Presenting a Balanced Portrayal of God's Attributes
A balanced portrayal of God's attributes encompasses both His transcendent nature and His immanent involvement in creation and human history. The infinite wisdom of God is evident in the "admirable structure of heaven and earth" [4]. This wisdom is so profound that human capacity is too limited to fully comprehend it, and human language is insufficient to give a complete account [4].
God's attributes are often revealed through His actions and His relationship with humanity. For instance, the opening of the Epistle to the Hebrews presents God not primarily through His essential divine attributes, but through "the manifestations of his love to the world" by providing revelation for salvation [2]. This long preparation culminated in the introduction of His Son [2].
One significant attribute of God is His integrity and justice. Job 31:6 expresses a desire to be "weighed in a just balance so that God may know my integrity," highlighting God's role as a righteous judge [1].
Humanity is created in God's "image" and "likeness," signifying a unique relationship and representation [9]. This "image" is not understood as an erect form or physical features, nor solely as intellect, but rather as a profound distinction [9]. Man is considered the "image" and "glory of God," created directly in His image, with woman being created subsequently through man [3]. This concept of "image" is also applied to the Son of God, who is described as the "exact likeness and perfect Representative" of God [5]. Christ is also praised for his beauty and comeliness, not in his divine glory, but in his human nature [6].
The infinite power of God is such that one tradition holds all things in His fist, leading to the rhetorical question, "To whom then will ye liken me? for no image that is formed will have any likeness or resemblance to me" [7]. This emphasizes God's incomparable nature and warns against representing Him through physical likenesses [7]. While God is distinct from creation, He is also depicted as actively engaged, even using "weapons like theirs" in a heightened contrast to human adversaries [8].
Sources
- Job “Job 31:6 (LITV) — let me be weighed in a just balance so that God may know my integrity.”
- Hebrews (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hebrews 1:1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners - We can scarcely conceive any thing more dignified than the opening of this epistle; the sentiments are exceedingly elevated, and the language, harmony itself! The infinite God is at once produced to view, not in any of those attributes which are essential to the Divine nature, but in the manifestations of his love to the world, by giving a revelation of his will relative to the salvation of mankind, and thus preparing the way, through a long train of years, for the introduction of that most glorious Being, his own Son”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 11:7: Argument, also, from man's more immediate relation to God, and the woman's to man. he is . . . image . . . glory of God--being created in God's "image," first and directly: the woman, subsequently, and indirectly, through the mediation of man. Man is the representative of God's "glory" this ideal of man being realized most fully in the Son of man (Psa 8:4-5; compare Co2 8:23). Man is declared in Scripture to be both the "image," and in the "likeness," of God (compare Jam 3:9). But "image" alone is applied to the Son of God (Col 1:15; compare H”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 4.1: Argument. Since the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth, it is absolutely impossible to unfold The History of the Creation of the World in terms equal to its dignity. For while the measure of our capacity is too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude, our tongue is equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them. As he, however, deserves praise, who, with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God, although he attain le”
- 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.”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 45:2: Thou art fairer than the children of men,.... Here begins the psalm, and this is an address to the King Messiah, the subject of it, commending him for his beauty and comeliness; which is not to be understood of his divine beauty or his glory, as the only begotten of the Father, in which he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; for this admits of no comparison, nor is the beauty of angels and men to be mentioned with it; but of the beauty of his human nature, both in body and soul, which being the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and”
- 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”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 64:7: The contrast is heightened by representing God as using weapons like theirs.”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 1:26: The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached--God said, Let us make man--words which show the peculiar importance of the work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness--This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the devil a”