I have picked up the Fall. Calvin rejects freewill terming it as fiction. Can you please explain to me in your own words any other possible conclusion apart from God authoring it?.
Well, not speaking for Calvin, yes. But you won’t like it.
I believe that we, by necessity, speak of God as having a “will” as if God were human. Given the present conversation, we are speaking as if God were sitting in the drawing room planning exactly how he would accomplish redemption. Did God plan the Fall? Did God decree the Fall (Calvinism) or Ordain the Fall (Arminianism)? We picture God at his desk planning out redemption…Judas will betray his Son, this he let people know long before it happen (even the price of betrayal)…but does this mean that Judas had a choice?
I believe this anthropomorphic. God does have a will, but God’s will is not our will. God decreed the Fall, that it would happen because this is the purpose God created man – for his own glory. And Adam ate of the fruit of his own free will. God decreed that Judas would betray Jesus. And Judas betrayed Jesus of his own free will. God decreed the Cross. And the Jews crucified Jesus of their own free will. But in all of this (the Fall, Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ crucifixion) God did not author evil because God’s intent and motivation was his own glory and that through the redemption of man whereby men become brethren with God and children of the Father. The evil originated from within the men, as was the inclination of their nature.
Awwww. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away I graduated seminary and was encouraged by my professor to continue post-graduate studies in Church History. I always regretted not making that happen…but it was impossible at the time.
Servetus was a more interesting topic ...just not the one at hand, and since you said "please"....
