Scripture's Role in Shaping Our Understanding of God's Attributes
Scripture plays a foundational role in shaping humanity's understanding of God's attributes, serving as the primary revelation of His nature and will [1, 4]. The Bible is consistently referred to as "the Word of God" because its writers were divinely guided to communicate God's will to humanity [4]. This divine inspiration means that what the inspired writers declare to be true and binding, God Himself declares to be true and binding [4].
The concept of Scripture as God's revealed word is evident throughout the biblical texts. The New Testament invariably refers to the Old Testament as "that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God" [1]. Passages such as 2 Timothy 3:15-16, John 20:9, Galatians 3:22, and 2 Peter 1:20 underscore this understanding [1]. The apostle Paul emphasizes that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), meaning it is "God-breathed" or "breathed out by God's own speech" [5, 7]. This divine origin ensures its infallibility, as it was written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and is therefore "free from all error of fact or doctrine or precept" [4].
Through these inspired writings, God reveals His attributes. For instance, the Psalms declare the "testimonies" of God to be "wonderful," speaking of His works of creation, acts of providence, and miraculous interventions [6]. Matthew Henry notes that while God's glory is evident in creation, it is "much more in and by divine revelation" [8]. The Scriptures provide the necessary knowledge to understand God's character, especially after humanity's fall, which creation alone cannot fully convey [8].
The Bible presents God as the "Divine Being," often using the Hebrew terms 'El, 'Eloah, and 'Elohim, all conveying strength and deity [3]. The name Jehovah (rendered "LORD" in small capitals in the Authorized Version) is also used to denote the Supreme Being [3]. The existence of God is not argued for in the Bible but is taken for granted [3]. Instead, Scripture focuses on revealing His nature and character.
One significant attribute revealed through Scripture is God's role as the ultimate revealer. Christ, referred to as "the Word" (Greek: Logos) in John's writings, is presented as the one who makes God known [2]. John 1:18 states, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" [2]. This title, "the Word," designates Christ's divine nature and His function as the revealer of God [2].
The Scriptures also teach about God's wisdom and His desire for humanity to know Him. Adam Clarke, commenting on Colossians 3:10, highlights that while heathenism could offer some knowledge of nature, "Christianity reveals God himself, the author of nature" [10]. one tradition argues that Christianity provides "the true knowledge both of God and of man" [10]. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but is intended to lead to an "intimate, saving relationship" with God [9].
The completeness of Scripture is also emphasized. While God revealed His will "from time to time" through various writers, there is now a "completed 'Scripture,' consisting of the Old and New Testaments" [1]. This completed Scripture provides a "complete system of divine truths, to which nothing is to be added, and from which nothing is to be taken away," as John Gill notes regarding 1 Corinthians 13:8 [11]. Thus, all "saving knowledge is obtained from the word of God" [4].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Scripture — Invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testa”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Word, The — (Gr. Logos), one of the titles of our Lord, found only in the writings of John (John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). As such, Christ is the revealer of God. His office is to make God known. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). This title designates the divine nature of Christ. As the Word, he "was in the beginning" and "became flesh." "The Word was with God " and "was God," and was the Creator of all things (comp. Ps. 33: 6; 107:20; 119:89; 147:18; Isa. 40:8).”
- 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: Word of God — (Heb. 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God's organs in communicating his will to men. It is his "word," because he speaks to us in its sacred pages. Whatever the inspired writers here declare to be true and binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding. This word is infallible, because written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and therefore free from all error of fact or doctrine or precept. (See [670]INSPIRATION; [671]BIBLE.) All saving knowledge is obtained from the word of God. In the case of ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Inspiration — That extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed to those who wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings infallible. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (R.V., "Every scripture inspired of God"), 2 Tim. 3:16. This is true of all the "sacred writings," not in the sense of their being works of genius or of supernatural insight, but as "theopneustic," i.e., "breathed into by God" in such a sense that the writers were supernaturally guided to express exactly what God intended them to express as a revelation of his mind and ”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 119:125: PE.--The Seventeenth Part. PE. Thy testimonies are wonderful,.... The Scriptures, which testify of God, his mind and will, are wonderful both with respect to the author of them, the things contained in them, and the use and advantage of them. They give an account of the wonderful works of creation; of their author and matter; of the manner, order, and time of their being wrought: they relate many wonderful events of Providence, both in a way of mercy and judgment; they declare several surprising miracles, wrought by Moses and others, and exhibit many marvellous t”
- 2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:16: 3:16-17 These verses elaborate on 3:15 by explaining Scripture’s effectiveness, its source, and the ways that it gives wisdom to live out our salvation. Paul was speaking of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), but his statement can now apply to all Scripture, including the New Testament (see, e.g., 2 Pet 3:15-16). 3:16 The fact that Scripture is inspired by God (literally God-breathed, breathed out by God’s own speech; see also Heb 4:12-13; 2 Pet 1:20-21) does not negate the active involvement of the human authors. But it does affirm that God is fully re”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 19:7: God's glory, (that is, his goodness to man) appears much in the works of creation, but much more in and by divine revelation. The holy scripture, as it is a rule both of our duty to God and of our expectation from him, is of much greater use and benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe in, or the light of the sun. The discoveries made of God by his works might have served if man had retained his integrity; but, to recover him out of his fallen state, another course must be taken; that must be done by the word of God. And here, 1. The psalmist gives”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:21: 1:21 To know God in Scripture usually means to have an intimate, saving relationship with him (see 2 Cor 5:16; Gal 4:9; Phil 3:8, 10). Here, however, they knew God means that people knew about God. All people have some understanding of God through creation, yet they do not do what is right based on that knowledge. Rather than learn more about God, they worship gods of their own making.”
- Colossians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Colossians 3:10: And have put on the new man - See on Rom 12:1-2 (note). Is renewed in knowledge - Ignorance was the grand characteristic of the heathen state; Knowledge, of the Christian. The utmost to which heathenism could pretend was a certain knowledge of nature. How far this went, and how much it fell short of the truth, may be seen in the writings of Aristotle and Pliny. Christianity reveals God himself, the author of nature; or, rather, God has revealed himself, in the Christian system with which he has blessed mankind. Christianity teaches a man the true knowledge both ”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 13:8: For we know in part,.... Not that the Scriptures, the rule and measure of knowledge, and from whence spiritual knowledge is derived, are imperfect; so that there is need of unwritten traditions, and of enthusiastic revelations and inspirations, to inform of things otherwise unknown; for though they were at sundry times, and in divers manners delivered, yet now they contain a complete system of divine truths, to which nothing is to be added, and from which nothing is to be taken away; or that only a part of the saints know the things of God; for though there is ”