In an age dominated by text-based communication, where words on social media become identity markers, we may ask ourselves: Who or what, in this world of words, is the Word of God? And how do we discern our response to hearing and receiving such a Word?
How do we define the Word of God? Karl Barth, the 20th-century Swiss theologian, describes the Word of God as an “address” identified in a three-form way. The Word of God can be Christ, the scriptures or the preaching event. While God uses human means to reveal God’s self, God’s revelation is not limited to our human attempts. However, God’s revelation becomes alive and active through human participation aided by the Spirit in ways that often appear surprising to us.
In examining how we discern the Word of God, I discovered an overlooked source of wisdom: Julia Foote, a 19th-century African American preacher and evangelist.
“Pairing Scripture with contemporary events, guided by the Spirit’s movement, enables us to see and experience Scripture and our own contexts anew.”
Foote exemplifies how we might use these various forms to speak about God’s calling for and to us. Born in New York to formerly enslaved parents, she received a calling to preach, struggling against sexism and racism along the way. She became the first woman to be ordained a deacon in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and before her death in 1900, was the second woman to be ordained as an elder.
As Lisa Zimerelli suggests, Foote carefully discerns contemporary concerns while penning her autobiography, weaving language from current events along with Scripture and hymns to share how God might be revealed to her and her community. She borrows phrases from Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the 1857 Dred Scott decision, both of which depicted racial inequality. Those reading her words may have recognized these phrases as they plagued the American consciousness before and after the Civil War.
She then uses Scripture to counter such phrases, recognizing that Joel 2 and Galatians 3:28 affirm all persons are equal as siblings in Christ, and that the Spirit’s presence in her and in women of the Bible affirm her calling. She vows to continue to preach “though hell may rage and vent its spite.”
Julia A. J. Foote
It wasn’t just hell raging: Foote encounters raging white folks and church authorities. Her firm footing in the biblical narratives and church history enables her to stand strong and continue to travel and preach.
By weaving contemporary political events into her own experiences as a black woman pastor, Foote demonstrates that everything in our public life is touched by God’s Word(s). While the church does not (and should not) control public life, the Spirit’s presence is not solely confined to church or Bible study. For her, faith experiences do not end after church on Sunday morning, but color everything she says and does. Thus, she can bring the Bible to speak to her era’s most critical concerns.
Following Foote’s methodology, what popular phrases in our era can be illuminated or critiqued by the Word of God? Donald Trump’s presidential slogan, “Make America Great Again” comes to mind as a contentious phrase in American consciousness. How might we use God’s Word to reflect upon this?
I’m reminded of the Hebrew people grumbling to Moses in the wilderness. While they were freed from Egypt’s brutal control, they remained uncertain of what lay ahead and, in that moment, longed to go back to the insular familiarity rather than embrace what God laid before them. They expressed their longings to Moses and Aaron: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3). The nostalgia of home hindered their ability to trust God. They preferred familiar enslavement rather than a new freedom.
Might that be the case for those who desire to make American great again? When was America “great,” and did this greatness include people of all economic classes, races, genders and sexual orientations? Was this an America of justice, humility and kindness (Micah 6:8)?
Pairing Scripture with contemporary events, guided by the Spirit’s movement, enables us to see and experience Scripture and our own contexts anew. This is the gift that Julia Foote offers us, writing words about God so that we may know more fully the liberating Word of God for our own time.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. – Revelation 19:13
Recently I was reading 1 Peter 2:2 and it dawned on me just how conditioned we have become to reading things into texts which they do not actually say. That particular verse speaks of desiring the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby which most people have interpreted to say “read your bible”. However the next verse tells us that those who drink this pure milk will taste that the Lord is gracious. Then Paul uses the word scripture in verse 6 when he quotes from Isaiah and the Psalms which should tell us that he is making a clear distinction between the word and scriptures. It got me thinking about how many verses may have been misinterpreted in a similar manner and so I started looking through all the word of God or word of the Lord scriptures (about 500 of them) to see what they actually said.
Why is this important?
image credit facebook/UnboxedFreethinker
I think the quote above puts it well. While I have a deep love for the bible and devote a significant amount of time to studying what it says; it can easily serve as a substitute to true fellowship and intimacy with Christ. One can know the commands and even do a pretty good job adhering to them without ever knowing the one who spoke them. It is similar to what Israel did at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 and 20 when God invited them to be a kingdom of priests (19:6). There fearful response was to tell Moses that he should rather speak to God on their behalf and they would do whatever he told them. We are comfortable with the list of do and do not’s because they deal with the external, giving us a sense of spirituality without becoming too vulnerable. Let me say it this way rather, knowing scripture is extremely important but knowing God is the non negotiable.
The word or the Word?
Most of the times that we read the phrase ‘the word’ in the bible, it is simply referring to a message from God to someone or to a group of people. There are only a few cases where one could argue that ‘the word’ may be referring to scripture as a whole (possibly 1 Timothy 5:17 and Mark 7:13). So when looking at the phrase one needs to exercise some common sense and look at the context in which it was written to determine what the writer meant. With that in mind, I would like to share some of the scriptures that I came across which perhaps do not say what we always thought they did and in doing so, make a case for ‘the word’ when it is not simply a message, almost always equating to Jesus rather than scripture.
Genesis 15:1 — After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, «Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.»
The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Abram did not receive the bible but a message from a someone.
1 Samuel 15:23 — For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.»
The word of the Lord is often referred to as a ‘he’ in scripture, this is but one example.
Psalm 105:19 — Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.
Once again, the word sounds like a person.
John 1:1 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This is probably the most famous Jesus equals the word verse but even so, I have had people fight with me arguing that even John 1 refers to the bible. To me that is outright idolatry.
John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word equals Jesus.
John 17:17 — Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
The context here is confirmed in verse 19, “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” Word equals Christ.
Acts 8:14 — When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
Who or what was the word that the Samaritans accepted? Verse 5 in the same chapter tells us, “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.”
Acts 11:1 — The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
The word of God that the Gentiles received is described in Acts 10:42-43, “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.«
Acts 13:26 — Men, brothers and children of the lineage of Abraham, and those who worship God with you: To you He has been sent: The Word of Life.
A lot of versions use the phrase “message of salvation” in this verse. However the following verse reveals that Luke was referring to a person;“»For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.”
Hebrews 11:3 — By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
To state the obvious, the bible is indeed visible and did not create the world.
1 Peter 1:23 — For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
We are born again through the living Christ. Not through seminaries and verse memory cards.
1 John 1:1 — That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
The next two verses reveal just who the Word of life is, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:10 — If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Who is the word who is not in those who claim they have not sinned? According to verse 7, “…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
1 John 2:14 — I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Verse 6 confirms who the word is who abides in us, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
1 John 5:7 — For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
I shared this only because I was surprised at the amount of verses that confirm Jesus is the Word of God. This list is hardly exhaustive (about 20% of what I found) as I still wanted this to be readable. What can we gain from all of this? Read scripture more carefully, the bible is like a sign post pointing us toward life. Read it, see where it points you and be sure to share its message with others as well. But if we stop there we would be the most foolish of all men. Those who never received the Word that scripture pointed us to all along.
All of us, as Christians believe that we must obey the Word of God. But what exactly is the Biblical Definition for the “Word of God”? Is it the whole Bible? Or is it part of the Bible? Can parts of God’s Word, even be done away? What did Christ refer to as the “Word of God”? As followers of Christ, we must have a clear understanding of this definition, and this is exactly what we hope to research in this short study.
In an earlier post (What does it mean to be like a “Berean”?) we learned that Christ, His disciples and all of the writers of the New Testament agreed that “Scripture” in their eyes was what we call, the “Old Testament”. A basic knowledge of History would allow anyone to know that the New Testament writings were compiled almost 3 Centuries after the time of Christ. If this is so, what did Christ and all His disciples refer to as the “Word of God”. Let’s look at the evidence.
1. Christ said that Man lives not by food alone, but by the “Word of God” quoting Deut 8:3
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
We can conclude that every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God is known as the “Word of God” by comparing Mat 4:4 with Luk 4:4. We can also understand that the “Word of God” referred by Christ in these verses, is the same as what was referred to by Moses in Deut 8:3, as this is the exact verse quoted by Messiah.
2. Christ confirms that God’s Commandments given through Moses is the “Word of God”
Mar 7:9-13 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
In the above passage, Yeshua(Jesus’ true name) rebukes the Pharisees telling them that they are breaking God’s Commandments by keeping their own traditions (Please read about the Pharisees for a clearer explanation on what they believed). One of the most important things that many glance across in this reading, is that Christ calls the Commandments of God, given through Moses as the “Word of God”.
3. Christ preached the “Word of God”
Luk 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
Christ preached the Word of God as clearly stated in the above passage. If the “Word of God” was (by His own definition), the writings of Moses, then this means that what He preached came from what we now call the Old Testament. (Much of the misunderstandings, such as Christ abolished the Law, comes from a weak knowledge of what He preached. Read an example here)
4. Christ called whoever hears the “Word of God” and does it, “Blessed” and also part of “His own Family”
Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luk 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
5. The “Word of God” stands forever according to Isaiah and Peter
Isa 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
1Pe 1:24,25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
We see Peter quoting the words written by Isaiah agreeing with him, that “God’s Word” stands forever, which means it cannot fade away or be abolished.
6. Christ says that “Scripture” (which is the Old Testament) cannot be broken, and refers to it as the “Word of God”
Joh 10:34,35 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
In the above verse we see Christ quoting Psalms 82:6, and goes on to say that Scripture cannot be broken (done away/abolished). Furthermore, He calls the people who received this Word (which is in Psalms, which is part of the Old Testament) as the ones to whom the “Word of God” came. Thereby making “The Word of God” equal to “The Scriptures” or “Old Testament” as it is known today.
7.Conclusion
Yeshua saw every word that proceeded from God’s Mouth as “The Word of God”, and clearly equaled it to the writings of Moses in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament we see clear phrases such as “The LORD (Yehovah) spoke”(Exo 25:1) or “The Word of the Lord came”(Gen 15:1) that refers to “God’s Word” or the “Word of God”.
Even though much of today’s believers are taught that some parts of the Bible are no longer valid for them, and that the “Word of God” is the New Testament Writings, looking at the evidence, we can conclude that “The Old Testament” was regarded as the “Word of God” by our Messiah. If anyone teaches or believes that the Old Testament is done away, they are inadvertently saying that God’s Words are abolished.
It is time that we ask ourselves important questions such as, can parts of God’s Word be abolished, done away or removed?… When Peter and Isaiah both say that “The Word of God” endures forever. Through Yeshua’s own Words and testimony it is clear that this cannot be, and that He regarded “The Scriptures” which is “the Old Testament” as the authoritative “Word of God”. As a follower of Christ, what do you believe?
What Does the Phrase, “the Word of God” Mean?
Why the Bible Is So Special – Question 10
The phrase, “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord” has a number of different meanings in Scripture. It can mean either something that God has decreed, something that God has said when addressing humans, words that God spoke through the prophets, Jesus Christ, or finally, God’s written Word.
This can be illustrated as follows:
1. It Can Be Something That God Has Decreed
God’s decrees are His divine pronouncements. His words cause things to happen. Specifically, the Bible gives a number of examples of this. In Genesis, we read that God commands light to appear:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3 NASB)
Light comes about because of the spoken word of God. He spoke, light appeared.
When God decrees something that will, of necessity, come about, it is known as “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord.” The psalmist wrote:
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. (Psalm 33:6 NASB)
The New English Translation puts it this way:
By the LORD’s decree the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. (Psalm 33:6 NET)
The heavens were created by the divine decrees of God.
These types of decrees were something that God desired to occur ? they were not necessarily spoken to anyone. Yet, they are called “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord.” Indeed, the universe is upheld by the Word of God. The writer to the Hebrews said:
The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)
Therefore, God’s divine speech causes certain events to happen, and on some occasions, causes things to come into being. His divine decrees caused the universe to come about and it allows the universe to continue to exist.
2. It May Refer to God Verbally Addressing Humans: Personal Address
When God verbally addressed certain humans in the past, His words were known as the Word of God. Scripture gives a number of illustrations of God addressing humans in human language. For example, God personally spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden:
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NRSV)
Thus, the phrase, “the Word of God” or the “Word of the Lord” can refer to the actual words God used in speaking to humans in their own language. This type of personal address from God is found throughout Scripture. When the Ten Commandments were given, God personally spoke them to Moses. The Bible says:
And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3 RSV)
Therefore, the Word of God may refer to the actual words that God spoke to humans. In these instances, the people were hearing the very voice of the living God. His words were completely understandable; spoken in ordinary human language. The people were expected to obey these words that God had spoken.
3. It Can Refer to God Speaking Through Human Prophets
The phrase, “Word of God” is also used of something that is said by God’s chosen spokesmen. The Bible says that God spoke to His people through the words of the prophets. These words consisted of ordinary language spoken through human beings.
When the biblical prophets spoke for the Lord, their words were called the “Word of God.” The Lord promised that the prophets would speak His words. He said to Moses:
I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I want. I myself will hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet will speak in my name. But any prophet who presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods?that prophet must die. (Deuteronomy 18:18-20 NET)
While the words of the prophets were the speech of human beings, they carried God’s divine authority. The words spoken by God’s prophets were supposed to be obeyed. However, those who falsely claimed to speak God’s word were to be punished.
In another instance, the Lord promised to tell the prophet Jeremiah what to say to the people. The Bible says:
The LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” (Jeremiah 1:7 NET)
The Lord assured Jeremiah that his words to the people would be God’s words. We also read in Jeremiah:
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me.” (Jeremiah 1:9 NET)
Scripture makes no distinction in the authority of the words that God directly spoke and those things that were spoken by His prophets. Everything that was said was considered to be the Word of God because God was their ultimate source. God used ordinary human beings and spoke through them in their own language to communicate the Word of God. Consequently, the words were to be obeyed.
We must note that while God did personally speak to humans, or used humans as His personal spokesmen, these occurrences were rare ? they were not the norm. This was not the way in which He regularly communicated with humanity.
4. Jesus Christ Is the Word of God
God the Son, Jesus Christ, is known as the Word of God. At the beginning of John’s gospel we read the following:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)
In the Book of Revelation, John describes the risen Christ as the “Word of God.” He wrote:
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13 ESV)
The New Living Translation says:
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13 NLT)
This description, the Word of God, is only used for God the Son; it is not used for God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the one member of the Trinity who personally communicated God to humanity. However, since there are only two references in the New Testament that refer to Jesus Christ as the Word of God, this usage is rare.
5. It Also Refers to God’s Written Word
Finally, the “Word of God” can refer to God’s Word in written formPsalm 19:9-10the Bible. After being proclaimed orally, God’s Word was put into written form. Moses was told to write down God’s words:
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 17:14 NIV)
Elsewhere, we again read about God telling Moses to write something down:
And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” (Exodus 34:27 RSV)
In the New Testament, Jesus contrasted the written Word of God with the ungodly tradition of the people. He said:
But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” he certainly does not honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. (Matthew 15:5-6 NET)
According to Jesus, these human-made traditions nullified the Word of God. The written Word of God, the Hebrew Scripture, was the only source of authority for the people until Jesus came. While these were human words, they still carried God’s divine authority.
The New Testament appears to use the terms “Word of God,” “Word of the Lord” and “Word of Christ” interchangeably. All of them refer to God’s authoritative Word.
Therefore, we find that the Scripture uses the phrase “the Word of God” in five distinct ways: God’s divine decrees, God personally speaking to people in their language, the words of God’s divinely inspired prophets, Jesus Christ and the written Word of God. The context must determine how the phrase is to be understood.
Summary – Question 10
What Does the Phrase, “the Word of God” Mean?
The phrase, “the Word of God” is used in a number of different ways. It refers to something that God has decreed to come to pass. It is also used of the actual spoken words of God. Words that God has spoken through the prophets can also be called “the Word of God.” Jesus Christ Himself is called the Word of God. Finally, the phrase can also refer to God’s written Word.
The words that were delivered by God’s designated spokesmen, the prophets, as well as the written Word of God, though not as dramatic, carried the same authority as the actual words spoken by God.
While all five ways that God has spoken to humanity can be called the “Word of God,” the only form available to us to study is the written Scripture. Indeed, we would not know about the other four areas of God’s Word except for the written Word in Scripture.
One of the most common questions an atheist may try to pose to a Christian is, “where did God come from?” In other words, who created God? Or when did God begin?
The question itself is actually misleading because of God’s eternal nature. God didn’t spontaneously appear; he’s always been there. When a Christian tends to establish God’s eternal nature, the atheist may follow-up with a different question, “but doesn’t everything have to be created to exist? So how can God exist if he wasn’t created?”
Again, that question can run into a number of problems. First, if something supposedly created God, then who created that being who created God? The series of beings creating the next being would go on ad infinitem. Which, of course, would be impossible.
No, just as stated in Aristotelian philosophy, we need an unmoved mover to logically stop this ad infinitem series of one creator continually being created. We need God.
This article will endeavor to discuss the origins of the word God, answer the question of who created God or where he came from, cover God’s omnipotence and omniscience, and how we can know God is really there.
What Does the Word «God» Mean?
The origin of the word god is a bit enigmatic. Our English version of the word comes from a Greek word meaning “to pour,” but may also have been influenced by a mix of other cultures and languages, as explained by the Online Etymology Dictionary. However, of course, the concept of God existed long before then.
In Hebrew, there are various names for our God, but in terms of a false deity, we see the word elohyim used in the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3) about having no other gods before the one true God. The word tends to mean rulers, judges, or divine ones.
Other names for God we see in the Old and New Testament are Jehovah/Yahweh (Genesis 2:8) — the existing one — Adonai (Genesis 15:2) — Lord, Master, among others, listed here by Blue Letter Bible.
What/Who Is God?
God is the Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:1). Through him and by him, all things are made (Romans 11:36). He sustains every living thing. Every living thing is finite and contingent upon his existence. Because of his infinite nature, he is not reliant on anything for his existence.
To answer the question posed above, nothing created God. Nothing had to. If something always existed (eternal) then nothing can create it.
This is part of the reason why atheists may try to argue that the universe always existed, because then it wouldn’t need a Creator. Something eternal isn’t contingent. Of course, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, as explained here by Live Science, shows the universe has a limited amount of energy and is therefore finite.
And therefore, it needed a Creator.
God is also our Father as well as Creator. He didn’t simply create everything, sit back, and let the world tick on its own, as a deist perspective might suggest. Instead, he made himself part of the narrative.
We, his creation, are his children. We can see verses about God’s fatherhood throughout the Old and New Testament. God has compassion for his children (Psalm 103:13) and those who honor him. He cares for all creation and values us greatly (Matthew 6:26). We come to know God the Father through our relationship with Jesus (John 14:6), and our Father is everlasting (Isaiah 9:6)
Where Did God Come From?
So if God is everlasting, where did he come from?
The question is contradictory. God does not change, he does not move, and he didn’t come from somewhere (Hebrews 13:8). He always was, is, and is to come.
For more verses about God, click here.
What Was God Doing before Creation?
This may prompt us to wonder what God was doing before Creation. After all, Creation started at a set point in time, and God, being eternal, is outside of time. So what did God do before He made the world?
As this article from Ken Ham points out, this question also misunderstands that when God created the Universe, he also created time. Time needs space and matter to exist, and neither existed until God created them. “Before creation” technically is a misnomer because God exists in eternity and isn’t bound by the constraints of a timeline. Time didn’t exist until God declared it to exist.
Still, we shouldn’t assume God was doing nothing, as stated in this article by Don Stewart. He had an eternal plan (John 17:24) before Creation. Also, we do have to keep in mind that God wasn’t alone. God is the Trinity, three persons in one. God didn’t need Creation to fill a loneliness in his heart.
It gets a little confusing, but as humans, we have finite minds, attempting to comprehend an infinite God.
What Does It Mean That God Is Omnipotent and Omniscient?
We have two other difficult concepts to understand about God.
First: He’s all powerful (Omnipotent, Job 42:2)
Second: He’s all knowing (Omniscient)
These two play into his eternal nature because if he wasn’t either, he would be finite. And if he’s finite, he’s dependent on something. And if God is dependent on something, that means we need to worship something greater than him.
Lucky for us, God is both of those things, and therefore not finite in his power or wisdom. Diving further into either of those would take entire articles and books.
What Makes the Christian God Different Than Other Gods?
So if God created the world, how do we know he’s any different than the gods of other religions? Those groups claim their god also created, and some of those gods appear to be all powerful or all knowing.
Here’s how we know our God is distinctive.
First, he wants a personal relationship with his creation. No other god is willing to come down in the form of man, suffer a horrendous death, for the sake of having a relationship with their creation. You do not see that in other religions.
Second, the religious texts for our God are scientifically, historically, and prophetically more accurate than the texts of any other religion. Although you can’t use a text as definitive proof of someone’s existence, it certainly bolsters the possibility. For an in-depth analysis of this, check out Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.
Third, God is not dependent on his creation. Other religions (both monotheistic and polytheistic) run into a couple of theological issues. If the god is one and only one, then the god creates out of boredom or loneliness. That would make the god dependent on his creation. If there are many gods, then there is no one true powerful being, and therefore, they are finite in power. However, if God is one, but with three persons within the one (the Trinity) then God creates as an act of love, not necessity, and maintains His omnipotence.
How Can We Know God Is Really There?
We can see God in creation. The irreducible complexity of all creation points to intelligent design. The beauty and practicality of all creation shows God cares for those he creates and appreciates our beauty.
On a logical standpoint, we have to consider how the universe came into existence in the first place. Because of the second law of thermodynamics, the universe is finite. That means something infinite had to create it. And based on the mathematical patterns and complexity we see in creation, it had to be something all-powerful, personal, and eternal.
All of creation points to a Creator (Psalm 19:1-4)
So we can ask where did God come from, or who created God? The answer is that God has always been there, and no one created him.
But he did create us. We can see his fingerprints on everything. Creation proves God’s infinite nature, his compassionate spirit, and his power and knowledge. Better than any other god presented by any other religion, our Father wants a personal relationship with his creation.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Greg Rakozy