Becoming a theologian: Incommunicable Attributes

Today as we continue our quest in becoming theologians, we want to start looking at God's incommunicable attributes. Both of these are words are ones we don't use very often, so, like we often do, let's turn to dictionary.com for definitions:

attribute means "something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property"

incommunicable means "incapable of being communicated, imparted, shared, etc."

Based on these definitions, I want to define God's incommunicable attributes as being qualties or characteristics of God's that belong only to God and are not and cannot be found in others. The incommunicable attributes that we are going to look at are (with definitions from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology:

1. Independence - God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify Him and bring Him joy.
2. Unchangeableness - God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet god does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations.
3. Eternity - God has no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time
4. Omnipresence - God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places.
5. Unity - God is not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes of God emphasized at different times.

As we usually do, we're going to look at the Bible to learn a bit more about these attributes. But this time, I want to read some verses and see if you can figure out which of these attributes they relate to.

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Exodus 34:6-7

• What attribute does this refer to? Unity

"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!

1 Kings 8:27

• What attribute does this refer to? Omnipresence

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night

Psalm 90:4

• What attribute does this refer to? Eternity

But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

Psalm 102:27

• What attribute does this refer to? Unchangeableness and Eternity

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:7-10

• What attribute does this refer to? Omnipresence

How great is God beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.

Job 36:26

• What attribute does this refer to? Eternity

Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Job 41:11

• What attribute does this refer to? Independence

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

John 8:58

• What attribute does this refer to? Eternity

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

John 17:24

• What attribute does this refer to? Independence

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

• What attribute does this refer to? Unchangeableness