'High' view of God (2)

Would a ‘high’ view of God necessarily safeguard us from idolatry?

Looking at the attributes of God, it seems that Systematic Theology, in its endeavour to give a clear and logic description of who God is and what he is like holds to a very ‘high’ view of God. For example, God is described as eternal, holy, unchanging, immutable, impassable, infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, omniscient, love, just etc. The terminology alone makes one 'shudder' in reverence – especially if English is your second language.

To be clear, I revere God and hold him in very high esteem – he is God and not your pal. Furthermore, I agree with these attributes (well, probably most of them). However, we do have to ask ourselves what do we ‘mean’ by them. If we are not clear in what we mean by them, we quickly run into all sorts of difficulties.

Let us take Genesis 6:6 as an example, “The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (NIV). The question is, “How can an unchanging, immutable, impassable, omnipotent, omnisapient, God ‘regret’ (or repented) or be ‘deeply troubled’?”

'High' view of God (1)

In my previous posts (What ‘kind’ of God?), I tried to show that it is very easy to fashion God to our liking. Easy to make him into the ‘kind’ of God we might be able to live with or, as Marcion (84-160 AD) did, reject him altogether. The result is that we might end up worshipping a god made into our own image – an idol (one we idealise) – and not the God of the Bible.

But, is it possible that to go the other way, having such a ‘high’ regard of God that we also end up with a god that is not God?

Systematic Theology (Dogmatics) endeavours to systemise what we believe as Christians. One of Systematic Theology’s main fields of study is known as the Doctrine of God. For example, “How can we believe in one God if we believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit”? Nowhere in the Bible will you find the word(s) Trinity or Triune God. It was only in the 3^rd century that Tertullian used this term to explain that the Father, son and Holy Spirit is one in essence but not in person.

Theologians also think about the qualities or characteristics of God under, what is called, ‘The Attributes of God’. You will find a whole list of attributes of God here. For most of us, this is what God is ‘like’ or, at least, should be like. These attributes creates a sense of the ‘high’ regard for the God of the Bible.

The problem is that some texts in the Bible seem to be in conflict with some of God’s attributes. The question is, “How do we deal with these ‘conflicts’?” Should we harmonise the text with what we believe God to be, or should we align our theology with Scripture?

What 'kind' of God? (4)

When I look around me (and even at myself), it seems easy enough to create god(s) in our own image. It appears that every generation emphasise those aspects of God that ‘fit’ the current worldview and ignore those that don’t. The previous generations, for example, had a strong hierarchical view of society. God, therefore, was on the side of those in authority who keep society in good order. Emphasis was therefore laid on society subjecting to authority.

The current generation(s) (not that I’m sure which one I’m talking about or I’m part of) rejects any form of authority. God is now siding with the underdog and those in need, and is actually kind of against those in power. We do not hear anything anymore on submission to authority – not even the authority of our parents or teachers. God somehow disproves of anything non-democratic. Democracy on every level of life is now good and “god's will”. Even deciding what God is ‘like’ or what ‘kind’ of God he is, should be decided democratically. Like the queen of England, who is ruled by the likes and dislikes of her ‘subjects’, God is shaped by the taste and distastes of the current worldview.

When I listen to Christians, I sometimes think that we have ended up with a god very different from the one we meet in the Bible – especially the one in the Old Testament. It seems easier to fit Jesus into our mould than YHWH – easier to fashion him into the ‘kind’ of god that suits us.

Either way, if we end up with a god different from the one who revealed himself in both the Old and New Testament, we end up with an idol. Fretheim (1984:2) writes, “… idolatries do not need the plastic form to qualify as such. One can move directly to mental images which construct a false image of God…”

Asking the question about the ‘kind’ of God we are dealing with in the Old Testament (even if we find him to be too embarrassing for our modern world) appears an important one. We might think we are worshipping God while we are actually making ourselves guilty of idolatry – the Old Testament story is quite clear what God thinks of idolatry.

What 'kind' of God? (3)

The creation account in Genesis 1 emphasises not only the fact that the Old Testament God is the creator God but also that God made man in his image. The story of the fall of man (Gen 3) shows that this image was severely affected by man’s sin. Still, the way we believe God to be (the ‘kind’ of God he is) does not only affect the way we think about him, but also “have a powerful impact on the shape of the life of the believer” (Fretheim 1984:1).

We cannot escape the influence of the ‘kind’ of god we serve on our lives. If he is cruel, we will have no problem being cruel – even in his name. If he is revengeful, we will have no problem to be revengeful – in his name. Put the other way round, if we are racist, we will find a god that will approve of our racism – even the God of the Bible.

The question therefore, is not only whether one believes in God or not, but also what kind of God one believes in. on the one hand, the ‘kind’ of god one believes in will shape the kind of person one is. On the other, one will either find a god or shape god to fit the ‘kind’ of person oneself is.

What ‘kind’ of God? (2)

Does it really matter to know what ‘kind’ of God we are dealing with?
It seems for most, who still believe in God, that the important thing is to ‘be saved’. As long as I know that I’m on my way to heaven and not somewhere else (we don’t talk about hell anymore - we do not really want to belief in a ‘kind’ of God who send people to everlasting damnation), it does not really matter how God is and what he is like.

If we take the position that the God of the Old Testament is this terrible distant god who stand ready to judge and punish people, then mankind need to be saved from him. Fortunately, we have Jesus to do that for us. The result is that Jesus becomes the one who saves us from the terrible Old Testament God.

Marcion, who lived during the second century AD, rejected the Hebrew Bible because he could not reconcile the Hebrew God of the Old Testament with the New Testament teaching about Jesus. As Bos (2008:7) puts it, Marcion “saw an unbridgeable antithesis between the stern, rigorous, and cruel Creator-God of the Old Testament (the so called Demiurge) and the God whom we meet in and through Jesus Christ”. Thus, for Marcion there was such a dichotomy between the ‘kind’ of God we are dealing with in the Old Testament and the New Testament, that it is unthinkable that they could the same God.

What 'kind' of God? (1)

Who is the God of the Bible - the One we believe in? What is he like?

I wonder how important this question is. Does it matter to know what he is like? What difference will it make if we know and that we know? Sometimes it seems that the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament is so very different.

The God of the Old Testament seems to be a harsh ruler that is looking for any opportunity to strike his people down – the God of the Law. In some sense it is not too bad – it is clear cut. If you do good you will be fine. The problem is that, should you break the law, you’re in for big trouble. God seems to be so harsh, unloving, uncaring. Many things that happen (sometime even by God’s command) in the Old Testament are very, shall we say, ‘unchristian’. As Bright, an Old Testament theologian, says, “There is much in the Old Testament – and it ought frankly be admitted – that offends the Christian’s conscience”.

Have a look, for what it is worth, at what Dawkins, the outspoken atheist, has to say about the Old Testament God.

Maybe it is important that we ask ourselves again what ‘kind’ of God we’re dealing with (what ‘kind’ of God we’re worshiping) and how important it is for us to know. As Bright says, we might end up worshipping the wrong god.