UP

The One True God  — Syllabus & Notes

Wallen Baptist Church, Fort Wayne, IN
Steps, Fall 2012

August 29, 2015
Copyright © 2012, Ronald W. Leigh

S Y L L A B U S

A.  Description

Course title:  The One True God

Description:  This course deals with the character and attributes of God (also called theology proper).  In particular, it deals with the biblical teachings regarding the nature, attributes, and works of God, including the subjects of the trinity and creation.  Since there are separate courses which focus on Jesus Christ the Son (Christology), and on The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology), this course focuses on God the Father but also includes certain common attributes and works shared by all three members of the trinity.  It also contrasts the biblical God with the false gods of other ancient and modern systems and with current misleading worldviews.  See the topics listed in the schedule below.

Orientation:  This course is taught from a conservative, evangelical, Bible-believing orientation. 

Level:  This is a first level theology course.  It is intended to be basic enough that new believers will not feel lost, but also deep enough that seasoned churchgoers will not go unchallenged.

B.  Details

Welcome:  Everyone is welcome including believers, nonbelievers, and unsure.  Skeptics also welcome.

Teachers:

• Ron Leigh  —   r n e g @ r n i r c m o l i h f o t e . o
• Dave Bledsoe

Textbooks (after the Bible):

Meetings:  Wednesday evenings, 6:30 - 8:00  —  14 sessions, see schedule below

Location:  Room A-7 (the music room, in the southeast corner of the building)

Doctrinal statements:

• Our church doctrinal statement is available at the welcome center by the entrance, (and on the church website: wallen.org?)
• Ron Leigh's doctrinal statement is available online at ronleigh.com/bible.

Preparation for each class:  See assignments in schedule below.  And please pray for your own learning, and for your fellow class members, and for the teachers.

What to bring:

• Your Bible — Any standard translation including NIV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, etc.
• The textbooks
• A pad or notebook for taking notes
• A friend

Participation and interaction:  This class is meant to be partly lecture and partly discussion.  Feel free to add a comment or raise a question.  Or, feel free to remain silent; no one will be singled out.  Are you expected to agree with everything in the textbooks or everything taught in class?  No, but you are expected to think about what you read and hear.  And we as teachers will do the same with your comments.

Getting to know each other:  Please get a name tag as you enter the foyer each evening.  Spend some time at the beginning and end of class getting to know the people sitting next to you, and feel free to share prayer concerns with each other. 

N O T E S  This Section UNDER CONSTRUCTION

These notes supplement the textbook material and the external links found in the above schedule.
The number and letter at the beginning of each heading refer to the session and topic from the schedule.

1B    The terms theology, philosophy, and religion, with theology as basic

We will consider Christian theology in relation to philosophy first.  These two fields overlap greatly.  However, theology is more focused on the nature and acts of God, while philosophy branches out to investigate additional areas such as metaphysics (the nature of being and the world), epistemology (the nature and extent of knowledge), ethics, and meaning in language.  While both fields seek to answer fundamental questions about life and the world, theology gets its "data" from the Bible, while philosophy often bypasses the Bible and depends solely on observation and reason.  Ideally, a Christian's philosophy should be informed, or guided, by his biblical theology.  Keep in mind the contrast between philosophy based "on human tradition and the basic principles of this world" and philosophy based "on Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

Now consider Christian theology and the Christian religion.  Religion is the broader category, while theology is a foundational part of religion.  Theology focuses on beliefs, particularly beliefs about such key issues as God (theology proper), man, Jesus Christ, salvation, the church, etc.  And it includes such branches as historical theology, biblical theology, and systematic theology.  In contrast, the Christian religion, while it includes those beliefs, goes beyond beliefs to include both practice and organization.  Religion is the outworking (response or application) of the beliefs both in the lives of individual believers and in the meetings and structure of the church.  Thus, Christian theology is foundational within the Christian religion.  The practices and organization of the religion should stem from the basic beliefs.

1C    The importance of doctrine, against emergent attitudes

Notice the apostle Paul's emphasis on the importance of sound doctrine.

• 1 Timothy 4:16a – Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
• 1 Timothy 1:9-11 – We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
• 2 Timothy 4:3 – For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
• Titus 1:9 – He [overseer/elder] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
• Titus 2:1 – You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

In contrast, the emergent church discourages doctrine and emphasizes the story of the journey, searching, and uncertainty.

1E    Sources of theology, good and bad

Where do we go to get our theological information?  Some sources are better than others, as we try to show in the following table.

Two quick points about our sources:

1. One of the attributes of God that is often neglected is that he is both speaker and author.  Very significant: God has spoken!  God has written! 
2. Whether we are interpreting the Bible or nature, it is important to not go beyond the evidence.

Carl F. H. Henry comments that

if we humans say anything authentic about God, we can do so only on the basis of divine self-revelation; all other God-talk is conjectural.  (Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, Crossway, 1999)

The writer of the old hymn said it well:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord;
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said –
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

1F    Theology as an inductive process

L. S. Chafer emphasizes the direct, inductive approach to the study of theology.

No student of the Scriptures should be satisfied to traffic only in the results of the study of other men. The field is inexhaustible and its treasures ever new. No worthy astronomer limits his attention to the findings of other men, but is himself ever gazing into the heavens both to verify and to discover; and no worthy theologian will be satisfied alone with the results of the research of other theologians, but will himself be ever searching the Scriptures. However, a full-rounded introduction is needed and a method of study must be established if either the astronomer or the theologian expects to continue with ever increasing efficiency.  (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Dallas Seminary Press, 1947, p. vi.)

2C    False views of "god" in philosophies, world religions, and cults

As Christians we must understand that there is no word so meaningless as the word 'god' until it is defined.  No word has been used to teach absolutely opposite concepts as much as the word 'god'.  (Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There: Speaking Historic Christianity into the Twentieth Century, Inter-Varsity Press, 1968, p. 146)

The God who is there according to the Scriptures is the personal-infinite God. There is no other god like this God. It is ridiculous to say that all religions teach the same things when they disagree at the fundamental point as to what God is like. The gods of the East are infinite by definition – the definition being 'god is all that is'. This is the pan-everything-ism god. The gods of the West have tended to be personal but limited; such were the gods of the Greeks, Romans and Germans. But the God of the Bible, Old and New Testaments alike, is the infinite-personal God.  (Schaeffer, op. cit., p. 94)

Below is a chart of various false views of god found in several selected religions and cults.

 

2D    God has a name

In Exodus chapter 3 God identifies himself to Moses as both "I am" (verse 14) and "Yahweh" (verse 15) and says "this is my name forever."  As others have pointed out, God is not the eternal "It is."  Nor is he the "I was."  He is the "I am."

In order to understand the significance of God's name in Exodus 3:14-15, we will compare two Hebrew words for God in the Old Testament: (1) elohim, and (2) yahweh.

1.  el, eloah, elohim

el is a very old and general word for God (or god) in Hebrew and other Semitic languages.  Its basic meaning is strength or power.  eloah has the same meaning as el.  elohim is the plural form of both el and eloah and is very frequently applied to the one true God, as in Genesis 1:1.  However, it is also applied to men (Psalm 82:6) and frequently to false gods (for example, Exodus 20:3) in which case it appears with a lower case "g" in the English.

This word is a common noun indicating a class of beings, as opposed to a proper noun indicating a particular being.  Thus it functions as a title rather than a personal name.  In that sense it is somewhat like our English word king which serves as a title but in itself does not designate any particular king.  This would be done, of course, by adding a personal name such as King James I.  The same situation exists with such words as president and Washington, apostle and Paul, pope and Benedict, and pastor and Glover.  Thus we are not surprised to find combined names which are more specific than single-word titles or names, such as Apostle Paul, and Pastor Glover.  Similarly, in scripture we are not surprised to find combination forms such as el-shaddai (God Almighty) or el-elyon (God Most High).

2.  yahweh

Based on the distinction between common and proper nouns discussed above, yahweh is the only "name" of God in the Old Testament.  It is derived from the Hebrew YHWH.  This is called the tetragram (word with four consonants) or tetragrammaton and is usually pronounced "yahweh" or "yahveh."  In English translations it often appears as LORD (note the small capitals "ORD"), but also as Jehovah in some translations.  This word is used to refer to God more frequently in the Old Testament than any other – nearly 7000 times.  yahweh is considered the personal name of God.

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM [or, I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE]. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.  (Exodus� 3:14-15)

Many Old Testament scholars consider yahweh to be derived from the "to-be" (or "to-become") verb in Hebrew.  Here is the note from the NIV translators regarding the word LORD in verse 15

The Hebrew for LORD sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for I AM in verse 14.  (textual note, Exodus 3:15)

If this is the case, yahweh emphasizes God's actual existence in contrast to the so-called gods of the surrounding nations.  yahweh is the only God who can truthfully say "I exist."  (Indeed, he is the only God who can say anything at all!)

Referring to the verb in the phrase "I am" in verse 15, the translators of the Net Bible note that

When his people refer to him as Yahweh, which is the third person masculine singular form of the same verb, they say "he is." (note on Exodus 3:14 in the NET Bible: net.bible.org)

For centuries before and after Christ, devout Jews would avoid pronouncing this name of God for fear of violating the third commandment, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:7, see also Leviticus 24:16).  They would substitute adonay (meaning Lord), a practice which is still common.  Our English word Jehovah comes from a combination of the consonants from yahweh with the vowels from adonay.

This name, yahweh, given to Moses here in Exodus 3, is the name, in combination with elohim, Moses later used for God when he wrote his description of God's preparation of the garden and his creation of a wife for Adam (Genesis 2:4-25), and in subsequent chapters as well.  In contrast, Genesis 1:1-2:3 uses the word elohim, by itself, to refer to God.  In the past some have claimed that this proved that Moses did not write both accounts (the failed documentary hypothesis).  The more likely explanation is simply that Moses used the names that were more appropriate for each situation:  the title meaning power for the overall creation, the personal name as the account starts to focus on the story of man, sin, and redemption.

Along this same line, consider Gordon Clark's suggestion that the name yahweh is used to emphasize God's personal, redemptive relationship to his people, particularly his covenant relationship with Israel.  In support of this idea Clark notes its almost exclusive use in theophanies, when God appears in human form and interacts with individuals.  Also, the scriptural phrase "the word of the LORD" nearly always uses yahweh.  (Gordon Clark, article on "God" in Baker's Dictionary of Theology, Baker, 1960, p. 239)

It is interesting to note that Moses records that Abraham used yahweh (or perhaps an earlier form of the word) for God (Genesis 14:22;  15:2) four centuries before the time of Moses.  But the question must be asked if this is because Abraham knew God by this name and actually used yahweh, or if Moses, knowing that yahweh was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:15), felt free under inspiration to record Abraham's speech using yahweh.  That the latter is the case appears to be established by Exodus 6:3.

3.  The functional use of common and proper nouns

The above discussion of elohim and yahweh focuses on the grammar.  However, frequently in practice a common noun will function very well as a proper noun depending on the circumstances.  For example, a very young child uses "daddy" and, while his circle of awareness is still very small, this word identifies one particular person for him.  Later he will discover that Chad, his friend next door, also has a daddy.  At this point he will have to start being more specific by referring to "my daddy" and "Chad's daddy."  Eventually he will learn that there is a proper noun, a name, that identifies his daddy and a different name that identifies Chad's daddy.

Similarly, the same functional use of the English God or the Hebrew elohim makes perfect sense when only one God is recognized.  But if your culture presents many gods to you, you will need some way to identify the various gods, either by added descriptions or by personal names.  For example, consider the circumstances just before the exodus.  You are a Jew and your parents and their parents, going back several generations, have been living in Egypt where the culture presents many gods to you.  You may have lost track of which of those gods was the god of your ancestors.  So when Moses comes along and tells you that the god of your fathers is going to deliver you (Exodus 3:13), it makes perfect sense for you to ask "What is his name?"  It also makes perfect sense for Moses, when he confronts the king of Egypt, to refer not only to "the God of the Hebrews" but also to use his name yahweh (Exodus 3:18).  Of course, it is one thing to refer to "the God who is" by using the name yahweh (and thus implying that all those other gods are not), and it is something quite different to prove that yahweh is the only true God.  The proof came during the ten plagues when the various Egyptian gods were shown to be no match for the God who is. 

* The NIV Study Bible note on Exodus 7:17 is rather silly in light of verse 19.

It is also interesting to examine Jesus' sample prayer for his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13) with this distinction between common and proper nouns in mind.  The prayer starts with "Our Father," which would be readily understood by each disciple as a reference, not to that disciple's physical father, but to his spiritual Father.  Yet, there is also a sense in which Jesus himself is each disciple's spiritual father, based on the prophecy about Jesus being called "Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6).  But, of course, this sample prayer is given by Jesus early in his earthly ministry and it is doubtful that any of the disciples had identified Jesus with Isaiah's prophecy.  Although some of the disciples knew from the beginning that they had found the Messiah (John 1:41), they had not yet heard Peter confess Jesus as the "Son of God" (Matthew 16:16), and even after hearing that they continued to think of Jesus as an earthly deliverer from Roman occupation, even after Jesus' death (Luke 24:21, compare v. 25).  So, although the disciples probably did not yet recognize it, when they were talking with Jesus they were in fact talking with a spiritual father.  The sample prayer, however, makes it clear that when they pray they were to address their spiritual father "in heaven."

4.  Misusing God's name

Consider the third commandment, "you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God" (Exod 20:7).  Misusing God's name includes blasphemy (irreverent speech toward God), as well as profanity or a curse, as is so common in our culture.  This is illustrated in Lev 24:10-16, and at that time the penalty was death.  Some commentators expand the concept of misusing the Lord's name by including perjury, pagan incantations, or even idle talk.  But perhaps it includes even more than that.

In Matthew 6:9 Jesus taught his disciples to pray "hallowed by thy name."  Hallowed means honored, holy, sacred.  In those ancient cultures names were much more closely identified with the person and his characteristics.  This means that misusing God's name, while it includes those things mentioned above, probably is much broader.  Honoring God's name probably means essentially the same as honoring God himself.  So, any form of obedience to God would honor both God and his name, and any form of disobedience would dishonor both God and his name.  If this is the case, misusing God's name is not limited to what we say, but also includes what we do.

3B    God is eternal and unchanging

Below are three selected paragraphs from a dictionary article entitled "Eternal Life, Eternality, Everlasting Life."  (For the full article, see the bibliographic information at the end of the third paragraph.)

Old Testament Teaching. God is eternal (Deut 33:27 ; Psalm 10:16 ; 48:14). Scripture does not provide philosophical reflection on this fact but assumes it. The Lord is the Rock eternal (Isa 26:4) and the eternal King (Jer 10:10). God's word, rooted in his being and will, is likewise eternal (Psalm 119:89), as are his righteous laws (119:60), his ways (Hab 3:6), and his kingdom or dominion (Daniel 4:3 Daniel 4:34). Since God is eternal, so are his love (1 Kings 10:9), his blessings (Psalm 21:6), and all his other attributes and benefits. They endure without end; as long as God exists, so do they.

"His love endures forever" is repeated twenty-six times in Psalm 136 alone. Elsewhere in the psalms "forever" is used to describe God's reign (9:7), his protection (12:7), his plans (33:11), the inheritance of his people (37:18), his throne (55:19), his rule (66:7), his remembrance of his covenant (105:8), his righteousness (111:3), his faithfulness (117:2), his statutes (Psalms 119:111 Psalms 119:152), and his name (135:13). Other Old Testament books offer abundant additional affirmation of these and other never-ending aspects of God or his saving provisions. …

The Old Testament does not seem to conceive of eternity in purely abstract terms, as a static state of timelessness. The Greek word aion (age, era, lengthy time, eternity) in the Septuagint and New Testament corresponds to the Hebrew Old Testament's olam (a long time, eternity); neither word as used in Scripture answers to the notion of "eternity" that shows up in the ancient philosophies of Plato and Aristotle.  (Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.  For the complete article, go here or go to: biblestudytools.com and use Advanced search, Reference, Dictionaries, search for "Eternality")

Here are some of Culver's thoughts on the fact that God is eternal.

Since God deals with the world He has relation with time, yet He cannot be measured by time, since He has no beginning or ending and is Himself the cause of other existent things which have duration. Thus it can be said that time is real because it is in God. Another way of speaking of God's relation to time is, that He is above time. It does not seem quite correct to say He lives in an eternal now, as we do occasionally read, for the past and future are present in God's mind as truly as the present. As just noted above, there is a sense in which 'now' is never anything more than a point or line which the future passes in becoming past time. Hence God lives in eternity, not in a line separating past from future. There is logical succession in God's thoughts, but no chronological succession; since, however, creation does now exist in succession of events, God sees them and knows them. Time is therefore as real for God as it is for us.  …

God is as youthful and strong today as when Abel was born. 'Your years will have no end'. 'You are the same'. There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God precisely because 'The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms' (Deut. 33:27; see also Ps. 102:1-13; Heb. 1:5-12).

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day,
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see –
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

(Robert Culver, Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical, Mentor, 2005, p. 84-85)

4A    God is omnipotent

The prefix "omni" means "all" or "universally," while "potent" refers to power or ability.  Thus, we can give a brief definition of omniscience by saying that God is all-powerful, able to do anything.  However, in view of the fact that people like to ask silly "gotcha" questions, we need to deal with those questions and add a little to our brief definition.

First, there are some self-defeating questions, such as, "Can God make a square triangle?"  But such a question instantly renders itself invalid because it is self-contradictory.

Second, there are some "trick" questions, such as, "Can God make a rock that is too big for him to lift?"  A "yes" answer results in something God cannot do.  And a "no" answer results in something God cannot do.  This question is in the same class as the question "Have you stopped beating your wife," which, no matter how you answer it, forces you to admit to a history of wife beating.  Rather than answering "yes" or "no," answer "That's an invalid question."

Third, there are some questions which run against God character.  For example, can God tell a lie?  Here the proper answer is "no," and as Erickson points out in our textbook (p. 96 [86]), such an inability is a strength rather than a weakness.

So we will add a little to our definition of omnipotence by saying:  God is all-powerful in that he can do anything that is consistent with his nature and that is a proper object of his power.

Here's a short comment by Gordon Clark, respected Christian philosopher, on God's omnipotence.

If God has created all things of nothing, simply by his word, his fiat, his command, it follows that he is omnipotent. Neither a greater power nor a more impossible task is conceivable.  (Gordon H. Clark, "God," Baker's Dictionary of Theology, ed. Everett F. Harrison, Baker, 1960, p.240)

To read R. A. Torrey on the subject of God's omnipotence, go to: whatthebibleteaches.com/wbt_060.htm

4B    God is omnipresent

In describing God as omnipresent we typically say that he is "everywhere."

Physical language awkward at describing God's omnipresence

God is spirit.  We are referring here to all three members of the trinity – the Father, the Son before his incarnation, and the Holy Spirit.

• Luke 24:35-39 — Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." — ["ghost" here in the NIV is the same Greek word (πνευμα, pneuma) translated "spirit" in the other passages]
• John 4:24 — God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
• Colossians 1:15 — He [the Son] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Col 1:15 NIV)
• 1 Timothy 1:17 — Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• Hebrews 11:27 — By faith he [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

Even though God is spirit, when the Bible speaks about him it often uses physical language – terms and phrases typically used to describe physical things like rocks and animals which have size, location, and can move or be moved.  Thus, we speak of God being located (for example, everywhere, or in heaven), or moving (for example, coming down in judgment).  But since God is spirit,

• Does he really exist everywhere?
  • like space? (remember, space is physical)
  • like luminiferous ether?  (During the 1700s and 1800s this imagined substance was thought to be everywhere including outer space, and was the medium for the transmission of light)
• Does he really reside at some location, such as in heaven?
  • like an object is located somewhere?
• Does he really move from one place to another?
  • like a physical object moves?  (Keep in mind we are not considering the incarnate Son at this point)

While the fact that God is spirit is easy enough to understand when we contrast God with solid objects, we also have to remind ourselves that God is not a vapor or a gas.  He does not have an "ethereal" nature.  God is not physical in any sense.  So what do we mean when we speak of God being omnipresent?  Does it mean that he actually occupies every place in space?  We need to recognize that, when we speak of God (spirit) as omnipresent, the result is the same as if he were physically everywhere.

Suppose for the moment that God were a physical entity occupying only one place at a time.  It would be obvious to even a young child that "locally" God would

1. See and know what is happening around him.
2. Care about the people nearby.
3. Be able to influence local events.
4. Be available for such things as repentance and prayer.

Now, each of these things is true universally since in reality God is not limited to one place at a time.  What God could do "locally" if he were a limited physical entity, he can do anywhere and everywhere because he is spirit.

We have a hard time recognizing how God's spirit can do this because we are so thoroughly "captured" within the physical realm.  Even our spirits (being created spirits and thus much more limited than God) stay with our bodies as though our spirits are in a tent  (2 Corinthians 5:1-6).  But God, as infinite spirit, has no such limitations.

There is an idiom that might help us understand this.  When someone goes through a rough period in his life but has repeated encouragement and assistance from a close friend, he might say to that friend, "Thanks for being there."  We would recognize that the person being thanked was not necessarily physically present every moment.  Nor is he being thanked for being "there" at any particular location.  That is not what "there" means in this idiom.  He was certainly aware of the difficulties, helped when help was needed, and was quick to offer encouragement or counsel, but some of these activities might have been done at a distance.  Nevertheless, he was still "there."  Perhaps this sort of emotional language comes closer to describing God's omnipresence than physical language.

A few selected quotes on omnipresence

Below are Culver's comments on the fact that God is omnipresent.

Christians must be on guard not to think of God's omnipresence in any material, tangible sense whatsoever. A youthful 'hippie' known to me, converted to Christ at a charismatic retreat, thought the rising mist of early morning must be 'the presence of the Holy Spirit'. The young woman later learned better. As to His essential being, it is false and fatal to any true religious spirituality to think of God as materially sensible in any manner whatsoever. All sorts of crass forms of mysticism grow in the soil of material conceptions of God's omnipresence. A college chapel speaker, later a well-known novelist (the late Eugenia Price), even spoke of feeling God in her bath water! Another mystical enthusiast knew the Spirit was in a meeting because, he said, he felt the pressure of His power under his fifth rib! Right? Left? Counting from the top? Bottom?

Practical Benefits. The presence of God is beneficial for devotion – we can never be in any place where God is not present to hear our prayer and ready to receive our worship (Ps. 139:7-10). It is also beneficial for assurance – we can never be physically or geographically beyond God's help, for He is present whether in a prison (as with Joseph, Gen. 39, 40), in a den of lions (as with Daniel, Dan. 6) or in the emperor's presence (as with Nehemiah, Neh. 1). According to Psalm 107, God is present to help when lost in the desert (4-9), when in prison (10-16), when on a sickbed (17-22) and when in storms at sea (24-30). The presence of God is also beneficial as warning against disobedience to God and attempted flight from Him, both to the believer (the book of Jonah, esp. 1:1-3) and to the unbeliever (Amos 9:1-4).

A Problem. How can an omnipresent God be said to dwell in heaven (Matt. 6:9; 1 Kings 8:30) and to come (travel?) to earth from heaven (Gen. 11:5)? The Bible writers saw no contradiction. Compare 1 Kings 8:30 with 8:27. The particular notion in most of such texts is God's manifestation, not the spatial location of His Spirit. He is permanently manifest in a special way in heaven, hence is said to dwell there. He also, as He chooses, specially manifests Himself on earth at various times and places, hence he is said to come to those places. Even the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the first temple (built by King Solomon) are said to be God's mishkan, dwelling (house). His shekinah, dwelling (presence) was there also. His actions in providence and miracles are represented to human minds in this manner.  (Robert Culver, Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical, Mentor, 2005, p. 87)

Here's a short statement by Gordon Clark, respected Christian philosopher, on God's omnipresence.

… instead of saying that God is in the world, it is better to say that the world is in God, for in him we live and move and have our being.  (Gordon H. Clark, "God," Baker's Dictionary of Theology, ed. Everett F. Harrison, Baker, 1960, p.246, quoting Acts 17:28)

To read R. A. Torrey on the subject of God's omnipresence, go to: whatthebibleteaches.com/wbt_040.htm

7A    Theophanies

Simply stated, a theophany is a temporary, local, visible manifestation of God.  The word "theophany" comes to us through the Latin from the Greek theophaneia, a combination of theos (God) and phainein (to show).  In a theophany God veils his glory and often appears as a man, so the experience takes on the character of a human-to-human encounter.

When we speak of theophanies we are referring to the biblical events involving an actual visitor or messenger who is explicitly identified as God.  Thus, theophanies are to be distinguished from dreams and from visions which occur only in an individual's mind.

Also, when we speak of theophanies we are not referring to the modern claims of the "manifest presence" of the Holy Spirit which is reported in some charismatic meetings.  This "manifest presence" may be accompanied by shouting, jerking, tongues, convulsions, falling, fainting, and the like.  Such occurrences are subject to the question, "Is it really a holy spirit that is manifest here?"

But God is omnipresent

How do theophanies compare with God's omnipresence.  As discussed above (see 4B), when we describe God as omnipresent we are not referring to a physical presence of God everywhere, since God is spirit.  Rather, we are referring to the fact that (1) God sees and knows what is happening everywhere, (2) God cares about people everywhere, (3) God can influence people and events everywhere, and (4) God is available to people everywhere for purposes such as repentance and prayer.  God's knowing, caring, influence, and availability all happen in the spiritual realm.  In contrast, theophanies are events in which God appears for a short time to a specific person or persons in human form and interacts with them.  This appearance is no mere apparition, for God makes himself available to the senses.  In a theophany God can be seen, heard, touched, etc.

But no one has seen God

How can theophanies be real if "no one has ever seen God."

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.  (John 1:18)

There are three possible explanations which come directly out of the rest of the verse and its context.

First explanation.  The reference in verse 18 to "God the One and Only" is a reference to Jesus Christ, the Word, which is described in verse 14.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:14)

And Jesus Christ is distinguished from God the Father, for "the Word was with God" (verse 1), then he "came from the Father" and made his dwelling among us (verse 14), but now he is "at the Father's side" (verse 18).  Thus, there is a clear distinction between God the Father and God the Son in these passages.  Thus, the statement that "no one has ever seen God" may simply be a reference to the fact that no one has seen the Father.

It is possible that all the theophanies in the Old Testament are actually Christophanies – appearances of the Son.  One possible evidence for this is the fact that they ceased with the incarnation of Christ (it must be recognized that this is an argument from silence).  Theoretically, it is within the realm of possibility that some theophanies were appearances of the Holy Spirit, but very few Bible scholars ever mention this possibility.

Second explanation.  John 1:18 may refer to the fact that God cannot be seen unless he reveals himself.  Simply stated, humans do not have the capacity to sense God directly since God is spirit.  Thus no one can see God using his own human powers of observation unless God takes the initiative and makes himself visible, audible, etc.

Third explanation.  When John 1:18 says "no one has ever seen God," perhaps it is merely saying that no one has ever seen God in his full glory.  See Exodus 33:18-23, where God kept Moses from seeing his full glory.  While Jesus, during his humiliation, did display some divine glory (John 1:14), he prayer for a restoration of the glory he had with the Father before the world began (John 17:5).  His diminished glory while on earth is probably what is meant by Paul's teaching in Philippians 2:6 that Christ "emptied himself" or "made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant."

Perhaps all three explanations can be combined:  No one has seen God the Father, unless the Father took the initiative and revealed himself, and even then what was seen would have been a reduced glory.

However, if only the second and third explanations are valid, then there is also another possibility.  Keep in mind that, while yahweh is named in a given theophany, the member of the trinity who is appearing is not specified.  It seems possible, then, that any given theophany might be the appearance of any one member of the trinity, while another theophany could be the appearance of a different member of the trinity.  It may even be possible that all three members of the trinity appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18.  (Augustine discusses this possibility in his On the Trinity, Book 2, Chapters 7 - 18.)  Due to the lack of enough scriptural evidence, however, we can only speculate about this possibility.

Selected theophanies

The following table contains five theophanies worth examining.  The list is far from complete, but some of the other "appearances" are described much more briefly and it is not completely clear that they were all actual physical appearances rather than visions or dreams.

Reference	God's name	Person spoken to	Comments
Gen ch. 18 Promise of birth of Isaac	the LORD (yahweh)	Abraham	This event had all the characteristics of a true theophany, and a human-to-human encounter: "The LORD appeared … Abraham looked up and saw" (v. 1-2) Their dusty feet needed washing (v. 4) "They ate" (v. 8) Sarah also heard the voice (v. 10-12) Abraham walked with them (v. 16) Abraham has an extended back-and-forth conversation with the LORD (v. 23-33) Yet, Abraham knew he was talking with "the Judge of all the earth" (v. 25).
Gen 35:9-15 Changing Jacob's name to Israel	God Almighty (el-shaddai)	Jacob	God appeared to Jacob (v. 9) "God said …" (v. 10-11) The fact that God "talked with him" is mentioned 3 times (v. 13-15)  After God talked with him, God "went up from him" (v. 13)
Exod 3:2 - 4:17 Moses and the burning bush	the LORD (yahweh)	Moses	Although the event begins by identifying the angel of the LORD (v. 2), the word angel has the basic meaning of messenger, and the rest of the passage (starting in v. 6 & 7) identifies the speaker as the LORD.  This is clearly yahweh serving as his own messenger. There is an extended conversation (3:4 - 4:17) God gives Moses signs to prove that he had appeared to him (4:1-9). Compare Num 12:6-8 — God speaks to Moses "face to face" and Moses saw "the form of the LORD"  (the word "form" could also be translated image, likeness, representation, or semblance)
Deut 31:14-23 Prediction of Moses' death and Israel's failure in the land	the LORD (yahweh)	Moses and Joshua	The LORD appeared to Moses and Joshua in a pillar of cloud over the entrance to the Tent of Meeting The LORD spoke to Moses The LORD dictated a song to Moses The LORD spoke to Joshua
1 Sam ch. 3 God calls Samuel	the LORD (yahweh)	Samuel	When God called Samuel, he heard a voice which must have sounded like a human voice since he thought Eli had called him. (v. 4-9) "The LORD came and stood there" (v. 10) There is a brief conversation (v. 10-14) This event is the first in a continuing series of God's revelations to Samuel (v. 7, 21)

Because of the identification of the angel of the LORD with the LORD himself (see Exodus 3:2-7 as described above), certain other passages may also be considered theophanies, such as

• The angel of the LORD talks with Hagar (Genesis 16:7-13, see especially the identification of the angel with the "LORD" in verse 13)
• The angel of the LORD talks with Samson's parents, Manoah and his wife (Judges 13:2-24, see especially verse 22 where Manoah says "We have seen God!")

However, not all Bible scholars agree that the angel of the LORD in the above passages is actually the LORD himself.  See, for example, the net.bible.org's translation notes on the phrase "the LORD's angel" in Genesis 16:7 and the phrase "supernatural being" in Judges 13:2.

There is also the "man" who wrestled with Jacob (Genesis 32:24-30), whom Jacob calls "God" in verse 30.

Implications

Theophanies and the problem with neo-orthodoxy

Neo-orthodoxy teaches that God is "wholly other" (totally different) than us, making direct, verbal communication between us and God impossible.  But this idea completely neglects the clear biblical teaching that we were created in God's image/likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) – God is not "wholly other."  (See the brief description of neo-orthodoxy in the paper on Worldviews.)

Thus, we take the record of these theophanies at face value and conclude that God is not a distant or unknowable God.  He takes on the form or appearance of a man, approaches men and women, speaks to people in their own language, and even carries on extended conversations.  And this all takes place in "propositional" form (sentences)!  The neo-orthodox theologians are way off base when they suggest that we cannot communicate with God in normal words or that we cannot describe and discuss God in normal sentences, for Paul says that

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  (1 Corinthians 2:13)

For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand.  (2 Corinthians 1:13).

God does not leave us alone to try to search out his will on our own.  Instead, God comes to us to make his truth known to us.  He has done this through the theophanies.  He has also done this through the prophets such as Moses (Deuteronomy 30:11-20) and Paul (Romans 10:5-9).  And "in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:2), which has been accurately recorded for us by the apostles in the New Testament.

Are theophanies for us, since we have the Bible?

What about theophanies, the appearance of angels, or other miraculous messengers in our time?  Should we expect them even after the canon of scripture is complete?  (Note that this last question refers to time, suggesting that the answer would apply world-wide.  A better way to ask the question is:  Should we who have Bibles expect them?  This form of the question focuses on circumstances rather than time, and leaves open the question as it pertains to people who do not yet have the Bible, or any portion of it.)

See Luke 16:19-31 where the dead rich man, in hell, asked Abraham to send a risen Lazarus to warn his brothers.  Abraham replied, "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them" (verse 29).

Theophanies and the incarnation – similarities and differences

How are theophanies different than the incarnation of Jesus Christ?  The theophanies are temporary appearances of God.  Also, some of the theophanies were not in human form, such as the burning bush (Exodus 3:2) and the pillar of cloud (Deuteronomy 31:15).  However, the incarnation of Christ joins the second person of the trinity with a fully human body and is permanent (Acts 1:9-11;  17:31;  1 Timothy 2:5).

Was it merely a human body that God added when the Old Testament theophanies occurred?  Was it merely a human body that Jesus added when he became a man, or did he add a full human nature (including soul/spirit) as well?  (For a brief discussion see "The Substitutionary Death of Christ", section F.1. and its endnote.)

10A    God is creator of the universe and man

Summary affirmations:

1. God created the heavens and the earth. Gen 1:1;  John 1:3
2. God created them as a perfect environment for man. Genesis 1 - 2, and Isaiah 45:18
3. God created man in his image. Gen 1:26-27 (cf. 11,12,21,25, "according to their kinds")
4. The creation of man in God's image makes the incarnation of Jesus Christ possible.  (see)
5. There is no tension between nature and the Bible, but there is tension between science and theology.  (see)
6. It is not always scientists that have the incorrect interpretation, sometimes it is theologians (Copernican revolution).  (see)
7. Science has limitations.  (see)
8. Scientific knowledge changes.  (see)
9. Scientific models can become inflexible paradigms.  (see)
10. Accepting Hubble's law, the ideas of an expanding universe and a big bang are huge extrapolations.  (see)
11. Stephen Hawking's answer (the laws of nature created the universe) is sophomoric.  (see)
12. Nature's cycles (including light from distant galaxies) require creation with the appearance of age.  (see)
13. Earth rocks are likely much younger than they are dated.  (see)
14. Macroevolution stands only as a philosophy, lacking evidence.  (see)

 

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Hymns