Origin and Existence of God in Classical Theology

Classical theology understands God as the uncreated, ultimate source of all existence, whose being is not contingent upon anything else. The Bible itself does not offer arguments for God's existence but rather takes it as a given ^[1]. The Hebrew terms for God, such as 'El, 'Eloah, and 'Elohim, convey strength and are used throughout the Old Testament, while Jehovah (rendered "LORD" in English translations) is another primary designation for the Supreme Being ^[1].

The concept of God's origin is therefore paradoxical from a classical theological perspective, as God is considered without origin. Thomas Aquinas, a foundational figure in Scholastic theology, argues that God is not only His own essence but also His own existence ^[4]. This means that God's being is not derived or caused by anything external; rather, existence is intrinsic to God's very nature. Aquinas further asserts that the existence of God can be demonstrated through reason, offering five ways, the first of which is the argument from motion. This argument posits that since things in the world are in motion, and whatever is in motion must be moved by another, there must be an unmoved mover, which is God ^[5].

The unity of God is a core tenet, affirmed in both Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29) ^[2]. Aquinas elaborates on God's unity through His simplicity, explaining that God's unique nature cannot be shared or multiplied, thus affirming that there can be only one God ^[10]. This singular God is understood to subsist in three distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a doctrine known as the Trinity ^[2]. The term "Trinity" itself is not found in Scripture but was introduced by early Christian writers like Theophilus (Greek trias) and Tertullian (Latin trinitas) to articulate this mystery ^[2]. John 1:1, for instance, states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," which is foundational for understanding the divine nature of the Son ^[3].

Patristic theologians like Athanasius emphasized the true existence and non-composite nature of God. He argued that unlike human words, which are composite and divisible, God's Word (Christ) is not composite but possesses true existence and is the "one and only-begotten God" ^[9]. This divine Word is essential not only for the initial creation but also for the continued permanence of nature ^[9]. Lactantius, another early Christian writer, critiqued pagan theological views that attributed human-like origins and histories to their gods, contrasting them with the singular, provident God of Christianity ^[6].

Reformed theology, as articulated by Charles Hodge, also emphasizes God's being and attributes, including the threefold personality of the Godhead, where the Father, Son, and Spirit are "the same in substance and equal in power and glory" ^[8]. Hodge's systematic theology explores the relationship of God to the world, including creation and providence ^[8]. He also discusses the concept of an "ideal preëxistence" of humanity in the divine mind, where man is contemplated by divine omniscience as present in God's wisdom even before creation ^[7]. This highlights God's eternal knowledge and plan, further underscoring His uncreated and all-encompassing nature.

The classical understanding of God, therefore, consistently presents a being who is without origin, self-existent, and the ultimate cause of all that is, existing as a unified yet tri-personal God.

Sources

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”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Trinity — A word not found in Scripture, but used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct Persons. This word is derived from the Gr. trias, first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168-183), or from the Lat. trinitas, first used by Tertullian (A.D. 220), to express this doctrine. The propositions involved in the doctrine are these: 1. That God is one, and that there is but one God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa. 44:6; Mark 12:29, 32; John 10:30). 2. That the Father is a distinct divine Person (hypostasis, subsistentia, persona, suppositum int”
John “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. -- John 1:1”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), On the Simplicity of God, Art. 4: Article: Whether essence and existence are the same in God? I answer that, God is not only His own essence, as shown in the preceding article, but also His own existence. This may be shown in several ways. First, whatever a thing has besides its essence must be caused either by the constituent principles of that essence (like a property that necessarily accompanies the species---as the faculty of laughing is proper to a man---and is caused by the constituent principles of the species), or by some exterior age”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Existence of God, Art. 3: Article: Whether God exists? I answer that, The existence of God can be proved in five ways. The first and more manifest way is the argument from motion. It is certain, and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is in motion is put in motion by another, for nothing can be in motion except it is in potentiality to that towards which it is in motion; whereas a thing moves inasmuch as it is in act. For motion is nothing else than the reduction of something from potentiality”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — CHAP. XI. --OF GOD, AND THAT THE ONE GOD, AND BY WHOSE PROVIDENCE THE WORLD IS GOVERNED AND EXISTS. (part 2): ancient writers of Greece, whom they call theologi, (6) and also Roman writers following and imitating the 269 Greeks, teach; of whom especially Euhemerus and our Ennius, who point out the birthdays, marriages, offspring, governments, exploits, deaths, and tombs (1) of all of them. And Tullius, following them, in his third book, On the Nature of the Gods, destroyed the public religions; but neither he himself nor any o”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 13: Nicht bloss Philosophie und falchberühmte Gnosis, sondern auch die Schrift weiss und spricht von einer göttlichen Idealwelt, zu welcher sich die Zeitwelt wie die geschichtliche Verwirklichung eines ewigen Grundrisses verhält. 95 95 Biblische Psychologie, p. 23. That is, “There is according to the Scriptures, an ideal preëxistence of man; a preëxistence in virtue of which man and humanity are contemplated by the divine omniscience not merely as objects lying far off in the future, but as present in the mirror of his wisdom. Not only philos”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 14: § 4. Christian Theology . As science, concerned with the facts of nature, has its several departments, as Mathematics, Chemistry, Astronomy, etc., so Theology 32 having the facts of Scripture for its subject, has its distinct and natural departments. First — Theology Proper, Which includes all the Bible teaches of the being and attributes of God; of the threefold personality of the Godhead, or, that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons, the same in substance and equal in power and glory; the relation of God to the world, or, h”
CCEL (Patristic) “Athanasius of Alexandria, Select Works and Letters, section 88: §41. The Presence of the Word in nature necessary, not only for its original Creation, but also for its permanence . But though He is Word, He is not, as we said, after the likeness of human words, composed of syllables; but He is the unchanging Image of His own Father. For men, composed of parts and made out of nothing, have their discourse composite and divisible. But God possesses true existence and is not composite, wherefore His Word also has true Existence and is not composite, but is the one and only-begotten God 166 166 Jo”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Unity of God, Art. 3: Article: Whether God is one? I answer that, It can be shown from these three sources that God is one. First from His simplicity. For it is manifest that the reason why any singular thing is "this particular thing" is because it cannot be communicated to many: since that whereby Socrates is a man, can be communicated to many; whereas, what makes him this particular man, is only communicable to one. Therefore, if Socrates were a man by what makes him to be this particular man, as there cannot be many Socrates, so there”

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