SemperReformanda said:Phil Johnson has an article on what these two positions believe.
What do you all think of Reymond's modified position? It's certainly intriguing, but I wonder how much different it is from infralapsarianism. Infras would say that God knew man would fall into sin before He decreed it, right?
One thing I do know: We ought to approach this very carefully. The decrees of God are hallowed ground and in so many ways a mystery.
The key to this and similar issues may be found in your last sentence, and in particular in the last word of your post -- "mystery"!
"God has ... planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end." - Eccl. 3:11 NLT
The Lord wants us to trust and obey. That is our role. As intelligent beings, we also want to fully understand, but that is not always given to us.
Even the Apostle Paul, who was probably as close to the Lord as anyone has been since His ascension, wrote, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." - 1 Cor. 13:12
I don't mean to say we should abandon the study of theology. But the focus should be picking ourselves apart to see where we need to more perfectly imitate Christ, rather than disecting God.
Sometimes we need to be content to trust, obey, and see through a glass darkly.
