Binding Men Over to Disobedience

Today I would like to discuss the following passage:

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Romans 11:32 (KJV)

The context of this passage is how the unbelief of the Jews led to the good news being preached to the Gentiles. I could discuss the various causal connections that the apostle Paul had in mind when penned this (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit), but I have different aspect of this that I would like to explore.

When I first read this passage this week, I read it in the NIV, which reads as follows:

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

In place of any discussion of the merits of the various translations, I want to illustrate truths concerning God’s qualities that are brought out in the latter rendering.

How has God bound all men over to disobedience?

Ephesians 2:2 says, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

God allowed the inhabitants of the world to be put, in some sense, under the authority of Satan (he is called prince). But God did not do this arbitrarily, so as to do evil so that good would result, but had justification for doing so. This justification is namely Adam’s sin.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22 (KJV)

Because we sinned first, this justifies, and even necessitates that God hand the world over to Satan’s power. What if, when Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, God didn’t cast him out (see Genesis 3). What if God allowed Adam to continue to eat of the tree of Life and live forever? Then he (and we) would never have learned that God knows what’s best for us and that He deserves our unconditional obedience.

As time goes on, to the extent to which wickedness increases on the Earth, God “binds all men over to disobedience” all the more and this finally will culminate in the events of Apocalypse, and in particular, the arrival the Beast or the Man of Sin (or of Lawlessness).

“…that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition…And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3-6 (KJV)

The mercy God shows us when he does this “binding of men over to disobedience” is further illustrated in God’s instructions for the Church. Concerning the unrepentant within the Church, He says: “…deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:5 (KJV)

By finding out the consequences of sin, man becomes prepared for obedience.

Notice he doesn’t say “so that he may have mercy on all who believe.” This is not stating Universalism, but illustrates the point that God has mercy on all, not just the “Elect” or some special group of His choosing. Christ died, not only for every person, but for every sin that every person has ever committed. (see I John 2:2) But not everyone will accept it and therefore will not all will reap the benefits of it.

In conclusion, God has good reason to hand people over to Satan. This does not mean that God is evil or that God is colluding with Satan. To the extent to which man rejects God’s authority, God allows Satan to govern man more, which results in less freedom because Satan seizes upon man’s frailty and manipulates them, but ultimately results in mercy for all.

If you would like to know exactly what it is that is so bad that it has led God to teach us such a harsh lesson, and what God requires to get us back into His good graces, click here.

Shining God’s Light on the Koran

This article is part of an on-going series contrasting the Judeo-Christian Bible with the Koran on a variety of topics. Previous articles include: "Was Abraham a Jew or a Christian?", Idolatry 101, 102, 103, Oneness, Unbelievers, God's Character, The Resurrection, The Proclamation, The Judgment, The Creation of Man, The Creation of Woman, and The Fall of Man: Part 1-The Command.

The Fall of Man - Part 2 - The Disobedience

Both the Holy Bible and the Koran address the disobedience to God by Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit.

The Koran teaches, “But Satan tempted them, so that he might reveal to them their shameful parts, which they had never seen before. He said, “Your Lord has forbidden you to approach this tree only to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals.” Then he swore to them that he would give to them friendly counsel.

Thus did he cunningly seduce them. And when they had eaten of the tree, their shame became visible to them, and they both covered themselves with the leaves of the garden. (1).”

But Satan whispered to him (Adam), saying, “Adam, shall I show you the Tree of Immortality and the imperishable kingdom? They both ate of its fruit so that they saw their shameful parts and began to cover themselves with leaves of the Garden. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord and stray from the right path (2).”

The Holy Bible, on the other hand, states that the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. He said unto the woman. Yes, hath God said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden.’ The woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither touch it lest you die. The serpent said unto the woman, you shall not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (3).

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate it. She gave also to her husband and he did eat. Their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sowed fig leaves together making themselves aprons (3).

Both the Koran and the Holy Scriptures state that Adam and Eve sowed leaves together to make a covering for themselves.

The Koran states that Satan tempted Adam and Eve to reveal to themselves their secret parts. After eating the fruit their shameful parts became visible. Holy Scripture says they were both naked yet they were not ashamed (5). Nowhere in the Bible does God state that any part of man is shameful. Instead the Apostle Paul writes that God has bestowed more abundant honor to that part which lacked. That there be no division in the body but that each member of the body should have the same care for each other (6)

Holy Scripture does not say that Satan tempted Adam and Eve to reveal to them their shameful parts. Nor is any explanation given as to why Adam and Even were tempted. However, Satan told Jesus that he had the power of all the kingdoms delivered to him and he could give it to whomsoever he wiled to give it (7). Satan took this power away from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by getting them to disobey God. It could be that control of the world was the reason Satan tempted Adam and Eve rather than getting them to see their nakedness, while the Koran reports it as shameful.

The Koran says Adam and Eve were both seduced. Holy Scripture says that Adam was not deceived but the woman was (8). Regardless mankind as a whole is fallen as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. Prior to this misbehavior, Adam and Eve had a perfect relationship with God and they were immortal, which is contrary to what the Koran teaches. The Koran holds that Adam and Eve were mortal before they disobeyed God by eating the fruit. However, that relationship was broken by their refusal to follow God’s clear instruction. Therefore all human beings have been tainted by this original sin and are now mortal.

The Koran and the Holy Bible agree that Adam and Eve disobeyed God. This then brought about a conscious awareness of their separation from God which they did not have before eating.

Friend, have you acknowledged your personal estrangement from Almighty God? Have you allowed God, through Jesus Christ, to reconcile yourself to God? If not, you can do so by first admitting that you are a sinner just like Adam and Eve were. Then you must personally invite Jesus into your inner being, your life. You can pray this simple prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ forgive me of my sins and come into my heart.” This act will allow you to have a personal relationship with God.

References:

(1) Koran p. 110, paragraph 7:20, 21
(2) Koran p. 226, paragraph 20:118, 119
(3) The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:1-5
(4) The Holy Bible, Genesis 3:6, 7
(5) The Holy Bible, Genesis 2:25
(6) The Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 12:14-26
(7) The Holy Bible, Luke 4:5-7

(8) The Holy Bible, 1 Timothy 2:14