I remembered a comic strip in one magazine before. It featured Satan complaining, Nakakainis na ang mga tao! Pag nagkakasala sila, lagi na lang ako ang sinisisi! (Translation: I am already irritated with humans! If they sin, they always blame me!) His black angel heard him and consoled him, Master, wag kang mag-alala. Pati Diyos sinisisi rin nila. (Do not worry master, they also blame God.)
This illustration simply tells us that man and woman, since time immemorial, while being created in the image and likeness of God, have the natural tendency to put the blame on others in the wrong doings they have committed. The story of the Fall, for example, tells us of Adam passing the responsibility of eating the forbidden fruit to Eve. Eve, on the other hand, also passed the blame to the serpent when asked by God why she did such a thing: The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it. (Genesis 3:13).
I find St. Pauls assertion about the wrath of God a very beautiful expression on explaining the relation between human freedom and consequences of human sinfulness. In his Letter to the Romans, he stressed, the wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness Therefore God gave them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts. (Romans 1:18, 24). In the hand-out entitled What Does St. Paul Mean by Wrath of God?, Sr. Bernie Dianzon clearly pointed out that Pauls use of the expression was not derived from his knowledge of the capricious activities and vindictive emotions of the gods of Greek mythology. Rather, the term wrath of God was employed to mean the experience which we bring upon ourselves by our wrong choice.
This is very enlightening. It becomes all the more clear to me that man or woman should not blame Satan or God for the misfortunes brought upon by wrong choices in life. Every choices man or woman decides or acts upon have their corresponding consequences. Man or woman is free, and if he or she chooses to do good, it has its corresponding consequences. If he or she decides to be otherwise, he or she will also merit the consequent part of the package. In this presentation, it is very clear that freedom is preserved and misery or wrath of God only comes in as inevitable by-product of the abuse of freedom. In every wrong action, there is a corresponding miserable reaction.
Interestingly, the Old Testament is pregnant with experiences of wrath of God. The second chapter of Lamentations talked about the Lords wrath against Zion. Jeremiah 25 talks about 70 years in Exile. Ezekiel 25 strongly prophecies against foreign nations. The opening salvo of the Prophet Zephaniah is about the day of doom.
However, the Old Testament did not end with the wrath of God. At the end of every destruction is a promise of restoration (Haggai 3: 14-15; Micah 5: 9-14; Amos 9:14). God allows this wrath of God but for a reason. In their affliction, they shall look for me (Hosea 6). This is so that you shall know that I am the Lord your God. (Amos 4:17). Wonderful!
I discovered that the Letter to the Romans where Paul talked about the wrath of God followed this beautiful dialogue of destruction-restoration theme:
DESTRUCTION: Humanity Lost Without the Gospel (1:16-3:20) RESTORATION: Justification Through Faith in Christ (3:21-4: 25)
DESTRUCTION: Humanitys Sin Through Adam (5:12-14)
RESTORATION: Grace and Life Through Christ (5:15-21)
DESTRUCTION:Sin and Death (7:13-25)
RESTORATION:Children of God through Adoption (8:14-17)
Thus, I certainly agree that Paul goes in the same line when he discussed wrath of God. It is clear he is telling there is a way out of Gods wrath. Sandwiched between destruction-restoration theme is Pauls discussion about the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love (Romans 51-11). Coincidence? No. I believe it was intentionally put there to serve as the heart of the wrath of God discussion:
This illustration simply tells us that man and woman, since time immemorial, while being created in the image and likeness of God, have the natural tendency to put the blame on others in the wrong doings they have committed. The story of the Fall, for example, tells us of Adam passing the responsibility of eating the forbidden fruit to Eve. Eve, on the other hand, also passed the blame to the serpent when asked by God why she did such a thing: The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it. (Genesis 3:13).
I find St. Pauls assertion about the wrath of God a very beautiful expression on explaining the relation between human freedom and consequences of human sinfulness. In his Letter to the Romans, he stressed, the wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness Therefore God gave them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts. (Romans 1:18, 24). In the hand-out entitled What Does St. Paul Mean by Wrath of God?, Sr. Bernie Dianzon clearly pointed out that Pauls use of the expression was not derived from his knowledge of the capricious activities and vindictive emotions of the gods of Greek mythology. Rather, the term wrath of God was employed to mean the experience which we bring upon ourselves by our wrong choice.
This is very enlightening. It becomes all the more clear to me that man or woman should not blame Satan or God for the misfortunes brought upon by wrong choices in life. Every choices man or woman decides or acts upon have their corresponding consequences. Man or woman is free, and if he or she chooses to do good, it has its corresponding consequences. If he or she decides to be otherwise, he or she will also merit the consequent part of the package. In this presentation, it is very clear that freedom is preserved and misery or wrath of God only comes in as inevitable by-product of the abuse of freedom. In every wrong action, there is a corresponding miserable reaction.
Interestingly, the Old Testament is pregnant with experiences of wrath of God. The second chapter of Lamentations talked about the Lords wrath against Zion. Jeremiah 25 talks about 70 years in Exile. Ezekiel 25 strongly prophecies against foreign nations. The opening salvo of the Prophet Zephaniah is about the day of doom.
However, the Old Testament did not end with the wrath of God. At the end of every destruction is a promise of restoration (Haggai 3: 14-15; Micah 5: 9-14; Amos 9:14). God allows this wrath of God but for a reason. In their affliction, they shall look for me (Hosea 6). This is so that you shall know that I am the Lord your God. (Amos 4:17). Wonderful!
I discovered that the Letter to the Romans where Paul talked about the wrath of God followed this beautiful dialogue of destruction-restoration theme:
DESTRUCTION: Humanity Lost Without the Gospel (1:16-3:20) RESTORATION: Justification Through Faith in Christ (3:21-4: 25)
DESTRUCTION: Humanitys Sin Through Adam (5:12-14)
RESTORATION: Grace and Life Through Christ (5:15-21)
DESTRUCTION:Sin and Death (7:13-25)
RESTORATION:Children of God through Adoption (8:14-17)
Thus, I certainly agree that Paul goes in the same line when he discussed wrath of God. It is clear he is telling there is a way out of Gods wrath. Sandwiched between destruction-restoration theme is Pauls discussion about the three theological virtues of faith, hope and love (Romans 51-11). Coincidence? No. I believe it was intentionally put there to serve as the heart of the wrath of God discussion:
