SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY II

WEEK 3, SESSION 2
Systematic Theology:
Volume Two
Chapter Ten
“God’s Majesty, Beauty,
and Ineffability”
pp. 232-253
Majesty, Beauty, and
Ineffability
According to Geisler (p. 233), these
three nonmoral attributes go together:
His beauty is part of His majesty, and
His majesty is constituted in part by
his inexpressible beauty. Both, along
with His infinity and transcendence,
are the reason for His ineffability,
meaning that He goes far beyond our
finite ability to comprehend or express.
God’s Majesty

Definition of God’s Majesty:

Majesty is represented in Hebrews by a

several words with a range of meaning.
Two Greek words capture the meaning
of majesty.
In short, God’s majesty consists of
unsurpassed greatness, highest
eminence, unparalleled exaltation, and
unmatched glory. (Geisler, p. 233)
Biblical Basis for God’s
Majesty
 1 Chron. 16:27; 29:11
 Job 37:4; 37:22
 Ps. 29:4; 45:3-4; 48:1; 93:1; 96:6; 104:1;
145:5, 12
 Isa. 6:1-5; 26:10; 33:20-21
 Michah 5:4
 Luke 9:43
 Heb. 1:3; 8:1
 2 Peter 1:16
 Jude 25
 Rev. 4:11
God’s Beauty

Definition of God’s Beauty:

Several Hebrew and Greek words

convey the idea of beauty. As
applied to God, beauty is the
essential attribute of goodness that
produces in the beholder a sense of
overwhelming pleasure and delight.
(Geisler, p. 239)
Biblical Basis for God’s
Beauty
1 Chron. 16:29
2 Chron. 20:21
Ps. 27:4; 29: 2; 96:9
Job 40:10
Isa. 33:17
God’s Ineffability

Definition of God’s Ineffability:

Literally, “ineffable” means “incapable of

being expressed.” Theologically,
ineffability refers to the transcendent
characteristics of God that cannot be
adequately expressed in human
language. Though we can apprehend
God, we cannot fully comprehend Him.
(Geisler, p. 246)
Biblical Basis for God’s
Ineffability

 Deut. 29:29
 Ps. 139:6
 Job 11:7
 Isa. 55:8
 Rom. 11:33
 1 Tim. 3:16
A Mystery versus a
Problem
Familiarize yourself with
the distinction between
a problem and a mystery
in Geisler, pp. 251-252.
Systematic Theology:
Volume Two
Chapter Eleven
“God’s Life and
Immortality”
pp. 255-268
God’s Life

Definition of Life:

Theologically, to speak of God as life is

to say two basic things: God is alive,
and He is the Source of all other life.
He has life intrinsically; He is life,
while all other things have life as a
gift from Him. . . Whatever else it
may include, life involves immanent
self-activity. (Geisler, 254)
Biblical Sources for God’s
Life
Familiarize yourself with the biblical basis of
God’s attribute of life. Geisler places these
references under five headings (pp. 255-257):
1.God’s As Living
2.God As a Source of Life
3.God As the Resurrector From the Dead
4.God As the Giver of Living Bread and Water
5.God As the Source of Living Words
God’s Immortality

Definition of God’s Immortality:

Theologically, immortality as applied

to God means that He possesses life
intrinsically and eternally. God is
life; all else merely has life. As life
itself, He is the Fountain of all other
life.
(Geisler, 262)
Biblical Basis for God’s
Immortality
God is Immortal
 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:16
 Rom. 1:23
God Gives Immortality to Some
Creatures
 Rom. 2:7
 2 Tim. 1:10
 1 Cor. 9:25; 15:53-54
 1 Pet. 1:4; 1:23
God is the Giver of Eternal Life
 John 3:16; 5:24; cf. John 3:36