12th December 2016

Does God Have A Physical Body

Does God have a physical body?

Both the Bible and good philosophy report that God is non-physical – spirit. In John 4:24 it is said that God is spirit (see also Luke 24:39Romans 1:20Colossians 1:151 Timothy 1:17). This is why no material thing was to be used to represent God (Exodus 20:4). But this can also be shown by reflecting on what God is. Philosophically the same truth comes through. All that is created is necessarily finite and limited. But the first cause (God) is uncreated, and therefore must be non-finite, or infinite. That which is beyond the finite must, by definition, be infinite, and the Bible states that God is beyond creation (1 Kings 8:27Job 11:7-9Isaiah 66:1-2Colossians 1:17). That which is physical cannot be infinite – for you cannot add finite parts together until they reach infinity. Therefore God is spirit as opposed to physical/material in His Being. This does not mean He cannot localize a physical appearance. God is not composed of matter nor any other imaginable substance. He also cannot be measured, is not spatial, and has no true location (presence is a different concept).Knowing this truth can help us understand the metaphorical speech often used to describe God or, more often, God’s actions in Scripture. In the case of God, once all finitude is negated from a statement, what is left is what is actually true. If nothing is left, then it is a pure metaphor. Some metaphors use attributes from creation itself (2 Samuel 22:3). Others use man’s attributes (anthropomorphism – Deuteronomy 33:27). In this way we can go from what we know by experience to what we know through the metaphors. For example, when Scripture describes God’s mighty arm we know that arms are by definition limited – but might is not. So God’s mighty arm is actually unlimited power to act (what we call omnipotence). When Scripture describes God’s mind, we know that minds are limited, but knowledge is not. God’s mind is actually His infinite knowledge (what we call omniscience).There were times in the Bible when God appeared in a physical body in order to be seen by men in a form which they could perceive without danger to themselves. Because God said, “No man can see me and live” (Exodus 33:20), He chose at certain times to reveal Himself in human form. These occurrences are called theophanies (Genesis 12:7-918:1-3332:22-30). Every theophany wherein God takes on human form foreshadows the incarnation, where God took the form of a man to live among us as Emmanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

God is a Spirit Being and He is a person with a personal spirit body, a personal soul, and a personal spirit, like that of angels, and like that of man except His body is of spirit substance instead of flesh and bones (Job 13:8Heb 1:3). He has a personal spirit body (Dan. 7:9- 14 10:5- 19); shape (Jn 5:37); form (Php 2:5-7); image and likeness of a man (Gen. 1:26 9:6; Ezek 1:26-281 Cor 11:7; as. 3:9). He has physical parts such as, back parts (Ex 33:23), heart (Gen 6:68:21), hands and fingers (Ps 8:3-6Heb 1:10Rev 5:1-7), mouth (Num 12:8), lips and tongue (Isa 30:27), feet (Ezek 1:27Ex 24:10), eyes (Ps 11:418:2433:18), ears (Ps 18:6), hair, head, face, arms (Dan. 7:9- 14 10:5- 19 Rev. 5:1- 7 22:4- 6), loins (Ezek. 1:26- 28 8:1- 4), and other physical parts. He has bodily presence (Gen. 3:8 18:1- 22) and goes from place to place in a body like all other persons (Gen 18:1-5, 22Zech 14:5Dan 7:9-14Tit 2:13). He has a voice (Ps 29Rev 10:3-4); breath (Gen 2:7); and countenance (Ps 11:7). He wears clothes (Dan. 7:9- 14 10:5- 19); eats (Gen 18:1-8Ex 24:11); rests (Gen 2:1-4Heb 4:4); dwells in a mansion and in a city located on a material planet called Heaven (Jn 14:1-3 Heb. 11:10- 16 13:14; Rev 21); sits on a throne (Isa 6Dan 7:9-14 Rev. 4:1- 5 22:3- 6); walks (Gen 22, 33); rides (Ps 104:3Ezek 1); and engages in other activities.

He has a personal soul with feelings of grief (Gen 6:6), anger (1 Ki 11:9, repentance (Gen 6:6), jealousy (Ex 20:5), hate (Pr 6:16), love (Jn 3:16), pity (Ps 103:13), fellowship (1 Jn 1:1-7, pleasure and delight (Ps 147:10), and other soul passions like other beings (Gal 5:22-23).

He has a personal spirit (Ps 143:10Isa 30:1) with mind (Rom 11:34), intelligence (Gen 1:26Rom 11:33), will (Rom 8:279:19), power (Eph 1:193:7, 20Heb 1:3), truth (Ps 91:4), faith and hope (Rom 12:31 Cor 13:13, righteousness (Ps 45:4), faithfulness (1 Cor 10:13, knowledge and wisdom (Isa 11:21 Tim 1:17, reason (Isa 1:18), discernment (Heb 4:12), immutability (Heb 6:17), and many other attributes, powers, and spirit faculties.

He has been seen physically many times (Gen 1832:24-30Ex 24:9-11 JJosh 5:13-15sa. 6; Dan 7:9-13Ezek 1Acts 7:56-59 Rev. 4- 5), and can be understood by the things that are made. Man is the visible image and likeness making the invisible God clearly seen as in Rom 1:20.

Hope these help!

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