(April 15, 2014 at 1:12 pm)Stimbo Wrote: Disclaimer: This topic is purely hypothetical, at least as far as I'm concerned. I do not acknowledge that any of the JC story represents genuine historical events, and nothing I write on the subject should be interpreted otherwise. Right, now that's out of the way...
Since we're on the run-up to Easter, I thought - perhaps erroneously - that this might be a subject worth chewing over. It's often been said that xtianity stands or falls on the resurrection; an event (supernatural or otherwise) that could only have happened because the character was tried and condemned by the Roman authorities. Did the Romans have any free will in the matter, given that this 'sacrifice' was supposed to be Yahweh's plan for humanity? If they did, what would have happened to a) the plan and b) xtianity as a religion if they'd either locked him up, let him off with a caution or simply ignored him altogether? Would the magic and the miracles have been enough on their own?
God knew the perfect time to bring Jesus into the world, the plan would happen. It had little to do with the free will of the Romans, God knew their fears and thirst for control. It had more to do with the Jewish leaders and their hardened hearts for the law and their own self interest (pride). God knew they would demand Jesus death and He knew the control they had over the people in Jerusalem. Christ told the Jewish leaders that even all the healing and other miracles they saw, could not soften their hearts and cause them to believe, they wanted Moses law over salvation for their souls.
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.
