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Subverting God's Commands with Human Reasoning

Subverting God's Commands with Human Reasoning

The concept of subverting God's commands with human reasoning is rooted in biblical teachings that caution against relying on human wisdom to override divine directives. The apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians 10:5, "Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ" [1]. This verse highlights the tension between human reasoning and divine authority.

The Bible warns against the dangers of human reasoning that exalts itself against God's knowledge. The book of Wisdom cautions that "perverse thoughts separate from God" [3]. In the context of Christian theology, this warning is understood to mean that human reasoning, when not grounded in a reverence for God's sovereignty, can lead individuals away from divine truth.

The Protestant Reformation emphasized the importance of submitting human reasoning to the authority of Scripture. John Calvin notes that human reasoning is prone to err when it attempts to understand God's decrees without the guidance of Scripture [12]. Calvin's commentary on Isaiah underscores the limitations of human understanding in comprehending God's purposes.

The biblical account of the Fall in Genesis 3 illustrates the consequences of human reasoning that seeks to override divine commands. According to Matthew Henry, human devices and plans are often contrary to God's counsels, highlighting the need for humility and submission to divine authority [10].

In Romans 11:34, Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13, asking, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord?" [15]. This rhetorical question emphasizes the limitations of human understanding and the futility of attempting to comprehend God's purposes through unaided reason. Adam Clarke comments that God's designs and counsels are infinite and inscrutable, cautioning against presumptuous speculation about divine decrees.

The biblical wisdom literature, particularly in Proverbs, highlights the tension between human planning and divine sovereignty. Matthew Henry notes that while humans devise their ways, it is God who directs their steps [16]. This understanding is echoed in Proverbs 16:9, which states that "a man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps".

The early Christian tradition, as reflected in the writings of Calvin and other Reformers, emphasizes the need to subject human reasoning to the authority of Scripture. This approach recognizes that human understanding is limited and prone to error, particularly when it comes to comprehending divine purposes.

In conclusion, the concept of subverting God's commands with human reasoning is a recurring theme in biblical teachings and Christian theology. It highlights the need for humility and submission to divine authority, recognizing the limitations of human understanding and the dangers of unaided reason. As Calvin's commentary on Genesis illustrates, God's sovereignty is not limited by human plans or reasoning [14].

SOURCES: [1] II Corinthians — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [2] Easton's Bible Dictionary — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [3] Wisdom — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [4] II Corinthians — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [5] Smith's Bible Dictionary — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [6] Torrey's Topical Textbook — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [7] Easton's Bible Dictionary — TIER 1 (factual/linguistic) [8] 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [9] Romans (Protestant academic) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [10] Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [11] Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [12] CCEL (Reformed) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [13] Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [14] CCEL (Reformed) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [15] Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) — TIER 2 (interpretive) [16] Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) — TIER 2 (interpretive)

Sources

  1. II Corinthians “II Corinthians 10:5 (BBE) — Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ;”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
  3. Wisdom “Wisdom 1:3 (DRC) — For perverse thoughts separate from God: and his power, when it is tried, reproveth the unwise:”
  4. II Corinthians “II Corinthians 10:4 (LEB) — for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but powerful to God for the tearing down of fortresses, tearing down arguments”
  5. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Divination — is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [[442]Teraphim]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:2”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  7. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fall of man — An expression probably borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they and all their posterity were involved. The history of the Fall is recorded in Gen. 2 and 3. That history is to be literally interpreted. It records facts which underlie the whole system of revealed truth. It is referred to by our Lord and his apostles not only as being true, but as furnishing the ground of all God's subsequent dispensations and dealings with the children of m”
  8. 2 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations,.... Or "reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved, silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, which though reckoned the foolishness and weakness of God, appears to be wiser and stronger than men; and whereby the wisdom of the wise is destroyed, and the understanding of the prudent brought to nothing: and every high thing that exalteth itself against the know”
  9. Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 13:1: 13:1-2 The basic command of 13:1-7 is to submit to governing authorities. In God’s ordering of the world, we answer to those in positions of authority. Our submission to them will usually take the form of obedience. However, because God stands over all governments, our submission to governing authorities must always be in terms of our ultimate submission to God (see Acts 4:19-20). The Roman Christians might have been resisting government (see study note on Rom 13:6) based on a false understanding of the Good News, as if no longer copying “the behavior and customs ”
  10. Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 19:21: Here we have, 1. Men projecting. They keep their designs to themselves, but they cannot hide them from God; he knows the many devices that are in men's hearts, - devices against his counsels (as those, Psa 2:1-3; Mic 4:11), - devices without his counsel (no regard had to his providence, as those Jam 4:13, this and the other they will do, and not take God along with them), - devices unlike God's counsels; men are wavering in their devices, and often absurd and unjust, but God's counsels are wise and holy, steady and uniform. 2. God overruling. Various men have v”
  11. Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 1:20: Solomon, having shown how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here shows how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God, which we shall for ever rue the neglect of. Observe, I. By whom God calls to us - by wisdom. It is wisdom that crieth without. The word is plural - wisdoms, for, as there is infinite wisdom in God, so there is the manifold wisdom of God, Eph 3:10. God speaks to the children of men by all the kinds of wisdom, and, as in every will, so in every word, of God there is a counsel. 1. Human understanding is wisdom, the lig”
  12. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 1, section 16.13: us unless we have provoked him by our sins; but when wickedness has come to its greatest height, his indignation is kindled, and cannot be appeased. Thus he cuts off the hope of reconciliation from hypocrites and wicked men, who ceased not continually to add sin to sin. I will command him to take the spoil and to take the prey. He says that he has given a loose rein to the fierceness of enemies, that they may indulge without control in every kind of violence and injustice. Now, this must not be understood as if the Assyrians had a command fr”
  13. Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 24:12: And he said, O Lord God, etc. - "The conduct of this servant," says Dr. Dodd, "appears no less pious than rational. By supplicating for a sign, he acknowledges God to be the great superintendent and director of the universe, and of that event in particular; and at the same time, by asking a natural sign, such as betokened humanity, condescension, and other qualities which promised a discreet and virtuous wife, he puts his prayer upon such a discreet, rational footing, as to be a proper example for all to imitate who would not tempt the providence of God, by expect”
  14. CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 15.11: be visible or tangible, rather than the subject of writing, or of discourse. — Ed . that the judgments of God may be the more clearly illustrated. For which reason, he now introduces God as the speaker, who declares that the work which they supposed could not be retarded, shall, without any difficulty, be destroyed. The meaning of the words is of this kind, ‘I will not use many instruments, I will only blow upon them, and they, through the confusion of tongues, shall be contemptibly scattered. And as they, having collected a nume”
  15. Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 11:34: For who hath known the mind of the Lord? - Who can pretend to penetrate the counsels of God, or fathom the reasons of his conduct? His designs and his counsels are like himself, infinite; and, consequently, inscrutable. It is strange that, with such a scripture as this before their eyes, men should sit down and coolly and positively write about counsels and decrees of God formed from all eternity, of which they speak with as much confidence and decision as if they had formed a part of the council of the Most High, and had been with him in the beginning of his ways!”
  16. Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 16:9: Man is here represented to us, 1. As a reasonable creature, that has the faculty of contriving for himself: His heart devises his way, designs an end, and projects ways and means leading to that end, which the inferior creatures, who are governed by sense and natural instinct, cannot do. The more shame for him if he do not devise the way how to please God and provide for his everlasting state. 2. But as a depending creature, that is subject to the direction and dominion of his Maker. If men devise their way, so as to make God's glory their end and his will their”
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