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Articles - God

Articles concerning the existence of God.

Posts in Dick Sztanyo
WHO IS THE JEHOVAH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT?

There are a number of passages which indicate that Jehovah appeared to men (in some form) in the Old Testament (e.g., Genesis 18:1ff; etc.).   Yet, there are also numerous passages which say that no man has ever seen God (cf. John 1:18).  What are we to make of this phenomena?  Should we understand such passages to suggest that no man has ever seen the entire Godhead at one time?  Probably not, but this has been suggested.  Should we say that men did not see God Himself, but rather, only some shadowy manifestation of Him, or, some physical manifestation that is not to be identified with Him?  That this is not satisfactory will become apparent in a short time.  Some passages say that men saw Jehovah, and others just as clearly say that no man has seen the Lord.  How should we understand what appears to be a serious problem?

The Problem Stated

            Numerous passages indicate that no man has seen God at any time.  For instance, John says in John 1:18 (all Scripture references are from the American Standard Version, unless otherwise noted):  "No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."  Scripture is clear to show that those who had seen the Christ had seen the Father (cf. John 10:30; 14:9; etc.).  But, the same Bible is just as clear to point out that the Father has not been seen by mortal man at any time.  In John 5:37, Jesus Himself said: “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.  Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.”   John says further, in 1 John 4:10-12, 14, 20:
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.   Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.   No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us: . . .  And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. . . .  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. 

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Hell—A Tribute To God’s Love

All who espouse Christianity live in hope of eternal life.  Together with God’s promise of eternal life for the faithful (cf. John 3:16; 1 John 2:17; 5:13; John 4:14; 17:3; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy  2:10; Matthew 25:34, 46; Titus 1:2; et al.) is a corresponding promise of eternal destruction and punishment for the rebellious sinner and unfaithful Christian ...

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How Can We Conceptualize Eternal Life?

When we reflect on the faithful Christian’s reward, we are made to wonder what is meant by the expression eternal life?  Another way to say the same thing biblically are terms like everlasting life, et al.  Does this just mean a life that is unending from the time of our physical death, or is it truly eternal life?  Are we to think that time extends, and is present, even in the spiritual realm?  If so, is God bound by time, or is the spiritual realm timeless?  Was time created (in order to give us a history—a no more, not yet, and now) along with the physical universe, or does the physical creation act independently of time?

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The Big Questions

Historians recognize that humans are constantly interested in the “perennial questions,” all of which have to do with man’s purpose on Earth and also his destiny. No questions loom larger than those having to do with (1) the existence of God, (2) the inspiration of the Scriptures, and (3) the Divine nature of Christ. These are indeed the big questions

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A Study of God's Omniscience

What does God know? Does His foreknowledge of future contingent events mean that they MUST come to pass? If so, and if some contingent events seem to trouble even God, does He CHOOSE not to know them? Can God’s power limit His knowledge, etc.?

In this essay we will study several things about God’s nature, with particular reference to God's omniscience. We will examine: (1) Some general information about God's attributes, (2) What the Scriptures say that God knows, and what are the implications, (3) How do we explain those human characteristics which are often attributed to God in the Bible?, and (4) What is the truth about God's foreknowledge and human freedom?

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The Existence of God

The question of God is one of the “perennial questions” which men cannot help asking (Baumer 11-20). In one form or another, the question of God has been present in all stages of human history. Is there really a God? If so, what is He like? If no, then where do I look for answers to life’s most perplexing questions? If yes, then what are my obligations? How can the case for God be argued? These are the kinds of questions that have baffled men for thousands of years. So I will attempt, in this series of essays, to shed some light on this all-encompassing question. In so doing, I intend to set forth evidence sufficient to warrant the conclusion: God exists.

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