Understanding The Bible |
BY THE AUTHOR
Dr. Clarence E. Mason, Jr.
Philadelphia College of Bible
1970
THEOLOGY
PROPER
Theism - the doctrine of an extra-mundane, personal God, Creator,
Preserver, and Governor of the universe. (Chafer)
Trinitarianism - the consideration of the threefold personality of God
as revealed in the Scriptures.
THEISM
Natural Theism
Arguments for the existence of God
The
religious argument
This argument contends that the existence of God is proved by the
fact that man universally has a religious instinct. No race or tribe
of people has ever been found which had no religious worship. No
one is an atheist unless someone has "tampered" with him.
The
cosmological argument
The argument is based on the inevitable law of cause and effect.
If it is agreed that the universe had a beginning, then it must
be admitted that there was a sufficient cause to produce it. That
cause must be God.
The
teleological argument
The present harmony and design of the universe (both telescopically
and microscopically) demand the existence of an intelligence and
will adequate to its contrivance. The causative power (proved by
the cosmological argument) must be an intelligent power; hence,
a personal God.
The
ontological argument
Because the human mind possesses the idea of a perfect and absolute
Being, such a Being exists. Existence, according to this argument,
is necessary to perfection. Our mental constitution will not allow
us to think otherwise.
The
anthropological or moral argument
Man as an intelligent and moral being must have had as an Author
an intelligent and moral Being. Conscience recognizes the existence
of a moral law which has supreme authority. "Man's emotional
and voluntary nature proves the existence of a Being who may furnish
in Himself a satisfying object of human affection and an end which
will call forth man's highest activities and assure his highest
progress. Such a Being must exist, otherwise belief in a lie is
more productive of virtue than belief in the truth. "
The
argument from congruity (Thiessen)
This argument is based on the belief that the postulate which best
explains the related facts is probably true. The belief in the existence
of God best explains the facts of man's mental, moral, and religious
nature, as well as the facts of the material universe. Hence, God
exists.
Conclusion
"The universe presents an overwhelming demand for the belief in
the existence of God. Postulate His Person, Character, and Power as
set forth in the Scriptures, and all things are reasonable. Postulate
the absence of God, though endeavoring to recognize some blind force,
the universe becomes an unsolvable problem of infinite proportions.
" (Chafer)
"In evaluating these rational arguments it should be pointed out
first of all that believers do not need them.. .Moreover, in using these
arguments in an attempt to convince unbelievers, it will be well to
bear in mind that none of them can be said to carry absolute conviction..
.While they do not prove the existence of God beyond the possibility
of doubt, so as to compel assent, they can be so construed as to establish
a strong probability and thereby silence many unbelievers. " (Berkhof)
The great presupposition of theology is the existence of God. This the
Christian accepts by faith. This faith is not a blind faith, but one
built on evidence. The evidence is found mainly in the Scriptures and,
secondarily, in nature. ".. .for he that cometh to God must believe
that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him"
... "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by
the word of God" (Heb. 11:6,3).
Anti-theistic philosophies and beliefs
Atheism - the belief that there is no God.
Agnosticism - the belief that no one can be sure that there is a God.
Pantheism - God and the universe are one. From the Greek words pan (all) and theos (God). God is chained to His universe.
Polytheism - the belief in many gods.
Materialism - only matter exists; therefore the existence of God is denied, since we declare God is immaterial.
Deism - the belief that if there is a God who is personal, infinite, holy, and the Creator of the universe. He purposely abandoned His creation when He created it.
Evolution
- the theory that the cosmos has been developed from crude, homogeneous
material to its present advanced and heterogeneous status by means
of resident, inherent forces. Evolution may be either theistic or
atheistic. Theistic evolution recognizes God as the Creator of the
original materials, but contends that evolution is the method by
which all development from a supposed primordial state to the present
completeness has been wrought. Atheistic evolution rejects the Person
of God, denies His work in creation, and contends that matter is
eternal.
We at PCB reject all of these as false philosophies and beliefs.
Revealed
Theism (Biblical)
Two important things to remember in approaching revealed theism:
We cannot fully comprehend God. Our knowledge concerning Him and His ways is necessarily incomplete. Our finite minds are unable to grasp His fulness. We can only apprehend Him.
Our knowledge of Him can and should, however, go beyond the limits of human reason. This is made possible by the exact and explicit terms of Scripture through which He has revealed Himself to us.
Outline (after Thiessen)
The essence of God
Spirituality
He is immaterial and incorporeal
He is invisible
He is alive
He is a Person
Self-existence and unity
Immensity
Infinity
Eternity
The moral attributes of God
Holiness
Righteousness and justice
Goodness
The love of God
The benevolence of God
The mercy of God
The grace of God
Truth
The non-moral attributes of God
Omnipresence
Omniscience
Omnipotence
Immutability
Explanation
The essence of God
Spirituality
He
is immaterial and incorporeal
"God is spirit" (Jn. 4:24). There is no article in the
Greek. He is "spirit" in His essence; hence, not corporeal
or material. This is His nature. Cp. the second commandment.
The symbolic representations of God's being, such as "eyes,
" "ears, " "feet, " etc., are adaptations
to the way we humans think and speak; the infinite is described
in terms of the finite. They are called anthropomorphic expressions
(i.e., in the form of man).
He
is invisible
"No man hath seen God at any time" (Ex. 33:20; Jn. 1:18).
He is "the invisible God" (Rom. 1:20; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim.
1:17; 6:16).
Men saw the manifestation of His glory, but not God in His essence
(Ex. 3:6; 24:10-11). Cp. no man has seen the sun; only the glow
of the flames shooting from the sun.
But God can assume or manifest Himself in human form (on a temporary
basis) if He desires to do so, particularly as the Angel of Jehovah
(e.g., Gen. 18:13-33).
He
is alive
"The idea of spirit not only excludes the idea of material
substance, but also the idea of inanimate substance. It implies
God is alive." (Thiessen) See 1 Thes. 1:9; Mt. 16:16.
Life implies feeling, power, activity; He is the source of all life:
animal, plant, human, spiritual, and eternal (Jn. 5:26). Contra,
dead idols (false gods), Ps. 115:3-9.
God does not possess life. He is life!
He
is a Person
Personality denotes the power of self-consciousness and of self-determination.
"The God of the Bible is a Person. He spoke to Adam. He revealed
Himself to Noah. He entered into covenant with Abraham. He conversed
with Moses, as a friend with friend. He everywhere used the personal
pronouns. " (Hodge)
He is infinite personality, i.e., to an absolute degree He is all
that constitutes personality (Ex. 3:14).
God is represented as possessing the psychological characteristics
of personality: intellect (Gen. 18:19; Ex. 3:7; Acts 15:18); sensibility
(Ps. 103:8-13); and volition (Ps. 115:3; Jn. 6:38). He is represented
as speaking (Gen. 1:3); seeing (Gen. 11:5); hearing (Ps. 94:9);
etc
.
Self-existence
and unity
God is not dependent for His existence on anything outside of Himself.
"I am that I am" (Ex. 3:14). He is the only "Uncaused
Being. " He is one in nature and no attributes of His nature are
contradictory. He is one God; the only God (Dt. 6:4; Isa. 44:6; 1 Tim.
1:17).
Immensity
Immensity is infinity in its relation to space. God is not subject to
the limitations of space. He could not be more nor less than He is.
Omnipresence is the term descriptive of space in relation to God. Immensity
is a term descriptive of God's relation to space. If space were defined
by boundaries. God would exceed it to infinity.
Infinity
God is free from all limitations. He is absolutely complete apart from
anything external to Himself (Ps. 145; 3; Job 11:7-9; 1 Ki. 8:27)
Because God is infinite, He can love each believer as much as if that
soul were the only one for whom He had to care. " (Strong)
"A thing may be infinite in its own nature v/ithout precluding
the possibility of the existence of things of a different nature. "
(Hodge)
"Infinity characterizes all that God does, His Word of Truth, His
Love, and His Holiness." (Chafer)
Eternity
Eternity is infinity in relation to time. It implies that God has always
existed and always will exist. He is not subject to time. God sees the
past and the future as well as He sees the present (Dt. 32:40; Ps. 90:2;
102:27; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 1 Tim. 6:16).
The moral attributes of God
Holiness
God's perfection is denoted in all that He is. It is the foremost attribute
of God, the one by which He especially desired to be known (Lev. 11:44-45;
Ps. 22:3; Isa. 40:23; Ezk. 39:7; Hab. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).
"Holy, " "sanctify, " and "saint" all
have the same root meaning, namely, to separate. Holiness indicates
the fact that God is unchangeably and unalterably opposed to and diverse
from evil in any conceivable sense. At the same time, He is the source
and standard of right. Holiness is primarily a positive, not a negative,
attribute.
Righteousness
and justice (Gen. 18:25; Ps. 97:2; 111:3)
By this we mean that phase of the holiness of God which is seen in His
treatment of the creature. He has instituted a moral government of the
world, imposed just laws upon the creatures, and attached sanctions
thereto. In virtue of the latter He executes His laws, punishing wickedness
and rewarding righteousness. Repeatedly these qualities are ascribed
to God (2 Chr. 12:6; Ezra 9:15; Ps. 89:14; Isa. 45:21; 2 Tim. 4:8).
Goodness
The goodness of God, in the larger sense, includes all the qualities
that answer to our conception of an ideal personage (Mk. 10:18). In
the narrower sense, it is limited to the four qualities below:
The
love of God
A special emphasis of the divine nature (1 Jn. 4:8, 16). It is His
nature to love. He is in contrast with the gods of the heathen who
hate and are angry. He is the God of love (2 Cor. 13:11). The Father
and Son love each other (Mt. 3:16; Jn. 14:31); God loves the world
(Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8), Israel (Dt. 7:6-8), His true children (Jn.
14:23; 1 Jn. 3:1).
"The love of God is that perfection of God by which He is eternally
moved to self-communication. Since God is absolutely good in Himself,
His love cannot find complete satisfaction in any object that falls
short of absolute perfection. He loves His rational creatures for
His own sake, or to express it otherwise, He loves in them Himself,
His virtues, His work, His gifts. He does not even withdraw His
love completely from the sinner in his present sinful state, though
the latter's sin is an abomination to Him, since He recognizes even
in the sinner His image-bearer." (Berkhof)
"Something like this work of grace was a moral necessity with
God. So long as we conceive God as sitting apart in supreme ease
and self-satisfaction, He is not love at all, but only a reflection
of our selfishness and vulgarity." (Brown)
The cross was not an accident in the plan of God. It was an eternal
necessity because of the perfect love of God. Love demands sacrifice.
Because God is love. He is capable of suffering.
The
benevolence of God
The affection He feels and manifests toward His sentient creatures.
He cannot hate anything He has made (Job 14:5), but only that which,
like sin, is added to His work. He is "good to all; and his
tender mercies are over all His works. .. Thou openest thy hand,
and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:9,15-16;
see Job 38:41; Ps. 36:3; Mt. 6:23; 5:45).
The
mercy of God
By this we mean His goodness manifested towards those who are in
misery and distress. Compassion, pity, and loving kindness are other
Scriptural terms. Mercy is never a matter of debt, but an expression
of God's volition. He is "rich in mercy" (Eph. 2:4; Jas.
5:11). He is merciful toward Israel (Ps. 102:13); Gentiles (Rom.
11:30-31); toward all that seek salvation (Isa. 55:7; Lk. 1:72);
and toward them that fear Him (Ex. 20:2; Lk. 1:50).
d.
The grace of God
By this we mean the goodness of God toward the ill-deserving. The
exercise of grace, like that of mercy, is optional with God. There
is common grace toward all men (Ex. 34:6; 2 Pet. 3:9; Tit. 2:11).
There is special grace toward believers (e.g., Eph. 1:4-6; Acts
18:27; Rom. 5:21; Tit. 2:11-12; 2 Cor. 12:9; 1 Pet. 1:13; Heb. 12:28).
With
the blending of justice and mercy, we have grace. Grace is mercy
that I do not deserve, and help that I cannot do without. "Mercy
and truth ... have kissed each other" (Ps. 85:10). "Deserved"
is written over the gate of hell, but over the gate of heaven is
written "all of grace."
Truth
Both our nature and the Scriptures teach us God is true and genuine.
"Truth is that perfection of His Being by virtue of which He fully
answers to the idea of the Godhead, is perfectly reliable in His revelation,
and sees things as they really are." (Berkhof) He is the source
of all truth. God is truth, not only in the sense that He is the Being
who truly knows, but also in the sense that He is the truth that is
known. This attribute guarantees revelation (]n. 17:3; 1 Jn. 5:20; Jn.
14:6).
Veracity and faithfulness correspond to transitive truth (Rom. 3:4;
Lam. 3:23).
"This faithfulness of God is of the utmost practical significance
to the people of God. It is the ground of their confidence, the foundation
of their hope, and the cause of their rejoicing. It saves them from
the despair to which their own unfaithfulness might easily lead, gives
them courage to carry on in spite of their failures, and fills their
hearts with joyful anticipations, even when they are deeply conscious
of the fact that they have forfeited all the blessings of God. "
(Berkhof)
"Great is Thy faithfulness, 0 God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou has been. Thou forever wilt be.
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love." (T. 0. Chisholm)
The non-moral attributes of God
Omnipresence
God is personally present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-12; Jer. 23:23-24; Acts
17:27-28; Heb. 4:13). The thought is a comfort to the saint and a warning
and deterrent to the sinner (e.g., Amos 9:1-4).
Omniscience
God knows all things, whether actual or possible, whether past, present,
or future. He knows them perfectly and from all eternity (Ps. 147:4-5;
Mt. 10:29-30; Acts 15:8; Prov. 15:3; Jer. 23:23-25; Heb. 4:13). God's
knowledge is not subject to development, reasoning, regretting, or foreboding.
Omnipotence
God is all-powerful; able to do all His holy will. He is not able to
sin or lie or make untruth truth. But He can do all things consistent
with His character Job 42:2; Jer. 32:17,27: Mt. 19:26; Lk. 1:37; Rev.
19:6; Gen. 17:1; Isa. 44:24; Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:19; 3:20).
Immutability
God is unchanging and unchangeable. Since God is absolute perfection,
no change to the better is possible. A change for the worse would be
inconceivable and inconsistent (Ps. 102:27; Mat. 3:6; Jas. 1:17).
"As an infinite and absolute Being, self-existent and absolutely
independent, God is exalted above all the causes of and even above the
possibility of change. . .So God is absolutely immutable in His essence
and attributes. He can neither increase nor decrease. He is subject
to no process of development, or of self-evolution. His knowledge and
power can never be greater or less. He can never be wiser or holier,
or more righteous or more merciful than He ever has been and ever must
be. He is no less immutable in His plans and purposes. Infinite in wisdom,
there can be no error in their conception; infinite in power, there
can be no failure in their accomplishment." (Hodge)
Immutability is consistent with perfect freedom. God acts always according
to His perfect nature. Note the oft repeated phrase "And it repented
Jehovah. . ." When man changes, God appears to change. Cp. the
sun which hardens the clay while at the same time softening wax. The
change is in that which God contacts, not in God. The change is a "seeming"
change, as in the mercury in a thermometer. The same amount of mercury
is there when it goes up or down. It is the weather that changes!
[NOTE: The character and attributes of God as revealed in the Names of God are studied in another course by that name: E121 DOCTRINE I - The Names of God.]
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