Is God constrained?

[1stcenturylady]

Oblivion. NOT eternal torture.

As I have said many times, God is not a sadist.

Finally, you said what you mean. And I agree.

 

[SBC]

Is there anything that prevents God from doing some things? What things? Justify your answer.

God Can Not lie -
God Can Not stand against Himself -
Reproduce offspring -
Be constrained by space -

God Bless,
SBC

 

[YouAreAwesome]

All we have to do is find ONE THING that God is not doing. The classic "God can not make a rock too heavy for Him to carry" fits the bill. Therefore the answer is YES there are some things God is not doing and thus there is at least something preventing Him from doing those things. QED.

However the more difficult question is: "WHAT constrains God from doing some things?" Categories covered ITT are:
1. His Nature - Contrains Him from doing evil
2. Logic - The heavy rock example
3. His own laws - If God makes a law for Himself He will follow it (He constrains Himself)
4. His Word - If God says He will do a thing, that thing will be done. He is constrained by His Word to fulfil that thing.

 

[Newlyrestoredgospel777]

God Can Not lie -
God Can Not stand against Himself -
Reproduce offspring -
Be constrained by space -

God Bless,
SBC

Reproduce Offspring? Are you calling GOD impotent? GOD forbid! HE has a Son. Father Adam His Eminence is HIS Son. Luke 3:38

 

[he-man]

Well, it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). I checked, and one would be hard-pressed to apply any other meaning here to the word αδυνατον than a literal translation of "impossible."

Think again: a literal translation requires a knowledge of Greek αδυτανον without power or skill, weak, feebly, unable
[logeion.uchicago.edu] Hebrews 6:18 impossible: adjective, nominative , singular, neuter see Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit [KJV]

 

[Hidden In Him]

Think again: a literal translation requires a knowledge of Greek αδυτανον without power or skill, weak, feebly, unable
[logeion.uchicago.edu] Hebrews 6:18 impossible: adjective, nominative , singular, neuter see Hebrews 6:4

Ha! For you, nothing would be hard-pressed, he-man. You appear to be on a vendetta to rid the church of Jesus Christ of the notion of a real Devil.

Tell me, do you believe in the existence of demons, or is it just the notion of the Devil that you have problems with?

And please answer me with straight-forward, clear answers; things like "Yes, I believe in demons, but no I don't believe in the Devil." Since you are going out of your way to engage me in a conversation again here, please don't send me on another wild goose chase trying to figure out what in the world your answers mean to even the most basic questions.

Not trying to offend. Simply trying to engage you in conversation, since that's apparently what you want to do (again).

 

[he-man]

Ha! For you, nothing would be hard-pressed, he-man. You appear to be on a vendetta to rid the church of Jesus Christ of the notion of a real Devil. Tell me, do you believe in the existence of demons, or is it just the notion of the Devil that you have problems with? And please answer me with straight-forward, clear answers; things like "Yes, I believe in demons, but no I don't believe in the Devil." Since you are going out of your way to engage me in a conversation again here, please don't send me on another wild goose chase trying to figure out what in the world your answers mean to even the most basic questions. Not trying to offend. Simply trying to engage you in conversation, since that's apparently what you want to do (again).

Please spare me of your rhetoric of trying to influence the thought and conduct of an audience: No and No; and stick to the subject of the post!

 

[Hidden In Him]

Please spare me of your rhetoric: No and No; and stick to the subject of the post!

Finally! Some clear answers!!

Thank you, good sir. I appreciate that.

Let's trade off answers then.
Here's my next one: Do you believe in angels?

Think again: a literal translation requires a knowledge of Greek αδυτανον without power or skill, weak, feebly, unable

In answer to yours, I specifically used the word hard-pressed, not "impossible." (Get it? impossible. Feel free to leave a tip. I'm here all "weak." )

 

[he-man]

Finally! Some clear answers!! Thank you, good sir. I appreciate that. Let's trade off answers then. Here's my next one: Do you believe in angels? In answer to yours, I specifically used the word hard-pressed, not "impossible." (Get it? impossible. Feel free to leave a tip. I'm here all "weak." )

Then you must mean you were bedeviled into finding any other words? In reply to your off topic question: Yes, but only good angels, because angels cannot sin. Messengers can sin but not angels. Why do you ask? Are you trying to use your rhetoric to support a false belief in demons, devils, witches of Endor?

 

[Radrook]

If by constrained you mean limited, then yes, seems to be constrained by his own personality. For example, he is unable to forgive without requiring certain behaviors first. In the case of mankind it required a human sacrifice. Some say it required a self sacrifice on a torture stake.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Then you must mean you were bedeviled into finding any other words? In reply to your off topic question: Yes, but only good angels, because angels cannot sin. Messengers can sin but not angels. Why do you ask? Are you trying to use your rhetoric to support a false belief in demons, devils, witches of Endor?

I'm mostly just trying to get a handle on what you do and do not believe.

How did you come by the conclusion that angels couldn't sin?

 

[Radrook]

Is there anything that prevents God from doing some things? What things? Justify your answer.

There are certain rules which make certain things inherently impossible. Squaring a circle without breaking those rules is one. Another is being infinitely evil and infinitely righteous simultaneously. Or being totally existent and totally inexistent at the same time in the normal meaning of the word. Or being infinitely compassionate and infinitely cruel. So it seems as if he is not only restricted by such obvious impossibilities but by his personality which forbids him to behave in certain ways as well. Of course this doesn't seem to prevent him from appearing to contradict himself occasionally. So the personality itself seems to be in some type of struggle to circumvent the very rules that it feels as impositions on its freedom via rationalizations.

 

[Radrook]

)
4. His Word - If God says He will do a thing, that thing will be done. He is constrained by His Word to fulfil that thing.

Well, he changed his mind about the prophesied destruction of Niniveh-didn't he? He also seems to have changed his mind about those who practice adultery since many of his servants such as Abraham, David, Solomon, had many wives and concubines and are spoken of as being righteous while telling us that adulterers will not enter the kingdom of God. No? So it seems as if there is some useful rationalization which seems to circumvent that constraining IMHO.

 

[Newlyrestoredgospel777]

Well, he changed his mind about the prophesied destruction of Niniveh-didn't he? He also seems to have changed his mind about those who practice adultery since many of his servants such as Abraham, David, Solomon, had many wives and concubines and are spoken of as being righteous while telling us that adulterers will not enter the kingdom of God. No? So it seems as if there is some convenient rationalization going on there to cunningly get around that constraining IMHO.

If you say that GOD can change HIS mind then you are also saying that HE can make mistakes. This is a blasphemy against the Character of GOD. The Adultery is the whoring after other gods. For the bride is the church and the church is the children of GOD. Solomon was not called righteous, in fact, he followed after other gods, and was therefore adulterous. King David and Abraham never went whoring after other gods.

 

[Radrook]

If you say that GOD can change HIS mind then you are also saying that HE can make mistakes. This is a blasphemy against the Character of GOD. The Adultery is the whoring after other gods. For the bride is the church and the church is the children of GOD. Solomon was not called righteous, in fact, he followed after other gods, and was therefore adulterous. King David and Abraham never went whoring after other gods.

Are you saying that God did NOT change his mind with Niniveh? If you are then you are writing your own version of the Bible. The same applies to your denial of all the concubines and wives that other servants of God had. That is basic biblical common knowledge. Denial of what the word of God clearly says and writing our own sanitized version is blasphemy. As for your spiritual adultery reference? That is strawman.
Straw man - Wikipedia

 

[he-man]

I'm mostly just trying to get a handle on what you do and do not believe.How did you come by the conclusion that angels couldn't sin?

Huh?

 

[Hidden In Him]

Huh?

I was asking how you came to the conclusion that angels cannot sin. What scriptures led you to believe that?

 

[he-man]

I was asking how you came to the conclusion that angels cannot sin. What scriptures led you to believe that?

Be patient, I am working on it. Zachariah 6:7 Angels designated to walk to and fro through the earth to report what was going on. And 1 Kings 13:18 an Angel brings the Devine word to a prophet. Angels are represented as good and not subject to evil impulses (Gen. R. xlviii. 11) Hence the 10 commandments are not applicable to them.(Shab. 88b.); they are called holy (Levi. R. xxiv. 8); they show neither hatred nor envy, nor does discord or ill will exist among them (Sife. Num. 42.); yet they do not know the day of Israel's redemption Matthew 24:36: "of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the Angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" Most Christian Theologins agree that Angels cannot sin and in 1 Timothy 5:21 they are holy angels called the elect. Because of the special grace the angels are incapable of sinning and their delight is to serve God wholeheartedly and to always serve Him willingly.

 

[Hammster]

How did this discussion on fallen angels get in here?

Stay on topic, folks.

 

[Hidden In Him]

How did this discussion on fallen angels get in here?

Stay on topic, folks.

Ok.

Be patient, I am working on it. Zacheriah 6:7 Angels designated to walk to and fro through the earth to report what was going on. And 1 Kings 13:18 an Angel brings the Devine word to a prophet. Angels are represented as good and not subject to evil impulses (Gen. R. xlviii. 11) Hence the 10 commandments are not applicable to them.(Shab. 88b.); they are called holy (Levi. R. xxiv. 8); they show neither hatred nor envy, nor does discord or ill will exist among them (Sife. Num. 42.); yet they do not know the day of Israel's redemption Matthew 24:36: "of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the Angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone" Most Christian Theologins agree that Angels cannot sin and in 1 Timothy 5:21 they are holy angels called the elect. Because of the special grace the angels are incapable of sinning and their delight is to serve God wholeheartedly and to always serve Him willingly.

Thanks for your answers, he-man. I will read it through. I'm curious to know how and maybe more importantly why you arrived at your theology, but we'll save that for another time.