The Doctrine of God

The Doctrine of God

Introduction

The doctrine of God forms the prerequisite of faith and foundation of the Christian theology field (Bavinck & Hendriksen, 2003). Doctrine is however as often understood what the church teaches in line with the officially accepted activity, contrary to theology which is by far a more open-minded discourse and its discoveries and discourse may or may not get accepted as doctrine (Gunton, 1997). The major area in the doctrine is God’s nature and His character when handling the world as revealed in Israel’s history and holds its articulation in the witness and life of the Church. The Doctrine of God majorly revolves around the existence of God, the attributes and names of God, providence and creation plus the Holy Trinity. An understanding of the Doctrine of God involves grasping the philosophy, issues stemming from the social and natural sciences and all other cross-cultural contexts that arise from the growing global society.

Naturalistic arguments

The cosmological argument of God’s existence argues simply that every happening and or, the effect must have a correspondent cause. Something cannot result from nothing and since the world, in this case, cosmos, exists, then it must have a source or cause for this existence (Gonzalez, 2019). The argument is as simplified as shows since the world has never shown to be uncaused rather come from nothing, then the only possible logical explanation is an original cause. The original cause of the world in this argument is hence a powerful, supreme and intelligent being that created the universe. God is then the cause, the only one able the produce an effect as complex and magnificent as the universe and its contents.

The teleological argument is based on the order and design of the earth.  An arrangement or useful order within a system implies the use of intelligence and a purpose for the same when organizing. The order and significant arrangement characterized by the universe shows the existence of an intelligent cause. The harmony, design, usefulness, and order within the universe show a purpose which needs accounting. The accounting for this in this theory is the existence of a creator, a God of order that designed the universe.

The ontological argument is a philosophical base that drives through idea to reality. The reason behind the argument is that if man can conceive the idea of a perfect God that does not exist, then the same man can conceive that of an even greater God, which ideally would be impossible (Gonzalez, 2019). Therefore God exists on the factual argument of all men having an awareness of God. Since this same concept of God is universal, then God himself must have placed the idea in man. Since the idea of God is far beyond our understanding as men, yet we still have the idea, God must have placed it. The argument carries quite a limited value but makes a great addition in the Doctrine of God when hand in hand with other arguments.

Biblical arguments

Biblical arguments are self-presented through the scripture, which is the Holy Bible. Several readings present the existence of God. The first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1 explicitly states that ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Psalms 8:3 speaks of the works of God hands, Isiah 40:26 calls upon people to see the creator of all that exists, these among many more scriptures if not the whole Bible speak of an existent God.

Biblical revelation comes in two forms, the general revelation and special revelation. General revelation comes independent of salvation. It reveals the character, attributes of God. The main impact is that it makes men aware of the existence of God. General revelation such as Psalms 8:3 communicates to the human race of God’s being. This revelation manifests God’s nature for instance in Romans 1:18-21 that explains the wrath of God, His providence as illustrated in Mathew 5:45 and God in conscience, as revealed in Romans 2:14-15 among many other scriptures.

All men do not receive special revelation, unlike general revelation. The main emphasis in special revelation is through two stages, God unveiling Himself via the Bible then Via His son Jesus Christ. This revelation usually is authoritative and accurate since the Holy Spirit superintended it in writing. This argument claims that the Bible does not just contain God’s Word is in itself the Word of God since it is inspired by His Spirit. As shown in 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible lacks error in all that it affirms and is infallible, inerrant. The most complete of the special revelation is Christ and his works and explanation to mankind of his father.

The Attributes of God

God’s attributes refer to His distinguishing character in divine nature, inseparable from the ideology of God and forms the grounds and basis for His manifestation to His creation. There are two main categories of all God’s attributes. Absolute attributes are those that are specific to God alone, also referred to as infinite, incommunicable, or non-moral. Relative attributes are those that God can pass and man can attain to certain degrees, also known as the communicable, personal or moral attributes. No attribute, however, is exalted over the other since that would distort the view of God, all His attitudes taken together create the complete picture of who God is.

Incommunicable Attributes

In God is unity, He is only one numerically as illustrated in Deuteronomy 6:4 and him is uniqueness, according to Exodus 15:11, He cannot be compared. God is immutable, meaning unchanging and unchangeable (James 1:17).  God’s omnipotence attribute shows that He is all-powerful, God does all that he wishes as long as it aligns with His perfection (Mathew 19:26). God’s nature is the only thing that could limit him. God is infinite and all-knowing (Mathew 6:8).

God knows not just himself, but the future, present and past too, knows all happenings exhaustively, simultaneously, immediately and truthfully, the attribute of omniscience. God, according to 1^st Kings 8:27, is infinite, confined and limitless. In a similar attribute of eternity, God transcends not just in infinity, as is with space, but also time. In this argument, unlike humans, bound by the succession of events, God is not since he exists above the temporal limitations. The rest of the incommunicable attributes are simplicity, immensity, self-existence and spirituality.

Communicable attributes

God is holy, not only is he exalted above all creatures and distinct from the creature, He stands separated from all sin and evil. Righteousness is an attribute that teaches of God’s righteousness not just in character but actions as well (Daniel 9:7, 16). According to Deuteronomy 32:4, God is fair amongst all His creatures, his attribute of Justice. God is good, in moral terms He is excellent in all his dealings. God is ideally the highest standard of Good according to this attribute. All God does is worth approval as good. 1^st John 4:8 describes God as Love. The attribute of love refers to God as loving and always intending to bring blessing to others.  Other communicable attributes include mercy, freedom, benevolence, grace, wisdom and veracity

The Trinity

Three united Persons that cannot have separate existence make the Trinity, and united as one God. It is a Plurality in unity where God exists in plurality of persons yet still united in essence. God is ideally three persons that exist as one in nature. For the question of essence, ‘what’ suits when referring to persons ‘who’ applies, three subjects within one object. The Athanasian Creed sets forth the doctrine of trinity clearly in its words, ‘We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence, for the father is a distinct person, the person of the Son is another, and that of the holy spirit is still another. But the Divinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one’ (Athanasian Creed, 2019).

There are several misconceptions and misinterpretations of the Trinity. One is that there exists three God’s rather than three persons that are Tri-theism. Another is that one God exists with three manifestations, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as would be in Sabellianism. Finally is the teaching that downplays and denies Christ as a deity, the teachings describe him as a creation below God, that he is next is power after God, rather than the same in essence.

The Doctrine of God is a broad field especially because it is an understanding of what the Christian church deems as the reality of God and with every passing day the understandings and the accepted laws and beliefs of the church diversify. The church itself in its division of religions holds different beliefs per their religious communities.  The Naturalistic, Biblical, Philosophical arguments, however, show the fundamental basis of the Christian belief in General. The attributes of God are also a common ground on what the Doctrine of God is in the current Christian movement.