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The Goodness of God

The Goodness of God. Objective: To consider whether, in a Biblical context, God commands things because they are good, or whether things are good because God commands them. Interactive goodness.

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The Goodness of God

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  1. The Goodness of God Objective: To consider whether, in a Biblical context, God commands things because they are good, or whether things are good because God commands them.

  2. Interactive goodness In the Bible Gods goodness is interactive because he makes demands of people and responds to their actions. e.g. The story of Abraham • Genesis 11-25

  3. God as a personality God is seen in personal terms - he has a relationship with his creation - we are described as being created “in God’s image” (Gen 1:26) - God is shown to have emotional responses - being pleased (Gen 1:31); disappointed (Gen 6:5); angry (Jeremiah 15:6)

  4. Interaction of God Ten Commandments: 1-4 = about how humans should relate to God: • You shall have no other gods before me; • You shall not make idols; • You shall not misuse the name of God; • You shall rest on the Sabbath and keep it holy.

  5. Faith over Reason? Goodness cannot be ascertained through reason - it is revealed through faith. e.g. Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac at God’s command (Gen22:1-18) Job continues to be faithful despite feeling his suffering is unjust. (Book of Job)

  6. Righteous Indignation “I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you I am weary of relenting.” (Jeremiah 15:6) God cares about his creation and so becomes angered when people abuse it. He is often seen to take an active role in dealing with this. Another example is that of Noah.

  7. Compassionate 1 Samuel 1 - Hannah is distraught a not having a child but after praying to God to ask for a child conceives a son. In order to demonstrate his love for humanity, and so it might be saved, God comes into the world as a man - Jesus.

  8. Question In Exodus, God rewarded the Jews by giving them the Promised Land (Israel). In 1945 the state of Israel was returned to the Jews . What Philosophical and Theological problems does the rewarding of one nation at the expense of another raise?

  9. Question Based on the evidence so far do you think God commands things because they are good, or whether things are good because God commands them? Explain your answer with reference to the above passages.

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