...Larry D. McClain March 07, 2014 Introduction There are two distinct aspects of the doctrine of God – one being His nature that consists of things outside of Himself. During this paper, the focus will be on the God’s personality. It will solidify the importance of knowing His personal, Trinitarian subsistence and the impact it could have on your life and relationship with Him. The purpose of this paper is to identify one of the distinctive aspects of the doctrine of God – that being His personal, Trinitarian subsistence and how it could establish one’s relationship with Him. There is a need for this study because most attention is focused on God’s nature, those things outside of Himself. It is first a necessity to know God and have a relationship with Him before one can understand those things outside of Him. This subject warrants a study because some Christians don’t know what they don’t know. Historically, God is implied as to only presenting Himself to some, but in actuality His presence is availed to all. This argument will be expressed in three parts. Those parts being our knowledge of God, the nature of God, and (one) God in Trinity. Let’s first discuss our knowledge of God. Our Knowledge of God The bulk of our knowledge of God is based on our relationship with Him. Most people do not have a personal relationship with God; therefore, their knowledge of Him is very vague. The other two that are most common is His existence and immortality which establishes...
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...Nature of God Religion 212 Spring semester 2016 Professor Naomi Sanderovsky, Ph.D. Christy Carver Sanchez This semester in Religion I learned a lot about different religions. I learned that some of them, while they are very similar, have things that make them very different. Another thing I have learned is that all of them have a being or a deity that they look to as being their "God". In reading about some of these it really got me thinking a lot. Are our religions really all that different? So, in this paper, I will tell you about the different religions I learned about and what God or deity they believe in. in week two we talked about Hinduism and Jainism. These two religions were very interesting in the way they believe in God. You see they have two different ways of thinking but, even though they do it is still amazing to see how we can take some of their beliefs and incorporate them into our lives. The Hindus believe in Brahman as the supreme ruler or the one God. But, Brahman has three sides to him. He has the creator, the destroyer, and the preserver. They all have a name and are called by their names. You see the world has to have someone to create things and Brahman is the creators name. Then you have Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. They believe that Brahman lives in everyone. In our lives, we believe that our God lives in us and helps to guide us . In Jainism, they do not believe in a god but they believe in evil. They believe that everyone...
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...INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY GODS NATURE AND HIS ACTIVITY IN THE UNIVERSE BY BRIANT LUBANGA PRESENTED TO DR. PLAWSON KURIA IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (UCC 106) 1ST MARCH 2014 The book of Amos presents itself as very relevant and timely in our world today in terms of cultural, economic and ethical issues. The book is actually a message that was given during a time when the land of Israel was experiencing great prosperity and abundance. However, in the midst of this prosperity, the people ignored God and embraced vices such as extortion, hypocrisy, corruption and social injustices. Amos’ prophecy came as an announcement of the impending doom and judgment that God was going to release to the people. Eight times the prophetic warning spoke of the three, even four sins that the people had committed. This was an expression of the extent and magnitude of which it had gone beyond limit. These sins are what angered God and moved him to speak of bringing judgment upon them. Because of these sins, Gods warnings to them were a clear expression and communication of who he really is and what he stands for. It was not going to be business as usual because, just like in times past, God’s intolerance for sin had been experienced, and since he is a God who does not change, his response to these acts was going to openly manifest what his nature and character is truly like. As much as he is a God of mercy, we also see that his anger can be kindled...
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...In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston shows many examples of nature. Nature is used in many ways in this novel such as explaining character features or moods.As Zora “says you know , honey, us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways” (Hurston,15). Zora Neale Hurston is explaining in this quote by explaining how black people really have no origin or background being in a new place so how they walk, talk, and act won’t be the same to how others go about their daily lives as she says in the quote above. Zora in this quote explains the African-Americans have no real by saying they are like branches without roots.Mistis a character a young man married to a slave created by Zora Neale Hurston this quote explains the way mistis looks and feels in the quote“Look lak she been livin’ through uh hundred years in January without one day of spring.” (Hurston, 16)....
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...course was one that described the divine characteristics of God. Specifically, at least In Christianity, God is noted to have three aspects: omnipotence, omniscience, and omnibenevolence. By having each of those, God is viewed as an all-powerful, all knowing, and all good being. What I want to focus on is God’s son, Jesus. The doctrine in Christianity known as the trinity describes God as being one with Jesus, as well as the Holy Spirit. This union means that Jesus must be a divine being – Jesus is God. Clearly, however, Jesus is also depicted and described as one who is human as well. How can Jesus be both God and a man? How is it that Jesus is seen as having the divine characteristics that are fitting of God, yet has all the characteristics of a mortal? These are the questions I want to focus on and hopefully make some sense out of. Christian theology employs the idea of the Hypostatic union between God and Jesus which means that Christ is in fact one person with two fully complete natures. Jesus is completely human and completely God at the same time. There is no dilution or separation of these qualities. Jesus is simply both with the two distinct natures existing concurrently. However, I find issue with this idea. Is it not contradictory? Jesus obviously takes on the form of a mortal man as evidenced by certain passages in the scriptures. Luke 2:52 says “And Jesus grew in in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” This passage illustrates that Jesus may not have...
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...died in 1677. He was a rationalist, determinist and a pantheist. Spinoza’s philosophy was profoundly influenced by Descartes. His writings were mainly in Latin with few in Dutch. The most important of his works include the brief treatise of God, Man and his happiness, the tractacus theologico-politico, the cogitata metaphysica and, above all, his masterwork, published after his death: the ethica ordine geometric demonstrate. In our presentation, we will discuss his metaphysics and on his metaphysics we look at what is substance, substance-monism, God and the world, and communication between substances. We will look at his ethics and on his ethics we will consider his work on Man. We will discuss his epistemology and on his epistemology we will look at levels of knowledge. We will then proceed to criticize his philosophy and finally make our conclusion. METAPHYSICS Spinoza follows in the path established by Descartes. He adopts Descartes’ situation as his starting point. For Descartes, substance was understood as that which has need of nothing else in order to exist; strictly speaking, only God could be substance. Afterward Descartes came across other substances which did not need other creatures in order to exist, although they did need God; these were the res cogitans and res extansa. Spinoza accepts this quite rigorously, and defines substance in this way:...
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...penetrating all nature and humanity, are permeating throughout society today and contradict a majority of the Holy Bible’s truths. There are three main points that Transcendentalist believe about a higher power; these ideas however are not supported by the Holy Bible. The first Transcendentalist belief is that God is apart of nature and is nature; which is not Biblical. Christians believe that the Holy Bible is God breathed and they hold a high respect for its context. Looking at Nehemiah 9:6 it talks about God is the creator of all nature and his power is above everything he has created. According to the Bible it is clear that God is not nature and that he created nature to show his glory. Ralph...
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...died in 1677. He was a rationalist, determinist and a pantheist. Spinoza’s philosophy was profoundly influenced by Descartes. His writings were mainly in Latin with few in Dutch. The most important of his works include the brief treatise of God, Man and his happiness, the tractacus theologico-politico, the cogitata metaphysica and, above all, his masterwork, published after his death: the ethica ordine geometric demonstrate. In our presentation, we will discuss his metaphysics and on his metaphysics we look at what is substance, substance-monism, God and the world, and communication between substances. We will look at his ethics and on his ethics we will consider his work on Man. We will discuss his epistemology and on his epistemology we will look at levels of knowledge. We will then proceed to criticize his philosophy and finally make our conclusion. METAPHYSICS Spinoza follows in the path established by Descartes. He adopts Descartes’ situation as his starting point. For Descartes, substance was understood as that which has need of nothing else in order to exist; strictly speaking, only God could be substance. Afterward Descartes came across other substances which did not need other creatures in order to exist, although they did need God; these were the res cogitans and res extansa. Spinoza accepts this quite rigorously, and defines substance in this way: “by substance I understand, that which exists in itself and is conceived through itself, that is, that thing the concept...
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...Enlightened Literature on Human Nature The Age of Reason, also known as the Enlightenment, was a movement in which the power of reason was employed to rethink and reform society as a whole as well as various other concepts of human existence. During that time period (about 1650-1800), numerous thinkers such as John Locke, Isaac Newton and Voltaire exercised reason to challenge the basis of their society, which was built on the premise of an Almighty God. Prior to the Enlightenment, the answer to countless questions was only known to God and God alone; however, with the deterioration of this presumption, man was left to discover everything he once believed to be incomprehensible. These noble men questioned religion, science, mathematics and eventually came to question how men should be governed, how money and economics should function and how the human race should operate. The examination of mankind led to many varying philosophies that depicted men as wild, blood-thirsty beasts of passion or sensible, upright creatures, creating juxtaposition. Many forms of writing were directly influenced by the social and philosophical measures this time period contained. Articulated in the literature was man’s questioning of every idea that was once certain, promoting the desire to examine human nature. The influx of knowledge and reason combine with the rebuttal against the idea of an omniscient deity heavily influenced Enlightenment literature. With the invention of the printing press...
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...| Those that never saw God in one book, have saw him in another. | “This was the scripture…from the flowers of nature.” | The heathens knew how to read the letters from God better than the Christians. | “Nor do I so forget…which first did give it motion.” | God has created everything from schools to the sun and it should be adored. | “Now this course of…and conclude he could not.” | God is like a skillful geometrician; he has altered his work with the same instrument which may affect some of his designs. | “And thus I call…honour of our writings.” | The effects of nature are the works of God. | “I hold there is…than the principal fabric.” | There is a general beauty in the work of God so therefore no creature is ugly. | “To speak yet more narrowly…by the voice of God.” | There was never anything ugly and there was no deformity from the creations of God. | “Now nature is not at…for the nature is the art of God.” | All things are artificial; for nature is the art of God. | Theme: God created everything on Earth so therefore everyone and everything is beautiful. Support for Theme: 1. “I hold there is a general beauty in the works of God, and therefore no deformity in any kind or species of creature whatsoever.” 2. “To speak yet more narrowly, there never was anything ugly or misshapen, but the chaos; wherein, not withstanding, to speak strictly, there was no deformity, because no form; nor was it yet impregnant by the voice of God.” Vocabulary: New word...
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...worldview form the perspective of the Christian. Looking at the first two chapters of Genesis the nature of God is seen as being omnipotent. Christian Brady (2009) states, “To say that God is “omnipotent” seems redundant; God’s power is complete and all creation flows from it. God does not need to use intermediaries to achieve his creative goal, the elements respond to his every word” (Brady, 2009). He is almighty and having boundless authority and power. Research shows “It is left to the reader to deduce from the text the nature of this creator from the text. When one look at how the world was created he can clearly see that as God created the heavens and the earth all that was need was His mighty breath and His bold and authoritative voice. God spoke and things came into existence. Ed Hindson and Gary Yates (2012) states “the fact that man is the pinnacle of God’s creative work is evidence from His designation as God’s image bearer” (Ed Hindson, 2012). God is the creator of all things therefore making Him “The Source”. When one seek to discover the nature of God “Genesis portrays the God of Christianity (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) to be the God who is not only one, but is also more than one” (Grigg, 2005). His nature shows that He is the trinity (3 in 1), who can and did preform all the acts of creation. As God exhibited His seven day creation His perfect nature was again seen. After each act of creation...
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...be God." Seeing the puzzled look on your face, one of the men asks you what you think of this claim. Keeping this scenario in mind, answer the following questions in your essay: * What is the biblical basis for Jesus' humanity? In the Synoptic gospels, he was seen born of a woman, found lying in a cradle, growing, learning, subject to hunger, anxiety, doubt disappointment and surprise. Mark 2:15, 14:33; 15:34; Luke 2:40; 7:9, and finally to death and burial. Elwell. R.S WALLACE AND G.L. GREEN Pg 239 * What is the biblical basis for Jesus' deity? He claimed to forgive sin, thus assuming a prerogative that belong to God. Mark 2:5 – 7. He allows people to worship him, thus asserting himself as deity. Matthew 14:33, 28:9, John 20:28, 29 claimed any comparative attributes of omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. He claimed to be in heaven John 3:13 and then nature would obey his words Mark 4:39. See towns 156 Explain how Jesus can be both God and Man at the same time (Hypostatic Union). “In the incarnation of the son of God, a human nature was inseparably united forever with the divine nature into one person of Jesus Christ, yet with the two natures remain distinct, whole, and unchanged, without mixture or confusion, so that the one person, Jesus Christ, is truly God and truly.” Elwell C.BLAISING Pg 584 * * What does it mean for Jesus to be both God and Man? * Jesus was true God and true man. * It means that Christ two natures,(Divine...
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...The Two Natures of Jesus Angelia Pillow Bethel University Abstract This paper is a discussion of the dual natures of Jesus Christ. This human nature did not take away from his divine nature; they were together in one person, Jesus Christ The Two Natures of Jesus The Chalcedonean Creed states the following: That Jesus has two natures; he is God and man. Each nature is full and complete; he is fully God and fully man. Each nature remains distinct. Christ is only one person. Things that are true of only one nature are nonetheless true of the Person of Christ. To prove the duality of Jesus Christ would not be a simple task. It would be something that would take years just to come up with enough evidence just to prove whatever point you wished to fight for. Many people cannot even imagine much less truly understand how Jesus Christ was both God and Human in one body. Hypostatic Union is used to describe how Christ took human form and nature and still remained God at the same time; this divine form in a human form. He was one person with two natures; the divine nature and the human nature. These two natures do not separate from one another and they do not mix We can use the Bible to show many things about Jesus. We can see both his divinity and his humanity. Paul stated that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). Because of this Christians all over the world do not have any problems proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior (1 Cor. 12:3)...
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...Nature is a vital part of life. It is a part of everything that is, even culture comes from nature. Though nature has been associated with the spiritual world since ancient times, society’s view of nature has changed over time. In the Golden Age of men, nature and man existed in peaceful equilibrium, but as time went on and the world changed, nature grew to be seen in a more negative light, as a hindrance and at times an outright antagonistic presence against mankind. When reading medieval texts such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it becomes clear that the view of nature had retained this image as an undesirable force. Reviewing medievalist texts, like the film Princess Mononoke, presents a similar concept of nature, though it is given a greater presence than that given in Sir...
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...Debate: Personally why should there be a debate about God, and his where about and how and what he can and can’t do? Who is in control? God is! I know to some people this may not be an appropriate way to start this research paper, but it is what it is and I feel sad that this is how the world thinks and appreciate our God, our Father and Friend. It’s all in defining everything, and not just seeing God’s work and taking, God’s word and believing in God for whom he is. Defining God’s Providence, all things happens according to God’s Sovereign Will, “ God is in control. Romans 8:28 “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. When one defines God’s providence it is referring to the way God governs the world. Does God really sit on His throne and dictate or rule the world? It is not surprising that there is some disagreement in the evangelical world concerning the control of God, His dealing with salvation especially as affected by Jesus and the freewill of mankind. Some theologians think that the three are in contradictory of each other. Are they really in conflict with each other’s or can all three exist in full scriptural belief without doing any injustice to the other two? When one talks about the sovereignty of God the actual word is not used in the bible but He is there throughout scripture instructing and directing. Although God is omnipotent and a lot of people constantly states that...
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