Hi Gerald.

I do of course accept that one verse is no more than that. As the last time I did this a few months ago, I merely wished to draw it to you attention for your comments. As you may have guessed, I don't take anything at face value, in the Bible or elsewhere.

I take the free will defense to be something that has been come up with in order to avoid the very uncomfortable suggestion that God is not as good as claimed and, as in Isaiah, is the creator of good and evil.

By the “entire record”, I would include all thinking by all the great minds in history in all traditions, not just Christianity and the Bible.