Theology

Does God have Emotions?

March 17, 2023 by wagraham 7 Comments

Christians claim God is impassible—without passions. For example, the Westminster Confession of Faith affirms, God is “without body, parts, or passions” (2.1). For most people, this seems to affirm God has no emotions under the reasonable assumption that passions are emotions.

But such a teaching, although everywhere present in the history of Christianity, seems at variance with biblical teaching. The Bible often says God is angry, for example. Does this mean God is a passionate and emotional God?

To answer that question, I want to reargue key reasons why Christians hold God to be impassible. Afterwards, I will answer the question, Does God have emotions? [Read more…] about Does God have Emotions?

Is Song of Songs Allegorical? Five Questions I Might ask of the text

January 25, 2023 by wagraham Leave a Comment

As Hosea and Hagar are real people but also signify God and Israel, so it’s possible that Solomon and the Shulammite can be real people who also signify God and his people.

Once you grant this possibility, then you can ask of the Bible some questions such as: [Read more…] about Is Song of Songs Allegorical? Five Questions I Might ask of the text

The Book of Job is About Asking the Wrong Question

January 12, 2023 by wagraham 2 Comments

In my view, the Book of Job centres on Job’s three friends and Job trying to understand why Job was suffering, while assuming the retributive principle (an eye for an eye).

The big reveal after 34 chapters is that everyone was asking the wrong question. The retributive principle, although wise as it is given in Proverbs, does not represent an immutable principle of justice.

Is God mean in the Old Testament?: How the book of Kings Shows us God is full of Mercy

January 4, 2023 by wagraham Leave a Comment

The Book of Kings should (but usually doesn’t) make us ask: is God just? Will he punish the wicked?

The whole book relentlessly shows God’s mercy and patience as his people regularly abandon his ways, commit evil, and do great harm to one another.

There is no “the local church” if that Means Something Distinct from “the Church”

December 30, 2022 by wagraham 1 Comment

There is no “the local church” if that means something distinct from “the church.”

There is West Highland Baptist Church, Pineland Baptist Church, Grace Toronto and so on. These titles name congregations that meet within buildings or rented space.

These congregations are local expressions of the body of Christ, that is, the church. The church is the body of Christ. The church is all believers united to Christ by faith in the Spirit. [Read more…] about There is no “the local church” if that Means Something Distinct from “the Church”

RM Hurd v. the Reformed Baptists on Divine Impassibility

December 10, 2022 by wagraham Leave a Comment

I learned yesterday that RM Hurd’s recent article on divine impassibility among the scholastics started a conflict with some reformed baptists. I say “learned yesterday” since I have yet to see the specific disagreement. Apparently, some reformed baptists did not like the argument that Hurd made.

I shared a meme created by Hurd yesterday, which I found funny partly because it came from the mind of one of the most studious persons I know. Some did not find it funny. Someone accused the meme of asserting falsehood!

Now, memes are meant to be comedic. But if one is the object of the meme’s joke, I can see why it would not be funny. Had I known the debate was in fact heated, I would not have shared the meme because it’s not my goal to frustrate allies in the Gospel.

So what is the debate about? I still do not fully know. But let me lay out Hurd’s view in simple terms and how I have heard others talk about divine impassibility. Even if I have missed the heart of the controversy in doing so, I suspect laying out these views will help those who have not heard of divine impassibility before (or know only a little about it).

At the end, I will define my view of divine impassibility, since I affirm this important doctrine. [Read more…] about RM Hurd v. the Reformed Baptists on Divine Impassibility