HOW can the King James Version lead so many people stray??
Unfortunately, in the King James version, the whole New Testament was geared for pleasing the theology of King James and the Church of England. TO do less, was to "lost your head" in a very real way!!
One of the problems in cultural intpretation of language is a prime example of the greek and American way of interpreting the word "WILL".
About the ONLY place tht american's use the Greek interpretation fo the word "WILL" is in reference to a person's WILL at death.)
Other than that, in he U.S.A. a person "will or he won't" -- so "will" kind of takes on the meaning of "wish".
I "WILL with all my heart" to go to Disneyland--maybe, if---"
So the problem is that fundamentalists, if asked, "What does the Lord's Prayer MEAN when Jesus says: "Thy WILL be done, on earth as it is, in heaven"?
No problem: "God RULES OVER ALL, and His WILL will be done on earth as it IS DONE in heaven".! PERIOD!!
Now ask the same fundamentalist, "What does 1 Tim. 2:4 mean when Jesus says: God is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance"?
The answer would be: "Jesus provides a way of salvation to ALL, and he WISHES that man in His FREE WILL will HAPPEN to CHOOSE the option in God's direction" -- if not MAN CHOOSES to reject Jesus and CHOOSES to go to HELL.
Well, what happened to "God is NOT WILLING"?? Ans: Well, ya know, things "get taken out of context"--blah, blah, blah.
What does GOD say (not that it really makes a difference to them)
John 15:16 "YOU did NOT choose ME but I CHOSE YOU ---
John 14:6 "...NO MAN cometh to the Father EXCEPT thru ME..
1 Peter 2:9 "YOU are a CHOSEN PEOPLE, a CHOSEN GENERATION
Romans 3:11 "There is NO ONE who understands and SEEKS me..."
So WHO seek WHOM??
Rev. 17:14, Acts 13:48, COl 1:21, etc. and NO Bible verse will ever make a difference if one believes that MAN's FREE WILL is God's fatal downfall-- that He just CAN'T "get around'--even with allGod's resources--Man's FREE WILL is God's Frankenstein!
Is everyone PREDESTINED TO GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL? According to Armenians-- or is it Calvanists--who cares??