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Twenty Questions about God
This was originally done as an assignment for one of my seminary classes. The assignment was to write twenty questions and answers to give someone a basic but accurate understanding of who God is. The answers were to be very short and precise. These may not be the questions you yourself would ask about God, and they may be too "short and precise" or technical for you, but I thought they might be at least somewhat useful, so here they are.
1. Who is God?
God is the all-powerful Creator of the universe.
2. How do we know about God?
We can know about God only as He reveals Himself to us, through His creation, His actions, and His spoken and written Word.
3. What is the Trinity?
God exists as the Trinity. He is one God who exists as three persons.
4. Who are these three persons?
The Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit are the three persons of the Trinity.
5. What is the relationship between these three?
They are each co-eternal and co-equal. They are distinct persons, yet one in being.
6. Who made God?
God was not made. He alone is uncreated and eternal.
7. What does it mean that God is the Creator?
By His own power, God brought into existence all things and all events that exist.
8. What does it mean that God is omnipotent (all-powerful)?
God possesses the ability to do anything He could want to do. There is nothing that could prevent God from doing what He ultimately desires.
9. What does it mean that God is omniscient (all-knowing)?
God possesses all knowledge. He knows with perfect and infinite detail all facts that have existed, currently exist, will exist, or could possibly exist.
10. Does God know the future choices of humans?
Yes, God knows our future choices both because He is outside of time, and because He has full knowledge of the persons He brought into being.
11. What does it mean that God is outside of time?
God is the creator of time. He is free to interact within time, but His is not bound by time. The past, present, and future are all equally accessible to Him.
12. Is God affected by creation?
God is independent of creation. He may interact with His creation, but He is never caught by surprise by something outside of His plan.
13. Does God change?
God does not change. We change and therefore our relationship to God changes, but God in His being does not change.
14. What does it mean that God is omnipresent (all-present)?
God’s power, knowledge, and presence are not limited. All locations are equally accessible to God.
15. Is God everything?
God is the Creator of everything, but God is not everything. He is distinct from His creation.
16. What does it mean that God is sovereign?
Because God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and the sole Creator, everything that exists must exist according to His plan.
17. What does it mean that God is good?
God is the standard for what is worthy of approval and what is worthy of condemnation.
18. What does it mean that God is holy?
God is separated from and repulsed by sin.
19. What does it mean that God is just?
God must respond to sin with appropriate punishment.
20. What does it mean that God is loving?
God cares for us to the point that He Himself is willing to take the punishment that His justice requires for mankind’s sin.
Nate Archer, 2000
