Читать книгу Mathers Systematic Theology - Norman W. Mathers - Страница 36

The words ‘God is Spirit’ in John 4:24 mean that God is in the spiritual realm. Jesus distinguished between the spiritual realm and natural realm in his conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:6. True worship must come from the new nature imparted by the Holy Spirit when one believes on Jesus Christ and be based on the truth (John 4:24). This is the means to worship the Father. This is not an attribute of God nor does it point to limitations imposed that are physical. While God’s eternality means that He had no beginning nor will he have any end. His immortality refers to a level of existence to which Christ was raised at his bodily resurrection (1 Tim. 1:17, 6:15-16). The invisibility of God means that God is not perceived by our human senses. 1 Timothy 6:15-18 refers not to the Father but to Jesus Christ. Christ’s eternal might is the reverse side of his Glory. Christ has the might (the muscle) of the ages (1 Tim. 6:13-16). John 4:24 explains God’s essence that he is spirit. God is in another realm the realm of the spiritual. He is separate from the material, time, space, physical realm yet omnipresent (Hodge 1975:1:376-380). John 4:24 explains the being of God. God is a person. He has personality (Chafer). The being of God is taught in John 4:24 rather than attributes manifested from his essence. John 4 compares true worship to false worship. God has not any limitations. He is not perceived through man’s senses. This is the meaning of John 1:18. Jesus Christ explained (exegeted) the Father (John 1:18, 14:9).

The unity of God means God is one God (Deut. 6:4, James 2:19). The one God exists in three co-equal, co-eternal persons of one essence (substance) and indivisible (Matt. 28:19-20, John 14:16-17, 2 Cor. 13:14). Each person is God. Jesus is the eternal Son (Heb. 1:8). The Father is God (John 6:27, Eph. 4:6). The Spirit of God is God (Acts 5:3-4).

Theology Proper consists of the divisions of Theism and Trinitarianism. Theism consists of both the existence and attributes of God. Trinitarianism is the presentation of three persons in the God head but one God. This is explained in terms of their role, attributes, and relationships within the God head. The unity of God needs to be expanded in terms of his person, attributes, his decree, and names. Trinitarianism includes both the attributes that are communicable and incommunicable. God is one God but exists in three persons. Tertullian used the word trinity. The triune God is of one essence (substance) in three persons indivisible. Each person shares equally in that essence (Berkhof). The Arian controversy which denied the eternality and deity of Jesus Christ was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.). Athanasius championed the orthodoxy view that Christ was co-equal, co-eternal, of same essence (substance) as the Father and indivisible. The essence (substance) refers to the inner being of God. The Council of Nicaea affirmed the eternality of Christ and that he was of one substance with the Father. The views of Arius were condemned. The conclusion of the Council of Nicaea was reaffirmed at Contstantinople in 381 A.D., and again at Chalcedon in 451 A.D. The Constantinople Creed is known as the Nicene Creed. Macedonius, the bishop of Constantinople (341-360 A.D.) argued that the Holy Spirit was not God. The Council of Toledo in 589 A.D. affirmed the deity of Holy Spirit. This church council added the filoque clause . The Holy Spirit proceeded from the Son as well as from the Father.

The incommunicable attributes of God are his infinity, eternality, and immutability. The communicable attributes of God are his omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, love, holiness, and justice. The incommunicable attributes are distinguished from the communicable attributes because they are not found in man. The communicable attributes are found in man to some extent. The infinity of God means that he is infinite in his being and perfections and without any limitations. His immensity and omnipresence help to further clarify the meaning of God’s infinity. He is omnipresent means that he is near and far off with his entire being at the same time. God is not diffused. God is a spiritual being both invisible without material form, and dwelling in unapproachable light. God is sovereign (Eph. 4:6). God is separate from creation. He has not any limitations of time and space. Yet, he moves in and out of time and space. God is omnipotent bringing things to pass. The times and boundaries of the nations have been predetermined by God (Acts 17:26). His divine purpose (the decree of God) will be done (Ps. 115:3) (Erickson). The infinity of God should not be considered a communicable attribute. The immensity of God (his vastness) should be thought of in terms of the relationship of his being to space (2 Chr. 2:6). The immensity of God is interrelated to his omnipresence (Shedd). God is present in his universe without division of his essence (substance) with his whole being at every point of infinite space (Hodge 1972:140). God is a God who is near and far off at the same time (Jer. 23:23) (Charles Hodge). God is both immanent and transcendent. The Savior, the Lord Jesus, promised his presence to the end of the age. This reflects his infinity and omnipresence (Matt. 28:19-20). The attribute of infinity is applied to Christ in Ephesians 1:22. Infinity implies perfection and goodness. The infinity of God means that God is without any limitations. The attributes of immensity, omnipresence, and omnipotence are related to the infinity of God.

The eternity of God means that God is free from the succession of time in that all time is equally present to Him. God has no end nor beginning in relationship to time. He is free to act both in and out of time. The appointed time is the time when events in His will are fulfilled (Gen. 18:14). God the Father sent forth Christ in the fullness of time into the world (Gal. 4:4). Our present world is temporal to be cleansed by fire (2 Pet 3:10). God is eternal and remains so (Ps. 102:25-27) when times are ended (Is. 45:6, 57, Rev. 1:8). God is God from eternity to eternity. Time is limited. It is measured by succession. Human perception of time is past, present, and future. Revelation 1:8 is in reference to God the Father. His purpose and acts are without succession but are accomplished in time. While free from time, God has access due to his omnipresence. God is immutable in that He does not change. The past, present, and future are one unity to him. He is the eternal God (Is. 40:28). Christ is the eternal Son (Heb. 1:8-12). God is the author of time. Time is divided into two halves before Christ and after Christ. God’s eternity is without beginning, succession, or end (Shedd 1979) (Is. 41:4, 57:15, 1 Tim. 1:17, 6:16). The doctrine of creation shows God’s access to time but also that He is separate from creation and created beings as the Creator. God is not in everything (Panentheism). God is not everything (Pantheism). All events in God’s life are present. The present, past, and future are all before God in eternity. God’s eternity does not mean God is timeless because he is active in the temporal world. It is important to take into consideration the infinity and omnipresence of God. Craig (2004) adds that God has been involved through all of human time (Ps. 90:2). God had no beginning but time did. God is free from time (Gen. 21:23, Ps. 90:2). He has had no beginning, succession, nor will he have any end. God moves in and out of time. Appointed times and means to accomplish these events are foreordained in eternity past. (Gen. 18:14). The consensus of Western Theism is that God is eternal. God does not change in either his person or his attributes (character) (James 1:17). This must not be confused with immobility. Critics point to passages that declare that God changes (Gen. 6:6, Num. 23:19, Jonah 3:10). However, this does not argue against the immutability of God but argues for the fact that God must respond to sin. This is due to the fact that God’s holiness and justice are part of God’s character (attributes). God has given an oath that witnesses to his immutability in Hebrews 6:17. The unchangeableness and the constancy of God is seen in his being, his decree, and his words (Klooster). How are his decrees and works to be understood? His works should be considered the means until the event is accomplished (1 Sam. 15:11 and 15:28) confirm God’s immutability. Passages referring to repentance are conditional (Jer. 18:8, Jonah 3:9-10) (Chafer). God is immutable in his character but must respond to sin. The immutability of God in Hebrews 13:8 is applied to Jesus. His promises as well as his threatening require a change in man (Shedd). All truth was not revealed at the same time but over a period of approximately 1600 years (Chafer). God is a perfect being (Ryrie).

The communicable attributes of God are in man to some degree. God’s omnipotence is related to his will (Eph. 1:11) (Hodge). God has worked all things according to the divine decree. God supernaturally worked all things after his own counsel (Eph. 1:17). God is free from all restraints. Jesus told his disciples that all power (omnipotence) had been given to Him in both heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18). Ephesians 1:20-22 and Philippians 2:9-11 testify to the exaltation and sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. God’s power is seen in Revelation 17 of his judgment of the false system of worship and his judgment of its commercial system in Revelation chapter 18. The decree of God and the means to accomplish all the divine will has been completed in eternity past before the world began (Charles Hodge). God’s omnipotence is unlimited. It is only limited by absurd logical impossibilities (Shedd). God is unable to lie (Heb. 6:18). He can not deny himself (2 Tim. 2:13). God is not tempted by sin nor does He tempt believers to sin (James 1:13). God intervenes in our modern world. His supernatural intervention supersedes natural laws (Shedd).

Christ is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24). The gospel is the power of God (Rom. 1:16) (Shedd). God’s infinite power is realized in all that He has willed (Chafer). His omnipotence is evidenced in creation (Gen. 1:1), his power to preserve (Heb. 1:3), and his divine providence (Ryrie). God’s providence has one end the glory of God. The presence of evil in the world does not argue against the omnipotence of God. The origin of evil is in his created beings. Isaiah 14 records the fall of Satan. Ezekiel 28 records the sin of Satan.

God is everywhere at once with his whole being. God is not divided nor diffused into parts throughout space (Ps. 139:7-12). His dwelling place and throne are in heaven (Matt. 6:9, Is. 66:1). Immensity, transcendence, and immanence are three terms associated with omnipresence. The immanence of God means that he is active within the world. He is acting within and through creation (Zech. 1:10-11). He is above and beyond creation but simultaneously present and at work in his world (Ps. 19:1-14, 139:10, Is. 55:8-9, Rom. 1:20). This is known as God’s transcendence. The immensity of God points to his infinite vastness. He is free from all limitations (Chafer). The omnipresence of God is a blessing, encouragement, comfort, and protection. It is a reason for the believers in Christ to live a holy life. His presence means that the believer’s life is directed (Ex. 13:21, 33:14, Phil. 2:13). God is separate from creation (Gen. 1:1-2). The difference between the immensity of God and his omnipresence is that his immensity is his relationship to space. The omnipresence of God is his relationship to both man and his world. God’s omnipresence means that he is unbounded and eternal (Anselm). God is supernaturally present and directs the affairs of men (Dan. 4:35). His sovereign will cannot be thwarted by man. Jesus Christ is the omnipresent sovereign lord of the universe (Matt. 28:18-20, Phil. 2:9-11). God’s omniscience refers to his knowledge of all things possible and realized. He knows all things past, present, and future without succession of events (Eph. 1:11). The past, present, and future are all one before God. While Jesus knew that Tyre and Sidon would have repented if they had his miracles done in their midst yet the omniscience of God planned in eternity that it would not be done. His eternal purpose has been planned in eternity past (Hodge 1975:1:9:535-549). God knows all things perfectly in and of himself. God decreed all things certain, even to the smallest details of life. They are known to God at all times. His omniscience planned the events of the decree and the means to accomplish these events. This is all foreordained in the eternal purpose of God. His omniscience is his present knowing of all things in the universe at all times. God’s omniscience in eternity past was free from the limitations of successions of events (Eph. 1:11). God’s infinite omniscience extends to all of life both things actual and realized, possible and not realized. Jesus knew all men (John 2:24-25). The eternal God formed the divine decree (plan) in eternity past (Eph. 1:11-14). This was done by the counsel (boule) of his own will. This was before the world and time began (Hodge 1975:1:9:538).