Was Satan Perfect?

[jimmyjimmy]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

 

[Wolfe]

Only perfect being is God.
The reason he'd make an imperfect being, is the same reason he gave us free will.
He wants us to desire Him, and to want to be with him. He isn't going to force anyone or anything to be with him, if they don't wanna.

 

[OneChristianLight]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled?

A perfect being wouldn't rebel against God in the first place.

If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

God didn't "make" Satan in some sort of supernatural workshop. It wouldn't make sense for an all-benevolent God to create a person who would go on to cause so much chaos in the world. Satan was actually born as a human during ancient times, lived a normal life, then died and became a spirit.

 

[Strong in Him]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

Satan was an angel - Lucifer - created by God. I've never really considered whether angels are perfect, but I cannot imagine a perfect, holy, good God making something that was imperfect, so I suppose he must have been.
I can only think that the angels were given free will, same as we were, and that at some point Satan thought he would try to get God's throne, or become greater than him in some way.

 

[Job8]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

Both Lucifer and Adam were created perfect. But they had the potential to sin because they could also make free choices. And both made the wrong choices. God did not create robots.

 

[JohnRabbit]

Both Lucifer and Adam were created perfect. But they had the potential to sin because they could also make free choices. And both made the wrong choices. God did not created robots.

best answer so far!

 

[JohnRabbit]

Satan was actually born as a human during ancient times, lived a normal life, then died and became a spirit.

this is categorically incorrect!

 

[food4thought]

Biblically, the word "perfect" is usually in the sense of complete... and the Bible does not say that Satan as a being was perfect, only that he was perfect "in all his ways" until iniquity was found in him through pride (see Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). Only God is truly perfect in the sense of absolute perfection. It would be impossible for God to "create" another infinite uncreated being, so God cannot create a being like Himself. Satan was as wise and beautiful and powerful as God wanted him to be, and he had a free will just like we do. Pride caused Satan to begin to want to exalt himself above God, and when he rebelled sin corrupted him and he became the demonic being he is today.

 

[W2L]

Biblically, the word "perfect" is usually in the sense of complete... and the Bible does not say that Lucifer was perfect, only that he was perfect "in all his ways" until iniquity was found in him through pride (see Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). Only God is truly perfect in the sense of absolute perfection. It would be impossible for God to "create" another infinite uncreated being, so God cannot create a being like Himself. Satan was as wise and beautiful and powerful as God wanted him to be, and he had a free will just like we do. Pride caused Satan to begin to want to exalt himself above God, and when he rebelled sin corrupted him and he became the demonic being he is today.

Reminds me of the tax collector and Pharisee parable.

 

[food4thought]

Yes. Satan has no humility now.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

Saying "it was good" doesn't always mean saying "it was perfect" or should I say, implied it will stay perfect.

 

[W2L]

Yes. Satan has no humility now.

No love either, if he's like the Pharisee in that parable. God so loved the world that he gave his son, who was bruised for our iniquity.

 

[Calminian]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

First, I don't recommend Tim Keller on anything. He's a very damaging figure in the church today as one of the founding pastors of biologos, an organization that promotes the acceptance of evolution in the Church. Here's an article on Keller that might be helpful. Plant Creation Contradiction in Genesis?

Second, the Bible specifically says Satan was perfect when he was created.

Ezek. 28:15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.

The hebrew word is tamiym, meaning without defect, blameless, perfect (KM Hebrew Dictionary).

Notice also, Satan was actually in the Garden of Eden when he fell, contrary to gap theory claims. If you read the Fall account carefully, Satan and Adam were cursed the same day. Until that time, Satan was walking in the Garden of Eden freely, like Adam and Eve.

To answer your question, both Adam and Satan were given freedom. Freedom is an attribute of perfection. Robots are not perfect.

 

[brinny]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

What is written about Satan?

I believe that's covered in God's Word, is it not?

Thank you kindly.

 

[ThePerfectNobody]

Easy answer. Lucifer was in charge of the Earth, and the dinosaurs which Godf created. (It's so dumb when people think God didn't create them due to their relation to science and the whole science vs. religion deal). The Earth was already made, and the dinosaurs were the inhabitants. However, they were not hunters at the time. Did you know recent studies have shown the tyrannosaurus rex to be a SCAVENGER? Not a hunter. It ate things that were already dead.

However, Lucifer was not up for GOd's new plan: to let humans rule the planet Lucifer had taken so much care off. Lucifer, being the very intelligent being he is, got it in his head that he';s smarter than God. My father has a theory that Lucifer experimented with the dinosaurs, turning some into killers. It's possible through the teamwork of velociraptors taking down larger prey, Lucifer got it in his head that if he gathered the angels he was in charge of, he could overthrow God.

However, there's a big flaw that Lucifer made. Lucifer was running experiments on the dinosaurs like the Earth was his own ancient science lab. Beakers and stuff like that weren't invented at the time, so the best way to experiment is with what you alrerady have. In that time, that was the dinosaurs. But Lucifer used the results of his scientific experiment to try and defeat something that clearly went beyond scientific, physical, and mental limits: God. God punished Lucifer, renamed him Satan (adversary) and the devil then destroyed the Earth in his anger. But God "created" it again. The earth was without form and void because of the devil.

 

[Wesleyan]

If you are using "perfect" with Aristotle's definition of "adequate for the task" then yes Satan was created perfect for the task God set before. I.e. God created Satan with free will. There is nothing inadequate about a free will. The ability to make a contrary choice displays a perfect Creator with the desire that at least two of his creatures (human and angelic) would have the ability to love him perfectly. The highest level of love can only be attained if one can do so freely. For this level of love to be reached there is intrinsically the need for the ability not to.

Can God ever create an imperfect being? no. Can God ever create evil? No!

 

[katiemygirl]

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?

Satan was perfect. God gave Satan free will, and he chose to rebel. That doesn't mean God created an imperfect being. God created Adam & Eve. They were perfect, and gave them free will also. They, too, chose to sin.

 

[food4thought]

First, I don't recommend Tim Keller on anything. He's a very damaging figure in the church today as one of the founding pastors of biologos, an organization that promotes the acceptance of evolution in the Church. Here's an article on Keller that might be helpful. Plant Creation Contradiction in Genesis?

Second, the Bible specifically says Satan was perfect when he was created.

Ezek. 28:15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,
Till iniquity was found in you.

The hebrew word is tamiym, meaning without defect, blameless, perfect (KM Hebrew Dictionary).

Notice also, Satan was actually in the Garden of Eden when he fell, contrary to gap theory claims. If you read the Fall account carefully, Satan and Adam were cursed the same day. Until that time, Satan was walking in the Garden of Eden freely, like Adam and Eve.

To answer your question, both Adam and Satan were given freedom. Freedom is an attribute of perfection. Robots are not perfect.

Thank you for the clarification on the meaning of the Hebrew word translated as "perfect"... I was thinking of the Greek probably.

 

[Calminian]

....However, Lucifer was not up for GOd's new plan....

"New plan?"

However, there's a big flaw that Lucifer made. Lucifer was running experiments on the dinosaurs like the Earth was his own ancient science lab.

Huh?

God punished Lucifer, renamed him Satan (adversary) and the devil then destroyed the Earth in his anger. But God "created" it again. The earth was without form and void because of the devil.

This is the gap theory compromise, which was an attempted to marry Scripture with modern science. the problem is, Satan's fall was in the Garden along with Adam's fall. The symbolic curse of the snake was in reality a curse on Satan.

And in Ezekiel 28, Satan is said to be in the Garden of Eden still perfect prior to his fall.

Also, Lucifer is not a proper noun. It's a mistranslation in the KJV. No other translations mention it. There was no being named Lucifer who's name was changed. Satan's name was likely the same from the beginning.

 

[Kane Ali]

Ezekiel 28:14-15 Depicts the Angel's pre-Satan existence. God made Angels perfect as well as Adam and Eve. He gave those perfect beings free-will. Without free will the creation would simply be likened to animals that only act within their environment and what is pre-programmed in their DNA. Humans and Angels have the power of choice. The scripture is quoted below (NIV). Though the scripture is addressed to the King of Tyre, it is speaking about the origin of evil that is within that very king. (Obviously the King of Tyre didn't walk in the Garden of Eden as the preceding scriptures state about the one being addressed.) The origin is Satan. Pray for Holy Spirit before you read the passage. It takes God's guidence to reveal what the scriptures really say.
14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub
For so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
you walked among the fiery stones.
15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
In short, yes, the angel that became Satan was once perfect as Adam was once perfect. Until they chose to disobey God.

Take this scenario for example. A loving couple decides to have a child. The teach the child right from wrong all the days they are together. Then the child becomes a young adult and decides he wants to rob a bank. Did the parents give birth to a thief, or did the baby they had choose to become one? Everything God makes is perfect and does exactly what it's supposed to do. Once you give your creation a measure of choice, now the creation has the ability to choose their own path, whether good or bad. The angel chose bad and made himself a slanderer and an accuser. Thus Devil and Satan.

Was Satan a perfect being before he rebelled? If so, how could he have? If not, why did God make an imperfect being?