Understanding God requires broad approach
Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 29, 2005
What is an anthropomorphism? Man has difficulty understanding who God is.
Man is used to using terms relative to his day-to-day terminology. Thus, the Bible speaks of God in having human attributes, as this is what man understands.
These are called "anthropomorphisms." The Greek "anthropatheia" equates to "anthropos" for man and "morfe"
for form. Some examples are listed.
John 4:24 speaks of God being a spirit. Exodus 24:10 speaks of God's feet. John 10:29 speaks of God's hand. Jeremiah 21:5 speaks of God's arm. Matthew 18:10 speaks of God's face.
Hosea 11:8 speaks of God's heart. Proverbs 15:3 speaks of God's eyes. Genesis 6:6 speaks of God grieving. Psalms 44:23 speaks of God sleeping. Exodus 33:11 states that Moses was "face to face" with God and yet verse 20 states that no one can see God and live. Then in
verse 23 it is stated that Moses saw God's back. However, Genesis 12:7 and 18:1 states that God appeared to Abram.
Likewise, in 26:2 God appeared to Isaac and to Jacob in 35:9. In like manner, He appeared
to
Solomon in I Kings 3:5, as well as to David in II Chronicles 3:1.
Does the Bible contradict itself?
The answer is, "no," if one understands the Bible by a study in "hermeneutics," the study of the science of interpretation of the scriptures. This course teaches proper understanding of the parable, fable, simile, metaphor, allegory, irony, hyperbole, apostrophe, personification, anthropomorphism, anthropathy, prolepsis or nachronism, synecdoche, metonymy, etc.
Note in Exodus 33:7-12, Moses was in a "special tent" and God placed a cloud over it. He was conversing with Moses as a special servant. That makes a difference in understanding the stated question, such as His appearance to Moses through the burning bush in Exodus 3.
John 14:9 states that if one has seen Jesus he has seen the Father (Trinity). Philippians 2:6-8 speaks of Jesus being in the "form of God" and the "likeness of His appearance."
Thus,
we
are
able
to
see
God through seeing Jesus by faith, via the scriptures. In other words, God got into the flesh so that we would be able to grasp his personality. Thus, one is baptized in the name of the trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We have a wonderful God. He loves us beyond our understanding. He is willing to forgive us when we really do not deserve it. This is called, "grace."
Thus, everyone who is saved is saved by "grace."
Plainly, don't get short changed. Let's be ready to meet our maker. The Bible, in Acts, teaches that to avoid hell and gain heaven - one must 1. Believe in Jesus as savior (16:31); 2. Repent of sins
(17:30); 3. Confess Christ audibly (8:37); 4. Be baptized In water (2:38); 5. Live a Christian life (14:22); and 6. Be active in the church (2:47).
Dr. Hoyt W. Allen, Jr., is director of KYOWVA
Evangelistic Association 1541 S. 7th Street, Ironton, Ohio 45638. More info can be found on the Web at www.kyowva.com.