3.3 Historical Theology on the Unity of God
3.3.1 The Early Church On the Doctrine of God.
Tertullian was one of the early figures in the Christian church to use the word trinity. He asserted that the triune God is of one single substance (essence) in three persons and is indivisible (Berkhof 1975:63). However, he was not clear on the role of the members of the Godhead (ibid:63). Berkhof defines the Trinitarian controversy as the Arian controversy (ibid:84). Arius denied the deity of Jesus Christ. He did not believe in the eternality of Jesus Christ. Arius argued that the Father generated the Son so that the Father could create the world by him (ibid:84). Cairns (1974:141-45) calls this period one of theological controversy (325-451 A.D.). Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, gave a sermon on the Unity of the Trinity. Arius attacked it (ibid:142). The Council of Nicaea met in the summer of 325 A.D. to determine the relationship of Christ to the Father. Arius took refuge in Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia. This dispute took place in Asia Minor. The unity of the Roman Empire was threatened as well as that of the church. Three hundred bishops of the church attended this council. Arius argued that Christ was a created being (ibid:143). He maintained that Christ was of a different essence (substance) than the Father. Arius believed that Christ was subordinate to the Father. In addition, this means that Christ would not be co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.
Athanasius was the champion of the orthodox view that Christ was co-equal, co-eternal, of same essence (substance) as the Father, and indivisible (ibid:144). The historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, was present. His view was orthodox. The Council of Nicaea was dominated by the emperor Constantine. The Council of Nicaea should not be confused with the Nicene Creed today (ibid:144). The Council of Nicaea affirmed the eternality of Christ and that He was one substance with the Father. The views of Arius were condemned. The Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. affirmed the eternality of Christ. He was one substance with the Father. These conclusions concerning the Lord Jesus Christ were reaffirmed at Chalcedon in 451 A.D. The Constantinople Creed is known today as the Nicene Creed. Modernism and Unitarianism are related to Arianism. The Jehovah Witnesses do not believe in the eternality and deity of Christ. Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople (341-360 A.D.), held the view that the Holy Spirit was not God. The views of Macedonius were condemned. The Council of Toledo (589 A.D.) affirmed the deity of the Holy Spirit. They added the filoque clause that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Son as well as the Father (ibid:145).
Latourette (1953:157) concurs that a consensus was reached at the Council of Nicaea in the relationship of Jesus Christ to the Father. It was Athanasius who was the champion of the Nicene position (ibid:157). Aryes (2004:11) presents the concise summary of Florensky on the Council of Nicaea. It was one decision and one announcement that the church had recognized the doctrine of the Trinity and of Christ. Gwynn (2007:3) provides a point of interest that the church grew in status and wealth under the reigns of Constantine. Constantine was supposedly converted in 312 A.D. He reigned from 306-337 A.D. His sons, Constantine II (337-40 A.D.), Constans (337-350 A.D.), Constantius II (337-61 A.D.), favored Christianity. The church continued to grow even under Julian the Apostate (361-63 A.D.).
3.4 The Incommunicable Attributes of God
3.4.1 These are attributes that are only in God.
3.4.1.1 The Infinity of God
God fills both heaven and earth. Hodge admits that fatal errors have been made in philosophy and religion. God is infinite in both His being and perfections. God acts and is present everywhere (Hodge 1975:1:380-384). The infinity of God involves both his immensity and omnipresence. He fills all in all (Jer. 23:23-24, Eph. 1:23). God is both far off and near at the same time. God is everywhere with his complete being. A.A. Hodge (1972:141) argued that is proven from scripture (1 Kings 8:27, Is. 66:1, Acts 17:27-28).
Hodge points to Acts 17:28 that in God, man lives, moves, and has his being (1975:1:385). God is presented in scripture as a spiritual being, invisible, without material form, and dwelling in unapproachable light. God is the creator and the sovereign in all things (ibid:385). “One God and Father of all, the One overall, and through all and in all” [things] [author’s translation- Eph. 4:6](Aland & Black 1968:671). But God is not the all. He is separate from creation (Gen. 1:1). The Sovereign God controls and guides to fulfill His will. Shedd argued that infinity should be defined by his immensity and his omnipresence. God is infinite. He is not finite. God is without limitations imposed by time and space. Yet, he moves in and out of time and space. He is omnipotent bringing things to pass (Shedd 1979:1:399). Chafer clarifies that it is because of the decree of God that foreordained both the events and the means to accomplish the events until completed (Chafer 1971:1:215-216). L.S. Chafer categorizes the infinity of God as an absolute attribute. God controls history. He has fixed the duration of the life of nations and fixed their boundaries (Acts 17:26). Shedd (1979:1:339) argued that all of God’s communicable attributes are infinite. Job 11:7-9 communicates the infinity of God. The immensity or the vastness of God is related to his being in relationship to space (2 Chr. 2:6). His immensity is interrelated to his omnipresence (ibid:340). It needs to be re-emphasized that God is present in his universe without division of his substance (essence). God is present with His whole being at every moment at every point of infinite space (Hodge 1972:140). He is a God who is near and far off at the same time (Jer. 23:23) (Hodge 1975:1:384). God is both immanent and transcendent. Jesus promised to be with us in all the world to the end of the age. This emphasizes his infinity and omnipresence (Matt. 28:19-20). Ephesians 1:22 applies the attribute of infinity to Christ.
Dods (1950:401) in his book The City of God : Saint Augustine affirms the certainty of infinity based on revealed truth. The psalmist writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God tells us in Psalm 147:5 that the Lord’s understanding is infinite (Chafer 1971:7:199). Common sense and the Holy Spirit should be our guides. Descartes argued that from the name of God alone that he understood God to be infinite substance, independent, omniscient, omnipotent, the creator of all things (Mackie 1982:34). However, God’s infinity must be confirmed by revelation not intuition or reason. Mackie’s reference to Descartes perception is in all likelihood perceived from the witness of God in creation. Perception and reason through reflection on the testimony of creation would affirm these invisible attributes, his deity and Godhead. Rationalism’s reason alone would be insufficient. Jenkins argues that John Gresham Machen in his books The Origin of Paul’s Religion (1923) and The Virgin Birth of Christ (1930) dealt with Christ’s miraculous entry into the world and his miraculous exit (1997:176). In his essay, My Idea of God, Dr. Machen argued that what mattered was what God had revealed in the Bible (ibid:177). Machen claimed that in the Bible the veil could be lifted from man’s eyes. Yet, Jenkins was amazed that in the next instance that Machen was quoting Rudolf Otto, the German theologian, a mystical description of God. Jenkins notes that Machen was tenacious in his clinging to God’s attributes of infinity, omnipotence, and God as the creator (ibid:177). The subject of being is addressed by Aristotle. The doctrine of God is a subject covered by Aquinas in his theology (Hankey 1987:63). It is even more astonishing that Nietzsche could consider the death of God (Bulhof and Kate 2000:1). The fact that philosophy is dead and bankrupt is seen in its failure to be able to adequately explain the infinity of God. Aristotelian philosophy and Scholasticism to Descartes in the 17th century failed in this matter when they based their findings only on rationalism’s finite reason (ibid:10). Philosophical theology, by way of contrast, argued that infinity and perfection were concepts that were compatible. Infinity implies perfection and goodness (ibid:117). Cochrane (1956:40) relates infinity to eternity. Infinity is without limits and in addition origin. Kierkegaard is considered the founder of existential philosophy. It could be argued that Schelling