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God's Mercy and Justice in the Context of the Cosmic Conflict

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God's Mercy and Justice in the Context of the Cosmic Conflict Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Master's Theses Graduate Research 2019 God's Mercy and Justice in the Context of the Cosmic Conflict Romero Luiz Da Silva Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Da Silva, Romero Luiz, "God's Mercy and Justice in the Context of the Cosmic Conflict" (2019). Master's Theses. 135. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/theses/135 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT GOD'S MERCY AND JUSTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COSMIC CONFLICT by Romero Luiz Da Silva Adviser: Jo Ann Davidson ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Thesis Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: GOD'S MERCY AND JUSTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COSMIC CONFLICT Name of researcher: Romero Luiz Da Silva Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jo Ann Davidson, PhD Date completed: July 2019 Problem When it comes to the right balance concerning God’s character of mercy and justice in relation to His dealings with sin in its different manifestations, a number of theologians, as well as Christians in general, have struggled to harmonize the existence of these two attributes in all God’s actions toward sinners. This difficulty has led many to think of divine mercy and justice as attributes that cannot fit together in what is called the cosmic conflict between good and evil. This, therefore, demands a theological study based on Scripture as a whole to draw solid findings in response to the problems related to God’s character of mercy and justice in the unfolding of this cosmic conflict. Method This research will first provide a survey of how divine mercy and justice have been handled by some theologians and philosophers, in general, throughout Christian history, plus an overview of how the problem of the existence of “evil” in opposition to God has been seen by recent and contemporary theologians. Next, it will bring a presentation of Hebrew and Greek terminologies related to the theme. In addition, an analysis of texts in which God is concomitantly stated as being merciful and just will be employed, also providing a brief presentation of other texts where God is exclusively declared to be either merciful or just. The topic will then be evaluated through major events in the unfolding of the interplay between good and evil as a metanarrative in Scripture. Finally, the ramifications of the research will establish some concepts for theological topics and Christian ethics. Results By way of a systematic approach performed in this study, the biblical witness is coherent, for it points to a reality in which God has, indeed, acted mercifully and justly with His creatures in all circumstances since sin entered into this world, thus giving origin to what is called a cosmic conflict between good and evil. Conclusion Scripture responds to the difficulty in harmonizing divine mercy and justice by showing that in all His actions amid this spiritual warfare, God has revealed these two attributes of His character. They are always present and united as representative of His love in saving humankind. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary GOD'S MERCY AND JUSTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COSMIC CONFLICT A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Religion by Romero Luiz Da Silva July 2019 © Copyright by Romero Luiz Da Silva 2019 All Rights Reserved GOD'S MERCY AND JUSTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COSMIC CONFLICT A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Religion by Romero Luiz Da Silva APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _______________________________ Jo Ann Davidson, Ph.D., Adviser _______________________________ Thomas Shepherd, Ph.D. _________________________________ Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... vi Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 2. LITERATURE SURVEY ................................................................................. 9 Theological Perceptions on God’s Mercy and Justice ............................... 9 Augustine (354-430) ............................................................................ 9 Anselm (1033-1109) ............................................................................ 11 Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) ............................................................. 12 Martin Luther (1483-1546) .................................................................. 14 John Calvin (1509-1564) ..................................................................... 15 Karl Barth (1886-1968)........................................................................ 16 Leon Morris (1914-2006) .................................................................... 18 Carl F. H. Henry (1913-2003).............................................................. 19 Vincent Brummer (1932) ..................................................................... 20 Thomas J. Oord (1965) ........................................................................ 22 Perspectives of the Cosmic Conflict among Theologians ......................... 23 Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) ............................................................. 23 Edward Langton (1828-1905) .............................................................. 25 C. Fred Dickason (Unknown) .............................................................. 25 George M. Newlands (1941)................................................................ 26 Summary .................................................................................................... 28 3. THE BIBLICAL WITNESS TO GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE ................ 30 Old Testament Terms ................................................................................. 31 New Testament Terms ............................................................................... 37 The Biblical Evidence ................................................................................ 43 Systematization of Verses Dealing with the Thematic .............................. 49 For Mercy/Merciful ............................................................................. 49 For Justice/Just ..................................................................................... 50 Salvific Justice ........................................................................................... 51 Summary .................................................................................................... 56 iii 4. THE MACRONARRATIVE OF GOD’S MERCY AND JUSTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COSMIC CONFLICT ........................................... 58 The Fall ...................................................................................................... 59 The Flood ................................................................................................... 63 The Cross ................................................................................................... 65 The Final Judgment.................................................................................... 69 Summary .................................................................................................... 71 5. RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH FOR THEOLOGICAL TOPICS AND CHRISTIAN ETHICS .............................................................. 73 Divine Election .......................................................................................... 74 Universalism .............................................................................................. 76 Legalism and Liberalism............................................................................ 80 Theodicy .................................................................................................... 81 Summary .................................................................................................... 83 6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 85 Appendix A. NARRATIVES ................................................................................................. 88 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................ 92 CURRICULUM VITA ................................................................................................ 100 iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible BDB The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Edited by Brown, F., with S. R. Driver and Charles A. Briggs. Peabody, MA, 2012 ESV English Standard Version KJV King James Version LCC Library of Christian Classics LXX Septuagint MAJT Mid-America Journal of Theology NICOT The New International Commentary on the Old Testament NKJV New King James Version PQ Philosophical Quarterly NDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.
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