Clearly, from Scripture, both views are "true" ... or, rather, each captures aspects of the truth. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity ... (Habakkuk 1:13a)
The Protestant view right emphasizes the holiness of God, and His intolerance of sin. Many, many, many times in the Old Testament (for instance) God turns his back on Israel. I could quote a hundred passages.
But He also pursues them, chases them down as a husband would his unfaithful lover, in order to bring them back to Himself.
One single model, metaphor, analogy, or story can never capture every aspect of God or of Salvation History. It takes many. And this triumphalism of one metaphor over another is, frankly, very disturbing to me. It is the kind of thing that has given us a divided church.
no subject
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity ... (Habakkuk 1:13a)
The Protestant view right emphasizes the holiness of God, and His intolerance of sin. Many, many, many times in the Old Testament (for instance) God turns his back on Israel. I could quote a hundred passages.
But He also pursues them, chases them down as a husband would his unfaithful lover, in order to bring them back to Himself.
One single model, metaphor, analogy, or story can never capture every aspect of God or of Salvation History. It takes many. And this triumphalism of one metaphor over another is, frankly, very disturbing to me. It is the kind of thing that has given us a divided church.