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Why Punish?

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hillsbororiver:
In a conversation with someone who can best be described as agnostic I was struck by the insight (that he really did not realize he had) within his question "Why would a God punish people when He was the One who created them in the first place, if He supposedly knows everything about everything why didn't He know people were going to screw up?" This was one of his points in not believing (especially) in the God of the bible.

What struck me was how many "Christians" don't ask this question more emphatically or in most cases at all.

I explained to my aquaintance that the classic or conventional definition of "punish" is not really what God does, especially forever. That it would be better described as chastise, correct, instuct, castigate, etc. He thought this more reasonable and that it actually made some sense, but of course the next question was "then how come nobody else (the churches) teach that?

We had an interesting conversation, who knows where it will lead.

 
Hebrew

H3256
יסר
yâsar
yaw-sar'
A primitive root; to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence to instruct: - bind, chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach.

H6064
ענשׁ
‛ânash
aw-nash'
A primitive root; properly to urge; by implication to inflict a penalty, specifically to fine: - amerce, condemn, punish, X surely.


H6485
פּקד
pâqad
paw-kad'
A primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.: - appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up look, make X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember (-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.

Greek


G2849
κολάζω
kolazō
kol-ad'-zo
From κόλος kolos (dwarf); properly to curtail, that is, (figuratively) to chastise (or reserve for infliction): - punish.

G2851
κόλασις
kolasis
kol'-as-is
From G2849; penal infliction: - punishment, torment.


G2009
ἐπιτιμία
epitimia
ep-ee-tee-mee'-ah
From a compound of G1909 and G5092; properly esteem, that is, citizenship; used (in the sense of G2008) of a penalty: - punishment.

G5098
τιμωρία
timōria
tee-mo-ree'-ah
From G5097; vindication, that is, (by implication) a penalty: - punishment.


G1557
ἐκδίκησις
ekdikēsis
ek-dik'-ay-sis
From G1556; vindication, retribution: - (a-, re-) venge (-ance), punishment.

The above are some of the Hebrew/Greek words that were translated into "punish."

Actually the word punish even in English is broader than;

1 a : to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation b : to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation
2 a : to deal with roughly or harshly b : to inflict injury on : HURT
intransitive verb : to inflict punishment (I think this is what comes to most minds when the word "punish" is used.)

Synonyms listed were;  CHASTISE, CASTIGATE, CHASTEN, DISCIPLINE, CORRECT

His Peace and Wisdom to you,

Joe 

YellowStone:
Joe was asked:

What struck me was how many "Christians" don't ask this question more emphatically or in most cases at all.
[/i]

Joe you gave a wonderful answer; however, I think the real answer to why "christians" don't ask such questions has more to do with embarassment than anything else.

Speaking from experience, only "those" whom God chose, ever truly understood such concepts as the question you were asked. Therefore, asking such a question would automatically indicate that one was not chosen and did not have Christ in them.

By the way, the following Scripture did not help:

2Ti 3:16
* All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

:)

Church as I remember it reminds me of a song: "Don't rock the boat......."

Love to all,

Darren

I was told this many times and to add salt to injury, I was told that it was not up to "them" to teach me something God didn't want me to know. :(

Do you begin to see the fatalistic doctrine of the so called church. They cannot teach the "truth" because they simply do not have it, so the only alternative is the doctrine of eternal damtaion (punishment.) Now is it any one why the average church goer keeps such questions to themselves?

Deborah-Leigh:
I believe that the Church indoctrinates us not to question them about anything under threat of their severe punnishment  ;D

If we are seen to be starting to think then we are quickly made to be known as the outcasts, the demon possessed or the heretics. ;D

Woe to us if we start to speak. Then we get the persecution :D

Then if the light dawns on us we are outright rejected  :D

This is no way to follow after Christ for the average Christian who has been taught to belong, to be comfortable and to be appreciated rather than chastised, persecuted and hated. :-\

We have to learn how to be chastised and not rebell, we have to learn how to be persecuted and not fold up, we have to learn how to be hated and forgive and pray in return. What Church teaches that? If they did they'd have no following ;D



Arcturus :)

hillsbororiver:
Thanks for the input Darren & Arcturus,

I certainly can see and agree with what both of you said. What struck me the most about the conversation was that here we have an unbeliever (he said he has never embraced any faith) who asks such a pertinent question yet many of the "called" will not even consider it. I know none of us can be certain of exactly how and when the Lord calls His people, but observing this contrast was another eye opener.

We are admonished not to be timid and to seek and we will find but this lack of growth (as far as spiritual knowledge goes) gives testimony to the scriptures that constantly refer to the spiritually dead.

Thanks again,

Joe
 

Nancy:
Hi there,

I too had an insight of God from my plumber.
We were talking about his son who had died and it got onto the subject of the afterlife and he said that he didn't want to go where an evil person was going which was obviously to God, as there is no where else to go!!!  He seemed to be saying that God is everywhere so there is nowhere that God is not! And this is from a man who says he was an agnostic and didn't even believe in an afterlife!
Out of the mouths of babes!
God bless
Nancy

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