God's Fullness
GOD'S RELATIONSHIP WITH US

Part I – The Father As God
Introduction
God has three dwelling places: heaven, in His universe, and within His people.

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God" (John 3:16-21).

The second chapter, "God's Limitlessness," emphasized the vastness of God. We considered His omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. If we examined only these cosmic dimensions of God, it would be difficult to understand why He desires to have a relationship with tiny specks in the universe like us.

In our third chapter, "God's Context for Us," we saw Him as Creator and ourselves as creatures set in His created world. We came to realize that God plays a dramatic role in history and that we are part of that historical drama. Then we noted that the supreme attribute of God is holiness. Therefore, His creation has a moral quality. His history; working itself out in the world through His providential direction, has a moral thrust with a definite telos, or ultimate end. He expects us to participate in the moral march toward that telos. We need His help, encouragement, and love to make this march successfully. Therefore, let us examine God's relationship with us and the divine aid He gives.

Our God Is Revelatory
Introduction
In one important sense, God cannot remain concealed. His very existence results in revelation. Since He is creative by nature, the creation itself reveals its Creator. Our own existence as creatures is evidence of creation.

Some years ago I had the thrilling opportunity to stand in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and admire the marvelous frescoes painted on the ceiling. As I stood in virtual awe, I wondered how any person could have accomplished such a work of art, but I did not wonder if someone had! The presence of those paintings was proof positive that someone had painted them. Also, I saw in that stunning display clues of the character of the artist. I realized that the work took a long, long time to complete. Great patience was required (about four and one-half years' worth). Extraordinary skill was evident. The work showed superb knowledge of perception and proportion. It was obvious that physical stamina was necessary. In short, it was not only a foregone conclusion that the artistry required an artist, but also the masterpiece told me certain qualities of the master artist.

So it is with creation. It is a magnificent general revelation of Someone. In the general revelation of the creation we can discern more than the "mere" fact of the Creator's existence. We can also see something of the "character" of the Creator. For example, this observation was made by David, who already devoutly believed in God: "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands" (Psalm 19:1). David saw glory in the handiwork of God. Today we are amazed at the immensity of the universe and the precision by which our solar system functions. In fact, we rely on this precise order when we look at our watches and calendars. We know the order of day and night and the coming and going of the seasons. Astronomers tell us the location of the planets that circle our sun and where eclipses will occur on our earth far into the future. Yes, we know something of the glory, greatness, and orderliness of the Creator by studying His creation.

In another important sense, God is veiled. We see in the creation the fact of a Creator and even certain "traits of character" of the Creator. However, the creation itself does not tell us who that Creator is, just as the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel did not tell me who painted them. I learned that Michelangelo painted them not as I looked at them, but as I read and studied the history of Italian art during the High Renaissance period. In like manner, we find out who created the universe, our world, and us as we read and study the Bible, the specific revelation of God. In the Bible we find that He is the grand architect. Neither you nor I could know who the Creator is without the aid of the Scriptures.

This is why we have been careful to utilize the Bible in our discussions about God. We found general revelation (nature) helpful in establishing the fact of a Creator and even some of the attributes of that Creator, but we turned to the Scriptures to identify that Creator as the God of the Bible. We also studied His mighty acts as a revelation of Himself in the history of His people. However, the significance of His involvement in history was grounded in His moral nature. This grand truth comes from the Bible – not from His isolated acts. Therefore, we have a veiled God and a revealed God. He is veiled until He is revealed in nature (creation) and in the Bible and then only to the extent that He wills.

Revealed in His Communication
The Bible shows God revealing Himself in a personal way. He spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Nathan, Ezekiel, etc.¹ This communication was to make His will known. He wanted His people to be properly guided. More than historical facts were involved. A rationale for His actions among them and His relationship with them were paramount in His revelation. Therefore, His acts and His words combined to portray a God offering protection, care, guidance, and reconciliation. His will was revealed out of that context.

Revealed in His Covenant
The covenant, with all of its ramifications, was the centerpiece of God's concern for His people. That covenant was not discerned by them through studying nature, analyzing history; or borrowing sections of contemporary law codes from neighboring peoples.² It was given by God directly, beginning with the "ten words" to Moses on Sinai.³

Revealed in His Acts and Words
God continued His self-revealing process to His people through the ages by His acts and words. His acts revealed Him in His power. His words, giving motives for those acts, were revealed to them.⁴ All this was written down so that succeeding generations would benefit.⁵ The people were cautioned to adhere closely to what was written.⁶

God's revelatory acts and words were necessary ingredients in His relationship with His people. If He had not acted, they would not have known His power. If He had not spoken, they would not have known His will. If this "salvation history" had not been written, they would not have remembered. If they had not remembered, they would have been separated from Him. It is not surprising that one of their great leaders said, "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, Thou dost save me from violence" (2 Samuel 22:2-3).

Revealed in the Prophets
God's greatest and most complete revelation was yet to come. The prophets of God were a major channel by which His will and plans were revealed. While living under the Sinai covenant, they spoke of a new covenant that was to come. Jeremiah described this covenant – its origin, its nature, and its beneficial results for those who received it:

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt . . . I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Among God's prophets, there were none comparable to Moses except One (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). Moses spoke of a prophet to come who would be like him. The people were to heed this prophet explicitly, because he would speak the words of God (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

Revealed in His Son
This prophet was later to be identified as the suffering Messiah, Jesus (Acts 3:17-26), the Righteous One Who was put to death (Acts 7:52-53). Before He was crucified, He met with His apostles to eat the Passover meal. During this meal He gave a new meaning to the loaf and the cup. Of the loaf He said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Of the cup, He said, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20). Through His sacrifice He became the Mediator of a new and better covenant. He made the first covenant obsolete, while at the same time providing a means of redemption for those who had lived faithfully under the old covenant (Hebrews 8-10).

This Jesus of Nazareth is the supreme revelation of God. He was identified as the One spoken of by Isaiah the prophet as "Immanuel," which means "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23). Therefore, God's revelatory relationship with His people reached its greatest height in the person of Jesus, His Son: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him" (Ephesians 1:7-9).

Our God Is Inspirational
Introduction
It should not be surprising that after a lesson on how God has revealed Himself we should turn to consider how God has inspired His messengers. Inspiration is a special means of revelation. In this lesson we will speak of our God as "inspirational" in two related but distinct aspects, both having to do with His relationship with us.

His Influence on Us
First, God is inspirational because who He is and what He does has an exhilarating, enlivening, and exalting influence on all who yield to that influence. He is the one true and living God who has done and continues to do a great work. His greatness and power are seen in His creation and in the gift of life that animates us. We are aware of Him as Originator. In Him we see our beginning. We are aware of Him as our Director. He gives direction to life and makes history meaningful. We know Him as Preserver. Our life is sustained by His power. The present is significant because we live for Him. In Him we are certain that the future holds promise for us; He holds the whole world in His hands.

Our concepts of God as our Creator and Guide are part of our reality. They are encompassed in our reason for being. When we trust in God, life becomes more than mere existence. The routines of day-by-day activity are engulfed in the larger scope of life. The boredom of mundane tasks and superficial values is replaced by a joyful appreciation for the beauty of God's world and the pleasure of fellowship with God's people. Life becomes an adventure. Zest for living becomes the norm.

This is a Pollyanna-type picture, you say? Not at all. We are describing the influence of an inspirational God on those who submit to Him. We can know that the preceding analysis is not wishful thinking. We have access to records that show how inspirational His influence can be in the lives of His people.

Abram was given great assurance when he expressed concern about the future and his relationship with God. He was told, "Look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. . . . So shall your descendants be.'  Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:5-6). Abram was lifted up by the promise of posterity and by the knowledge that his faith in God was not misplaced.

Life was not easy for the Israelites during the days of Joshua. They had lost their great leader, Moses. The times were uncertain. The invasion of Canaan was impending. Bloody warfare against strong, entrenched peoples lay ahead. How was Joshua able to lead the people during such a stressful time? "The Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you'" (Joshua 3:7). Joshua received strong encouragement from his God. Even in difficult times it is possible to see obstacles as opportunities when we are convinced that God is leading the way.

Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim. They had been married for years. Her husband loved her dearly. However, she was distraught because she had not given him a son. Childlessness was a devastating blow for women who lived in ancient Near Eastern countries during the second millennium b.c. Barren married women felt a heavy burden. Hannah certainly did. Therefore, while in Shiloh at the tabernacle of God she prayed earnestly for a child. Her prayer was answered. In her great joy, she gave the child a name that expressed her gratitude to God: she named him Samuel.⁷

Then Hannah prayed, and said,

"My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides Thee, nor is there any rock like our God" (1 Samuel 2:1-2).

We read of another woman, more than a thousand years later, who praised God in rapt-Lire because of news from Him. He was going to bless her with the conception of a child from the Holy Spirit. His name was to be Jesus (Matthew 1:20-21). What a change in her life! What sense of purpose, mission, and privilege! Her gratitude and joy were expressed in song: "My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. . . . [T]he Mighty one has done great things for me; and holy is His name" (Luke 1:46-49).

One of the greatest examples of how confident and positive one can be when living under God's influence is Paul. His life as an apostle was filled with turmoil and stress. Paul suffered many hardships, traveled thousands of miles, and spent years in jail because of his loyalty to God. Was he confident? He said: "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Was he positive? He said: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord" (Philippians 3:1a). Was he contented? He said: "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances" (Philippians 4:11b). What about his evaluation of his life? He said: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

These examples from the Bible could be multiplied. The truth illustrated would be the same. Through the ages, countless millions have found out what these early followers of God experienced. God is indeed the great Encourager. He lifts us up. He leads us on. He gives meaning and significance to life. He even calls us to eternal life. There is no question whatsoever that our God is inspirational.

His Inspiration of the Bible
God expresses His inspirational nature in a second way – in His inspiration of the Scriptures, which is the bedrock foundation of their reliability. The Bible tells how Abraham, Joshua, Elijah, Mary, Stephen, and many others were able to live triumphant lives because they trusted in God and did His bidding. Of course, we could not know that these are "true stories" if we had no assurance that the Scriptures are true. We do have that assurance, however.

The vast field of Christian evidences, such as Bible archaeology and ancient writings contemporary with Bible times, has come a long way in establishing the validity of biblical history.⁸ Studying these sources can be beneficial in providing a high view of the Bible. We are thankful for the progress being made. While these evidences enhance our confidence in the Bible, they do so because they bolster our awareness of its historical accuracy The Bible must be accurate if it is what it claims to be – God's Word inspired. We read: "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16; emphasis mine).

As we look at the phrase "All scripture is inspired by God" in Greek (pase graphe theopneustos), ambiguity is caused by the various translations.⁹ This arises because the Greek word theopneustos, meaning "God-breathed," has been translated via the Latin divinitus inspirata and become "God-inspired." In the process, the "outbreathing of God" has been turned on its head to mean the "inbreathing of God." Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16 was stressing that the Scriptures are the result of God's divine power and are profitable for us in the ways stated.

In fact, the grand theme of God's creative power by way of His "outbreathing" is found elsewhere in the Bible. We saw this demonstrated as we studied God's human creation. We see the exhilarating picture of His creation described in Psalm 33:6: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host." Thus we see the "outbreathing of God" as a way of describing the outpouring of His power to accomplish His purpose. This is the case whether His purpose is the giving of life, the creation of the universe, or the writing of His Word. Just as surely as the creation came by the "breath of God," so also the Bible came by His "breath". Both are the products of His power and work.

While we are thankful for Christian evidences that point to the historical accuracy of the Bible, our appreciation for and love of God's Word is largely a matter of faith. When we turn to the Word of God, written, we find that this is where our faith is generated – not from archaeology or any other science (Romans 10;15-17). The power of God's Word, written, is a faith-generating, faith-saving power. In the Bible we find a latent power greater than any we can experience elsewhere! We know of the power of raging storms, earthquakes, tidal waves, forest fires, etc. In the Scriptures we find a Power so strong that it can transform and save a human life! This Source is more powerful than the destructive forces mentioned, the devastating power of sin, and even the death we all face from birth.

This power can set us free (John 8:32). The psalmist said: "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). The apostle John said of Jesus: "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). In the Bible we find His Word personified. We find Him as the One through whom we are led back home (John 14:1-6). In the Bible, written by inspired men, we meet the most inspirational Person we could ever know. He said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10b). Our God is truly inspirational, in more ways than one.

Our God Is Loving
Introduction
In the lesson "Our God Is Moral," we learned that holiness is the supreme, or fundamental, attribute of God and we are called to be holy as He is holy. This attribute, like all of God's attributes, is a characteristic of His divine nature. It cannot be conceived in its perfection apart from God. It is the ground of all of His manifestations to us. It is His nature to act morally because He is holy.

Another attribute of God is love. Like holiness, love is seen in its perfection only in God Himself. It is so much a part of God's nature to be loving that we read: "God is love" (1 John 4:8; emphasis mine).

His Love Described
Humans have trouble talking about God's perfect love. We have difficulty talking about anything perfect. In fact, we are often a bit embarrassed by perfection. For all our talk about the perfect, we are painfully aware of our own imperfections. How often have we heard someone attacking the words, actions, or motives of another with the qualifying expression: "I'm no saint, but . . ."?

When it comes to the "virtues," we all have our limitations. This has always been true. Virtue has been a topic of major concern throughout the course of history. The Greeks of the fourth century b.c. believed the four cardinal virtues to be wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice.¹⁰ During the Middle Ages of the Christian Era, the scholastics saw the four preceding virtues as "natural"; faith, hope, and love were considered "theological" virtues.

The Bible is much more inclusive in its overview of virtue. We can relate to the agonizing cry of David: "Create in me a clean heart, O God . . ." We may echo the words of Peter as "he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, `Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!"' (Luke 5:8). Observe how closely virtue and love are related in the two major lists of the New Testament that stress Christian qualities:

"Finally; brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely [prosphiles], whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence [arete = virtue, moral excellence] and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8; emphasis mine).

". . . applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence [arete = virtue, moral excellence], and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control; and in your self-control, perseverance; and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness [philadelphia]; and in your brotherly kindness [philadelphia], love [agape]" (2 Peter 1:5-7; emphasis mine).

Morality and love are to keep company, and we are to join that grand and noble company. This is the challenge for us as Christians.

Our general feeling of inadequacy comes from two directions: First, we live in a world that has, for the most part, lost the knowledge of what love means. Our language betrays us: "I love ice cream"; "I love to tell the story of unseen things above"; "I just love my automobile." Second, because of our lack of understanding "love" in our relationships to objects and people, we are mystified by the love of God. The mystery is indeed great, at best; but when we have lost the meaning of love at the human level, how can we hope to understand love at God's "level"?

There is a way to come to grips with this tantalizing question, for Paul prayed,

". . . that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17b-19; emphasis mine).

It involves three activities on our part: prayer, study; and practice. Any search for God's love that does not send us to our knees in prayer will end in failure. Humble and searching prayer is essential for a successful quest. However, prayer is not enough.

The study of God's Word is necessary for us to come to a better understanding of God's love. His Word was written for our instruction (Romans 15:4), and we must study it to be enlightened in God's way (2 Timothy 3:15). We have already emphasized God's moral excellence, omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. We have noted the infinite nature of all these qualities in God. Love is also infinite in God. God's people have spoken of His love as eternal, everlasting (1 Kings 10:9; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 8:35-39).

The eternal nature of God's love raises a question. Whom did God love before He created humans? Before time, the capsule in which we find ourselves, there was eternity – and there was God (Isaiah 57:15). The question before us is relevant, and the answer is crucial. The question is relevant because, of necessity, it implies an object of love. The answer is crucial because it involves the Persons of the Godhead. Since the absolute love of God existed before creation, we conclude that this love was a free-flowing self-communication among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus touched on this as He prayed to the Father, saying, "Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24b). Then, independently of the universe, God has full communication with Himself, full devotion to Himself, full impartation of Himself.

This is the awesome love of God in the absolute sense. Perfect harmony, infinite peace, sublime self-willing, tranquil immutability,¹¹ and sacred blessedness exist within the context of the Holy Trinity. This is God's absolute love; the object of His love is within Himself.

His Love Extended
God does not keep His great love to Himself; it is also transitive. That is, the object of His love can lie outside of Himself. Just as the living God offers us life and the perfect God offers us truth, the loving God offers us Himself! When we contemplate the outpouring of God's love for us, we realize that this is not the kind of love we are accustomed to among our peers. We may be at ease when we think about God's awesome power, penetrating knowledge, and intimate presence – because we are assured that all of these attributes are active under the umbrella of His holiness, purity, morality, and "ethics." The realization that God is loving can put us at rest because God's loving is, shall we say, the expression of His holiness.

We are deeply moved and truly grateful in knowing that we have such a loving God. We may still be confused, however, by the great gap between His love for us and our love for Him. We may feel about His love as Jesus' disciples felt about prayer. After Jesus had finished praying on one occasion, one of His disciples requested, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1b). We must break out of a worldly mindset to embrace the love of God. We must have a meeting of minds with God if we wish to respond to His overture of love.

First, we must realize that "love, in the Christian sense, does not mean an emotion. It is a state not of the feelings but of the will . . ."¹² We may find this shocking after being nurtured in a society that equates love with sensualness. A society that believes that love is perhaps 90 percent sex is a long way from being able to understand or appreciate the love of God. Although the word eros is not found in the New Testament, the dangers of eroticism are stressed (Matthew 5:27-29; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

Surely love that is approved by God must be expressed on a higher level than that. The institution of marriage is God's prescribed way to propagate the human race and provide for the intimacies of shared sexual love. When a marriage is functioning as God planned, it is held in such high regard by Him that it is compared to the relationship of Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33).

Friendship is another beautiful expression of love. In fact, Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). The noun philos, used dozens of times in the New Testament, usually indicates friendship (John 11:11; Luke 12:4). The verb phileo, also used frequently in the Scriptures, shows love for friends (John 11:3), love for Jesus (John 11:15b), and parental love (Matthew 10:37).

His Love Demonstrated
The highest degree of love is that shown by our God, Who is love (1 John 4:8). Agapao is used hundreds of times in the New Testament. This love calls us to the highest plateau of living. It has heaven as its source and is designed to take us there. It is not an abstraction. It is not merely an influence. God's love for us has a vital, living quality.

The greatest demonstration of that love in history is God's great love offering – Jesus Christ, His Son. This was agape, the all-giving love: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16; emphasis mine). This offering of Jesus shows us not only the love the Father has for us but also the love the Son has for the Father. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in great distress that the will of His Father be done and gave Himself willingly This is the greatest measure of love on Earth – to give ourselves freely to the Father's will through Jesus Christ, our Lord:

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2-3).

Footnotes:
¹ Genesis 13:14, 26:2, 28:13; Exodus 6:2, 8; 1 Samuel 3:10; 2 Samuel 7:4; Ezekiel 3:22.
² James B. Pritchard, ed., "The Middle Assyrian Laws," in Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 2d ed., trans. E.G. and Theophile J. Meek (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1955), 180-88).
³ Le., the Hebrew phrase `asereth haddbarim means "the ten words"; the Greek (LXX) “hoi deka logoi” means "the ten words" or "Decalogue."
⁴ Arnold B. Rhodes, The Mighty Acts of God (Richmond, VA: CLC,1964),12-13.
⁵ Deuteronomy 31:24; Joshua 1:8; Nehemiah 8:13-14; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:1-2; etc.
⁶ Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Proverbs 30:5-6; Mark 11:17; Revelation 22:18-19.
⁷ Shmu'el means "name of El [God]" (Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958], 1028).
⁸ ". . . to insist that the Bible and its message arose in a vacuum unrelated to the past and to the surrounding cultures is to fail to see the immense richness of biblical thought and of the biblical world. Furthermore, it runs the serious risk of misunderstanding what the Bible has to say. The timeless message of the Eternal God is spoken to man in time" (Harry Thomas Frank, Bible Archaeology and Faith [Nashville: Abingdon, 1976], 12).
⁹ The KJV (King James Version), RSV (Revised Standard Version), NAB (New American Bible), NEB (New English Bible), and NIV (New International Version) can be consulted for comparison.
¹⁰ Plato, "The Republic" (Book IV: 427E-434C), Great Dialogues of Plato. W.H.D. Rouse, trans., Rouse, Philip G., and Warmington, Eric H., eds. New York: The New American Library of World Literature, 1962.
¹¹ Immutability refers to the unchanging nature of God.
¹² C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1960), 115.