Can God originate a thought?

Then you do deny that God has always known all there ever has been to ever know- right?

 

Maybe it's just beyond our ability to understand at all.

 

Here is something to think about concerning this subject:

Rom. 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

1 Cor. 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Matt. 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Luke 12:25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

It really doen't matter what we think concerning this matter of God originating a new thought, because none of us can ever know God's mind. I am in the camp that He already knows all things, and can't believe that He can know anything "new", because He already knows ALL THINGS"!!

i am I AM's!!

Willis

 

So God isn't all knowing? Are you saying that you are denying the omniscience of God? Just want to clarify.

 

What does the word search mean?

Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

In Strongs, this word "search" is defined as;

1) to search, search for, search out, examine, investigate
a) (Qal)
1) to search (for)
2) to search through, explore
3) to examine thoroughly
b) (Niphal)
1) to be searched out, be found out, be ascertained, be examined
c) (Piel) to search out, seek out

So, I ask again, why would God need to search for something he already knows? It is not I who said God searches, it is God himself who says he searches. I believe what God said. Do you?

 

Please answer my question. Do you believe God knows everything or do you deny the omniscience of God?

 

Does Christ know the day and hour of His return, or do you deny the omniscience of God?

 

Well, I would say that in either of those, God still knows everything. Whether is't only because he knows or if it is because He determines, He still knows all.

 

Christ the human here on earth didn't. (Phil 2:8-9)
God does.....so, does God know everything?

There are differences between Jesus as God and Jesus as man.

he grew and became strong, Luke 2:40
increased in stature, Luke 2:52
was about 30 years old, Luke 3:23
was weary, John 4:6
was thirsty,John 19:28
was hungry, Matt. 4:2
was crucified, 1 Cor. 2:8

God is eternal. God is all powerful. How can God die or "increase in stature" How can God become strong? He can't. Jesus as human did these things.

 

There are two way that things are preordained. One is God decrees. These are the things like "let there be light," Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. These are the things that came from God. Other things are where he has allowed something to happen. For instance evil. While God is not the author of evil like he is light, he has ordained that it be by allowing it. So God forknowing something could be used as expressive language. His point is that he knows it and not that he determined it.

Oh, we don't understand that. It could be said that his thoughts don't have an origin and are eternal just like him. That would be my answer.

 

This is a difficult question for me, I agree much with what Skan said in post #26, there is much scripture that shows God knows everything, at the same time there is scripture that seems to show that in some instances God knows things in time as he sees them such as Gen 22:12 and Gen 18:21. In fact, there are a surprising number of verses that suggest this. A very interesting verse is Jer 2:34:

Jer 2:34 Also in thy skirts is FOUND the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not FOUND it by SECRET SEARCH, but upon all these.

There are numerous verses like this that say God "found" something. This means to discover. What is significant about this verse is that God is referring to the Jews sacrificing their children which 3 times in Jeremiah God says he did not command, neither did this sin come into his mind or heart.

At the same time we know that God declares the end from the beginning. All prophecy shows that God knows things that will take place before they actually happen.

So, there is much scripture to support both positions, and I cannot quite understand this.

 

And I'm fine with that if you are ok with the idea that God is informed by another. Why? Because if God's thoughts are eternally existent then the intent of Jeffery Dahmer to rape, murder and eat a child eternally existed and thus originated in the mind of God, instead of originating in the mind of Dahmer and then informing God through his foreknowledge of that event. Make sense? At least that is the finite logic of the matter.[/QUOTE]

Excellent line of reasoning Skan, glad I kept following this thread. Thanks.

 

Its not that simple. You cannot separate His natures. This is one of the errors in the early church. Its something our minds cannot comprehend like the Trinity, God always having existed and how an omniscient being can change His mind.

 

I understand and thanks for you honesty. For me personally, I look at it more of expressive language. In a sense God "found" it but in reality He already knew it. To me, it's how God relates to us. I take this view because the other view would have God learning something and would of course deny his omniscience. I cannot explain how God could know everything and yet learn something.

Again, thanks for your honest reply. We will never understand the fullness of God.

 

Per my examples I explained how Jesus didn't know something so it is really that simple. God is all powerful, yet Jesus grew up and became stronger. Was Jesus God? Of course. That's why I cited the Philippians passage.

 

Im glad you have the hypostatic union all figured out...I'll stick to the tension found in Scripture as viewed through our finitness.