Mathers Systematic Theology. Norman W. Mathers

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СКАЧАТЬ intervention supercedes natural laws (ibid:362). In addition, Shedd brings out the attribute of omnipotence applied to Christ and the gospel. Christ is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:24). The gospel is the power of God. The message has a life changing principle (Rom. 1:16). Messiah, Jesus Christ is the arm of the Lord (Is. 53:1). A. A. Hodge (1972:149) calls God the first cause. He supernaturally works all things according to the purpose which is divine decree (boule) His will. The divine decree was formed by His own counsel in Eternity Past. God’s infinite power is realized in all that God has willed (Chafer 1971:1:209). God’s omnipotence is evidenced in creation (Gen. 1:1), his power to preserve (Heb. 1:3) and divine providence (Ryrie 1974:23). The providence of God has one great end the glory of God. All events and the means to accomplish them come to pass as he planned from eternity past (Hodge 1975:1:255). Philosophers such as Hume have argued against the omnipotence of God. They reason that the Greatness of God would eventuate in a world without evil. The presence of evil in the world argues against theism (Hartshorne 1965:201). Plantinga acknowledges the fact of evil in the world (1977:54).

      The problem is not with the omnipotence of God. The origin of evil is accounted not in the omnipotence of God but rather in his created beings. Isaiah 14 records the fall of Satan. Ezekiel 28 records the sin of Satan. This is the origin of evil in the universe. The fall of man in the Garden of Eden was because of obedience to Satan (Gen. 3:8-21, Rev. 20:2). God purposed by the counsel of his own will to have elect and non-elect angels. The Scripture testifies to this fact (1 Tim. 5:21). The omnipotence of God will be seen in the triumph of righteousness. Jesus Christ created the angelic realms (Col. 1:16).

      3.5.2 Omnipresence

      The Omnipresence of God means that God is everywhere at once with His whole being. God is One and His being is not divided nor diffused into parts throughout space (Ps. 139:7-12). Scripture points to the dwelling place and throne of God in heaven (Matt. 6:9, Is. 66:1). Three additional terms are associated with omnipresence. These are immensity, transcendence, and immanence. The immanence of God means that God is within the world. He is acting within and through his creation (Zech. 1:10-11). He is transcendent in that God is above and beyond creation but is at the same time present and working in the world (Ps. 19:1-14, 139:10, Is. 55:8-9, Rom. 1:20). The immensity of God explains the vastness of God’s being. He is free from all limitations (Chafer 1971:1:219-220). God’s presence becomes a source of blessing knowing His continual encouragement, comfort, and protecting hand. This is an incentive to live a holy life. The child of God is comforted by the presence of the Lord. The omnipresence of the Lord means the direction of God in the believer’s life (Ex. 13:21, 33:14, Phil. 2:13). Chafer adds that the Bible points out that each member of the Godhead is said to be present at a particular point. The Father is said to be in heaven (Matt. 6:9), the Son is at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 1:3), and the Holy Spirit is designated by His relationship to the church (Eph. 2:22)(ibid:219). The doctrine of creation proves that God is separate from creation and the things in it (Gen. 1:1-2). This is very important because pantheism teaches that God is in all of creation (Ryrie 1974:24). A. A. Hodge (1972:141) clarifies the difference between the immensity and the omnipresence of God. Immensity is the relationship of God to space. His omnipresence is God’s relationship to man and his world. Anselm (Williams 2001:15) defined omnipresence as God being unbounded and eternal. God is supernaturally present and directs the affairs of men (Dan. 4:35). His Sovereign will cannot be thwarted by man. Jesus Christ is omnipresent and the Sovereign Lord of the universe (Matt. 28:18-20, Phil. 2:9-11).

      3.5.3 Omniscience

      God’s all knowingness extends to things which are both actual and realized and possible but not realized. The Godhead knows all things at once past, present, and future without any succession of events whatsoever (Eph. 1:11). Jesus knew that Tyre and Sidon would have repented if His miracles had been done in their midst. Yet in the omniscience of God, he preplanned in eternity past that it would not be ordained. Capernaum received the miracles of Christ but did not respond appropriately to Christ. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, knew their lot in the day of judgment. Sodom’s judgment would be more favorable than Capernaum. Capernaum sinned against great light (truth) being the miracles of Christ (Matt. 11:20-24) God’s omniscience is his being (essence) knowing. Secondly, the eternal God knows all things. This is referred to as the mode by theologians. The all things includes the past, the present, and the future as present to God. His eternal purpose has been planned in eternity past (Hodge 1972:144-145). God is an infinite and perfect being. He knows all things perfectly in and of Himself. God does foreknow all things as certain (1 Sam. 23:11, 12, Acts 2:23, 15:18, Is. 46:9-10)(ibid:146). The smallest details of life are known at all times to God. The Father knows the number of sparrows in the universe at all times (Matt. 10:29). The hairs of one’s head are numbered. The Psalmist develops God’s omniscience of the individual before He is born (139:1-13). The omniscience of God is free from any time limits of succession of events as illustrated by the divine plan of God (Eph. 1:11). The infinite intelligence of the Godhead extends to all of life both to things actual and realized, and possible but not realized. The believer is comforted by the omniscience of God because He knows the answers to all the what if’s of life. The Gospels record that the comprehensiveness of the all knowing infinite mind of the Godhead to the smallest details of life. Jesus knew all men (John 2:24-25). Shedd (1979:1:354) adds two interesting verses to our discussion 1 John 3:20 and Hebrews 4:13. Walvoord (1974:42) draws our attention to the omniscience of God as declared in Psalm 147:4-5. The omniscience of God means that the past, present, and future were before the Godhead in one unified whole (Chafer 1971:1:192). The infinite God comprehends all things at one time (Shedd 1979:1:354). The eternal mind is declared in Ephesians 1:3-14 to have formed the divine decree (plan). The divine mind worked the divine decree after the independent counsel His own will (Aland & Black 1968:665). This included all things before the world and time began (Hodge 1975:1:393-406). The divine mind established the divine means to accomplish all of the events in the divine decree. All things are working according to his eternal decree based on the infinite sovereign mind and will (Eph. 1:10-11). He has foreordained all things that come to pass (Acts 2:23). The divine means for the believer to be saved was he heard the word of truth the gospel. He believed the gospel resulting in his salvation (Eph. 1:13). For the believer saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God supernaturally works (present indicative active 3^rd person singular) all things together for good to those who love Him (present active participle – dative masculine plural) (Rom. 8:28). Foreknowledge will be dealt with later under Soteriology (doctrine of salvation). Foreknowledge to know before is divine choice. Romans 8:29 explains Romans 8:28.

      3.5.4 Other Communicable Attributes

      These are attributes that are in man to some degree. In God, these are perfections of His Being. “God is love” (1 John 4:8) [author’s translation] (Aland & Black 1968:821). Additional scriptures pointing out the love of God are John 3:16, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10, and Romans 5:8. Agape love on the human side is an act of the human will for the good of the object that is loved. Love on God’s side is divine choice (Eph. 1:4), self-sacrifice (1 John 4:10), and his love in regenerate hearts (Rom. 5:5). God is holy. The scripture exhorts the child of God to be holy (1 Pet. 1:15). It was the attribute that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples (1 John 1:5). God is light (holy) and there is not any evil in him. The justice or righteousness of God is seen in Psalm 19:9, 116:5, 145:17, Jer. 12:1. The justice of God is related to the meaning of the resurrection of Christ for non-believers. They are under judgment (Acts 17:31). The justice of God is seen in the historical fact of the crucifixion of Christ (Rom. 3:21-26). God is true (Rom 3:4). This is the veracity of God. John 14:6 teaches that Jesus is the truth. The freedom of God means that he is independent of all authority outside of himself. The name Elohim argues for the independence of God. Isaiah 40:13-14 teaches the same truth (Ryrie 1974:19-22). God has foreordained whatever comes to pass. The exegesis of Ephesians 1:11 supports this statement. It is often argued that foreordination that encompasses all events is not consistent with man as a free agent. Charles Hodges (1975:1:545) answers this objection by arguing that man’s responsibility and will are included with the plan. Acts 2:23 confirms the truth of this СКАЧАТЬ