Walk in it. And be prepared that the world is going to hate you when you do. It’s called affliction and I’m telling you now so you won’t be surprised when it happens.”
Oh, wait — I think Yeshua said that!
“And it is completely opposed to the Greek mind that desires—no, demands!–reconciliation of divergent conclusions.”
Rational theology versus irrational theology. Systematic theology versus un-systematic theology. Law of non-contradiction yes or no? Greek categories? Yet without such categories, knowledge becomes a nonsense or mere mysticism – i.e beyond rationality.
Easy there, Ian. Of course we employ the laws of logic. Communication would be impossible without them. We could utter words but they would make no sense. We would become mystics. But there is a big difference between use of the laws of logic and systematic theology. Theology needs to be rational, but paradox is a rational category. It just isn’t a systematic one. Systematic theology proceeds on the basis that all true propositions are ultimately rationally consistent, that is, no two true propositions can ultimately contradict one another. It is SYSTEMATIC because it believes that there are ultimately no paradoxes. That idea goes beyond simple rationality. Rationality means that I can understand the sense of a proposition. But systematics asserts more than that.
My point is this: the Bible is ultimately NOT about reconciling all its statements so that they all FIT together in a nice, neat box. The Bible is ultimately about honoring and serving God. It is about obedience, not ultimate truth resolution. Some things we just may not understand – ever.
My daughter was scolding me yesterday about quoting Skip when he asserts that it is Greek thinking that insists on rational categorical analysis. She argued that it may have been the Greeks that first WROTE about such a method of thinking, but that it does not follow that they necessarily INVENTED it. She insists that it is more of a universal human mindset; just expressed differently in different cultures, perhaps, but certainly not limited to the Greeks and their proteges – just in case we get to thinking that if we can shuck the Greek layer, we can get rid of that rational overlay, or something. She was quite insistent that it is much deeper than that. She suspects that it is more a human thing than a nationality thing. Just to make things fun.
I think where I may be at with this, is that faith, at its bottom as well as its face, is fundamentally impossible if there were even a theoretical possibility that pure rationality could ever get us to ultimate Truth (which I believe the Word when He insists that Truth is a Person). Thankfully, higher theoretical science seems to be sailing to the rescue by now suggesting that there are limits in some areas to forthcoming answers based on rational thinking; ultimate paradoxes built in to the very fabric of reality as we can observe it with our senses, and with our minds, too.
I just think it is the Creator acting out some more of His nature in nature. But then, because I have already chosen to put the statements of that Good Word first, I have the luxury of being able to duck behind such a large skirt!
Your daughter is right about logic and rationality. Ultimately all human communication in every culture assumes and employs logical categories and principles. The law of non-contradiction, the law of identity, etc. But these are not the same as the claim that ALL truth must be testable, all apparent contradictions must be resolved and that rationality is the fundamental power in the universe so that Man’s rational capacity is the final arbiter of all true propositions. Faith is NOT irrational, as some would claim, but that doesn’t mean it is entirely subject to human testability. YHVH claims to be the author of both good and evil. How that is possible I don’t know, but I know what it means to say this (it’s logical in that sense). It is a claim made from OUTSIDE the box of human reason. It is revelation. Not subject to the final testability of MY thinking. I accept it as true although I don’t know how it can be true because I accept the claim of the revelation by CHOICE, not by logical compulsion.
Thank God!
Rubber, Meet Road
~ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this ~ (1 Thessalonians 3:3)
Whether destined (or predestined) or designed, we are equipped (not stripped!) to meet these trials, troubles, tribulations (we glory in tribulations!) – Why? Because we know something.. And not only do we know something,but far greater (even) than this (glorious) knowing is our knowing SomeOne!! – And that SomeOne we know is none other that our LORD Jesus Himself (who has promised..)- ~ I will NEVER leave NOR forsake you ~ NO- NEVER ALONE!!
Think of this as a question, rather than a statement: ~ Who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God? ~ (2 Corinthians 1.4)
How do we become “qualified” to comfort another? (Sorry..) – we have to (may not want to), but we “have to” first – go “through it” – ourselves!
Have you ever (…..) Yes..- I have! What crisis situations have you been through to quality you to speak and give comfort to another? No one.. (no, not one) “likes” to suffer. (No one in their right mind that is..) and yet – whoomp!- there it is!- We (good people too!) suffer!
Would you say our LORD Jesus was a “good man?” One who (Himself) went about “doing good?” Yes, the LORD IS good! (always!)- and.. – to everyone! Ahh.. but did He (Himself) suffer? Yes. Like no man has ever suffered.. – and yet, the questions keep on coming! – Why? Why the trials? Why the pain? Why the suffering? The “Captain of our Salvation” was made perfect (matured) how?
~ In this world, (the one we live in now,we have been instructed) you (mr.) you (m’am) will have suffering! (John 16.33)
There is.. (beloved) no “success” – without suffering! No pain- no gain! The strength IS in the struggle! David said ~ it is good for me that I have been afflicted! (Psalm 119.71) ~ (Say what?? ) “Good?” What kind of “good” is this? (Good grief!)
The “rest of the story..” ~ “that I might learn!” (and receive/welcome instruction) ~ Ouch! I won’t be touchin’ that hot stove again! I even have a nice(?) scar to aid in my anamnesis!
So the first folks had the choice of avoiding evil by choice (yes, evil once hung on a tree in a corner of a garden). But they chose for us all (yes, chose even for the Author of our faith!) the other choice, which is to avoid evil by EXPERIENCE (Yes, once again evil hung on a tree, through Him Who was made sin for us)!
So now we all have a scar! And what is the purpose of all these scars (yes, even the scars in His hands and in His side)? So that we may never forget. And why must we never forget? So that the promise may be fulfilled for all eternity: “Affliction shall not rise up a second time.” Nahum 1:9
I guess that’s what you would call ‘burned for good’!
(Carl, this is fun!)
Jesus showed us the way.
Along that path, He was ridiculed, insulted, persecuted,
abandoned, spat on, tortured and ultimately crucified.
And the Word reveals to us: “looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12;2
Do we fully understand this? Nope.
But the path is not for us to totally understand.
It’s for us to completely submit to Him to follow . . .
by faith!
Thanks Skip,
REF:Our Destiny
Knowing that the Hebrew mindset allows for paradoxes is extremely liberating.
I wish the translators (and University lecturers) would stop trying to put God in a box.
Blessings
Kevin