Johann, I believe Adam was created with a free will. Once Adam sinned, he had the sin nature which all men have now, just as Luther wrote in "Bondage of the Will", so he lost his free will. Yes, I do believe Luther was right, man's will is now bound to his sin nature which keeps him from having a true free will. Man now has "free agency", no one forces him from without so he can make choices, but just not for the good as needed to please God.
"And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." (2Ti 2:24-26 NRSVue)
Brother, please feel free to be open with me. I would never seek to harm or criticize the precious character you have, created in the image of God (Imago Dei) through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I was just wondering if you’re aware that Augustine initially believed in free will but later in life revised his stance on this. Additionally, many of the early Church Fathers did believe in free will.
I recall someone mentioning to you that Scripture can be paradoxical and dialectical, particularly on this topic-would you agree with that?
2Ti 2:26 kaiG2532 CONJ ananEpsOsinG366 V-AAS-3P ekG1537 PREP tEsG3588 T-GSF touG3588 T-GSM diabolouG1228 A-GSM pagidosG3803 N-GSF ezOgrEmenoiG2221 V-RPP-NPM upG5259 PREP autouG846 P-GSM eisG1519 PREP toG3588 T-ASN ekeinouG1565 D-GSM thelEmaG2307 N-ASN
May recover themselves (ἀνανήψωσιν)
Lit. may return to soberness. N.T.o. See on be sober, 1Th_5:6. A similar connection of thought between coming to the knowledge of God and awaking out of a drunken stupor, occurs 1Co_15:34.
Out of the snare of the devil (ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος)
Comp. Psa_124:7.
The phrase snare of the devil, only here and 1Ti_3:7 (note). The metaphor is mixed; return to soberness out of the snare of the devil.
Who are taken captive (ἐζωγρημένοι)
Or, having been held captive. Only here and Luk_5:10 (note on thou shalt catch).
By him (ὑπ' αὐτοῦ)
The devil.
At his will (εἰς τὸἐκείνου θέλημα)
Better, unto his will: that is, to do his (God's) will.
The whole will then read: “And that they may return to soberness out of the snare of the devil (having been held captive by him)
to do God's will.”
2 Timothy 2:26
MWS.
2Ti_2:26
And that they may recover [escape] themselves out of the snare [trap] of the devil, -- (1Ti_3:7). The term "devil" here refers to Satan, the enemy of God and His people. Deception is Satan’s trap. He is an inveterate, scheming, clever, and subtle purveyor of lies. See notes on Gen_3:4-6; Joh_8:44; 2Co_11:13-15; Rev_12:9.
The idea of being captured by the devil to do his will most likely refers to accepting and living according to the doctrine of the false teachers (compare 1Ti_3:6; 1Ti_4:1)
NASB = “they may come to their senses”
who are taken [held] captive by him at his will. -- Satan captures men, like catching fish Luk_5:10, (with deceptive traps) to do his (the devil's) will. Satan is a being who seeks to recruit support for his will (his agenda) . In contrast, the Lord's followers are to daily pray and desire, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mat_6:10).
They may recover themselves (ananēpsōsin). First aorist active subjunctive of ananēphō, late and rare word, to be sober again, only here in N.T., though nēphō is in 1Th_5:6.
Out of the snare of the devil (ek tēs tou diabolou pagidos). They have been caught while mentally intoxicated in the devil’s snare (1Ti_3:7). See note on Rom_11:9 for pagis.
Taken captive (ezōgrēmenoi). Perfect passive participle of zōgreō, old verb, to take alive (zōos, agreō), in N.T. only here and Luk_5:10 (of Peter). “Taken captive alive.”
By him unto his will (hup' autou eis to ekeinou thelēma). This difficult phrase is understood variously. One way is to take both autou and ekeinou, to refer to the devil. Another way is to take both of them to refer to God. Another way is to take autou of the devil and ekeinou, of God. This is probably best, “taken captive by the devil” “that they may come back to soberness to do the will of God.”
There are difficulties in either view.
RWP.
Who are taken captive by him at his will - Margin, “alive.” The Greek word means, properly, to take alive; and then, to take captive, to win over Luk_5:10; and then, to ensnare, or seduce. Here it means that they had been ensnared by the arts of Satan “unto (εἰς eis) his will;” that is, they were so influenced by him, that they complied with his will. Another interpretation of this passage should be mentioned here, by which it is proposed to avoid the incongruousness of the metaphor of “awaking” one from a “snare.” It is adopted by Doddridge, and is suggested also by Burder, as quoted by Rosenmuller, “A. u. n. Morgenland.” According to this, the reference is to an artifice of fowlers, to scatter seeds impregnated with some intoxicating drugs, intended to lay birds asleep, that they may draw the snare over them more securely. There can be no doubt that such arts were practiced, and it is possible that Paul may have alluded to it. Whatever is the allusion, the general idea is clear. It is an affecting representation of those who have fallen into error. They are in a deep slumber. They are as if under the fatal influence of some stupefying potion. They are like birds taken alive in this state, and at the mercy of the fowler. They will remain in this condition, unless they shall be roused by the mercy of God; and it is the business of the ministers of religion to carry to them that gospel call, which God is accustomed to bless in showing them their danger. That message should be continually sounded in the ears of the sinner, with the prayer and the hope that God will make it the means of arousing him to seek his salvation.
Barnes.
"leading to the knowledge of the truth" The path to truth (alçtheia) and full knowledge (epignôsis) is not found in (1) Jewish genealogies or (2) Gnostic speculations but in the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. 2Ti_3:7; 1Ti_2:4; Tit_1:1). See Special Topic: Truth at 1Ti_2:4.
2Ti_2:26 "they may come to their senses"
This is the aorist active subjunctive compound form (ana + nçphô) of the term nçphalios ("be sober") used metaphorically for "be alert" (cf. 1Ti_3:2; 1Ti_3:11; Tit_2:2).
"having been held captive by him"
This is a perfect passive participle of the compound term "to catch" + "alive" which was used of hunting animals. Here it is used of taking a prisoner of war captive. The passive voice and the immediate context identify Satan as the agent and the false teachers and their followers as the prisoners! As the gospel catches humans (cf. Luk_5:10), so too, the evil one (cf. 1Ti_3:7).
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Maybe we could help each other?
Johann.
