Questions tagged [nature-of-god]

The nature of God includes all aspects and characteristics attributed directly to the person of God, possibly including all the omni- aspects (e.g. omniscience), love, hate, persons (e.g. the Trinity) or other attributes.

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What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?

The word/term "trinity" is never used in the Bible. However, most Christians believe that God exists as three persons in one God-head. This question has two parts: What is the Biblical basis for the ...
warren's user avatar
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What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

Muslims claim that they worship the same god as Christians do. (Similarly, Christians claim to worship the same God as the Jews do.) Are there any Christian denominations that accept this claim? If ...
Richard's user avatar
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55 votes
10 answers
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Why is Christianity considered a monotheistic religion?

One of the commandments states "place no other gods before me". Does this mean God is implying the existence of other gods, or why is this explicitly stated? The Biblical universe also includes a ...
Andrew Vit's user avatar
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45 votes
12 answers
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How can the Son not know what the Father knows?

Matthew 24:36 (NLT) Mark 13:32 (NLT) 36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.” Now ...
El'endia Starman's user avatar
42 votes
17 answers
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Does God have a sense of humor? Does he laugh?

I've always heard "God must have a sense of humor because he created X". Usually X is "the platypus" or "me". Also, it should be evident that Jesus, being human, had a sense of humor. It's part of ...
Richard's user avatar
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40 votes
11 answers
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How do Christians understand the omniscience of God in relation to the Uncertainty Principle? [closed]

One of the foundations of modern quantum mechanics is the Uncertainty Principle. This principle is not an assumption, but rather is derived from assumptions made with regard to the structure of ...
AdamRedwine's user avatar
34 votes
11 answers
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Did God change from a wrathful God to a loving God between Old Testament and New Testament?

This question is mainly to the evangelical Christians and Bible believing Christians, who believe that God doesn't change and His nature is Love. The Old Testament is filled with accounts that ...
TeluguBeliever's user avatar
29 votes
9 answers
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Can man judge whether God is fair? [closed]

Over and over I hear people pronouncing in one way or another that God is "not fair"*. Sometimes this is stated directly, other times indirectly as in "that doesn't seem fair, therefore God must not ...
Caleb's user avatar
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29 votes
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How could Jacob wrestle with God if no one can see God and live?

Is this a contradiction? Or am I missing something. It seems strange to think one can "wrestle" with God. Genesis 32:30 (NIV): 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God ...
clicker's user avatar
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28 votes
16 answers
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Do miracles violate the laws of physics? [closed]

I asked a Christian today whether he believed that Jesus turning water into wine literally happened, or was just a metaphor. He said it literally happened, and also that other miracles literally ...
Golden Cuy's user avatar
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3 answers
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What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?

In related form to a previous question on the basis for the Trinity, what is the Biblical basis for disbelief of the doctrine? Not all Christians (and perhaps not all branches of Christendom) hold to ...
warren's user avatar
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What is the Biblical evidence that there are ONLY three persons in the "Trinity"?

(This is a followup to the various answers for the question What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?) The specific concept of 'trinity' isn't specifically spelled out in the Bible. ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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What exactly does it mean that Jesus Christ is the son of God?

What does it mean to a Christian that Christ is the son of God? On the one hand, obviously, the normal biological meaning of son does not apply. On the other hand, "we are all children of God", but ...
terdon's user avatar
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22 votes
11 answers
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How can a loving God make a deal with the devil? [closed]

In the book of Job, as best as I can see, God ruined Job's life over a bet (Job 1:9-12, 2:4-6). People and livestock who weren't even involved died (Job 1:13-19). Moreover, God literally made this ...
Eva's user avatar
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22 votes
7 answers
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How does LDS doctrine reconcile monotheism with men becoming gods?

A follow-up to this question, if the LDS church teaches that men can become gods, how does it reconcile this with the concept that there is only one God? Isaiah 45:5: I am the LORD, and there is ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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22 votes
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Does the triune God have will by nature, or by persons? [closed]

Given the triune God, one nature and three persons, do they experience their will in their singular nature or in their separate persons? That is, do they share one will, or does each have a separate ...
user avatar
21 votes
6 answers
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Why is God asking questions or appearing uncertain in the Bible if He's omniscient?

Is God omniscient? lists all the passages were it is written that God is omniscient. Reading other passages, I found a few things that seemingly contradict this: In Genesis 3:8-13 God asks Adam and ...
user avatar
21 votes
13 answers
10k views

How can a Wholly Good God Deliberately Create Evil?

I think it's pretty universally accepted that God is wholly good. Indeed, many sources, including lots of answers on this website, are based on the belief that God is the perfect standard of goodness....
Adam George's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the Mormon doctrine regarding becoming a god?

Per the doctrine of the Latter Day Saints, it seems that God was once a man. Following this out just one step further leads me to the idea that it may be possible for other men to be come a god. ...
Richard's user avatar
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Does God need our praise and glory? [closed]

From what I've heard, God wants us to glorify him and give him praise, and he enjoys when we do this. Does God need us to do this for some reason?
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Is there a hierarchy in the Trinity? [closed]

It seems that there is some form of hierarchy within the Trinity. For example, these passages seem to indicate that the Holy Spirit is subservient to the Father and Jesus: John 14:26 (NIV) But the ...
Richard's user avatar
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18 votes
5 answers
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Does God have free will? [closed]

To clarify the question - when I mention God here I am referring to God the Father and by free will, the best non-contradictory definition according to the Bible I have heard is "the ability to act ...
Steve Moser's user avatar
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What is the Word of Faith teaching on "little gods"

Rather than assuming Wikipedia is accurate, I thought I'd as for a better sourced answer to the question. Wikipedia's article on the Word of Faith movement lists various controversies regarding Word ...
David Stratton's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
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What is the basis of the argument that Open Theism is heretical?

John Piper has said that open theism (i.e. the notion that God himself changes over time and can choose to be ignorant of His own future if He so chooses) "is an attack, however unwittingly, on the ...
Harry James Fox's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
2k views

Does God hate Sinners like he hates Sin? [closed]

I've heard it a thousand times, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Recently I came across a verse in Psalms 5:5 Psalm 5:5 (KJV) The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all ...
capitalaudience.com's user avatar
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3 answers
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According to LDS (Mormon) teaching, who was the first God who began the eternal progression?

I understand that the LDS church teaches the concept of eternal progression, that "As God is, so man can become and as man is, so God once was." So, men may attain godhood in exaltation. By ...
Narnian's user avatar
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17 votes
9 answers
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Why is the Trinity a Trinity? [closed]

It's well established and accepted by most Christians that God is triune, consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, while talking with a friend earlier about Wisdom (from Proverbs), I ...
El'endia Starman's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
16k views

Is Partialism a real heresy?

This YouTube video identifies Partialism as a heresy. It states that Partialism is the heresy wherein The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are each described as 1/3 of God. To me, it's a vaguely familiar ...
svidgen's user avatar
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Did anyone understand the Holy Spirit to be a person prior to the Council of Constantinople in AD 381?

Do we know of any case of the concept of the Holy Spirit being a person existing among Christians before the Constantinople council of 381 A.D.? The reason I am asking this question is because one ...
brilliant's user avatar
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17 votes
4 answers
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According to Calvinism, why does God give mercy to some and not to others?

So according to Calvinism as I understand it... ...God has chosen from eternity to extend mercy to those he has chosen and to withhold mercy from those not chosen. Those chosen receive salvation ...
LCIII's user avatar
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17 votes
6 answers
9k views

Is an action morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good? [closed]

The christian morality derives from God, and God is benevolent so whatever he commands is morally good. Does that mean that anything God does or commands is morally right? Or does God only act and ...
Mad Scientist's user avatar
17 votes
3 answers
13k views

How is it that an unchanging and omniscient God can have "regret" as He did in Gen 6:7? [closed]

In Genesis 6:7, we read, "So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—...
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17 votes
5 answers
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What is the verdict on an unjust judge? [closed]

In order to ask this, let me set a stage. This is just a scenario that will be recast in a second. As Christians we believe that God is good. We trumpet his justice, rightness, holiness, and so on ...
Caleb's user avatar
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16 votes
3 answers
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If jealousy is sin, how can God be jealous?

Exodus 20:4–5 reads: for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me But jealousy is sin, ...
granmirupa's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
1k views

If Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) don't believe in a Holy Trinity, then who do they believe is God?

It's a pretty well-known fact that Latter-Day Saint members (aka Mormons) do not believe in the Holy Trinity, i.e., that God, Christ and the Holy Ghost are 'one'. So what exactly do they believe in, ...
James Mertz's user avatar
16 votes
9 answers
3k views

How do Christians reconcile God's omnipotence with his omniscience?

If God is truly omniscient as in "all knowing", then God knows everything including the future. But doesn't this then remove his choice to do something other than the choices he takes in the future ...
zipquincy's user avatar
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16 votes
4 answers
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Why did God change Jacob's name to Israel?

I am reading the book of Genesis, and I have noticed that God changes certain people's names, such as Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel. Why does he change their names? What does it symbolize? ...
user5513's user avatar
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16 votes
8 answers
3k views

Was Jesus finite or infinite? (human or God?) [closed]

I've always heard it said that Jesus was "completely human" and "completely God". How could he be both human (finite by very nature) and God (infinite by very nature)?
Richard's user avatar
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16 votes
3 answers
7k views

Why is the number seven special?

God seems to favor the number seven and I'm not sure why. Is there a reason, or is this just His favorite number? You'll notice that God not only uses the number seven, but multiplies other numbers ...
capitalaudience.com's user avatar
15 votes
6 answers
13k views

Is there any biblical justification for referring to God as Mother?

On one occasion, I heard someone prayer, "To God, our Father and Mother." In The Shack, the Trinity is represented as three persons, where God the Father is a woman. Is there any biblical ...
Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE's user avatar
15 votes
6 answers
4k views

How do Trinitarians explain John 17:3?

Unitarians use John 17:3 to affirm their faith that the Father alone is the only true God. They would say that this is the strongest evidence that there is only one person who is true God. Thus, the ...
R. Brown's user avatar
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15 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is the biblical basis for the personhood of the Holy Spirit?

According to Trinitarian theology, the Holy Trinity consists of three persons (τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις), the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who share the same essence/nature (ὁμοούσιος). What is the ...
user avatar
15 votes
6 answers
48k views

Why is the number three special? [closed]

What is the significance to the number 3 in the Bible? There is already a question about the number seven, but no one said anything about 3. Here are a few 3's I came up with: The Trinity (Godhead) ...
styfle's user avatar
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15 votes
1 answer
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According to the Catholic Church, why is God called “Father” (and not, say, “Mother”)?

Throughout the Bible, Jesus specifically refers to God as Father, and us as his sons. Why is it significant that God is a Father? Why did God choose the image of “Father,” as opposed to other ...
AthanasiusOfAlex's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
802 views

Is God just and/or merciful?

I am told, repeatedly, with great intensity and sincerity that YHVH / the LORD is kind and merciful, forgiving of all sins. Now, I read the Bible enough. God's main demonstrations of power seem to be,...
jamesson's user avatar
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15 votes
8 answers
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If Christ is considered the 'Son of God' then how is He a part of a Trinity?

Note: This is in NO way a troll or a poke at any faith that believes in the doctrine of the Trinity but rather is simply a question for clarity. There are several passages within the bible that ...
James Mertz's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
1k views

What is the basis for believing that the wrath of God is not an accommodation?

It is widely accepted that the Bible contains many accommodated descriptions of God; the finite human mind cannot comprehend the infinite God, so he has revealed himself to us in ways which we can ...
curiousdannii's user avatar
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14 votes
16 answers
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What are the main views on who created God?

The question of man's creation is addressed quite thoroughly in the Bible (whether you believe it is metaphorical or not). Does the Bible (or other relevant references) in any way answer who created ...
Nicole's user avatar
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14 votes
5 answers
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What does the Bible say about God being a different type of being than man?

Most Christians believe God and man are different types of being (Mormons are a notable exception). What passages in the Bible support this? Or is it inferred by the doctrine of the Trinity and the ...
user avatar
14 votes
5 answers
562 views

Is God of Anger or of Love? [closed]

Numbers 25 shows God as a god who destroys and kills anyone who aligns him/herself with the wrong deity. However, Matthew 5:39 talks about how we should "not resist an evil person". How can we ...
Richard's user avatar
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