1. Illuminate Seminar 5 THE NATURE OF GOD

2. ROAD MAP ● Who is God? Names of God ● Biblical Perspectives God as Trinity ● Historical Perspectives Patristics and Councils ● Theological Perspectives Nature and Attributes

3. ILLUMINATE AIMS  To understand Titles and Names of God.  To understand Biblical perspectives on the Nature of God.  To understand the Nature and Attribute of God.  To critically engage with Theological doctrines on Trinity.

4. Tonight’s session is an introduction, thus it will not cover the whole topic on the nature and attributes of God. But it will aim to introduce key themes that will be later explored. We have been exploring the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit through understanding the Biblical, historical and theological perspectives. This session will contribute and assist our understanding of God.

5. WHO IS GOD? Write down the names and titles of God.

6. WHO IS GOD? Elohim- God: Self- existent YHWH- LORD- (Jehovah/ Yahweh) Separated from adonai to often refer to LORD GOD, Jehovah God Adonai- Lord- Ruler, King/ sometimes used to refer to Jehovah. Adonai is often used to refer to the Greek translation of Kurios (Lord)

7.  I AM who I Am (I cause to be what I cause to be) is a pun on the Name YAHWEH  This was a common thing in the Old Testament. Names indicated the character of the person. E.g. Rachel, Leah, Jacob etc.  Yahweh is the only God who can bring into existence out of nothing. The name Yahweh is related to I AM who I AM.  Contextually this is interpreted in chapter 6. The definition is given in these verses.

8. EXODUS 6:1-3  6 Then the L ORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.  2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the L ORD :  3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name J EHOVAH was I not known to them.  4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.  5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.  6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the L ORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:  7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the L ORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the L ORD.

9. BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES Exodus 4- IAM who IAM- Exodus 6- God tells moses that his ancestors knew God as El Shaddai but his name, he had not neccesarily revealed. God was insinuating that now you will know me by name! God wanted to be a personal God, that you would know God by name. To separate them from the idolatry of the Egyptians and foreign nations.

10. THIS IS THE GOD WHO…..  A God who rescues people from Bondage  A God who saves and a God who creates community  A God who wants us to know him  A God who wants to bring people into an abundant life

11. JOHN 8:58-59  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.  59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

12. TRINITY  The word trinity itself is not mentioned in the scriptures, but is used to express the doctrine of the unity of God as subsisting in three distinct persons.  It was first used by Theophilus (A.D. 168-183) and then Tertullian (220 A.D.) “Try to Understand It and You’ll Lose Your Mind. Try to Deny It and You’ll LOSE YOUR SOUL!” St. Augustine

13. OLD TESTAMENT  Genesis 1:26  Genesis 3:22  Genesis 11:7  Genesis 18:1  1 Kings 8:60  Isaiah 44:6 NEW TESTAMENT  John 10:32  Mark 12:29, 32  Matthew 28:19  John 14:26  Colossians 2:9  2 Corinthians 13:14  1 John 5:7-8 BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES

14. Often we dont need to prove logically that the trinity exists, if we prove that: 1.That Jesus is not a creature. 2.The Holy Spirit is a person.

15. GOD Father, Son, Holy Spirit

16. Father SpiritSon GOD

17. Father SpiritSon Is not the son Is not the Spirit Is not the Father GOD

18. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES/ PATRISTICS Historically, the early church and the councils had a difficult time dealing with the doctrine of God. This was primarily due to a large focus on Christology. Thus, there was a lack of attention paid to pneumatology. The early church had to defend doctrines against Christ and the Spirit. Can you highlight what is heresy?

19. ‘FOUR DISCOURSES AGAINST THE ARIANS ‘Arius maintains that ‘the Son was not always; for, whereas all things were made out of nothing, and all existing creatures and works were made, so the word of God Himself was made out of nothing, and once He was not, and He was not before His origination, but He as others had an origin of creation.’

20. HERESIES  Arianism  Docetism  Appolinarianism  Monism  Macedonians  Adoptionism  Nestorianism  Patripassianism

21. NICAEA 325 We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only- begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten (γεννηθ έ ντα), not made, being of one substance ( ὁ μοο ύ σιον, consubstantialem) with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down [fromheaven] and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost. And whosoever shall say that there was a time when the Son of God was not ( ἤ ν ποτε ὅ τε ο ὐ κ ἦ ν), or that before he was begotten he was not, or that he was made of things that were not, or that he is of a different substance or essence [from the Father] or that he is a creature, or subject to change or conversion — all that so say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them.believeGodLord Jesus ChristSon of GodFatherGod mensalvationbelieveHoly GhostSon of GodessenceCatholicanathematizes

22. CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS Gregory of Nazianzus in his oration on the ‘Deity of the Holy Spirit’, comments on the distinction of the three persons in the Holy Trinity. Gregory states that ‘neither is the Son Father, for the Father is one, but he is what the Father is; nor is the Spirit Son because he is God, for the Only-begotten is one, but he is what the Son is. The three are one in Godhead, and the one three in properties.’

23. NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD God is one- Deutronomy 6:4 God is Spirit- John 4:24 Self existent- Psalm 14:1, Numbers16:22 Omnipresent- Isaiah 44;6 Omnipotent- Genesis 1, Habakkuk 3:6, Omnibenevolent- John 3:16,Psalm 145:17 Omniscient- Jeremiah 1:5, 23:24, Isaiah 55:8 Immutable- Psalm 102:25-28 Transcendant: Psalm 113:4,5

24. NEXT ILLUMINATE June 24 th Time 7:30- 9pm Topic: The Holy Spirit