WHO IS MORALLY CULPABLE BEFORE GOD?- Acts17:30,31

Edward O'Hara

2 years ago

I have heard it taught that the Pharaoh Moses dealt with could not be held accountable by God for the hardness of his heart. Since it was God that did the hardening.

That it was the fact that the hardening that happened to Pharaoh was the consequence of his free will rejection of God’s message that was brought to him by Moses. Making the mechanism by which his hardening took place of his own doing. With God simply providing the circumstances in which it happened.

So this is what it means when the Bible says “And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them…” Ex.7:13. That God giving men over to a reprobate mind because of their own choosing is the cause of the hardening of the heart.

For Pharaoh it was a choice he made knowing full well what he was doing. Using his own God given free will and his knowledge of good and evil to willfully reject the God who made him.

But, as the question is asked and explained regarding Pharaoh’s culpability in his choices. It is more often than not unexplored when the same question is asked about Adam’s choice to eat the fruit that God had given instruction not to eat lest he die.

Why is that? Why don’t people consider the culpability of Adam in regard to his choice to eat the fruit? It’s because they are taught, whether through seminary or while sitting in church, that he was held accountable. And that this is why all men die.

And most people accept what they hear and go about their lives satisfied that they have come to know the truth. Never even considering that what they have been taught about Adam has no Biblical basis in fact.

Because when reading the narrative we find in Genesis that explains for us the events as they were taking place. We see a much different message come through as to Adam’s culpability for his sin. And the far reaching affects it has had on his posterity.

Looking at Gen.1:31 we see that God looked at all He had made including mankind and said it was “very good”. Which for some means that God was saying that Adam was sinlessly pure and perfectly equipped for any and all situations that might come his way.

But, as we continue looking at the narrative we find that this is a wrong understanding of what it meant when God said “very good”. Because when we skip ahead to Gen.3:22 after all the events leading up to and including the eating of the fruit had taken place, God makes a very important statement that will help us to better understand what Paul was saying in Rom.5:12-14 about these events.

Here God says “Behold the man has become as one of us to know good and evil…”. This should shake the foundations of any who have believed Adam was culpable before God for his choice to eat the fruit.

Because this means that before he ate the fruit Adam was not equipped with the ability to make a choice for which he could be held accountable. In other words, because he had no knowledge of good and evil before he ate the fruit, he had no way to discern truth from a lie. Or even obedience from disobedience. Because these are things that require a knowledge of good and evil to discern which is which.

And this is exactly what we see when we read Paul’s explanation about why men die, and why men sin, in his teaching in Rom.5. He says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

Now, there is a lot to unpack here. But, it’s not as daunting as many have been led to believe it is. It is only the misconception that Adam was culpable for his choice that causes men to reject the Paul’s plain teaching here.

He begins by saying that Adam sinned and then he died. Pretty straightforward and completely in sinc with what the Genesis account says. He then says that this same death that caused Adam to die passed to all men. And that because of this death that passed to all men they sinned.

The argument is made by many that this is describing an infusion of sin from Adam to his progeny. And that this is why all men die. Reasoning that because it was sin first and then death that happened to Adam, it must also be the same sequence that happens to his progeny.

But, this is not what we see in the Genesis narrative. Nor do we see this in Paul’s teaching. Because Paul says in the very next verse “For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

And in the Genesis account we see this in ch.3 vs.22 when God shows that because Adam had no ability to discern between right and wrong before he ate the fruit. This made it so that he could not be held accountable for his choice to eat the fruit.

This is why Paul said “sin is not imputed when there is no law”. Because without the knowledge of good and evil any law or command or instruction to the hearer when disobeyed can not be imputed to him. Because this knowledge is a necessary component for discernment.

We also see this same requirement being spoken of in Deut.1:39. Where we see that the children who were with their parents when the parents were sinning were not held accountable for their sins. Because they too had no knowledge of good and evil at that time.

Which is why as we continue to read what Paul taught in vs.14 of Rom.5 we see him saying that even though all this is true death still reigned from Adam to Moses. Even over them who did not sin like Adam did.

This shows us that death is not a penalty that Adam received for his sin. But, was a necessary step in God’s plan for mankind. When Jesus would come to make the way for man to be joined with God for eternity.

So now we can see why in Acts17:30,31 Paul said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Because before the law was given to Moses the knowledge of good and evil was not readily available to all men. And now since Jesus has come all men are commanded, or instructed, to repentance.

This repentance all men are instructed toward is a turning away from their idols to serve and trust in the true and living God. This is what Paul says in 1Thes.1:9.

And men can do this now through the preaching of the gospel. And not just any gospel. And not just any Jesus. But, the truth as it was taught by the apostles and prophets that will lead men to know and trust in the Jesus of the Bible.

A Jesus who is almighty God came in the same flesh all men have. To live among us so that we could know Him. Who gave us the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in these truths. Truths that speak of Him and His love for all mankind.

A love John says makes it possible for all men to be saved who will believe in Him and His resurrection. Believing that He and He alone has the power over death as He reminds us over and over agains to “fear not” and “be not afraid” that can save men from death to life. From the mortality that Adam was made with. To the eternal life and immortality that Jesus’ resurrection makes possible.

Something that Adam never experienced because he was always only natural and not spiritual. Only able to relate to God with his natural senses. Because only those who are made spiritual by the spirit birth can have such a relationship.

So this is why Adam was not punished for his sin. And neither is anyone else. Because while he had free will to choose. He did not have the knowledge of good and evil with which to determine the good or evil of those choices.

But, today we do. Because we have the gospel of Jesus Christ. Which makes us accountable for what we have done with Jesus. A gospel that shows us the love of God that alone can deliver men from mortality to immortality. From death to life. A gospel wherein men are saved by grace through faith that is a gift of God not of works.

Which again is why Paul said in Acts17, “but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

By raising Jesus from the dead death has been conquered. A way has been made through that wall for men to follow Jesus into eternal life and immortality. This is why Jesus is the only way to heaven. This is the gospel of salvation taught by the apostles.

And the day that vs.31 says God has appointed is today. The time to trust in Jesus for eternal life is now. Because we don’t know when our last heart beat will come. After this and forever it will be too late to make that choice.

To make this choice today Paul says in Rom.10:9,10 that we must confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus. And believe in our hearts that He has raised from the dead. Because it is with the heart man believes and is righteous. And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you will do this then God will create a spirit in you that makes you His child and heir to His kingdom. If you will do this then eternal life and immortality will be yours. If you will do this then you will live in God’s kingdom where there is love, joy, and peace forever and forever. If you will do this… then I will see you there or in the air!

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