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Theology Notes

Class Four Notes

The Incommunicable Attributes of God, Part 1

Read Grudem pp 156-160. Jot down any important truths that you learn.

Ways to know God

His Appellation

Names of God

First, the name of God matters.

List some of God‟s names from other religions and cults:

What would you to say to someone who says it doesn‟t matter what you believe as long as you

are sincere?

The importance of names. Who got a name change and why?

Gen 17:4f

Gen 32:28

Matt 16:17f

El

Psalm 80:10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars (lit. cedars of ’El)

with its branches.

Psalm 36:6

Genesis 31:29 and Deut 28:32

So when the Bible refers to God as ’El or God, it means that He is _____________________.

People in the OT often named their children to signify something about the character of God,

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Eliezer “God is help”

Elhanan “God is gracious”

Eliab “God is Father”

Eliakim “God raises up”

Nathaniel “God has given”

Samuel “God has heard”

This word for God, ’El, occurs about _______ times in the OT.

’Elohim (plural).

’Elohim occurs over ____________ times.

What‟s the point?

El Shaddai.

Genesis 28:3 May God Almighty (’El Shaddai) bless you and make you fruitful and increase your

numbers until you become a community of peoples.

Genesis 35:11 And God said to him, ‘‘I am God Almighty (’El Shaddai); be fruitful and increase

in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from

your body.

Gen 48:3-4 and Gen 49:25.

What does this name for God signify?

El Elyon.

Gen 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God

Most High (’El ‘Elyon)

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

What does this name for God signify?

Second, the name of God is the key to Heaven.

Gen 4:26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the

name of the Lord.

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Who called on His name in these verses?

Gen 12:8

Gen 26:25

1 Kings 18:24

1 Chron 16:8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what

he has done.

Psalm 79:6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms

that do not call on your name

What is so significant about calling on His name? (read the verses below to help answer it)

Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion

and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom

the LORD calls.

Romans 10:9-12 That if you confess with your mouth, ‘‘Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart

that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10

For it is with your heart that you believe

and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11

As the Scripture

says, ‘‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 12

For there is no difference

between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13

for, ‘‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to

men by which we must be saved.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, ‘‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father

except through me.”

What do you say to people who say this view of Jesus only is pretty narrow?

Thirdly, the name of God must not be abused.

YHWH occurs ___________ times.

Gen 4:1; 9:26; 12:8; Exod 3:14

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Adonai

Significance: What does YHWH mean? Use the verses below:

Exod 3:14

Exod 3:12

Exod 6:6

Compound names:

Yahweh Jireh The Lord will Provide (Gen 22:14)

Yahweh Nissi The Lord is my Banner (Exod 17:15)

Yahweh Shalom the Lord is Peace (Judg 6:24)

Yahweh Sabbaoth The Lord of Hosts (1 Sam 1:3)

Yahweh Maccaddeshcem the Lord who sanctifies you (Exod 31:13)

Yahweh Roi the Lord is my Shepherd (Ps 23:1)

Yahweh Tsidkenu the Lord our Righteousness (Jer 23:6)

Yahweh Shammah the Lord is There (Ezek 48:35)

Yahweh Elohim Israel the Lord, the God of Israel (Judg 5:3; Isa 17:6)

Why were the people of Israel so careful when using God‟s name (use the verses below to help

answer)?

Exod 20:7‘‘You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold

anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Deut 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD (Yahweh) our God, the LORD (Yahweh) is one. 5

Love the

LORD (Yahweh) your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength

Leviticus 24:13-16 Then the LORD said to Moses: 14

‘‘Take the blasphemer outside the camp.

All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone

him. 15

Say to the Israelites: ‘If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16

anyone

who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone

him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

Romans 2:21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against

stealing, do you steal? 22

You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit

adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23

You who brag about the law, do you

dishonor God by breaking the law? 24

As it is written: ‘‘God’s name is blasphemed among the

Gentiles because of you.”

2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘‘The

Lord knows those who are his,” and, ‘‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn

away from wickedness.”

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Fourth, the name of God will someday be praised by everyone.

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is

above every name: 10

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and

things in earth, and things under the earth; 11

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus

Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with

him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads

Rev 22:3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the

city, and his servants will serve him. 4

They will see his face, and his name will be on their

foreheads

He is …

The Rock -- Deut 32:4/My Rock Ps 144/My Mighty Rock Ps 62:7/ Rock of Refuge Ps 71:3/Rock

of our salvation Ps 95:1/ Rock my Savior Ps 89:26

Holy One (next week)/ Holy One of Israel Ps 71:22

The King -- Exod 15:18/Great King Ps 47:2/King of Glory Ps 24:7/

My God the King Ps 145/ Eternal King Jer 10:10

Your Father Deut 32:6/Father of the fatherless Ps 68:5/

My Father Ps 89:26

Defender of widows Ps 68:5

The Potter -- Isa 64:8

The Creator -- Mal 2:10

Maker of Heaven and Earth– Ps 149/Our Maker Ps 95:6/ Maker of All Things Jer 10:16

The Kinsman – Gen 31:42

The Redeemer – Ps 19:14/ Our Redeemer From Of Old Is 63:16; Our Redeemer Isa 47:4

Alpha & Omega – Rev 1:8/The Ancient of Days Dan

The Judge – Gen 18:25

The One Who Gives Victory Ps 144

The One Who Sustains Me Ps 54:4

The One of Sinai Ps 68:8

The One To Be Feared Ps 76:11

The One Who Sits Enthroned on High Ps 113:5

The One Who Gives Victory To Kings Ps 144:10

The Light of Israel Isa 40:17

You Who Hears Prayer Ps 65:1

My Loving God Ps 144

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Exod 4:5

God of gods Ps 136

God of Heaven Ps 136

God of Truth Ps 31:5

God of Israel Ps 41:13

God of Retribution Jer 51:56

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God of All The Earth Is 54:5

God our Savior Psa 68:19; Titus 2:10; 3:4

God who saves Ps 68:20

Jealous God Deut 4:24

Merciful God Deut 4:31

Living God Deut 5:26

Faithful God Deut 7:9

Eternal God Deut 33:27

Forgiving God Ps 99:8

Mighty God Isa 10:21/ Mighty One Ps 50:1 (Of Jacob Ps 132:2)

Great and Awesome God Deut 7:21

Great God our Savior Titus 2:12

Jesus Christ our Savior Titus 3:6 (in same passage with God our Savior – evidence of deity of

Christ)

Compassionate and Gracious God Ps 86:15

My Righteous God Ps 4:1

The God Who Saves Ps 68:20/ The God Who Saves Me Ps 88:1/

God who Avenges Ps 94:1/ God, my Savior Ps 25:5

Most High Deut 32:8/ High and Lofty One Isa 57:15

Their Glory Ps 106:20

The Lord Ps 150/God the Lord Ps 85:5/O Sovereign Lord Deut 3:24/ Lord of Lords Ps 136/I Am

the Lord who heals you Exod 15:26/

The Lord who goes before you Deut 1:30/ Lord Almighty Ps 24:10/

Sovereign Lord Almighty Jer 50:25/ Lord Most High Ps 47:2/

Lord God Ps 68:18/

The Lord Our Righteousness Jer 23:6

The Lord Their True Pasture Jer 50:7

The Lord The Hope of Their Fathers Jer 50:7

My Glorious One Ps 3:3

My Strength Ps 22:19; 59:9,17; 28:7; 118:14; Isa 12:2; 49:5; Jer 16:19; Hab 3:19

My Shepherd Ps 23:1/ Shepherd of Israel Ps 80:1

My Fortress Ps 59:9

My Refuge Ps 59:16/ My Strong Refuge Ps 71:17

My Salvation Ps 62:2,6,7; 18:2; 27:1; 118;14,21; 2 Sam 22:3-5; Isa 12:2

My Help Ps 63:7

My Loving God Ps 59:9

My Deliverer Ps 70:5

My Confidence Ps 71:5

My Portion Ps 73:26/ Portion of Jacob Jer 51:19

My Song Ps 118:14

Our Shield Ps 59:11

A Strong Tower Ps 61:3

The Hope of Israel Jer 17:13/ The Hope of All Ps 65:5

Is it any wonder God told Moses just tell them I Am sent you!

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His Anthropomorphisms

Taken from The Doctrine of God, H. Bavicnk, p. 87.

His Activities

Taken from The Doctrine of God, H. Bavicnk, p. 87-88.

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His Attributes

Defined:

Read Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy, chapter 3. Write down his definition of attribute and

whatever else you learn from the chapter:

From Ryrie:

Calls them „perfections‟ rather than attributes.

Can God be defined? No, not in His essential essence and not in a word or two. Yes, he can be

described.

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His attributes/perfections

Not part of Him, but describes His all.

No one is greater than another.

No one is independent of the others.

God is more than the sub-total of his attributes.

They are known from His revelation of them to us.

Ways to classify or divide them:

Moral and non-moral

Absolute and relative

Incommunicable and Communicable

How much happier you would be, how much more of you there would be, if the hammer of a

higher God could smash your small cosmos. G. K. Chesterton

If God was manageable, we‟d be miserable. Batterson, Pit, 87.

Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk (quoted by Batterson in Pit, 119-120): On the whole, I

do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone

have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or as I suspect, does no one

believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets,

mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies‟ straw hats and

velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers

and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and

take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.

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Bible.org Grudem Tozer Pink Ryrie Chafer Charnock

Incommunicable Incommunicable

Simplicity Unity Simplicity AND Unity Simplicity/Unity

Eternal Eternity Eternity Eternity Eternity Eternity

Immutable Unchangeableness Immutability Immutability Immutability Immutability Immutability

Omnipresence Omnipresence Omnipresence Omnipresence Omnipresence Omnipresence

Self-sufficiency

Aseity Independence Self-existence

Communicable Communicable

Omniscience Knowledge Omniscience Knowledge Omniscience Omniscience Knowledge

Foreknowledge

Omnipotence Omnipotence/Sovereignty Omnipotence Power Omnipotence Omnipotence Power

Sovereignty Sovereignty Sovereignty Sovereignty Sovereignty Dominion

Righteousness Righteousness, Justice Justice Righteousness Justice

Goodness Goodness Goodness Goodness Goodness Goodness

Love Love Love Love Love Love

Grace (12) Mercy, Grace, Patience Mercy Mercy

Grace Grace

Patience Patience

Spirituality

Invisibility

Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom

Truthfulness/Faithfulness Faithfulness Faithfulness Truth Truth

Holiness Holiness Holiness Holiness Holiness Holiness

Peace (or Order)

Jealousy

Wrath Wrath

Will

Freedom Freedom Freedom

Perfection

Blessedness

Beauty

Glory (25)

Infinitude Infinity (14) Infinity

Transcendence (18) Supremacy

Solitariness

Decrees (17)