God is Simple. Did you know that?

[Jonaitis]

I've got patience to read. What 5 minutes do you suggest from your 70 minute brief overview video? It's a simple request.

I provided a video, Clint provided Aquinas if you want to read what he posted.

 

[SkyWriting]

Seriously? You want us to watch a video over an hour long?

I'm not interested. I could read the relevant section of a theology book in 2 minutes.

Now if you gave a short précis of the video, that would help those people who have no idea what "simplicity of God" means.

Why Divine Simplicity Matters | Place for Truth - James E. Dolezal

The Simplicity of God - Tabletalk Magazine - James E. Dolezal

 

[chilehed]

Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

If it was five minutes I might have, but not an hour. Besides, there's no way he could have dealt with the topic more thoroughly than St. Thomas Acquinas.

 

[paul becke]

I intend to provide, promote, and distribute good quality content. If you don't want to watch the video, why do you reply? None of you so far seemed to have understood what it was about, but assumed and commented. I pray it will benefit someone who wants to grow in their saving knowledge of God, and move them to worship him with awe and adoration of the beauty of his holiness.

Divine simplicity shows that there is none like our God, not even among the heathen deities.

'Divine simplicity shows that there is none like our God, not even among the heathen deities.'

Why, 'not even among the "heathen deities" ?' Should we be surprised ?

 

[Strong in Him]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

I shouldn't have to watch an hour long video by someone I've never heard of to be able to reply to a post on a public discussion forum.
The title of your thread is a question; "Is God simple?" and there's no reason why we shouldn't give our opinion on that. If the title had been "video sermon; let's watch and discuss", that might have been different.

I don't believe God s simple. He's like a diamond - multifaceted.
He said in Scripture, "my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts". God is eternal, infinite, all powerful and Spirit; we are finite, mortal, have limited power, knowledge and minds and are human. Of course we're not going to be able to fully understand him - if we could, he wouldn't be God.

 

[Mountainmanbob]

For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

 

[Strong in Him]

I clearly said, with a polite gesture, to comment after watching the video.

I know you did, but this is an online discussion forum. Many of us expect that we should be able to have discussion, fellowship and debate - since that's what the forum is for - without having to first struggle through an hour long video clip by someone we may not have heard of, on an unknown topic.

Saying "this is a short video clip by this preacher on the subject of ..... Here is a short summary of it and his message, but if possible, watch it and tell me what you think", is one thing.
Writing the title "God is simple", and then saying "don't reply to this thread til you have sat through this hour long presentation - and I'm not telling you what it's about", is another.

 

[dstamps]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

After watching his video on "Divine Simplicity", I felt my long time view of thinking about GOD as the Source for all that is was basically the same view. It did bring forth a few Biblical questions, though.

Genesis 1 tells us that Man is in the Image of GOD. How can a finite being be in the image of a Infinite Being? I assume, using his words, that the Image is a refracted view of GOD.

Almost 30 years ago, I sought to unify the Biblical message--without contradictions. During that process, I discovered that the real purpose of Genesis 1 was to show Man how they are in the Image of GOD.
How is Man in the Image of GOD

In the process, I also created a Word Picture of Reality--attached.

 

[truefiction1]

I intend to provide, promote, and distribute good quality content. If you don't want to watch the video, why do you reply? None of you so far seemed to have understood what it was about, but assumed and commented. I pray it will benefit someone who wants to grow in their saving knowledge of God, and move them to worship him with awe and adoration of the beauty of his holiness.

Divine simplicity shows that there is none like our God, not even among the heathen deities.

"Divine simplicity" is a doctrine that originated within Latin schools of theology (i.e. Roman Catholic scholasticism). It's considered by the Church of which I'm a member to be a heretical dogma, because it offers a definition of the Divine Essence of the Holy Trinity where no such definition is even possible, and is therefor rejected in the Theology of the Orthodox Church.

That is why I haven't watched the video.

 

[Yarddog]

Anything humans say about God is wrong unless God said it.

Unless he said it to whom?

 

[Yarddog]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

I wonder why people speaking of Devine simplicity take so long to explain it.

 

[Tree of Life]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

Hah! I don't have an hour to spend watching the video but I am familiar with the doctrine of divine simplicity. The Westminster Confession uses the language of God not having "parts". I think it's an important structural doctrine but not one I'd spend a lot of time preaching and teaching on.

 

[martymonster]

Anything humans say about God is wrong unless God said it.

Trust me, people aren't interested in what God has to say about himself, they're only interested in the speculations of men. The reason I can say this, is because no matter how much scripture you post to backs something up, they will always try to find away around it.

 

[royal priest]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

A perfect Sunday afternoon activity. Thanks for sharing, brother!

 

[Jonaitis]

A perfect Sunday afternoon activity. Thanks for sharing, brother!

You're welcome, brother!

 

[Not David]

I clearly said, with a polite gesture, to comment after watching the video. I expected better from Christian men, even from you, since I really enjoy your thoughts and comments on this site. But, what can I expect from online forums? It is choas, just like Facebook groups.

Welcome to Christian Forums!

 

[Jonaitis]

Welcome to Christian Forums!

I know, I know.

 

[royal priest]

A perfect Sunday afternoon activity. Thanks for sharing, brother!

Our innate tendency to idolatry tempts us to believe that God has human attributes. Without this doctrinal foundation of God's simplicity we cannot rightly understand His use of anthropomorphic language concerning Himself. Especially when it comes to emotion and suffering as it relates to His impassibility.

 

[Ing Bee]

Have you ever heard of Divine Simplicity? No? Here is a lecture I heard years ago by Dr. James Dolezal, he gives a brief overview I would say of what this doctrine teaches us in Scripture about who God is. Please don't respond until you have watched this video.

Hi Jo-
I'll commit to watching the video. I'll get back with my comments when I can. Can you share why this doctrine is beneficial in your Christian practice and experience? No to be overly pragmatic, but I have a conviction that theology needs to be (for want of a better word) actionable. How has this understanding concretely transformed your life.

Thanks-

Ing Bee

 

[Jonaitis]

Our innate tendency to idolatry tempts us to believe that God has human attributes. Without this doctrinal foundation of God's simplicity we cannot rightly understand His use of anthropomorphic language concerning Himself. Especially when it comes to emotion and suffering as it relates to His impassibility.

I had planned on talking about divine impassibility in the future, because it is very misunderstood.