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Grounding Theological Reflection in God's Character and Nature

Theological reflection is fundamentally grounded in understanding the character and nature of God, as revealed through scripture and creation [11]. The Bible consistently presents God as the ultimate reality, whose attributes form the basis for all theological inquiry [2, 11].

The very existence of God is taken for granted in the biblical narrative [2]. From the opening verses of Genesis, God is depicted as the active agent in creation, bringing order out of chaos and forming all things [1, 7]. This act of creation demonstrates God's power and sovereignty, as well as His purposeful design, with everything made "after its kind" and declared "good" [8]. The creation itself serves as a witness to God, with nature testifying to His mutual dependence and order [10].

God's nature is described using various Hebrew terms, such as 'El, signifying strength, and 'Elohim, a plural form often used for the Divine Being [2]. Another significant name is Jehovah, consistently rendered as "LORD" in English translations, which points to God's self-existence and covenant faithfulness [2]. The unity of God is a foundational concept, asserted by God Himself, by Christ, Moses, and the apostles [5]. This unity serves as a basis for exclusive obedience and supreme love towards Him [5].

Key attributes of God that inform theological reflection include His infinitude, eternity, and immutability [9]. Charles Hodge emphasizes that these "natural attributes" are inseparable from God's "moral excellence," such as His knowledge and wisdom [9]. God's character is unique, with no one or nothing else comparable to Him [13]. This uniqueness is tied to His unfailing love (khesed) and faithfulness, which ensure He will restore His people despite judging them [13]. The psalmist expresses confidence in God's power and goodness, which are evident in His control over nature and nations [12].

Theological reflection also considers God's attributes in relation to humanity and redemption. For instance, the concept of atonement is deeply connected to God's attribute of justice [14]. If justice is a perfection of the divine nature requiring the righteous to be rewarded and the wicked punished, then Christ's work must satisfy this justice [14]. The preciousness of Christ, both to God and to saints, is attributed to His goodness, excellence, grace, and atonement [6].

The Holy Spirit is also understood as divine, participating in creation and being consistent with the unity of God [5, 7]. John of Damascus, an Eastern Orthodox theologian, explains that Christ possesses all the attributes of the Father, except being ingenerate, and all the attributes of the first Adam, except sin [15]. This understanding highlights the dual nature of Christ as perfect God and perfect man, each nature having its corresponding qualities [15].

The grounding of theological reflection in God's character means that understanding His attributes provides confidence and shapes human response [9]. Devotedness to God, for example, is grounded in His mercies, goodness, call, and the redemption offered through Christ [3]. A renewed heart is characterized by seeking God, being fixed on Him, and finding joy in Him, reflecting His own purity and uprightness [4]. God's providential care is also a significant aspect of His nature, as He gives "life and breath, and all things" to humanity [16].

Sources

  1. Genesis “The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. -- Genesis 1:2”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: God — (A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew 'El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of 'Eloah_, plural _'Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "LORD," printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argume”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Devotedness to God — A characteristic of saints -- Job 23:12. Christ, an example of -- Joh 4:34; 17:4. Grounded upon The mercies of God. -- Ro 12:1. The goodness of God. -- 1Sa 12:24. The call of God. -- 1Th 2:12. The death of Christ. -- 2Co 5:15. Our creation. -- Ps 86:9. Our preservation. -- Isa 46:4. Our redemption. -- 1Co 6:19,20. Should be With our spirit. -- 1Co 6:20; 1Pe 4:6. With our bodies. -- Ro 12:1; 1Co 6:20. With our members. -- Ro 6:12,13; 1Pe 4:2. With our substance. -- Ex 22:29; Pr 3:9. Unreserved. -- Mt 6:24; Lu 14:33. Abounding. -- 1Th 4:1. Persever”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, Character of the Renewed — Prepared to seek God -- 2Ch 19:3; Ezr 7:10; Ps 10:17. Fixed on God -- Ps 57:7; 112:7. Joyful in God -- 1Sa 2:1; Zec 10:7. Perfect with God -- 1Ki 8:61; Ps 101:2. Upright -- Ps 97:11; 125:4. Clean -- Ps 73:1. Pure -- Ps 24:4; Mt 5:8. Tender -- 1Sa 24:5; 2Ki 22:19. Single and sincere -- Ac 2:46; Heb 10:22. Honest and good -- Lu 8:15. Broken, contrite -- Ps 34:18; 51:17. Obedient -- Ps 119:112; Ro 6:17. Filled with the law of God -- Ps 40:8; 119:11. Awed by the word of God -- Ps 119:161. Filled with the fear of God -- Jer 32:40. Meditat”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Unity of God — A ground for obeying him exclusively -- De 4:39,40. A ground for loving him supremely -- De 6:4,5; Mr 12:29,30. Asserted by God himself. -- Isa 44:6,8; 45:18,21. Christ. -- Mr 12:29; Joh 17:3. Moses. -- De 4:39; 6:4. Apostles. -- 1Co 8:4,6; Eph 4:6; 1Ti 2:5. Consistent with the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit -- Joh 10:30; 1Jo 5:7; Joh 14:9-11. Exhibited in His greatness and wonderful works. -- 2Sa 7:22; Ps 86:10. His works of creation and providence. -- Isa 44:24; 45:5-8. His being alone possessed of fore-knowledge. -- Isa 46:9-11. His exercise”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Preciousness of Christ — To God -- Mt 3:17; 1Pe 2:4. To Saints -- Song 5:10; Php 3:8; 1Pe 2:7. On account of his Goodness and beauty. -- Zec 9:17. Excellence and grace. -- Ps 45:2. Name. -- Song 1:3; Heb 1:4. Atonement. -- 1Pe 1:19; Heb 12:24. Words. -- Joh 6:68. Promises. -- 2Pe 1:4. Care and tenderness. -- Isa 40:11. As the corner-stone of the Church -- Isa 28:16; 1Pe 2:6. As the source of all grace -- Joh 1:14; Col 1:19. Unsearchable -- Eph 3:8. Illustrated -- Song 2:3; 5:10-16; Mt 13:44-46.”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creation — The formation of things which had no previous existence -- Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3. Effected By God. -- Ge 1:1; 2:4,5; Pr 26:10. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. By the command of God. -- Ps 33:9; Heb 11:3. In the beginning. -- Ge 1:1; Mt 24:21. In six normal days. -- Ex 20:11; 31:17. According to God's purpose. -- Ps 135:6. For God's pleasure. -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. For Christ. -- Col 1:16. By faith we believe, to be God's work -- Heb 11:3. Order of First day, making light and dividing it from darkness. -- Ge 1:3-5;”
  8. Genesis “God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good. -- Genesis 1:25”
  9. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 41: ground of confidence to the people of God; as in Deuteronomy xxxii. 40 , and Isaiah xl. 28 , “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.” These natural attributes, however, would be no ground of confidence if not associated with moral excellence. He who as Jehovah is declared to be infinite, eternal, and immutable in his being, no less infinite, eternal, and immutable in his knowledge, wisdom,”
  10. CCEL (Patristic) “Athanasius of Alexandria, Select Works and Letters, section 72: §27. The refutation of popular Paganism being taken as conclusive, we come to the higher form of nature-worship. How Nature witnesses to God by the mutual dependence of all her parts, which forbid us to think of any one of them as the supreme God. This shewn at length. But perhaps those who have advanced beyond these things, and who stand in awe of Creation, being put to shame by these exposures of abominations, will join in repudiating what is readily condemned and refuted on all hands, but will think that they have a well-ground”
  11. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 11: as the science of the facts of divine revelation so far as those facts concern the nature of God and our relation to him, as his creatures, as sinners, and as the subjects of redemption. All these facts, as just remarked, are in the Bible. But as some of them are revealed by the works of God, and by the nature of man, there is so far a distinction between natural theology, and theology considered distinctively as a Christian science. With regard to natural theology, there are two extreme opinions. The one is that the works of nature make ”
  12. Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 65:6: God's great power and goodness are the grounds of this confidence. These are illustrated in His control of the mightiest agencies of nature and nations affecting men with awe and dread (Psa 26:7; Psa 98:1, &c.), and in His fertilizing showers, causing the earth to produce abundantly for man and beast.”
  13. Micah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Micah 7:18: 7:18-20 These verses provide a fine brief summary of Old Testament theology. God is unique; there is no one and nothing else like him. Because of his unfailing love (Hebrew khesed), he does not destroy his people whom he judges but instead restores them (see Exod 36:6-7). His faithfulness means that he can be trusted to do good regardless of the cost to himself (see Ps 89:1-2). • Where is another God like you: This question probably plays off of Micah’s name (“Who is like the Lord?”). God’s character is unequaled among the gods of the nations. His actions and words”
  14. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 101: as a means of promoting the happiness of his. kingdom, then the work of Christ is one thing. It may be simply a means of reformation, or of moral impression. But if justice is that perfection of the divine nature which renders it necessary that. the righteous be rewarded and the wicked punished, then the work of Christ must be a satisfaction of justice in that sense of the term. The question, therefore, concerning “the nature of the atonement” depends on the question whether there is in God such an attribute as distributive or vindicator”
  15. CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 59: Chapter XIII .— Concerning the properties of the two Natures. Confessing, then, the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, to be perfect God and perfect man, we hold that the same has all the attributes of the Father save that of being ingenerate, and all the attributes of the first Adam, save only his sin, these attributes being body and the intelligent and rational soul; and further that He has, corresponding to the two natures, the two sets of natural qualities belonging to the two natures: two natural volitions, one divine and ”
  16. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 12: heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” ( Acts xiv. 15-17 .) To the men of Athens he said: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of the”
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