Is God Magnanimous? - (as opposed to tyrannical)

[St. SteVen]

Stumbled upon a word I rarely see used. Magnanimous.
I sought a complete definition. (see below)
When I found it, I realized that it fit my personal view of God.
God is magnanimous.

Defined as:
Highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness,
as in overlooking insults or not seeking revenge.

Questions:
- Is God known for showing kindness and forgiveness?
- Is God known for overlooking insults and not seeking revenge? (revenge is a sin)
- Is God easily offended? (a hothead)
- Does God repay evil with good? (as we are expected to)

/ cc: @Chadrho @Hillsage

 

[Lambano]

Questions:
- Is God known for showing kindness and forgiveness?
- Is God known for overlooking insults and not seeking revenge? (revenge is a sin)
- Is God easily offended? (a hothead)
- Does God repay evil with good? (as we are expected to)

Or, to use another New Testament word, "Gracious"?

(You wanna tag Jack and Big Boy so that they can point out all the places where God was less than magnanimous, like Uzziah, Annas and Sapphira, etc.?)

 

[St. SteVen]

Or, to use another New Testament word, "Gracious"?

Yes, that's good.

(You wanna tag Jack and Big Boy so that they can point out all the places where God was less than magnanimous, like Uzziah, Annas and Sapphira, etc.?)

Nope. - LOL

/

 

[Hillsage]

Stumbled upon a word I rarely see used. Magnanimous.
I sought a complete definition. (see below)
When I found it, I realized that it fit my personal view of God.
God is magnanimous.

Defined as:
Highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness,
as in overlooking insults or not seeking revenge.

Questions:
- Is God known for showing kindness and forgiveness?
- Is God known for overlooking insults and not seeking revenge? (revenge is a sin)
- Is God easily offended? (a hothead)
- Does God repay evil with good? (as we are expected to)

/ cc: @Chadrho @Hillsage

Not sure on some of these bro.

Answer;
1 Yes, I think he "is known for showing kindness or forgiveness."

2 ROM 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

3 A "hothead"? Don't know of a per se verse.

4 PSA 38:20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.

Just some thoughts, for now.

 

[Lambano]

Nope. - LOL

Then let's beat the St. Valentine's Day rush and put it out front where we can deal with it.

I don't like it any more than you do, but the issue ain't gonna go away. Just how do we deal with those times when God wasn't exactly magnanimous?

 

[St. SteVen]

Just how do we deal with those times when God wasn't exactly magnanimous?

Good point. Better to run toward it than away from it.
So, what are our options? (send help)
- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are TRUE?
- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are FALSE?
- There is a problem with our view? Literal versus allegorical.
- There is a problem with the Bible translation? Doctrinal bias.

Any other options?

/ cc: @Hillsage

 

[RedFan]

I don't like it any more than you do, but the issue ain't gonna go away. Just how do we deal with those times when God wasn't exactly magnanimous?

Can we start with punishing children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sins of a father (Ex. 34:7, Num. 14:18, Deut. 5:9)?

 

[Lambano]

Any other options?

Well, we could try denial, but that's usually not a viable long-term strategy.

 

[Lambano]

- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are TRUE?
- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are FALSE?

Should we be surprised if God is ... complicated and not binary? (Choice of words deliberate to see if I can get a rise out of Amigo.)

 

[Lambano]

The only strategy that I think works is to trust in God's Amazing Magnanimity (how sweet the sound!), while being very much aware that God isn't always safe.

 

[Soyeong]

Stumbled upon a word I rarely see used. Magnanimous.
I sought a complete definition. (see below)
When I found it, I realized that it fit my personal view of God.
God is magnanimous.

Defined as:
Highly moral, especially in showing kindness or forgiveness,
as in overlooking insults or not seeking revenge.

Questions:
- Is God known for showing kindness and forgiveness?
- Is God known for overlooking insults and not seeking revenge? (revenge is a sin)
- Is God easily offended? (a hothead)
- Does God repay evil with good? (as we are expected to)

/ cc: @Chadrho @Hillsage

Exodus 34:6-7 ”Then Adonai passed before him, and proclaimed, “Adonai, Adonai, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, showing mercy to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means leaving the guilty unpunished, but bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”“

 

[St. SteVen]

Well, we could try denial, but that's usually not a viable long-term strategy.

I had that covered on this point. (I think)
- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are FALSE?
So, we could probably rule out the TRUE or FALSE options?
Which leaves us with these two.

- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are TRUE?
- The claims of God NOT being magnanimous are FALSE?
- There is a problem with our view? Literal versus allegorical.
- There is a problem with the Bible translation? Doctrinal bias.

/

 

[Lambano]

What if the claims are sometimes true and sometimes false?

I know we turn to religion because we want black-or-white answers, but what if the truth is a shade of gray, say, shade #37?

 

[St. SteVen]

What if the claims are sometimes true and sometimes false?

If we take them case by case we may be able to rate them on a curve.
From probably true to probably false.

probably true --- sometimes true --- sometimes false --- probably false

That should clarify things.
But we may be accused of biblical relativism. (to coin a term)
That probably deserves a topic. - LOL

I know we turn to religion because we want black-or-white answers, but what if the truth is a shade of gray, say, shade #37?

Very true. Religion wants black-and-white answers, but the world is in full color. (since the 1930s)
Go figure. - LOL

/