God
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Part 3. The Nature of Ultimate Reality
1. Introduction Every religious and philosophical system begins with a fundamental question: What is ultimately real?In Christianity, ultimate reality is a personal, living God—Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer—who exists beyond and within creation. In Buddhism, ultimate reality is not a divine being but the true nature of existence itself, described as…
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Part 2: The Language Barrier – From Revelation to Realisation
Bridging the Light: Explaining Christianity to Buddhists with Clarity and Compassion 1. Introduction When Christians speak about God, sin, faith, and salvation, they are using a vocabulary born from revelation — truths given by a personal God who speaks and acts in history.Buddhists, however, understand truth as something realised through…
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Part 3: Speaking of God – Explaining a Personal Creator to a Non-Theistic Listener
Bridging the Light: Explaining Christianity to Buddhists with Clarity and Compassion 1. Introduction For Christians, speaking about God is natural — the entire faith begins and ends in Him.But for most Buddhists, the word “God” (Deva, Īśvara) refers not to the supreme source of being but to finite celestial beings…
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Part 1 – God the Father: Source, Creator and Eternal One
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”— Genesis 1:1 (NRSV) 1. Introduction Among the world’s faith traditions, the Bible presents God the Father as the eternal source and sovereign origin of all existence. He is not one deity among many but the self-existent One who simply is.…
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Part 10 – Knowing God Personally: Living in Divine Fellowship
“Indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”— 1 John 1 : 3 (NRSV) 1 Introduction The doctrine of the Trinity is not an abstract equation but a living invitation.God reveals Himself not only so that we may understand but so that we may enter…
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Part I – The Divine Name in Hebrew Revelation
Abstract This study examines the origin, meaning, and theological significance of the Divine Name in Hebrew Scripture. From the earliest self-disclosure of God in the Old Testament, the Name YHWH (יהוה) stands as the most sacred expression of divine identity. Through linguistic, textual, and historical analysis, this paper explores how…
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Part II – The Name through Translation and Pentecost
Abstract This paper traces how the Divine Name, first revealed in Hebrew as YHWH, entered the multilingual world of the Bible through translation and culminated in the Pentecost event. It examines the linguistic transmission from Hebrew to Greek, Latin, and modern languages, demonstrating that God Himself authorised the multilingual proclamation…
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Appendix II – The Co-Agency of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Abstract This appendix explores how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit act together in every divine operation. Classical Christian theology maintains that all external works of God (opera ad extra) are indivisible: the three persons act with one will and purpose. Yet within this unity each person performs a distinct…
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Appendix Table: The Divine Names and Titles Across Languages
Name / Title Language of Origin Translational Equivalents Key Biblical References Meaning / Theological Emphasis YHWH (יהוה) Hebrew Kyrios (Greek), Dominus (Latin), LORD (English) Exod. 3:14; Isa. 42:8 “I AM WHO I AM”; God’s self-existent, covenantal Name; denotes eternal being and faithfulness. Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) Hebrew Theos (Greek), Deus (Latin), God…
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Part 5 – The Grief of God’s Spirit
1. Introduction The Scriptures reveal not only that God sorrows over sin in general but also that His Spirit can be grieved personally. This truth, articulated in both the Old and New Testaments, discloses the Spirit’s divine personality and emotional depth. Far from depicting divine weakness, the grief of the…
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Imago Dei and Artificial Intelligence: Can Machines Reflect God’s Image?
1. Introduction: Theological Reflections in the Age of AI The doctrine of Imago Dei—that humans are created in the image of God—has been central to Christian anthropology. As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, questions arise: Can machines, crafted by human hands, reflect aspects of the divine image? This exploration delves into…
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Father God in the Old Testament
Father God in the Old Testament: Identity, Imagery, and Covenant Relationship 1. Introduction The concept of God as “Father” is central in Christian theology, yet its presence in the Old Testament (OT) is less frequent than in the New Testament. However, when it appears, it carries profound theological weight, rooted…
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Father God in the New Testament
Father God in the New Testament: Revelation Through the Son and Intimate Divine Relationship 1. Introduction The New Testament (NT) significantly deepens and personalises the concept of God as Father, building upon Old Testament covenantal themes. Through the life, teachings, and person of Jesus Christ, God is revealed not only…
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Father God in the Old and New Testaments
Father God in the Old and New Testaments: Continuity, Fulfilment, and Relational Depth 1. Introduction The image of God as Father is one of the most profound theological concepts in Scripture, yet its expression shifts dramatically from the Old Testament (OT) to the New Testament (NT). While the OT presents…
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The Trinity in the Old Testament
The Trinity in the Old Testament: United Presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 1. Introduction While the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly articulated in the New Testament, its roots extend deeply into the Old Testament (OT). The OT does not provide a systematic exposition of one God in…
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The Trinity in the New Testament
The Trinity in the New Testament: The Fully Revealed Presence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 1. Introduction The New Testament (NT) brings to completion what the Old Testament anticipates—the full revelation of the Trinity: one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a philosophical doctrine…
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The Trinity Across Scripture
The Trinity Across Scripture: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Old and New Testament Unity 1. Introduction The doctrine of the Trinity—that God is one essence in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is a cornerstone of Christian theology. While the Old Testament (OT) lays the foundational framework, the New…
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48. Fear Of God
Genesis 20:11-12 11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother;…
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55. God’s Character
Exodus 3:6 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:14 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT…
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59. God’s Nature
Genesis 15:1 1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Exodus 14:14 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. Leviticus 20:7 7 Sanctify yourselves…
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60. God’s Promises
Genesis 3:15 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 13:15 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy…
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61. God’s Protection
Genesis 1:26 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth…
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62. God’s Will, God’s Desire
Genesis 22:1-4 1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of…
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Blaise Pascal – Faith, Reason, and the God of the Heart
Doctrinal Themes and Denominational Traditions 1. Introduction Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, and theologian whose religious writings have earned him a lasting place in the canon of Christian thought. Though never formally trained as a theologian or clergyman, Pascal’s reflections on faith, reason, human nature, and divine…
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The Final Question: Who Is God?
The Council That Never Was – Volume VII Prologue: The Unnameable Light All fell silent. No debates. No screens. No empires. No missions. Only light. Not a metaphor. Not theology. Not a symbol. God. The forum vanished.Language collapsed.Theologians became only eyes—and awe. And yet, they must still speak. Not to…
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The Knowledge of the Holy
The Knowledge of the Holy – A.W. Tozer 1. Full Citation Tozer, A.W. (1961) The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper & Row. 2. Introduction A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy is a concise yet profound devotional classic that explores the attributes of God in a spirit of…
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The Pursuit of God
The Pursuit of God – A.W. Tozer 1. Full Citation Tozer, A.W. (1948) The Pursuit of God. Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc. 2. Introduction A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God is a deeply influential devotional work that urges believers to seek an intimate, experiential relationship with God beyond mere…
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Concise Theology
Concise Theology – J.I. Packer 1. Full Citation Packer, J.I. (1993) Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 2. Introduction J.I. Packer’s Concise Theology is a compact yet theologically rich resource aimed at equipping believers with an accessible overview of core Christian doctrines. Without…
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God’s Unchanging Will vs. Human Instability
Section 5: Will and Sovereignty — God’s Unchanging Will vs. Human Instability 1. Introduction The question of will—who controls events, makes decisions, and directs outcomes—is central to biblical theology and human experience. Scripture reveals God as sovereign: His will is unchanging, purposeful, and irresistible. By contrast, human will is limited,…
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God’s Self-Existence vs. Human Dependence
Section 7: Essence and Being — God’s Self-Existence vs. Human Dependence 1. Introduction At the foundation of all metaphysics and theology lies the question of being—what it means to exist. Christian doctrine teaches that God alone possesses aseity (self-existence), while all other beings, including humans, are contingent, created, and dependent.…
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God’s Perfect Love vs. Human Emotional Disorder
Section 8: Emotions and Affections — God’s Perfect Love vs. Human Emotional Disorder 1. Introduction Emotions are a profound part of human experience. They shape decisions, relationships, and identity. Yet human affections are often unstable, conflicted, or disordered. In contrast, God’s emotional life—as revealed in Scripture—is perfect, holy, and consistent…
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11.1 God (Yahweh)
11. Divine and Supernatural Beings Theme: Divine and Supernatural Beings of God (Yahweh) 🔹 Story 1: The Angel of the Lord Appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush Main Characters: Angel of the Lord, Moses, YahwehStory Summary: God appeared to Moses through the Angel of the Lord in a bush…
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Divine Encounters in the Bible
Divine Encounters in the Bible: Theological Significance and Cultural Reverberations Abstract This article explores the biblical motif of human encounters with God and angelic beings, with particular attention to the theological implications of perceiving the divine and the fear of death associated with such experiences. Drawing on biblical narratives, Jewish…