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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