The Skeptics Annotated Bible (903 page)

33
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?
It is God that justifieth.

(8.33)
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?”
A Christian cannot be accused of any wrongdoing.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

(8.38-39)
442 Is it possible to fall from grace?

38 For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

(8.38)
“Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,”

39
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(8.39)
“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

9
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

8 That is, They which are
the children of the flesh
, these
are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

(9.8) “The children of the flesh … are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” If you are a child of the flesh, you are not the seed of God. Whatever that might be.

9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;

(9.11-22) God makes some people that are destined to go to heaven and others that will go to hell. There is nothing they can do to change the will of God. Paul says that this is how it should be, saying: “What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known” damns most of mankind to eternal torments of hell for things they either didn’t do or couldn’t avoid doing?
158 Do humans have free will?

11 (For
the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
;)

(9.11)
“For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.”

12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but
Esau have I hated.

(9.13)
“Esau have I hated.”
131 Does God love everyone?

14 What shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God?
God forbid.

(9.14)
“Is there unrighteousness with God?”
It sure looks like it!

15 For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

(9.15)
“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

(9.18) “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”
311 Does God want some to go to hell?

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

(9.20)
“Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”

21
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

(9.21)
“Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

22
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction
:

(9.22)
“What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?”

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.