Without Absolutes, God Is Not God: An Anthology of Reflections

By Ronald A Train

Absolutes

As a Christian it is foundational, I believe, to hold to absolutes. For example; a Christian should have absolutes about Gods ontology (the principle of being), absolutes about theology (the study of God), absolutes about Christology (the study of Christ) and absolutes about pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit). Each of the foregoing absolutes, I believe, impact upon how one constructs a world view and how one considers the wider implications of Gods kingdom work; hence, why I have titled this collection of essays Without absolutes, God is not God.

I guess the reader will be asking him or herself why is there a requirement to hold to absolutes. The need for absolutes is not complex. In reality the argument determines whether one is a believer or non-believer in the triune God. A believer will weigh whether God revelationally speaks into this world generally and specifically. A non-believer will object to such a proposition and as a consequence leave him or herself open to other belief systems. To perhaps put it another way a non-believer is faced with the choice of deciding whether God is a reality or whether God is a creation of human imagination.

Decision making, then, is crucial when accepting the triune God and his work. Does one make a decision to believe in God empirically or does one make a decision to believe in God from a position of faith? It is my view that God cannot be known empirically (i.e. by trial or experience) but rather he can only be known by faith. However, it depends on how we define faith. Those who accept other belief systems would argue that they too have a faith or a belief in some god or person. In the Christian context, however, faith is an action based on the accepted evidence. In other words if one accepts that the written word of God is substantially true (2 Peter 1:20-21)and that the Word of God (Jesus of Nazareth) is who he is recorded as being or is who he claims to be (John 1:1-5; 14:6-7) then faith is given substance. But I would go further and argue that authentic faith is derived from a spiritual encounter with God which then enables the recipients faith response to be one which is prompted or ignited by God. My argument is supported from Scripture (1 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 2:8-9) and from personal experience. Both of the foregoing references I suggest argue that faith is a gift which has its origin in God. Hence, faith is not only prompted by God but also sustained by him. The analysis of such faith is that it is revelatory and constitutes an utter reliance on who God is and why he exists. Revelatory Faith Evangelicals argue that faith is a gift from God. However, this argument is treated with caution by others. Existentialism suggests that faith is made possible and so granted, by the gracious approach and self-disclosure of being . Interestingly, at this point, there is no great variance between the latter perspective and Martin Luther who argued that faith originates with, or is at least aroused, by God. Contemplating the third article of the Apostles Creed, he wrote: I believe that I cannot of my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. Modernists, also argue that faith constitutes a persons response, but only after having been drawn to Gods work of salvation. This argument suggests faith to be an a priori act of God, an act that prompts recognition that in the Christ, God is endeavouring to share his own life. This arousal of faith, then, affects worship, praise and prayer and the practise of Christian discipleship. The same argument suggests, further, that the prior love of God and the response of love that it generates are what shape a persons Christian faith. Biblical support for these theological reflections is found in Ephesians

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479751341

Ronald A Train

A graduate of Malyon College, Ronald A. Train is a retired pastor with twenty-seven years of experience in Christian ministry. Ronald was born in a small regional town in the country in New South Wales, Australia, and he is married to Gwenyth. Ronald is the holder of a graduate degree in theology, a bachelor’s degree in theology, and a master’s degree in ministry. His special interests have been theology and doctrine from the New Testament documents. His previous publications were Without Absolutes, God is not God in 2013 and Protestant Shame in 2014. The former addressed the issues such as God’s self-revelation, the trinity, revelatory faith, and effective discipleship. The latter addressed the conveyance of mixed messages about divorce and remarriage.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Ronald A Train.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-800-618-969

www.Xlibris.com.au

[e-mail]

502689

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Ontological and Epistemological Premises for God

2 The Question of Faith

3 God in Trinity

4 Understanding God Relationally and Communally

5 Jesus, the Church, and Salvation

6 A Theology of the Holy Spirit

7 The Question of Discipleship

8 Christ’s Relevance for Ecology

9 Creation versus Evolution

10 Theology and Practice of Evangelism

11 The Three Requirements for Ministry

12 The Scriptures Are Good News for Women

13 A Theology of Christian Leadership

14 A Theology of Christian Management

15 Intermediate State and Afterlife Terms

Epilogue

Endnotes

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my gratitude to Gwenyth, my soulmate, whose photographic skills contributed to the cover of this work. Special thanks to my children, particularly Naomi and Andrew, who have prompted my thinking over the years. Appreciation is expressed to my daughter-in-law Kirsty who designed the logo at the commencement of each chapter. Recognition is given to CIFT Ministries for supporting me during my theological studies and ministry endeavours. Finally, eternal thanks to my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, whose Spirit encouraged my conceptual thinking.

Without absolutes,

God is not God

An anthology of reflections

To my children,

their partners,

and,

particularly,

my grandchildren,

in lasting gratitude

Introduction

Now in the winter of my life, having experienced a spiritual encounter with our triune God, at the age of thirty-three in 1980, I have noticed that people no longer hold to absolutes. As a consequence, Christianity as a faith system, in my view, doesn’t appear to set the moral compass for the country of my birth. Speculatively, Christianity is, more than ever, rivalled by other faith systems, with its influence waning, like never before. Accordingly, as a retired pastor, who, nevertheless, is still active, I believe it is time to complete an anthology of my theological reflections for posterity. In the following pages, there is a collection of selected essays from 1996 to 2002, which reflects on the nature and work of the triune God. The foregoing dates also reflect a historical context—a context, however, which has not altered since. After entering the ministry in 1989, the collection, in particular, correlates to studies undertaken for the ministry and teachings about the triune God while exercising that ministry.

As a Christian, it is foundational, I believe, to hold to absolutes. For example, a Christian should have absolutes about God’s ontology (the principle of being), absolutes about theology (the study of God), absolutes about Christology (the study of Christ), and absolutes about pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit). Each of the foregoing absolutes, I believe, impact upon how one constructs a world view and how one considers the wider implications of God’s kingdom work; hence the reason why I have titled this collection of essays ‘Without absolutes, God is not God’.

I guess the reader will be asking himself or herself as to why there is a requirement to hold to absolutes. The need for absolutes is not complex. In reality, the argument determines whether one is a believer or non-believer in the triune God. A believer will weigh whether God ‘revelationally’ speaks into this world generally and specifically. A non-believer will object to such a proposition and, as a consequence, leave himself or herself open to other belief systems. To, perhaps, put it another way, a non-believer is faced with the choice of deciding whether God is a reality or whether God is a creation of human imagination.

Decision-making, then, is crucial when accepting the triune God and his work. Does one make a decision to believe in God empirically, or does one make a decision to believe in God from a position of faith? It is my view that God cannot be known empirically (i.e., by trial or experience) but rather he can only be known by faith. However, it depends on how we define faith. Those who accept other belief systems would argue that they too have a faith or a belief in some god or person. In the Christian context, however, faith is an action based on the accepted evidence. In other words, if one accepts that the written word of God is substantially true (2 Pet. 1: 20-21) and that the Word of God (Jesus of Nazareth) is who he is recorded as being or is who he claims to be (John 1: 1-5; 14: 6-7), then faith is given substance. But I would go further and argue that authentic faith is derived from a spiritual encounter with God which then enables the recipient’s faith response to be one which is prompted or ignited by God. My argument is supported from the scripture (1 Cor. 12: 9; Eph. 2: 8-9) and from personal experience. Both of the foregoing references I suggest argue that faith is a gift which has its origin in God. Hence, faith is not only prompted by God, but also sustained by him. The analysis of such faith is that it is revelatory and constitutes an utter reliance on who God is and why he exists.

1

Ontological and Epistemological

Premises for God

image001.tif

Prior to considering the ontological and epistemological premise for God, we should have some understanding of the meaning of both terms. Most dictionaries define ontology as the branch of metaphysics which deals with the nature of pure being, whereas epistemology is concerned with the theory of knowledge. One dictionary defines the latter as the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.¹ I guess the question arises so: Can ontology and epistemology contribute to the study of theology?

I recall my time at the National Theological campuses of Canberra and Sydney, and I remember the emphasis upon ontology and epistemology when processing views about the triune God and his purpose. I have now come to realise that both ontology and epistemology are intellectual exercises in substantiating one’s faith. Those who choose to travel this road find it difficult to consider a God who speaks into this world in a revelatory manner; this is particularly so when considering the incarnational² person and work of the Christ. So back to the question of ontology and epistemology’s contribution to theology: the answer is a qualified yes! Notwithstanding, however, in my view, a spiritual encounter with the triune God is an absolute necessity, prior to any ontological and epistemological consideration of God. In other words, a theology from above (centred on God’s self-propositional revelation) must take priority over a theology from below (centred on the believing community).³

Metaphysics and its branch of ontology are helpful in considering the supernatural (in this case, the triune God), and epistemology is helpful when considering the question of how we know. But revelatory faith is foundational to any evidence and knowledge of God. I recognise that this finds objection among those who travel an intellectual road to determining the reality of God, but I am convinced that without a faith which is initiated, prompted, and sustained by God,⁴ the alternative is to travel a road which ends in barrenness.

Let’s now consider the traditional theological understanding of God and acknowledge that there are linkages with ontology and epistemology. Let’s also give credit to the verifiable evidence of the Bible which introduces us to the gospel—a gospel which announces the triune God and his purpose.

In 1 Peter 3: 15, we read these words: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

The term answer is our word for apology (áπoλγια). By definition, the term means to give a defence of one’s position. As Christians, then, the Bible is informing us that there will be times where it will be necessary to defend our position (or belief system). On these occasions, we need to know what we believe. Therefore, the following propositions are designed to assist us in ‘knowing our faith’ or, to put it another way, to ‘know what we believe’.

God’s ontological and epistemological premises

27804.jpg God is self-existing.

This means that God is entirely independent of measurable things and beings (Exod. 3: 14; John 5: 26).

27807.jpg God is Spirit.

This means that God does not have a human body. When terms such as ‘the hand of God’ or ‘the nostrils of God’ are used, they are human expressions (or anthropomorphisms) to describe him (John 4: 24 anthropomorphisms Jer. 15: 6; 2 Chron. 16: 9).

27809.jpg God is both Immanent as well as Transcendent.

This means that God’s presence and power are dispersed throughout his creation. He doesn’t stand apart or stand separate from the world. In other words, he is not a mere spectator of the world which he has created (Isa. 57: 15).

27811.jpg God is Eternal.

This means that God has no beginning and will never have an end. In other words, unlike us, he is not limited by time or space. When the Son, Jesus, became incarnate (i.e., God the Son took upon himself humanity) and when God appeared as the form of an angel in the Old Testament, he did so to bless his creatures (Ps. 90: 2; Isa. 40: 28; Rev. 1: 8).

27813.jpg God is Unchangeable.

This means that we should not think of God in human terms. God is not volatile nor is he unsteady. His love is steadfast and constant. Therefore, God’s love does not ebb and flow like human love. James 1: 17 reveals that God does not change like shifting shadows (Ps. 102: 25-28; Mal. 3: 6; Heb. 13: 8)

27815.jpg God is Omnipresent—Omni meaning ‘all’.

This means that God transcends (exceeds) all spatial limitations. God is not like some substance that is spread here, there, and everywhere; instead, he can reveal his presence in Sydney, London, Moscow, and New York as he determines (Ps. 139: 1-19; Jer. 23: 23-24; Acts 17: 17-28).

27817.jpg God is Omnipotent—Omni = all; potent = power.

Nothing is too difficult for God (Jer. 32: 17). With God, all things are possible (Luke 1: 37). In other words, God is all-powerful. But we should recognise that God’s will to decide and exercise power is limited in one area. God cannot oppose his own moral character. The reason for this is that God is holy, and therefore, he cannot sin or lie (Heb. 6: 18; Jer. 32: 17; Matt. 19: 26; Mark 14: 36).

27819.jpg God’s is Omniscient—Omni = all or complete; science = knowledge.

This means that God knows everything—even our own thoughts. In other words, God declares the end from the beginning (Isa. 46: 10), and therefore, nothing takes him by surprise (1 Sam. 16: 7; Ps. 139: 16; Ps. 139: 2-4; John 2: 25).

27821.jpg God is wise.

True wisdom is found In God. God’s insight works for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8: 28, 11: 33-35; James 3: 17-18).

27823.jpg God is Holy.

This means that God is morally excellent and free from all limitations in his moral perfection. In his exalted sense, only God is holy. It is God’s holiness that is the standard of ethical purity by which we must measure ourselves. In other words, holiness begins with God (Exod. 19: 5-6, 10-14; Isa. 57: 15; Heb. 13: 12; 1 Peter. 2: 5, 9).

27825.jpg God is Personal.

This means that God is a person; in other words, God has a personality, an intellect, feelings, and will. God, then, is self-determining and does things according to his own purpose and will. How do we know this? We understand this from the knowledge of ourselves as the only creatures, which have been created in God’s image and after his own likeness; in other words, we have ‘personhood’ because God first has ‘personhood’ (Gen. 1: 26).

27827.jpg God’s is Repentant.

What does it mean for God to repent? Well, occasionally, we note in the scripture that God repented of an intended action, for instance, the destruction of Nineveh in Jonah 3: 10 and the destruction of the Hebrews in Exodus 32: 14. On both the occasions, what we read is not so much God changing his mind but God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness being expressed.

God As Trinity

This section precedes a separate essay which concentrates on the trinity. At the centre of the Christian view of God is the concept or construct of God as trinity; or, to put it another way, a Christian worships a triune God. God as trinity reveals that within the essential character of the Godhead, there are three persons who are neither three gods on the one hand nor three appearances of God on the other hand but are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, existing coequally and coeternally. To understand this biblical truth is to grasp the construct of the trinity. It is important to note that the departure from the teaching of the trinity has been one of the major sources of heresy within the Christian church.

The concept or construct of the trinity can be difficult to understand, but, at the same time, it is necessary. The teaching is that God is one in his being but the divine being exists in three persons, yet in such a way that the divine being is completely in each person. In other words, the triune God is one being, but he exists in three persons, who, at the same time, complete each other or, to put it another way, are incomplete without each other. Therefore, the Father is fully God, the Son is fully God, and the Holy Spirit is fully God.

27830.jpg God as Trinity in the Old Testament

God (Elohim) said, Let us make man in our image (Gen. 1: 26). The plural forms used in this statement (Elohim, us, our) can be understood as a revelation of God as trinity to humankind. However, even though we have this plurality revealed throughout the Old Testament, the emphasis is on the understanding that God is one. Deuteronomy 6: 4 is a prime example. In Deuteronomy, we have this written: Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord. The reason behind this revelation is that God desires for his people to know that his oneness is in stark contrast to the rampant polytheism (worship of many gods) being practised by those nations that surrounded the Israelite nation (Gen. 1: 1-3, Exod. 31: 3; Num. 11: 25).

27833.jpg God as Trinity in the New Testament

In the Old Testament, we see an emphasis placed on the unity of God; in other words, the names of God refer to the Godhead as a whole and not to any one person of the trinity. However, when we come to the New Testament, there is a noticeable change because what emerges is a revelation of the full deity of all three persons of the Godhead; in other words, in the New Testament, there emerges teaching concerning the deity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

27835.jpg The Deity of God the Son

The Bible reveals to us that Jesus, as the Son of God, is the Word and the Word is God (John 1: 1). In other words, Jesus is God; the very nature of God, the exact representation of God’s being, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead lives in bodily form (Rom. 9: 5; Phil. 2: 6; Heb. 1: 3; Col. 2: 9).

27837.jpg The Deity of God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is given divine names in the scripture. God says what the Spirit says (Acts 5: 3-4; Heb. 3: 7-9). Supernatural works are performed by the Spirit, for example, spiritual rebirth (John 3: 5-6; Titus 3: 5) and the resurrection of the dead (Rom. 8: 11). Also, divine honour is given to the Spirit (Matt. 28: 19; 2 Cor. 13: 14).

27839.jpg The Operation of God as Trinity

God as trinity operates in redemption (1 Pet. 1: 1-2) and in Jesus’s messianic work (Mark 1; Mt. 3). In the latter operation, we notice that the Son submits to the Father, receives ratification from the Father, and is anointed by the Spirit. The trinity is also evident in Christian baptism (Matt. 28: 19). Here we note that baptism is to be performed in the singular name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity is also evident in love and indwelling (John 14: 5-26). A point to notice in these latter verses is the personal pronoun when referring to the Holy Spirit. The use of the personal pronoun affirms that the Spirit is a ‘person’ and not an ‘it’. The trinity also provides access to God (Eph. 2: 18) and Spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12: 3-6).

Summary Comments

The teaching of the scripture directs us to acknowledge that God indeed is one, coequal, and coeternal. At the same time, however, God is three distinct persons, and this is the intent of Jesus’s statement in John 14: 15. As we begin to appreciate this truth, we then can understand how the church was established. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians confirms this fact. He writes that the church was established—

1. by the Father (Eph. 1: 3-6),

2. in the Son (Eph. 1: 6-12), and

3. through the Spirit (Eph. 1: 13-14).

Some people use illustrations to describe the trinity. However, such illustrations are limited because they fail to reveal God as personal. The following are some examples.

1. An equilateral triangle—revealing geometrical equality and

2. Water—revealing function and the same substance. For example,

Water = necessity for life,

Water = power,

Water = cooling.

Within Christendom, there are statements of faith or creeds that are recited to acknowledge belief in the triune God. One such is the Nicene Creed. This creed was formulated in the fourth century to fight against heresy. Its wording is still unchanged today and used within many churches.

 Extract 1: Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father All sovereign, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was