Chapter Five: Divine Providence

Section

5.2 : Footnotes and Supportive Scripture

Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, who is the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; so that nothing happens to anyone by chance, or outside his providence, yet by his providence he orders events to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

Acts 2:23

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Acts 4:27-28

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Prov 16:33

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Prov 21:1

The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Contingently

Necessarily, as an apple falls when dropped from a tree; freely, as a man may choose to drop the apple; and contingently, as the apple’s falling depends on the choosing of the man holding it. See Gen 20:1-6; 50:20; Exod 4:21 w/ 8:15.

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Chapter Five: Divine Providence

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Chapter Five: Divine Providence