This is a classic either/or fallacy.
We say God is Spirit.
So Are we.
Our clay bodies are only shells, housing the real us, which are spirit-beings.
Let's not forget that.
So if that's the case, our emotions are not real either.
Does God Have Emotions?
Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by DHK, Aug 22, 2008.
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Why can't he have emotions, just emotions that are way above and beyond our emotions? Emotions that are not peckish or fitful, ebbing and flowing. Emotions without mood swings. Emotions that come from his own purposeful, voluntary choice. Emotions that are always in his control. Emotions that he never has against his will.
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I think we probably shouldn't define God based solely on our human understanding, I think God is more then we can possibly understand, which means whether or not His has emotions means something a little different then it means for humans having emotions. We can never fully understand God. And remember nothing is impossible with God, emotions or not.
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What is an emotion?
As far as the KJV is concerned the word "emotion(s)" is not found in the Bible.
The only verse that has the word "feeling" in it is:
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the "feeling of our infirmities"; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Not to question the omniscience of God, but it appears that the author of the book of Hebrews is saying that Christ had to experience experientially what God had never been able to experience--the emotions of man. God became man. As man now God could "feel" pain, hunger, thirst, as well as joy, sadness, etc. Now He is able to truly sympathize with us, having gone through all that we have gone through, and yet remained sinless at the same time.
Does this verse suggest in some way that God did not have the feelings of man previous to Jesus Christ? -
I don’t hold to the “Classical” theological view or “interpretation” of God’s foreknowledge as something set in stone. I believe God’s Nature does not change, but does not necessarily mean that God’s mind doesn’t change, not in the sense that God can learn, but in the sense that all things within time are not determined and He interacts within time with His creatures as a truth factor. (No Marcia, that does not make me an Open Theist, I am not, Grr... ;) )
Along that, I believe that God does have something similar to what we would call emotions, but that they are perfect emotions, just as His Love is perfect love.
I agree with this from russel55:
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God's emotions are settled attitudes to things in his creation, while ours come and go. His emotions are always rational, while ours are often irrational. God is never overcome or blinded by his feelings, and we are.
But just because God's emotions are not like ours are doesn't mean they're not emotions. Scripture tells us God delights some things and hates others. It uses word of emotion to describe God's attitudes or affections. God chose that language of emotion because it's the best way to describe to us something about God.
So instead of saying God doesn't have emotions at all, I'd think it'd be better to say God doesn't have emotions that are like our emotions and that it's impossible for us, finite like we are, to understand exactly what those emotions are like. -
I think the shortest verse in the Bible shows God has emotions.
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Forget Merriam-Webster, and go to the Scriptures to develop your ontology.
Spurgeon has a good piece that might help: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/impassib.htm -
No, the reason that Christ "had" to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities was so that WE might have confidence in the fact that He does understand. In warfare, only the Captains that have suffered as those under their command can win the hearts of their troops. -
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Gold Dragon Well-Known Member
I googled an interesting article on this topic by a lecturer at the Reformed Theological College in Australia on whether verses about God's emotions should be interpreted literally or figuratively.
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Our bodies are not only shells; they were created by God and will be resurrected as was the body of Jesus. This is one of the main differences between Christianity and Eastern religions, Gnostic beliefs, New Age, the Mormons and others -- that our body is part of who we are and we will eventually have a body forever (albeit in a glorified state). Those other religions all downgrade the body or make it an illusion or temporary. -
I also liked the excerpt from Spurgeon that was posted. -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_emotions
lists random emotions. Does God exhibit these? -
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Neither does my statement deny the fact of our earthen bodies.
Do we cease to exist when physical death occurs? No at all! We just not in our earthen vessels.
Paul seems to agree with what I'm arguing:
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." (2 Cor 5:1, TNIV, emphasis added)
Paul refers to the body as the "earthly tent we live in." Notice the difference: 1. the earthly tent; and 2. We live in.
Paul makes a clear distinction.
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