... like the only answer had to be active or passive; like the question, "When did you stop beating your wife.
The question, "when did you stop beating your wife," assumes that the person has been beating his wife, and if this assumption is not true, then it becomes difficult to answer. My question was, "would you characterize Abraham as an active participant or as a passive participant in God's covenant with him?" The assumption in this question is that Abraham was a participant. I thought we all agreed that he was, so this assumption should not be a problem as it would be in the "beating his wife" question. The question is simply whether YOU view Abraham as an active or passive participant. I've read your answer, and I still think I asked a fair question. You might consider that you have a reluctance to being pigeonholed into a particular position.
Lest you think this is some kind of attack, I confess to you that I take a similar position on the topic of Predestination. Was it God's will for Jesus to be crucified? If yes, then why condemn those who did it? From one perspective (the eternal perspective), it was God's will. From a more proximal position, it was not. The Holy Spirit did not lead people to crucify Jesus. Satan did.
Perspective certainly does play a role in answering any question, but when I give you the freedom to answer from your own perspective, it should be easy enough for you and others to consider the question and answer it based upon your best judgment. Your answer can be short or it can be long. Of course, if you are afraid of having to defend a particular position or would rather not be known to view it in such a way, then you might dodge the question and argue that it was a bad question anyway.
In this case, the question was most enlightening to me. John S. answered "passive." Most everyone else answered "active." Some still have not answered. Some hedged a good bit before answering. All of these responses help me know where people are at in their commitment to the idea of a "unilateral covenant" and their willingness to discuss it. If I decide to pursue the matter further, it also helps me know what kind of questions to ask.
Peace be with you. David Miller.
p.s. I just ordered four books on this subject, so I might bring it up again after I have had a chance to read them. On the other hand, I might just keep my studies on this a private matter lest I cause any more grief to those here who have figured it all out already. :-)
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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