Mark: Are you saying that satan is God’s agent? Are you saying that satan’s tempting and evil in the world is God’s doing?
Mark, Judaism considered Satan an angel of God and, who is far from fallen, but God's loyal servant. A cursory reference to the Encyclopedia Judaica will confirm this. The Gospels make a break with this Judaic tradition and place Satan as the fallen angel
Angeology and demonology familiar to Christians can be found in latter-day Judaism (Kabbalah, etc.) and rabbinical (Talmudic) Judaism of the 3rd centruy A.D.
Many Protestant, in order to maintain the absolute sovereignty of God, abhor the idea of Satan being a rebellious angel, but an agent of God who acts by God's permission (i.e. the Book of Job). As one Orthodox rabbi said: "how can an angel rebel against G-d? That's ridiculous!"
Judaism was by no means homogenious. It was sectarian at least as much as the Protestant world is today. They both read the same OT and have similar ideas of God. I can understand it from the Jewish point of view, since they a priori reject Christ; but the Protestants try to fit Christ into the OT mindset rather than the other way around.
Ecumenism cannot go forward if the Protestants believe that satan is God’s agent and that all he does is sanctioned and directed and preordained by God.
Lord help us all. The Protestants believe that satan does God’s will. That is absolutely incredible. I fear for their souls; no wonder that Calvin was able to construct his abominable theology. It certainly does fit.
Mark: Are you saying that satan is God’s agent? Are you saying that satan’s tempting and evil in the world is God’s doing?
Mark, Judaism considered Satan an angel of God and, who is far from fallen, but God's loyal servant. A cursory reference to the Encyclopedia Judaica will confirm this. The Gospels make a break with this Judaic tradition and place Satan as the fallen angel.
No matter what Judaic "tradition" says, Scripture is quite clear that Lucifer rebelled against God and is thus "fallen", along with the angels who rebelled along with Lucifer.
Which is another reason to be suspect of "tradition", as opposed to the surety of Scripture.
Angeology and demonology familiar to Christians can be found in latter-day Judaism (Kabbalah, etc.) and rabbinical (Talmudic) Judaism of the 3rd centruy A.D.
Many Protestant, in order to maintain the absolute sovereignty of God, abhor the idea of Satan being a rebellious angel, but an agent of God who acts by God's permission (i.e. the Book of Job). As one Orthodox rabbi said: "how can an angel rebel against G-d? That's ridiculous!"
I don't know where you got the idea that Protestants "abhor the idea of Satan being a rebellious angel". I know of no Protestant who holds to such a riciculous idea, or any that has taught anything closely resembling it.
Protestants recognize full well that Lucifer is rebellious, but that Lucifer, being subject to the Sovereignty of God cannot do anything which God does not allow. God is not surprised or unaware of anything Lucifer does. Either God is Sovereign or not.