Wrath & Predestination: A Conversation w/ Thomas Dixon

New Testament scholar Thomas Dixon joins us to talk about the surprising nature of divine wrath and election in Scripture, especially regarding the oft-misunderstood passage from St. Paul, Romans 9-11.

Thomas and I begin the conversation by exploring the thesis of his new book, Paul and the Wrath: Divine Judgment and Mercy for Israel in Romans 9-11, that, in Paul’s thinking, as elsewhere in the Bible, divine wrath and mercy are not opposites. From there, we journey into questions of human and divine agency, the nature of “election,” and the possible problems with the typical Calvinist view of “double predestination."

It starts off a little technical (we both appreciate nuance), but picks up steam as we go. Also, don’t miss the practical application portion near the end. Thomas is a wealth of knowledge—he’s translating on the spot from his Greek New Testament throughout—but more importantly, he’s a wealth of wisdom, love, and humility. It was an honor to converse with him on this difficult topic. Our hope is that it will help others more faithfully navigate these waters, and, of course, that it will help us love God more. In the words of Abraham Heschel, “the secret of anger is God’s care.”

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to check out the book: Paul and the Wrath 
(Discount Code: 17FALL24 for 20% off your purchase!)

To watch the video of this conversation or for more content like this, visit Ross Byrd's Substack at PatientKingdom.com