E4 Omni-communicator
F1 The omni- expresses the idea of all (Latin) and communicate comes from the Latin word
G1 communicatus which is the past participle of communicare to impart, make common, equivalent to commun(is) common + icare v. suffix. (Source)
G2 communico which is share and impart. (Source)
F2 The idea is that God has the attribute of being able to communicate perfectly whether prose, poetry, riddles, etc.
F3 It also includes the idea of giving understanding of His communication to His creation. See Luke 24:45.
G1 For salvation as Acts 16:14 NRSV A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.
G2 For understanding in any sense. See Proverbs 20:12 and Isaiah 50:5.
F4 His main method of communication is through His son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2), then Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Holy Spirit also communicates (See Acts 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 2:12-14). The truths about God are present in His creation (Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1-4) but hidden in perfect understanding (1 Corinthians 2:11).
F5 Dake (beware) writes: A deity that could not express himself as clearly as man does would not be the living, all-knowing God. One who could, yet would not make himself clear and sought to hide from man the very truth he expected to judge him by would be an unjust person. A deity who had to be interpreted every time he spoke would not be worthy of our consideration.
F6 God expects us to know His communication in its plain, normal sense. The context shows if it is allegory, symbolism, or plain, normal sense.
E5 Omnipotence
F1 This power relates to what God’s character is. Since He is a God who tells the truth, He cannot do illogical things as make a rock so huge that He cannot lift it, a square circle, 2+2=5, or make Himself not exist.
F2 Isaiah 43:12-13 NLT First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the LORD. “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.
F3 Matthew 19:26 NLT Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible. (Vincent’s Word Studies notes: Not the salvation of rich men, but salvation in general. It is in answer to the question, who can be saved? Man cannot save himself nor his fellow. God only can save him).
F4 Some comments from other writers
G1 Adam Clarke on Exodus 4:21 regarding the revealing of God’s omnipotence:
Pharaoh made his own heart stubborn against God, Exo 9:34; and God gave him up to judicial blindness, so that he rushed on stubbornly to his own destruction. From the whole of Pharaoh’s conduct we learn that he was bold, haughty, and cruel; and God chose to permit these dispositions to have their full sway in his heart without check or restraint from Divine influence: the consequence was what God intended, he did not immediately comply with the requisition to let the people go; and this was done that God might have the fuller opportunity of manifesting his power by multiplying signs and miracles, and thus impress the hearts both of the Egyptians and Israelites with a due sense of his omnipotence and justice. The whole procedure was graciously calculated to do endless good to both nations. The Israelites must be satisfied that they had the true God for their protector; and thus their faith was strengthened. The Egyptians must see that their gods could do nothing against the God of Israel; and thus their dependence on them was necessarily shaken. These great ends could not have been answered had Pharaoh at once consented to let the people go.
H1 In his commentary on Ephesians (God’s New Society, pp. 139-140), John Stott shares a delightful analysis of Paul’s famous benediction at the end of Ephesians 3:
H2 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21)
H3 I am going to retrace his comments, with one or two slight changes. Let’s call this the Seven Stages of God’s Power.
1. He is able, for he is the true and living God.
2. He is able to do, for he is neither inactive, idle, nor dead.
3. He is able to do what we ask, for he hears and answers prayer.
4. He is able to do what we ask or imagine, for he reads our thoughts, and sometimes we imagine things for which we do not dare to ask. But he can do those things anyway.
5. He is able to do all that we ask or imagine, for he knows it all and can perform it all.
6. He is able to do more than all we ask or imagine, because his expectations are higher than ours.
7. He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, because his power is unlimited.
H4 As a simple summary statement we may say that there are no limits to what God can do because there are no limits to GOD.
Discipling, Making disciples, Basic Christianity, Doctrine, God’s attributes, Incommunicable attributes