Biblical Texts

This week a few biblical passages were read to add to our free will-determinism discussion. The first text was Psalms 139:1-8, and its describes everything that God knows about the author. It says, “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely” (verse 4).God even knows what you will say before you say it, so this means even the words you speak are determined by God. This passage also describes how God is omnipotent, omniscience, and omnipresence. Since God has these qualities, it explains how he is able to know everything going on with everyone. God also has everything planned out, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book, before one of them came to be,” (verse 16). This passage describes that God has determined the future path for everyone on Earth. Determinism is supported by this passage because the author of this passage doesn’t have a choice at what will happen with his future, but instead God has already determined everything.

Jonah 1:1 through 2:10 was also read this week, and it falls in the middle of the free will-determinism discussion because it favors compatibilism. In this well known bible passage, Jonah decides that he is not going to follow God’s commands, but instead he is going to do the opposite of them. He travels in the opposite direction that God commanded him too and Jonah ends up at sea. While he was out at sea, a terrifying storm comes and Jonah knows that God is punishing him for disobeying. Jonah ends up getting thrown into the waters and a whale swallows him. The storm immediately stops and Jonah lives inside the whale's stomach for three days. This story follows the compatibilism side of the argument because it has both free will and determinism. God had a plan for Jonah, and even though Jonah didn’t initially listen to him, the plan is still fulfilled. The free will side of this story is Jonah making his own decision to hide from God and not listen to his commands. Therefore, compatibilism, in in this text, is when God knows the ultimate plan, but Jonah can make his own decisions.

The biblical verse that follows the free-will side of the discussion is Mark 10:17-22. A rich man approached Jesus and asked how he could have an eternal life with him. Jesus said, “Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me,” (verse 21). This rich man was given the decision of his destiny; he was the one who made the choice of following Jesus or not following Jesus. This is free will because the future of this man is in his own hands. Jesus gave this man options for his future, and the rich man is the only one who can make that decision. 

All three of these passages are in the bible and they all support a different position of the free will-determinism argument.