Jonah
Introduction
Written in the postexilic era, probably in the fifth century B.C., this book is a didactic story with an important theological message. It concerns a disobedient prophet who attempted to run away from his divine commission, was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and sent on his way to Nineveh, the traditional enemy of Israel. To the surprise of Jonah, the wicked city listened to his message of doom and repented immediately. All, from king to lowliest subject, humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God did not carry out the punishment he had planned for them. Whereupon Jonah complained to God about the unexpected success of his mission; he was bitter because Yahweh, instead of destroying, had led the people to repentance and then spared them.
From this partly humorous story, a very sublime lesson may be drawn. Jonah stands for a narrow and vindictive mentality, all too common among the Jews of that period. Because they were the chosen people, a good many of them cultivated an intolerant nationalism which limited the mercy of God to their nation. It was abhorrent to their way of thinking that nations as wicked as Assyria should escape his wrath.
Your Calvinist friend has completely missed the point of the book of Jonah. His interpretation is just as far off the mark as anyone who claims that Luke 22:18 forbids Christians from drinking alcohol.The prophecy, which is both instructive and entertaining, strikes directly at this viewpoint. It is a parable of mercy, showing that God’s threatened punishments are but the expression of a merciful will which moves all men to repent and seek forgiveness. The universality of the story contrasts sharply with the particularistic spirit of many in the postexilic community. The book has also prepared the way for the gospel with its message of redemption for all, both Jew and Gentile.
Even if your Calvinist friend’s interpretation were spot on, he would be engaging in verse-trumping. Like any verse where God inflicts something on someone trumps any verse where someone enacts free will.I recently got into a debate with a Protestant. He supported his calvinistic predestination theology by citing the book of Jonah as an example of God “forcing” someone to do something against their will. How do Catholics view the book of Jonah as it pertains to freewill?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
He is not my friend…Even if your Calvinist friend’s interpretation were spot on, he would be engaging in verse-trumping. Like any verse where God inflicts something on someone trumps any verse where someone enacts free will.
We have two rather different things here. What Jonah experienced was God telling him to do something, and then God setting up various roadblocks to doing anything else. Jonah still had a choice. He could have remained in the fish to die. AFAIK, the Calvinist view on predestination is that God supernaturally forces someone to do something. I really think that Jonah still had a choice, he just “perceived” the consequences of not obeying God a little more clearly than I normally do.I recently got into a debate with a Protestant. He supported his calvinistic predestination theology by citing the book of Jonah as an example of God “forcing” someone to do something against their will. How do Catholics view the book of Jonah as it pertains to freewill?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra