Can God Delay or Transfer the Punishment of Sin? Owen Answers Twisse | John Owen

Deep Dive into A Dissertation on Divine Justice by John Owen - Twisse’s third argument — A dispensation with regard to the punishment of sin, what, and of what kind — The nature of punishment and its circumstances — The instance of this learned opponent refuted — The considerations of rewarding and punishing different — How long, and in what sense, God can dispense with the punishment due to sin — God the supreme governor of the Jewish polity; also, the Lord of all — The fourth argument of Twisse — The answer — Whether God can inflict punishment on an innocent person — In what sense God is more willing to do acts of kindness than to punish — What kind of willingness that assertion respects — The conclusion of the answer to Twisse’s principal arguments.In his dissertation, John Owen refutes the arguments of William Twisse regarding divine justice and whether God can choose not to punish sin. Twisse's third argument suggests that because God can inflict milder punishments than sin deserves, He can therefore suspend punishment entirely. Owen counters this by distinguishing between two views of punishment. First, regarding the need to bring a disobedient creature into order, punishment does not admit of milder or more severe degrees, and thus cannot be suspended. Second, while God freely determines the specific modes, degrees, and circumstances of punishment to manifest His glory, the fundamental nature of punishment flows from God's natural justice and cannot be completely dispensed with.Twisse further argues that since God can reward beyond merit, He can also punish less than what is merited. Owen dismisses this by explaining that theological arguments from opposites are not always valid. He notes that divine justice necessarily requires punishing the sinner, whereas rewards depend entirely on God's good pleasure. Furthermore, Owen clarifies a distinction between God acting as the Legislator of the Jewish republic, where He sometimes dispensed with temporary punishments, and God as the supreme Lord and Judge of the universe, who never dispenses with eternal punishment for sin.Finally, Owen addresses Twisse's fourth argument, which claims that if God can inflict torture without demerit, He can suspend punishment for demerit because He is more willing to do good than punish. Owen rejects this comparison, stating that torture and punishment are fundamentally different. Punishment inherently assumes a transgression, making it impossible to let a guilty person go unpunished. Owen concludes his refutations are necessary to defend divine justice and the absolute necessity of Christ's satisfaction, preventing heretics from exploiting these arguments.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedExplainerSpotify Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t5dz4vEgvHqUknYQfwpRI?si=e-tDRFR2Qf6By1sAcMdkdwhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730