Omnipotence in the Bible Omniscience in the Bible

Omnipotence in the Omniscience in the

Bible Bible

Question: What is the meaning of God’s The Problem of omnipotence Question: What is the meaning of God’s omniscience in the Bible? omnipotence in the Bible? For centuries philosophers have argued Read passage 2 and either passage 1 or 3 (or both): Look at the following Biblical passages and about the meaning of omnipotence and 1. Define the meaning of God's omniscience in the Bible deduce the meaning of God's omnipotence whether it is possible to make sense of the 2. Identify two or three examples of God being omniscient in the Bible. word ‘omnipotence’. The passages 1. Genesis 1: 1-2 Answer the following problems and then 1. Genesis 3 (The story of the snake tempting Eve who tempts Adam) see if you can suggest the two solutions 2. Job 38: 31-33 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of 2. Job 38:12: ‘Have you commanded which Christian philosophers have often Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with the morning since your days began, and suggested. its children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on caused the dawn to know its place‟ the earth?” Omnipotence problems 3. 2 Samuel 11-12 (A story about lust) 3. Job 40:9 „Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like 1. Can God climb a tree? In the second passage God’s knowledge includes that of the stars and understanding the his?‟ 2. Can God make a rock too heavy to celestial laws - what we today would call the laws of physics governing the movement of lift? the planets.

3. Can God make square circles? 4. Joshua 10:11a, 13 „The LORD threw A philosopher’s problem: down huge stones from heaven on them as 4. Can God sin? 1. What does omniscience mean in your opinion? far as Azekah, and they died;… And the sun 5. Can God swim? 2. Do you have free will? stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation [Joshua‟s followers] took vengeance What do you think the answers are? And, 3. Can God know the future if it has not already happened? on their enemies [the Amorites]. more importantly, what point do you think 4. If God knows the future do we really have a choice about decisions the questions are getting at? we make? 5. Job 36:22 „See, God is exalted in his Explain your answers. power; who is a teacher like him?‟

Your answer: Philosophers’ two solutions Philosophers’ solutions: Solution 1: Can you think of two ways in which philosophers solve the problem of omnipotence? Solution 2: 1.

Which solution is more persuasive? Why? 2. Omnipresence in the

Bible

Write down what you think the Omnipresence of God means:

Look up the following passages in the Bible. What can be deduced about God’s omnipresence from them? 1. Genesis 1

2. Genesis 3

3. Job 38

Nietzsche referred to the indecency of a God who knows our every action and who is always present. What actions might Nietzsche have been think- ing of and do you agree with him?

What does Aquinas have to say about omnipresence? But how He is in other things created by Him, may be considered from human affairs. A king, for example, is said to be in the whole kingdom by his power, although he is not everywhere present. Again a thing is said to be by its presence in other things which are subject to its inspection; as things in a house are said to be present to anyone, who nevertheless may not be in substance in every part of the house. Lastly, a thing is said to be by way of substance or essence in that place in which its substance may be. Now there were some (the Manichees) who said that spiritual and incorporeal things were subject to the divine power; but that visible and corporeal things were subject to the power of a contrary principle. Therefore against these it is necessary to say that God is in all things by His power. (Summa Theologica 1, q8, a3)