5. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE POSSESSED BY HIM.

a) Omnipotence.

Matt 28:18--"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

Rev. 1:8; John 17:2; Eph. I:20-22. Here is power over three realms:

First, all power on earth: over disease (Luke 4:38-41); death (John

11); nature, water into wine (John 2); tempest (Matt. 8). Second,

all power in hell: over demons (Luke 4:35, 36, 41); evil angels

(Eph. 6). Third, all power in heaven: (Eph. 1:20-22). Finally,

power over all things: (Heb. 2:8; 1:3; Matt. 28:18).

b) Omniscience.

John 16:30--"Now are we sure that thou knowest all things." 2:24;

Matt. 24; 25; Col. 2:3. Illustrations: John 4:16-19; Mark 2:8;

John 1:48. "Our Lord always leaves the impression that He knew all

things in detail, both past and future, and that this knowledge

comes from His original perception of the events. He does not learn

them by acquisition. He simply knows them by immediate perception.

Such utterances as Matt. 24 and Luke 21 carry in them a subtle

difference from the utterances of the prophets. The latter spoke as

men who were quite remote in point of time from their declaration

of unfolding events. Jesus spoke as one who is present in the midst

of the events which He depicts. He does not refer to events in

the past as if He were quoting from the historic narrative in the

Old Testament. The only instance which casts doubt upon this view

is Mark 13:32. The parallel passage in Matthew omits, in many

ancient versions, the words; "Neither the Son." The saying in Mark

is capable of an interpretation which does not contradict this

view of His omniscience. This is an omniscience nevertheless,

which in its manifestation to men is under something of human

limitation."--_Wood._

This limitation of knowledge is no argument against the infallibility

of those things which Jesus did teach: for example, the Mosaic

authorship of the Pentateuch. That argument, says Liddon, involves

a confusion between limitation of knowledge and liability to error;

whereas, plainly enough, a limitation of knowledge is one thing,

and fallibility is another. St. Paul says, "We know in part," and

"We see through a glass darkly." Yet Paul is so certain of the

truth of that which he teaches, as to exclaim, "But though we, or

an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that

which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Paul clearly

believed in his own infallibility as a teacher of religious truth,

and the church of Christ has ever since regarded his epistles as

part of an infallible literature. But it is equally clear that Paul

believed his knowledge of truth to be limited. Infallibility does

not imply omniscience, any more than limited knowledge implies error.

If a human teacher were to decline to speak upon a given subject,

by saying that he did not know enough about it, this would not be

a reason for disbelieving him when he proceeded to speak confidently

upon a totally different subject, thereby at least implying that

he did not know enough to warrant his speaking. On the contrary,

his silence in the one case would be a reason for trusting his

statements in the other. The argument which is under consideration

in the text would have been really sound, if our Saviour had fixed

the date of the day of judgment and the event had shown him to be

mistaken. Why stumble over the limitation of this attribute and

not over the others? Did He not hunger and thirst, for example? As

God He is omnipresent, yet as man He is present only in one place.

As God He is omnipotent; yet, on one occasion at least, He could

do no mighty works because of the unbelief of men.

c) Omnipresence.

Matt. 18:20--"For where two or three are gathered together in my

name, there am I in the midst of them." He is with every missionary

(Matt. 28:20). He is prayed to by Christians in every place (1 Cor.

1:2). Prayer would be a mockery if we were not assured that Christ

is everywhere present to hear. He fills all things, every place

(Eph. 1:23). But such an all pervading presence is true only of

Deity.

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