Meaning of God as Spirit and Immutability

Sources

1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: God — Is a spirit -- Joh 4:24; 2Co 3:17. Is declared to be Light. -- Isa 60:19; Jas 1:17; 1Jo 1:5. Love. -- 1Jo 4:8,16. Invisible. -- Job 23:8,9; Joh 1:18; 5:37; Col 1:15; 1Ti 1:17. Unsearchable. -- Job 11:7; 37:23; Ps 145:3; Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Incorruptible. -- Ro 1:23. Eternal. -- De 33:27; Ps 90:2; Re 4:8-10. Immortal. -- 1Ti 1:17; 6:16. Omnipotent. -- Ge 17:1; Ex 6:3. Omniscient. -- Ps 139:1-6; Pr 5:21. Omnipresent. -- Ps 139:7; Jer 23:23. Immutable. -- Ps 102:26,27; Jas 1:17. Only-wise. -- Ro 16:27; 1Ti 1:17. Glorious. -- Ex 15:11; Ps 145:5. Most High. -- Ps 8”
2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Holy Spirit, The, is God — As Jehovah -- Ex 17:7; Heb 3:7-9; Nu 12:6; 2Pe 1:21. As Jehovah of hosts -- Isa 6:3,8-10; Ac 28:25. As Jehovah, Most High -- Ps 78:17,21; Ac 7:51. Being invoked as Jehovah -- Lu 2:26-29; Ac 4:23-25; 1:16,20; 2Th 3:5. As called God -- Ac 5:3,4. As joined with the Father and the Son in the baptismal formula -- Mt 28:19. As eternal -- Heb 9:14. As omnipresent -- Ps 139:7-13. As omniscient -- 1Co 2:10. As omnipotent -- Lu 1:35; Ro 15:19. As the Spirit of glory and of God -- 1Pe 4:14. As Creator -- Ge 1:26,27; Job 33:4. As equal to, and one with”
3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Spirit — (Heb. ruah; Gr. pneuma), properly wind or breath. In 2 Thess. 2:8 it means "breath," and in Eccl. 8:8 the vital principle in man. It also denotes the rational, immortal soul by which man is distinguished (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5:5; 6:20; 7:34), and the soul in its separate state (Heb. 12:23), and hence also an apparition (Job 4:15; Luke 24:37, 39), an angel (Heb. 1:14), and a demon (Luke 4:36; 10:20). This word is used also metaphorically as denoting a tendency (Zech. 12:10; Luke 13:11). In Rom. 1:4, 1 Tim. 3:16, 2 Cor. 3:17, 1 Pet. 3:18, it designates the divin”
4. John “John 4:24 (ASV) — God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
5. MACULA Greek “1 John 4:2 — Greek linguistic analysis (MACULA): Text: Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκετε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν Word-by-word: Ἐν = "By" [1722] PREP; τούτῳ = "this" [3778] D-DSN; γινώσκετε = "you know" [1097] V-PAI-2P; τὸ = "the" [3588] T-ASN; Πνεῦμα = "Spirit" [4151] N-ASN; τοῦ = "-" [3588] T-GSM; Θεοῦ = "of God" [2316] N-GSM; πᾶν = "Every" [3956] A-NSN; πνεῦμα = "spirit" [4151] N-NSN; ὃ = "that" [3739] R-NSN; ὁμολογεῖ = "confesses" [3670] V-PAI-3S; Ἰησοῦν = "Jesus" [2424] N-ASM; Χριστὸν = "Christ" [5547] N-ASM; ἐν = "in" [1722] PREP; σαρκ”
6. MACULA Greek “1 John 4:3 — Greek linguistic analysis (MACULA): Text: καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα ὃ μὴ ὁμολογεῖ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου ὃ ἀκηκόατε ὅτι ἔρχεται καὶ νῦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν ἤδη Word-by-word: καὶ = "and" [2532] CONJ; πᾶν = "any" [3956] A-NSN; πνεῦμα = "spirit" [4151] N-NSN; ὃ = "that" [3739] R-NSN; μὴ = "not" [3361] PRT-N; ὁμολογεῖ = "confesses" [3670] V-PAI-3S; τὸν = "-" [3588] T-ASM; Ἰησοῦν = "Jesus" [2424] N-ASM; ἐκ = "from" [1537] PREP; τοῦ = "-" [3588] T-GSM; Θεοῦ = "God" [2316] N-GSM; οὐκ = "not" [3756] PRT-N; ἔστιν = "is" [1510] V-PAI-3S; καὶ = "And" [2532] CO”
7. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 4:24: God is a spirit,.... Or "the Spirit is God"; a divine person, possessed of all divine perfections, as appears from his names, works, and worship ascribed unto him; See Gill on Joh 4:23; though the Arabic and Persic versions, and others, read as we do, "God is a spirit"; that is, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: for taking the words in this light, not one of the persons is to be understood exclusive of the other; for this description, or definition, agrees with each of them, and they are all the object of worship, and to be worshipped in a true and spiritual manner. God”
8. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Immutability of God, Art. 1: Article: Whether God is altogether immutable? I answer that, From what precedes, it is shown that God is altogether immutable. First, because it was shown above that there is some first being, whom we call God; and that this first being must be pure act, without the admixture of any potentiality, for the reason that, absolutely, potentiality is posterior to act. Now everything which is in any way changed, is in some way in potentiality. Hence it is evident that it is impossible for God to be in any way changea”
9. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 6:16: Wherein God, willing,.... Or "wherefore", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it; that is, whereas an oath is used among men to confirm anything that might be doubted; therefore God, in condescension to the weakness of men, made use of one; being very desirous and determined, more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel; by which is meant, not the Gospel nor the ordinances of it, though these are sometimes called the counsel of God; but the decree of God, concerning the salvation of his people by Jesus Christ, which is im”
10. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Eternity of God, Art. 2: Article: Whether God is eternal? I answer that, The idea of eternity follows immutability, as the idea of time follows movement, as appears from the preceding article. Hence, as God is supremely immutable, it supremely belongs to Him to be eternal. Nor is He eternal only; but He is His own eternity; whereas, no other being is its own duration, as no other is its own being. Now God is His own uniform being; and hence as He is His own essence, so He is His own eternity. On the contrary: On the contrary, Athanasius s”
11. Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. Who is the substance of the word spoken by the above mentioned rulers, the author and object of their faith, and the end in which their conversation terminated. These words may be expressive of the duration of Christ: he was "yesterday", which does not design the day immediately foregoing, nor some little time past, but ancient times, formerly, of old; and though it does not extend to eternity, which is true of Christ, yet may be carried further than to the days of his flesh here on earth, even to the whole O”
12. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 57: fact of his enlightening some with a present sense of grace, which afterwards proves evanescent. 12. Although faith is a knowledge of the divine favor towards us, and a full persuasion of its truth, it is not strange that the sense of the divine love, which though akin to faith differs much from it, vanishes in those who are temporarily impressed. The will of God is, I confess, immutable, and his truth is always consistent with itself; but I deny that the reprobate ever advance so far as to penetrate to that secret revelation which”
13. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 139:6: Whither shall I go from thy spirit?.... Or, "from thy wind?" which some interpret literally, the wind being God's creature; which he brings out of his treasures, and holds in his fists, and disposes of as he pleases; this takes its circuit through all the points of the heavens, and blows everywhere, more or less. Rather God himself is meant, who is a Spirit, Joh 4:24 not a body, or consisting of corporeal parts, which are only ascribed to him in a figurative sense; and who has something analogous to spirit, being simple and uncompounded, invisible, incorruptible, imm”
14. Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed) “Westminster Confession of Faith (Reformed, 1646), CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 2 Of God, and of the Holy Trinity 1. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the ”
15. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Eternity of God, Art. 3: Article: Whether to be eternal belongs to God alone? I answer that, Eternity truly and properly so called is in God alone, because eternity follows on immutability; as appears from the first article. But God alone is altogether immutable, as was shown above (Question [9], Article [1]). Accordingly, however, as some receive immutability from Him, they share in His eternity. Thus some receive immutability from God in the way of never ceasing to exist; in that sense it is said of the earth, "it standeth for ever" (Ec”