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Geisler, NormanSystematic Theology II

Chapters 4 and 5

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Pages 74-111

““God’s ImmutabilityGod’s Immutabilityand Eternality”and Eternality”

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Immutability:

God does not change,furthermore, it is impossible forHim to change, which is to saythat God cannot act contrary toHis immutable nature.

Geisler, p. 75

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Num. 23:191 Sam. 15:29Ps. 102:26-27, cf. Heb. 1:10-12Mal. 3:6Rom. 1:23Heb. 6:18; 13:8

 Titus 1:2 James 1:17Note: In quizzes you will be given a verse and

asked what attribute the verse supports.

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Geisler says, pp. 93-94“For traditional theism, eternality does not mean timewithout beginning and endless time. An infinite numberof moments is impossible: If an infinite number of 

moments occurred before today, then today wouldnever have come, since it is impossible to traverse aninfinite number of moments (yet the time up to todayhas been traversed). There is no end of an infinite, buttoday is the end of all previous moments. Today has

arrived; hence, an infinite number of moments could nothave occurred before today. Eternality meansnontemporality or timelessness.”

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Other than the fallacious procedure of taking anthropomorphism literally,

there have been no convincingarguments that nullify the Scripturalor the theological arguments for theimmutability and the eternality of 

God.

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Pages 112-136

““God’s ImpassibilityGod’s Impassibilityand Infinity”and Infinity”

8/14/2019 Geisler Vol 2 Chaps 4 and 5

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Impassibility:

God cannot undergo passion or suffering;

nothing in the created universe canmake God feel pain or inflict misery onHim. This does not mean that God hasno feelings, but simply that His feeling

are not the result of actions imposed onHim by others. His feeling flow fromHis eternal and unchangeable nature.

~Geisler, p. 112

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Deut. 10:141 Chron. 29:14

 Job 22:2-3; 35:6-7Ps. 24:1; 50:10-12 Isa. 40:13-14, 28Rom. 11:35-36

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Infinity

 Though negative in form, the wordinfinite (not-finite) is a positiveattribute of God. It literally means thatGod is limitless in His Being; He is

without boundaries, a Being beyondthe limits of the created universe.

~Geiseler, pp. 124-125

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Gen. 1:11 Kings 8:27

Ps. 147:5 Job 11:7-9 Isa. 6:1; 40:12; 55:8-9; 57:15; 66:1-2Rom. 11:33Col. 1:17

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Geisler says (p. 134) that to deny theimpassibility or the infinity of God isunorthodox. God is not pernicious andGod is not finite. If God werepernicious, He would change from dayto day depending upon how He felt, or

the mood He was in, or whether or notsomeone “made” Him mad. Thiscannot be because God is impassible

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In the quiz you will be given a list of biblicalquotes and asked to identify all the attributes of God that each verse supports.

For example: Gen. 1:1 supports the attributes of infinity, aseity, and eternality.

 The verse will be quoted in full for you and a listof attributes will be available.