Post on 01-Feb-2023
THE CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY
Introduction
Do adherents of the major monotheistic and henotheistic religions
all believe in the same God? When Hindus, Christians, and Muslims
all worship on their different holy days, are they worshipping
the same divinity? Does all these group of religious bodies talk
about the same? Some say that they are while others say that they
are not - and there are good arguments on both sides. The concept
of God in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism Perhaps the most
important thing to understand about this is that the answer will
depend almost entirely upon important theological and social
presuppositions that one brings to the table. The fundamental
difference seems to be where one places the emphasis: on
religious traditions or on theological principles. For the many
Hindus, Christians, and Muslims who argue that they all believe
in and worship the same God, their arguments are based largely
upon the fact that they all share a common set of religious
traditions. They all follow monotheistic faiths and some
Henotheistic. in this paper I will discuss the concept of God in
Christianity but will briefly discuss God in Hinduism and
Islamic.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
No doctrine or aspect of theology is more necessary than the
doctrine of God, sometimes referred to as Theology Proper. Since
the term theology (the study of God) is often used of the study
of other biblical subjects like the Bible, angels, man,
salvation, and so on, Theology Proper is the designation
sometimes used for just the study of God Himself. Rather than an
exhaustive treatment, the study which follows is designed to be a
general overview of the key features of what the Bible teaches
about God, His existence, Persons, and attributes of the Triune
God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
For Christians the existence of God is the great presupposition
of theology. There is no sense in speaking of the knowledge of
God, unless it may be assumed that God exists. The presupposition
of Christian theology is of a very definite type. The assumption
is not merely that there is something, some idea or ideal, some
power or purposeful tendency, to which the name of God may be
applied, but that there is a self-existent, selfconscious,
personal Being, which is the origin of all things, and which
transcends the entire creation, but is at the same time immanent
in every part of it. Besides, it is to be remembered that
theistical arguments are designed to prove not only that there is
a necessity for the assumption of all extra-mundane and eternal
Being, but mainly, to show what that Being is; that He is a
personal Being, self-conscious, intelligent, moral. All this may
lie enclosed in the primary intuition, but it needs to be brought
out and established. The Christian accepts the truth of the
existence of God by faith. But this faith is not a
blind faith, but a faith that is based on evidence, and the
evidence is found primarily in
Scripture as the inspired Word of God, and secondarily in God’s
revelation in nature.
Scripture proof on this point does not come to us in the form of
an explicit declaration,
and much less in the form of a logical argument. In that sense
the Bible does not prove
the existence of God. “In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth.” Not only does it describe God as the Creator of
all things, but also as the Upholder of all His creatures, and as
the Ruler of the destinies of individuals and nations. It
testifies to the fact that God works all things according to the
counsel of His will, and reveals the gradual realization of His
great purpose of redemption. The preparation for this work,
especially in the choice and guidance of the old covenant people
of Israel, is clearly seen in the Old Testament, and the initial
culmination of it in the Person and work of Christ stands out
with great clarity on the pages of the New Testament. God is seen
on almost every page of Holy Writ as He reveals Himself in words
and actions. This revelation of God is the basis of our faith in
the existence of God, and makes this an entirely reasonable
faith. It should be remarked, however, that it is only by faith
that we accept the revelation of God, and that we obtain a real
insight into its contents. Jesus said, “If any man will do his
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself,” John 7:17. It is this intensive
knowledge, resulting from intimate communion with God, which
Hosea has in mind when he says, “And let us know, let us follow
on to know the Lord,” Hos. 6:3. The unbeliever has no real
understanding of the Word of God. In the course of time certain
rational arguments for the existence of God were developed, and
found a grip in theology and
some of these were in essence already suggested by Plato and
Aristotle, and others were added in modern times by students of
the Philosophy of Religion. Only two will be mention here for
lack of space and they are THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT AND THE
COMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT.
1. THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT. This has been presented in various
forms by
Anselm, Descartes, Samuel Clarke, and others. It has been stated
in its most perfect
form by Anselm. He argues that man has the idea of an absolutely
perfect being; that
existence is an attribute of perfection; and that therefore an
absolutely perfect being
must exist. But it is quite evident that we cannot conclude from
abstract thought to real
existence. The fact that we have an idea of God does not yet
prove His objective
existence.
2. THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT. This has also appeared in several
forms. In
general it runs as follows: Every existing thing in the world
must have an adequate
cause; and if this is so, the universe must also have an adequate
cause, that is a cause
which is indefinitely great. However, the argument did not carry
general conviction.
Hume called the law of causation itself in question, and Kant
pointed out that, if every
existing thing has an adequate cause, this also applies to God,
and that we are thus led
to an endless chain. Moreover, the argument does not necessitate
the assumption that
the cosmos had a single cause, a personal and absolute cause, —
and therefore falls
short of proving the existence of God. This difficulty led to a
slightly different
Biblical Evidence for the Existence of God
The Existence of God Is Assumed by Scripture
Perhaps because it is so evident everywhere, no writer of
Scripture, Old or New Testament, attempts to set down arguments
for the existence of God. It is a fact taken for granted. The
Bible simply begins with “In the beginning God” (Gen. 1:1), and
nowhere is His existence argued.
Why? Because of the abundant evidence in the universe for the
existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4), and because they that come to
God must believe that He is. God is perceived primarily by faith
as a result of positive volition (see John 18:37; 7:17; Jer.
29:13).
Heb. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for
he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of those who seek Him.
THE KNOWABILITY OF GOD
The Christian Church confesses on the one hand that God is the
Incomprehensible
One, but also on the other hand, that He can be known and that
knowledge of Him is an
absolute essential unto salvation.
Job 11:7. And it feels that it has no answer to the question of
Isaiah, “To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye
compare unto Him?” Isa. 40:18. But at the same time it is
also mindful of Jesus’ statement, “And this is life eternal, that
they should know
Thee, the only true God, and Him whom thou didst send, even Jesus
Christ,” John 17:3.
It rejoices in the fact that “the Son of God is come, and hath
given us an understanding,
that we know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true,
even in His Son Jesus Christ.” I John 5:20. The two ideas
reflected in these passages were always held side by side in the
Christ The Bible gives witness to two facts regarding the
knowledge God. First, it teaches us that God is incomprehensible,
and but then it also declares that God is knowable. Both are
true, but not in an absolute sense. To say that God is
incomprehensible simply means that finite man cannot
know everything there is to know about God who is an infinite
being. To say that God is knowable means that, though
incomprehensible, God can be known and man can grow in the
knowledge of God, at least in a limited sense and to the degree
that is needed for man to trust God and have a personal and
growing relationship with Him.
God’s incomprehensibility is declared in passages like Job 11:7
and Isaiah 40:18:
Job 11:7 Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the
limits of the Almighty?
Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness
will you compare with Him?
The fact that God is knowable is evidenced by the very gift of
the Bible as God’s revelation of
Himself to man, but note also the following passages:
John 14:7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father
also; from now on you know
Him, and have seen Him.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has
given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is
true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life.
GOD AS TRINITY IN UNITY
The word “Trinity” for it may simply denote the state of being
three, without any implication as to the unity of the three. It
is generally understood, however, that, as a technical term in
theology, though the term does not appears in the Holy Bible of
Christians the subject matter in the Bible.
Proof for the Trinity has sometimes been found in the distinction
of Jehovah and
Elohim, and also in the plural Elohim, which God speaks of
Himself in the plural, Gen. 1:26; 11:7, contain an indication of
personal distinctions in God, though even these do not point to a
trinity but only to a plurality of persons. Still clearer
indications of such personal distinctions are found in those
passages which refer to the Angel of Jehovah, who is on the one
hand identified with Jehovah, and on the other hand distinguished
from Him, Gen. 16:7-13; 18:1-21; 19:1-28; Mal. 3:1; and also in
passages in which the Word or Wisdom of God is personified, Ps.
33:4, 6; Prov. 8:12-31. In some cases more
than one person is mentioned, Ps. 33:6; 45:6, 7 (comp. Heb. 1:8,
9), and in others God is the speaker, and mentions both the
Messiah and the Spirit, or the Messiah is the speaker who
mentions both God and the Spirit, Isa.48:16; 61:1; 63:9, 10.
THE BEING AND THE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD
The being here meant that which has a real, substantive
existence. It is equivalent to substance,
or essence. It is opposed to what is merely thought, and to a
mere force or power. We get this
idea, in the first place, from consciousness. We are conscious of
self as the subject of the thoughts, feelings, and volitions,
which are its varying states and acts. This consciousness of
substance is involved in that of personal identity. In the second
place, a law of our reason constrains us to believe that there is
something which underlies the phenomena of matter and mind, of
which those phenomena are the manifestation.
God, who is eternally perfect. It is commonly said in theology
that God’s attributes are
God Himself, as He has revealed Himself to us. The Scholastics
stressed the fact that
God is all that He has. He has life, light, wisdom, love,
righteousness, and it may be said
on the basis of Scripture that He is life, light, wisdom, love,
and righteousness. It was
further asserted by the Scholastics that the whole essence of God
is identical with each
one of the attributes, some of his attribute are as follows.
1--God is Sovereign
God is Sovereign, God does not report to any higher authority for
any action or inaction, does
not consult anybody for advice or wisdom for anything, that is,
He is THE BOSS, period. God is subject to no one--no one can tell
God what to do or judge His actions. (Rom 9:1-25; Psa 115:3;
135:6) The concept of a sovereign, that is, a ruler with absolute
authority who answers to no one. We may hear of a dictator or
“strongman” who has sovereign-like powers, but that is a far cry
from the classic definition of a sovereign. In history, a
sovereign was a ruler who had absolute authority and who had the
right to that authority, usually by heredity or conquest, but
even the true sovereigns of history were only a pale reflection
of the Sovereign Lord God.
2--God is Holy
Holy is a Bible term that means “set apart.” God is separate from
all other things, and is 100% pure in everything. God does not
practice Holiness because he is Holy by himself. He is set apart
because of who He is. His very nature and attributes set Him
apart as unique from all else, and Holiness is, in a sense, His
central attribute. Like the hub of a giant wheel, His Holiness
defines the infinite degree of His other perfections. Is God
sovereign? Yes, and He is perfectly so, infinitely so--He is set
apart in the perfection of His sovereignty. Does God love? Yes,
and His
love is perfect and completely surpasses any other love by any
other creature. Is God omnipotent and omniscient? Yes, and His
power and knowledge are infinite, again, setting Him apart from
all His creatures. Revelation 15:4 says of God “. . . You alone
are Holy.” Moses, in his song says
Who among the ‘gods’ is like you, O LORD. . . majestic in
Holiness.” Eternity will be a joyous celebration of the Holy God.
We get a glimpse of the scene in heaven by the visions of Isaiah
and the aged apostle John, as well as those of the book of
Psalms:
3=Omnipresence. God fills all space and pervades all things with
His invisible and immaterial substance while being distinct from
all things. "Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall
not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?
Saith the Lord." (Jer. 23:24) "No
place can be imagined that is deprived of the presence of God;
and therefore, when the Scripture anywhere speaks of the presence
of God, it joins heaven and earth together: He so fills them,
that there is no place without Him." (Stephen Charnock) Because
of this attribute God is able to make special manifestations of
Himself at certain times to particular persons (Psa. 139:7-12;
Matt. 18:20).
4.Infinitude. God has no limitations. He is bounded only by His
own nature and will.
Solomon recognized this and asked at the dedication of the
Temple, "But will God indeed
dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens
cannot contain thee: how
much less this house that I have builded?" (1 Kings 8:27).
THE NAMES OF GOD IN GENERAL
FIRST
1. God — Elohim: “el” means “strength or the Strong One” and
“ohim”
comes from verb “Alah” which means “to bind oneself by an oath.”
Pardington.Walvoord mentions, “The derivation of this name is
somewhat obscure.
Some trace it to a root which means ‘the strong One,’ and others
to a root
which denotes ‘fear.’“ He feels the overall meaning would relate
to
“reverence. Elohim. He also mentions that Elohim is a plural
noun, but it is used to
indicate a single God.
The idea of the trinity is not ascribed to by liberals and Jews.
The Jews
naturally do not want a trinity. They attribute this to a plural
of majesty.
2. Lord — Yhwh: Spelling varies with the author. Walvoord &
Chafer use
Yahweh; Pardington uses Yahwe; and Ryrie uses YHWH. Ryrie
mentions
that it occurs about 5,321 times in the Old Testament. (p 47)
3. God Adonai: Genesis 15:2 “Lord” is adonai. “means master, or
husband.
4. Almighty God: El Shaddai comes from two terms. El meaning the
strong one, and Shaddai which comes from the term “shad” used in
Scripture of a woman’s breast,
5. Most High, Or Most High God: El Elyon comes from “Elyon”
meaning “highest.” Genesis 14:19 mentions, “the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth.” The terms first usage was by
Melchizedek
when he blessed Abraham. Genesis 14:19. This is a name that is
used in
relation to the gentile nations.
6. Everlasting God: El Olam comes from “Olam” which seems to show
God’s eternal aspect. The Greek equivalent is “aion” or “age.”
Psalm 90:2;
Psalm 100:5
THIRD
7. Lord God: Yahwe Elohim is used in Genesis 2:17-15 which shows
the
term in relation to man, and God as our creator. Genesis 2:16,17
shows the
term used in relation to man, and God as our master. Genesis
2:18-24
shows the term used in relation to man, and God as our ruler.
Genesis 3:8-
15, 21 shows the term used in relation to man, and God as our
redeemer.
Genesis 24:7; Exodus 3:15,18 shows the term used in relation to
Israel, and
God as their God.
The name has some very deep implication for the believer. We are
to allow
the Lord to be all these things for us.
8. Lord LORD: Adonai Yahwe emphasizes the Adonai part of master.
Genesis 15:2; Genesis 15:1,8; Deuteronomy 12:1
9. LORD Of Hosts: Yahwe Sabaoth comes from “Sabaoth” meaning
“host
or hosts.” 1 Samuel 1:3; Psalm 24:10.
Jehovah-Jireh: “the LORD will provide” Genesis 22:13,14
Jehovah-Rapha: “the LORD that healeth” Exodus 15:26
Jehovah-Nissi: “the LORD our banner” Exodus 17:8:15
THE NEW TESTAMENT GIVES US FURTHER TERMS
1. Theos: The Septuigent usually translates elohim with theos. It
is used
of the following: Primarily of the True God; false gods, Acts
12:22; the
devil, 2 Corinthians 4:4; Titus 1:3.
2. Kurios: The name occurs 717 times in the New Testament. Luke
uses it
210 times and Paul 275 times. It can mean the following: sir John
4:11;
owner Luke 19:33; master Colossians 3:22; idols 1 Corinthians
8:5;
husbands 1 Peter 3:6
3. Despotes: This name gives the idea of ownership as opposed to
kurios
which shows authority and supremacy. It is used by the following:
Simeon
Luke 2:29; Peter Acts 4:24;
4. Father: The term is used of God in the Old Testament 15 times
and in
the New Testament 245 times.
CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAMIC
The Christians believes that one of God attribute is Love that He
is a loving God.
But among Muslims and in the Quran Ninety-nine name for God not
even one of them is Love or loving
THE TRINITY
The Christians believes in the trinity which is implied in the
Bible. Isaiah 43:10, 44:6-8, Matthew
28:19,2corinthians 13:14
MUSLIMS AND THE TRINITY
Islam denies the trinity. Muslims believes in the oneness of God.
Allah is one and the only one. From this they conclude that God
is not two in one or three in one .The whole idea of the
Christian trinity is rejected
GOD IN ISLAMIC
Islamic along with Christianity teaches Monotheism that there is
only one God in all existence.
Muslim worship God whose name is Allah.
Muslims believed that Allah is not God of Muslims only but He is
God of all human being,
because he is their creator and sustainer.
He is the creator and sustainer of all creatures and creations.
Allah is God for the Christian, Jew,
Muslim and others
THE ONE AND ONLY GOD
The Muslim believes in One God, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and
Mighty, Merciful and compassionate, creator and provider. God has
neither Father nor Mother, nor sons nor was he fathered. There is
non equal to him. He is God of all Humankind. Not of special
tribe or race
NATURE OF GOD
God is high and supreme but he is very near to the pious
thoughtful believers. He answers their prayers and helps them. He
loves the people who love him and forgive their sins. He gives
them peace, happiness, knowledge and successful.
ALLAH ACCORDING TO THE QURAN
1. Lord of heaven and earth
Muslims believes that God is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, in
Quran 19:65, it reads
He is the Lord of Heaven and earth and that is in between them so
worship me and be patience in his worship. Do you know any equal
to me?
2. Creator and sustainer .His knowledge extends over the heavens
and earth and the
preservation of them both tires him not and the Most High God.
3. Powerful. Allah is the kingdom of heaven and earth. He creates
what he please. He grants for whom he please daughter and grants
to whom he please sons. Or He makes them both sorts male and
female. And he makes whom he please barren.
CHRISTIANITY AND HINDUISM
Christians are monotheistic (believes in and worshiped one God)
The Hindu religion is both monotheistic (worship of one God) and
Henotheistic) belief in and
worship of one God without denying the existence of others.
The hindu mythology and the living God, Heroes of epics like the
Mohabharata and the Pamayara .re immortalized and are still alive
in the Day-to-Day existence of ordinary people. The gods of
Hinduism are once supra-human and Human.
BRAHMAN
In the Veda, the ultimate is Brahman. He is the supreme spirit
and creator of the universe. He is the ultimate source of being,
Hindus believes that Brahman is formless, eternal and an
intrinsic part of the soul. Other figures were and are worship
too but they are different manifestation of Brahman. Hindus are
divided into three groups according to the figure of Brahman
THE GOD AND GODDESS
In various periods of Hindu history. Different deities have
assumed prominence. today India for
example .Lord Brahman is rare worshiped.
TRINITY IN HINDU
The Hindu trinity is of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. They are
respectively the creator, preserver and destroyer of the
universe. They are also aligned as the transcendent Godhead,
Shiva, the cosmic lord, Vishnu and the cosmic mind, Brahma. In
this regard
they are called Sat-Tat-Aum, the Being, the Thatness or immanence
and the Word or
holy spirit. This is much like the Christian trinity of God as
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The trinity represents the Divine
in its threefold nature and function. Each aspect of the trinity
contains and includes the others.
CONCLUSION
So far we have seen the concept of God in Christianity, Hinduism
and Islam from original sources. The gist of the paper is that
monotheism is at the core of the three religions. When talking
of a Unitarian concept of Godhead there is only one Supreme Deity
in both the metaphysical world views. Be it the Brahman of
Vedanta or Allah of Islam, it is one and the
same thing. People related to both the religions should realize
this which should bring them close. It is true that there are
pantheistic tendencies in Hinduism but a large number of Sufis or
Muslim mystics in Islam also believed in some form of pantheism
which is known as Wahdat ul Wujood. Henotheism is also a part of
Hinduism which means revering or worshipping in lower deities
with the belief in a Absolute Divinity. But most of the Hindus
recognize that these lesser gods and goddesses are manifestations
of the One Divine Being. And I hope my proposal will bring both
the adherents close.
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