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Can Theology Define God's Nature?
Article by Earl L. HennThroughout the centuries, the nature of God has been a matter of great controversy in Christian churches. Theology, in its strictest sense, is an academic discipline, derived from the Greek Theos (God) and logos (study or discourse), representing humanity's reasonings and conclusions about God arranged in a systematic and formal way. It employs a disciplined system of logic to reach conclusions that many theologians view as unassailable due to their apparent logical consistency. By this process, men believe they can attain knowledge of God's nature that could not be gained solely by studying the Scriptures. Typically, theologians start with a biblical premise and follow logical steps to reach conclusions, often stepping outside the Bible and arriving at ideas that may contradict what God reveals in His Word. Such reasoning frequently relegates biblical references that oppose these conclusions to metaphors or explains them away. The flaw in this approach is that it exalts human reasoning above the divinely inspired Word of God. God condemns human intellectual vanity, showing that His knowledge, understanding, and wisdom far surpass any human capacity. He reveals His truth not to the wise and learned of this world, but to the humble and unlearned, as Jesus Christ affirmed when He thanked the Father for hiding these things from the prudent and revealing them to babes. The limitation of theology lies in applying human logic to the spirit world, a dimension beyond our understanding, where physical world reasoning does not hold. Human minds, finite in scope, cannot comprehend the infinite nature of God or reduce Him to mere logical constructs. Theology, therefore, is deemed worthless in truly elucidating God's nature, as human reasoning apart from divine revelation only clouds spiritual truths. The revealed Word of God remains the sole source of knowledge about Him, and all understanding must be based on the Bible alone, without reliance on speculative human logic.
The Trinity and the Holy Spirit (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Elohim, as a plural noun, designates more than one personality and should be translated as Gods in the plural. Of the two clearly revealed members of Elohim, only One has communicated directly with mankind, and this is the One who became the Man, Jesus of Nazareth. He preached the gospel, revealing much more fully Elohim's character, mind, and purpose. He lived without sin, becoming mankind's Savior as the perfect sacrifice for the payment of man's sins. Elohim is, in reality, a designation of a kind, a genus, a family, an institution, a kingdom consisting at present of two personalities termed as the Father and the Son. The God kind is the creating-ruling One, or Family, that has brought this entire creation into existence for a specific purpose. Elohim's creating did not end with the physical creation of Adam and Eve but shifted toward spiritual creation, with Jesus Christ designated as the second Adam, the beginning of the spiritual kind. Elohim's oneness is as a harmonious institution, a family, a kingdom, a government that, in contrast to mankind's chaos, has holy character, speaking and acting with one mind in love and tender concern. There is structure, order, and government within Elohim, where the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son always does what pleases the Father, working as separate, distinct personalities in complete harmony and accord.
The Holy Spirit
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTheologians, misapplying grammatical gender and personification, falsely deduce a phantom third person, propped up by a spurious insertion (I John 5:7-8).
God Is . . . What?
Booklet by John W. RitenbaughJesus' testimony reveals that He came to show the Father to humanity. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus responded, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Through Jesus' revelation and the words of prophets and apostles, a clear understanding emerges of what is necessary to know about God concerning salvation. The inspired revelation portrays two distinct Personalities, both called God, working in harmony to accomplish creation and other divine works. Jesus, as the Word, carried out creation under the authority of another Being, also God, indicating their separate identities yet unified purpose. Scriptures highlight Jesus as divine by nature, alongside another Personality also called God, showing their distinct yet cooperative existence. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done, demonstrating two individual wills within one harmonious Family, where One submits to the Other. Jesus Himself stated, My Father is greater than I, affirming their equality as God but distinction in authority. The use of plural pronouns like Us and Our in Genesis further supports the concept of two divine Personalities working as one. Regarding visibility, Jesus declared that no one has seen the Father or heard His voice at any time, yet many in history interacted with God, such as Moses and Abraham. The conclusion drawn is that they saw the One who became Jesus, not the Father, indicating two Personalities in the God Family. Jesus' mission included declaring the Father, whose existence was only hinted at before His ministry. The physical relationship between the Father and Jesus, with the Father impregnating Mary through His Holy Spirit, further illustrates their distinctiveness, as Jesus is called the only begotten of the Father, implying two separate Beings. Additional evidence of their separateness appears in Jesus' resurrection and ascension. A distinct Being must have resurrected Him, as He could not do so Himself, and He ascended to sit at His Father's right hand, showing He did not ascend to Himself. Jesus prayed for believers to be one with the Father as He and the Father are one, indicating distinct Personalities yet united in nature, mind, and Family. This oneness will reach its fullness when believers inherit His Kingdom, retaining individuality within the divine Family, just as the Father and Son remain distinct. The overwhelming evidence portrays God as one Family, working to bring many into itself, transforming division into divine unity.
Mightier Than the Sword (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Apostate philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas sought to elevate human reason above the knowledge of God, compartmentalizing secular from sacred knowledge.
Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Acts 15 decision did not do away with God's law, but solved the question of circumcision and the misconception that it was a recipe for salvation.
Dead Prophets' Society
CGG Weekly by Mike FuhrerToday's hollowed-out nominal Christianity asserts that, if one wants Christian doctrinal proof, go to Jesus and Paul, not Moses, David, or the prophets.
Remaining Unleavened
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughOur carnal natures must be displaced by God's Holy Spirit, motivating us to refrain from causing offense, but freely forgiving others as God has forgiven us.
Gluttony: A Lack of Self-Control (Part Two)
Article by Martin G. CollinsAt its base, gluttony is nothing more than a lack of self-control. But there is also a more spiritual side to this prevalent sin.