Post by Dr James Ach on Jul 30, 2013 20:01:59 GMT 3
Acts 4:27-28 is a common 'proof text' used by Calvinists to show that God's determination of the crucifixion of Christ proves that God therefore determines all other events as well, whatsoever comes to pass. I believe there is a crucial mistake that the Calvinists overlook in this passage as well as mistakes in the rebuttals to the Calvinist interpretation of this verse by most Non Calvinists.
Acts 4:27-28 reads:
Calvinist, James White opines on this passage that:
Of Thomas Clark's view of this passage, Laurence Vance writes:
.
Of this passage that Calvinists quote with Acts 2:33, Jacobus Arminius states that:
I shall requote Acts 4:27-28 with my own emphasis that I feel most commentators are missing here on both sides beginning at verse 25 of Acts 4:
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."
First of all, the context prior to verses 27-28 show a history of other kings who themselves had gathered against the Lord. Just as with Pharaoh, God hardened Pharaoh's heart after Pharaoh hardened his own heart and then "gathered against the Lord", so to, did these kings also harden their own hearts. Pilate was warned by his wife from a dream that she had to have nothing to do with Christ. Matthew 27:19. Yet Pilate continued to appease the Jews because of his own lust for violence and glory in his political position.
Secondly, notice that the "they were gathered together" occurs before the "to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done". The Calvinist reads this backwards, that that which God determined to be done, was the gathering together of the Pilate, Herod, and Israel against Christ. But a careful reading of the order given in these verses show that there is a separation of the events of which these groups gathered together for, and exactly what it is that God had determined.
Thirdly then just what was it that God determined? The answer is simply that deliverance of His Son to those who would crucify Him, not every single event and action that occurred by the hands of everyone involved.
The conclusion of the matter is that the people were gathered together and they acted autonomously in the means by which Christ was crucified, and it was the crucifixion itself that was what God had determined, and the people had gathered together to carry that out. The people gathering together is separate from that which God had determined in the deliverance of His Son to be crucified. The Greek phrase "For to do" in verse 28 is very telling of the intent of those that "gathered". It is the word poieo which means to make, to produce, to construct, TO BE THE AUTHORS OF, to cause. Thus God was the author of the determination to deliver Christ to the people to be crucified, but those who gathered together were the authors of the means by which Christ was delivered and crucified. It was the crucifixion that would redeem us from the curse of sin that was determined, and the means of that crucifixion and of those 'gathered together' that was foreknown. The gathering together and what God determined are two entirely different events, and to interpret this one time event as proof that God determines "ALL THINGS whatsoever comes to pass" is not supported by this text.
Acts 4:27-28 reads:
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Calvinist, James White opines on this passage that:
By far the greatest example of compatibilism is found in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. The early church confessed:Truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, todo whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. (Acts 4:27—28)One action, the great sacrifice of the Son of God, is in view. Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews were all gathered together against Jesus. Their actions were obviously sinful. Their intentions were evil. Yet, the Word of God is clear: They did what they did because God's hand and purpose predestined it to take place. Were they accountable for their intentions and desires? Of course. But was the certainty of the Cross and the sacrifice of Christ ever dependent upon man's will? Never. It happened according to the predestined plan of God and is therefore completely to His honor and glory. One action, part of the divine decree, sinful on the part of the intentions of the men involved, and yet fully in harmony with the holy purpose of God, to His glory and praise. Man's will, God's sovereign decree, compatible with one another.This is the biblical teaching.
Of Thomas Clark's view of this passage, Laurence Vance writes:
"Clark reasons: 'As this event, the death of Christ, was foreordained, so too every event is foreordained because God is omniscient; and no detail, not even the number of hairs on one's head, escapes his foreknowledge and deliberate counsel. Everything is a part of his plan. Of everything God says, Thus it must be.' [Clark] then jeers: "Must not they who say that God does not foreordain evil acts now hand their heads in shame?". There are four problems with Clark's exegesis. To begin with, what does God being omniscient have to do with him foreordaining sin? The Calvinist subtly leads us to believe that if one rejects the idea that God has ordained sin then he doesn't believe that God is really omniscient. Second, Clark deduces that because these verses speak of God determining Christ's crucifixion , this also means that God has foreordained every other even that ever takes place. But as we have seen, this is an unwarranted deduction. Third, the crucifixion of Christ was an exception, one-time, event-the focal point of history . TO casually infer the doctrines of Calvinism from this event is sacrilegious to say the least." Laurence Vance, The Other Side of Calvinism, pages 265-266
Of this passage that Calvinists quote with Acts 2:33, Jacobus Arminius states that:
Acts 2:23 teaches not that God willed that the Jews should slay Christ, but, that he was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” into the power of those who wished to slay him. Nothing more can be inferred from Acts 4:28. For God predetermined to deliver his Son into the hands of his enemies, that He might suffer from them that which God had laid upon him, and which the Jews, of their own wickedness and hatred against Christ, had determined to inflict upon him.
God, indeed, “determined before” that death should be inflicted on Christ by them. But in what character did God consider them when He “determined before” that this should be done by them? In that character, surely, which they had at the time when they inflicted death upon Christ, that is, in the character of sworn enemies of Christ, of obstinate enemies and despisers of God and the truth, who could be led to repentance by no admonitions, prayers, threats or miracles; who wished to inflict every evil on Christ, if they could only obtain the power over him, which they often sought in vain.
It is evident, then, that there was here no other action of God in this case that that He delivered His own Son into their hands, and permitted them to do their pleasure in reference to him. Yet he determined the limit to which He pleased that they should go, regulating and governing their wickedness, in such a manner, yet very gently, that they should inflict on him only that which God had willed that His own Son should suffer, and nothing more.
This is clearly seen in the manner of the punishment, in preventing the breaking of his legs, in the piercing of his side, in the inscription of the title, and the like. But there appears here no action of God by which they were impelled or moved to will and to do what they willed and did. But He used those who wished, of their own malice and envy, to put Christ to death, in a mode, which, He knew, would conduce to His own glory and the salvation of men.
But the reason that it cannot be said, with truth, that God and Christ, in the delivery of Christ to the Jews sinned, does not consist only or chiefly, in the fact that they were led to this delivery by various motives.
What if Judas had done the same thing [betrayed Christ] with the design that Christ, by his own death, should reconcile the world unto God, would his sin have been less heinous? By no means. It was not lawful for him to do evil that good might come. But the chief reason of the difference is that God had the right to deliver His Son, and Christ also had the right to deliver his own soul to death, and consequently, in doing this, they could not sin. But Judas had no power in this case, and he, therefore sinned. There is a distinction in actions not only as to their end, but as to their principle and form. Saul was not acquitted of sin because he preserved the herds of the Amalekites for sacrifice (1 Sam 15:9-22).
From An Examination of Predestination and Grace in Perkin’s Pamphlet, Part 1, quoted in Arminius Speaks, pp. 181, 182, ed. John Wagner
God, indeed, “determined before” that death should be inflicted on Christ by them. But in what character did God consider them when He “determined before” that this should be done by them? In that character, surely, which they had at the time when they inflicted death upon Christ, that is, in the character of sworn enemies of Christ, of obstinate enemies and despisers of God and the truth, who could be led to repentance by no admonitions, prayers, threats or miracles; who wished to inflict every evil on Christ, if they could only obtain the power over him, which they often sought in vain.
It is evident, then, that there was here no other action of God in this case that that He delivered His own Son into their hands, and permitted them to do their pleasure in reference to him. Yet he determined the limit to which He pleased that they should go, regulating and governing their wickedness, in such a manner, yet very gently, that they should inflict on him only that which God had willed that His own Son should suffer, and nothing more.
This is clearly seen in the manner of the punishment, in preventing the breaking of his legs, in the piercing of his side, in the inscription of the title, and the like. But there appears here no action of God by which they were impelled or moved to will and to do what they willed and did. But He used those who wished, of their own malice and envy, to put Christ to death, in a mode, which, He knew, would conduce to His own glory and the salvation of men.
But the reason that it cannot be said, with truth, that God and Christ, in the delivery of Christ to the Jews sinned, does not consist only or chiefly, in the fact that they were led to this delivery by various motives.
What if Judas had done the same thing [betrayed Christ] with the design that Christ, by his own death, should reconcile the world unto God, would his sin have been less heinous? By no means. It was not lawful for him to do evil that good might come. But the chief reason of the difference is that God had the right to deliver His Son, and Christ also had the right to deliver his own soul to death, and consequently, in doing this, they could not sin. But Judas had no power in this case, and he, therefore sinned. There is a distinction in actions not only as to their end, but as to their principle and form. Saul was not acquitted of sin because he preserved the herds of the Amalekites for sacrifice (1 Sam 15:9-22).
From An Examination of Predestination and Grace in Perkin’s Pamphlet, Part 1, quoted in Arminius Speaks, pp. 181, 182, ed. John Wagner
I shall requote Acts 4:27-28 with my own emphasis that I feel most commentators are missing here on both sides beginning at verse 25 of Acts 4:
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done."
First of all, the context prior to verses 27-28 show a history of other kings who themselves had gathered against the Lord. Just as with Pharaoh, God hardened Pharaoh's heart after Pharaoh hardened his own heart and then "gathered against the Lord", so to, did these kings also harden their own hearts. Pilate was warned by his wife from a dream that she had to have nothing to do with Christ. Matthew 27:19. Yet Pilate continued to appease the Jews because of his own lust for violence and glory in his political position.
Secondly, notice that the "they were gathered together" occurs before the "to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done". The Calvinist reads this backwards, that that which God determined to be done, was the gathering together of the Pilate, Herod, and Israel against Christ. But a careful reading of the order given in these verses show that there is a separation of the events of which these groups gathered together for, and exactly what it is that God had determined.
Thirdly then just what was it that God determined? The answer is simply that deliverance of His Son to those who would crucify Him, not every single event and action that occurred by the hands of everyone involved.
The conclusion of the matter is that the people were gathered together and they acted autonomously in the means by which Christ was crucified, and it was the crucifixion itself that was what God had determined, and the people had gathered together to carry that out. The people gathering together is separate from that which God had determined in the deliverance of His Son to be crucified. The Greek phrase "For to do" in verse 28 is very telling of the intent of those that "gathered". It is the word poieo which means to make, to produce, to construct, TO BE THE AUTHORS OF, to cause. Thus God was the author of the determination to deliver Christ to the people to be crucified, but those who gathered together were the authors of the means by which Christ was delivered and crucified. It was the crucifixion that would redeem us from the curse of sin that was determined, and the means of that crucifixion and of those 'gathered together' that was foreknown. The gathering together and what God determined are two entirely different events, and to interpret this one time event as proof that God determines "ALL THINGS whatsoever comes to pass" is not supported by this text.