Paidion,Don't you think this kind of response is inappropriate when directed toward a person who has been seeking truth and reality for his entire adult life? It seems to me that your sentiments border on hate. I guess you didn't find it a waste of time to express these negative emotions.
You do not believe in the trinity. Most Christians, including those who have been seeking God all their lives (like myself) do believe in the trinity. This means that seeking God for decades can still leave someone bewildered or in error. Either trinitarians or you must be wrong—though it does not reflect on how long either side has been seeking God. I am sure there are Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists who could say they have been seeking God all their lives. What does this prove? Only that, when one dislodges himself from God's revelation in scripture, his seeking of God is a search in the dark (Isa.8:20; Psalm 119:105, 130). You say that you accept the revelation of God given in Christ. However, the Christ in scripture is the only Christ known to humanity, and that Christ contradicted your view (and Murray's) repeatedly.
I don't think that plain speech warrants the accusation of "hate" speech, as you suggest. Those who unashamedly reject the words of every biblical writer should not think it strange to be called heretical when they make up new and unbiblical doctrines. Since I don't believe in burning heretics, you are out of line in suggesting that these words are hateful. Perhaps we could have the forum moderator set up a "safe space" and "trigger warnings" to avoid offending people who do not like to be told they are in error. I will talk to him about that possibility, if you promise to confine your contributions to that space.
Are negative emotions bad ones? I grieve over the lost. Grief is a negative emotion. I am angry at oppression of the innocent. Anger is also a negative emotion, though Jesus was not always free from it. I am disgusted by dishonesty—another negative, but entirely appropriate, emotion. I do feel negative emotions toward the disingenuousness of your handling of the present topic, your unwillingness to honestly and rationally address the challenges, or to put forward an argument disciplined by loyalty to scripture. Can you think of any "positive" emotions toward these things which would be more appropriate?
Jesus knew (and affirmed) that God can do all things, with reference to the thing for which He was praying—namely, His own deliverance from His enemies. But Jesus only desired that God would grant His request if it was in accordance with His will. We may pray similarly for deliverance from our enemies, knowing very well that God may wish for us to suffer at their hands, but also knowing that God can deliver us from that fate, if He wishes. This is what Jesus affirmed.You quoted: "And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me," though you omitted, "Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36). What was your purpose? To show that nothing is impossible for God to do? If so, do you think it IS possible for God to lie, and therefore do not accept Hebrews 6:18 which indicates that it is impossible for God to lie? Also how do you harmonize Mark 14:36 with Matthew 26:39, since you seem to claim that all of the Bible is true and consistent when rightly interpreted in the way that you do.
It was not impossible for God to take the cup from Christ—that is, to deliver Him from His captors. Jesus said He could call 12 legions of angels to do that (another scriptural challenge from my last post, which you characteristically ignored), and Jesus Himself could knock the bad guys over backward simply by saying "I AM." There was no lack of ability there. It was a question of will—God's will.Since the Father didn't remove the cup of suffering, isn't there a sense in which it was impossible for Him to do so?—the sense in which it was necessary for Jesus to suffer and die for the salvation of humanity?
What was impossible was for God to save Jesus while still carrying out the plan of salvation—a very different thing. It is a logical impossibility to carry out two mutually-exclusive plans. If I have $50, I am quite able to spend it on myself—unless I have already determined to buy my wife a $50 gift. The same money cannot be spent twice (by me), so my decision to go one way limits my ability to go the other. Choices are like that. You choose one thing at the expense of all mutually-exclusive alternatives. God had decided that Jesus would save the world, and this rendered it impossible to spare Jesus. However, there were other occasions, when God did not wish for Jesus to be taken, and so God delivered Him from their hands.
For God to grant free will to evil men is not mutually exclusive of His capability of protecting us from their actions. There are few things plainer in scripture.
You have ignored 90% of the points I made to you—and for an obvious enough reason: You cannot answer them in favor of your position without denying God's promises and Christ's affirmations.