The Doctrine of God

I. Introduction and Philosophical Conceptions The belief in a supreme, infinite divine being is foundational to the great traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Historically, philosophers have attempted to define God outside of biblical revelation:

• Plato defined God as the eternal mind and the cause of good in nature.

• Aristotle viewed Him as "The first ground of all being".

• Kant described God as a being who is the cause of nature, possessing all rights and no duties.

• Hegel conceived of God as the absolute spirit that gains consciousness through human reason.

• Modern concepts, such as Edward Ames's view, reduce God to "the idea of the personalised, idealised whole of reality" or a "cosmic energy".

In contrast, the orthodox Christian doctrine is summarized by the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "God is spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth". Strong defines Him as the "infinite and perfect spirit in whom all things have their source, support and end".

II. The Existence of God The Scriptures do not attempt to prove God's existence; rather, they assume it, beginning simply with, "In the beginning God..." (Gen 1:1). Belief in His existence is a prerequisite for faith, as Hebrews 11:6 states that he who comes to God "must believe that He is". Theology offers several cumulative arguments as corroborations of mankind's innate conviction of God's existence:

• The Cosmological Argument: Grounded in the law of entropy (the second law of Thermodynamics), this argues that the universe is running down, meaning it is not self-sustaining, had a beginning, and therefore must have an adequate cause.

• The Teleological Argument: The presence of design in the universe proves the existence of an infinite, intelligent designer, much like a watch requires a maker.

• The Ontological Argument: Man possesses an idea of God that is infinitely greater than man himself; therefore, this concept must originate in God.

• The Anthropological Argument: Man, made in God's image and serving as the crowning glory of creation, requires an intelligent Creator.

• The Moral Argument: Man possesses a God-given conscience, recognizing right and wrong, which points to a great lawgiver.

Opposing views include Theistic variations (Pantheism, Polytheism, Dualism, Deism) and Non-Theistic models (Atheism, Agnosticism).

III. The Nature and Attributes of God The nature of God is indivisible, numerically one, and simple—free from the compound nature (material and immaterial) of man. This undivided unity is declared in the Jewish Shema ("The Lord is one," Deut 6:4) and is entirely consistent with the Trinity. God is defined essentially as Spirit (immaterial and incorporeal, John 4:24), Light (majestic and invisible, 1 John 1:5; 1 Tim 1:17), and Love (1 John 4:17).

His specific characteristics, or attributes, are divided into two categories:

• Non-Moral (Essential) Attributes: God is Eternal, meaning He has no beginning or end ("I AM that I AM," Exo 3:1; Rev 1:8). He is Self-existent (Exo 3:14; John 1:4) and Immutable, being absolutely perfect and incapable of changing for the better or worse. He is Omnipotent, exercising absolute power directly (e.g., creation, miracles) and ordinate power through secondary causes. Furthermore, He is Omniscient, knowing all past, present, and future things by one simultaneous intuition without needing to learn, and He is Omnipresent, unlimited by space and time.

• Moral Attributes: These are communicable characteristics meant to be reflected in humanity. They include Perfect Holiness (the absolute standard intolerant of sin), Perfect Righteousness (holiness in action), Perfect Love (God is love, 1 John 4:8, 16), and Perfect Faithfulness (absolute reliability to His word).

References for The Doctrine of God

Primary Source

• Madurasinghe, Lakshman. CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE-Basic-reader-Prof.Lakshman-2015.pdf. Foundations of Christian Faith. 2015.

Historical & Theological References

• The Westminster Shorter Catechism: Specifically referenced for its comprehensive summary answering "What is God?" (Question 4), outlining God's essential nature and attributes.

• Strong's Systematic Theology: Cited for the concise definition: "God is the infinite and perfect spirit in whom all things have their source, support and end."

• Philosophical References: Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and G.W.F. Hegel are cited to contrast secular/philosophical definitions of the Divine with the scriptural revelation.

Primary Scriptural References

• Existence of God: Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:6.

• Nature of God (Unity, Spirit, Light, Love): Deuteronomy 6:4 (The Shema); John 4:24; 1 John 1:5; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:8, 16.

• Essential Attributes: Exodus 3:1, 14 (Eternal/Self-existent); Revelation 1:8; John 1:4.