Non-Biblical Examples Contributing to Misconceptions of God's Character

The biblical text warns against creating idols or images that misrepresent God, emphasizing that humans cannot make or conceive an accurate likeness of Him ^[2]. This concern is echoed in the patristic tradition, where early Church Fathers like Augustine and Tertullian cautioned against anthropomorphizing God or attributing human qualities to Him ^{[6, 8]}. Such misconceptions can arise from non-biblical sources, including philosophical theories and cultural influences.

The early Christian theologian Tertullian critiqued heretics who distorted the understanding of God by inventing hypotheses not grounded in Scripture ^[8]. Similarly, John Calvin argued that human imagination and speculation can lead to a corrupted understanding of God's character, resulting in idolatry and superstition ^[5]. Calvin emphasized that God's nature is beyond human comprehension and that any attempt to represent Him through images or likenesses is futile ^[10].

One significant source of misconceptions about God's character is the influence of pagan or Gentile practices. The biblical text itself warns against adopting the customs and idols of surrounding cultures ^[4]. The patristic writers also addressed this issue, with Augustine criticizing the anthropomorphic views of God held by some Christians, which were likely influenced by pagan mythology ^[6]. The early Church Fathers recognized that the worship of false gods and the attribution of human qualities to the divine can lead to a distorted understanding of God's nature.

Philosophical theories have also contributed to misconceptions about God's character. Charles Hodge, one theologian, rejected certain philosophical speculations about God's nature as being outside the bounds of Scripture ^[11]. The Bible presents a coherent picture of God's character, emphasizing His holiness, justice, and love. However, when philosophical theories are imposed upon this picture, they can distort the true understanding of God's nature.

The biblical text itself provides a clear warning against distorting the gospel or the character of God. The Apostle Paul condemned those who preached a different gospel, emphasizing that any deviation from the true gospel is a perversion of the message of Christ ^[3]. Similarly, the biblical text warns against false witnesses who misrepresent God's actions or character ^[1].

In the view of the Reformed tradition, as represented by Calvin, the proper understanding of God's character is rooted in Scripture and is not subject to human speculation or imagination ^{[5, 7]}. The patristic writers shared this concern, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the biblical representation of God and avoiding the influence of external philosophical or cultural factors ^{[6, 8]}.

one commentary tradition on Colossians highlights the importance of understanding Christ's role in revealing God's character, emphasizing that He is the image of the invisible God ^[9]. This understanding is crucial in avoiding misconceptions about God's nature, as it grounds the knowledge of God in the person and work of Christ.

Sources

1 Corinthians “Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. -- 1 Corinthians 15:15”
Jeremiah “Jeremiah 16:20 (LEB) — Can a human make for himself gods? Yet they are not gods!””
Galatians “Galatians 1:7 (BSB) — which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 20: 46 CHAPTER 4. THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD STIFLED OR CORRUPTED, IGNORANTLY OR MALICIOUSLY. Sections. 1. The knowledge of God suppressed by ignorance, many falling away into superstition. Such persons, however, inexcusable, because their error is accompanied with pride and stubbornness. 2. Stubbornness the companion of impiety. 3. No pretext can justify superstition. This proved, first, from reason; and, secondly, from Scripture. 4. The wicked never willingly come into the presence of God. Hence their hypocrisy. Hence, too, their sense of ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 4: Augustine — Anti-Manichaean, Anti-Donatist — CHAP. 23.--THE ANTHROPOMORPHITES NOT SO (part 1): BAD AS THE MANICHAEANS. 25. Compare, now, not spiritual men of the Catholic faith, whose mind, as far as is possible in this life, perceives that the divine substance and nature has no material extension, and has no shape bounded by lines, but the carnal and weak of our faith, who, when they hear the members of the body used figuratively, as, when God's eyes or ears are spoken of, are accustomed, in the license of fancy, to picture God to themselves in a human form; compare these with th”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 50: measure of our feeble capacity, he now connects us with the Father. But when, as partakers of the heavenly glory, we shall see God as he is, then Christ, having accomplished the office of Mediator, shall cease to be the vicegerent of the Father, and will be content with the glory which he possessed before the world was. Nor is the name of Lord specially applicable to the person of Christ in any other respect than in so far as he holds a middle place between God and us. To this effect are the words of Paul, “To us there is but one G”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE GREEK.: lent God, the Saviour had come to announce a more perfect Deity, who, they say, is not the Demiurge, being of different opinions regarding Him; and having once departed from the Demiurge, who is the only uncreated God, they have given themselves up to fictions, inventing to themselves hypotheses, according to which they imagine that there are some things which are visible, and certain other things which are not visible, all which are the fancies of their own minds. And yet, indeed, the more simple among those who pr”
Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 1:15: They who have experienced in themselves "redemption" (Col 1:14), know Christ in the glorious character here described, as above the highest angels to whom the false teachers (Col 2:18) taught worship was to be paid. Paul describes Him: (1) in relation to God and creation (Col 1:15-17); (2) in relation to the Church (Col 1:18-20). As the former regards Him as the Creator (Col 1:15-16) and the Sustainer (Col 1:17) of the natural world; so the latter, as the source and stay of the new moral creation. image--exact likeness and perfect Representative.”
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 3, section 8.30: in guarding the Jews against distrust, at the same time condemns the superstitions of the Gentiles, and declares that it is inconsistent with the nature of God to be represented by painting or by any kind of likeness. This shews clearly that Paul’s doctrine fully agrees with it; for the Prophet, after having shewn that the power of God is infinite, since he holds all things in his fist, at length concludes, “To whom then will ye liken me? for no image that is formed will have any likeness or resemblance to me.” Or, what resemblance will you a”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 126: is obvious that this is a mere philosophical theory, entirely outside of the Scriptures, and can legitimately have no influence on Christian doctrine. The Bible everywhere teaches that God sent his Son into the world to save sinners; that He was born of a 612 woman and made under the law for our redemption; that He became man in order that He might die, and by death destroy the power of Satan. No speculation inconsistent with these prevailing representations of the Word of God can be admitted as true by those to whom that word is the rul”

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