William Lane Craigs writes: The question I have been wrestling with is if it is better to think primarily of the God-head possessing the relevant omni-attributes, or if it is better to think of each individual person as possessing the omni-attributes. In fact, it seems that it might not be possible for all three persons to have the atrribute of omnipotence. Philosophers like Richard Swinburne have argued for monotheism on the grounds that there cannot be a plurality of omnipotent beings because they could come into conflict with each other and so would limit each other’s power. Wouldn't this objection apply to the Trinity? Possibly, each person of the Trinity could limit each others power, and hence, there couldn't be a God composed of three persons where each person has the property of omnipotence.
The way out of this puzzle is to realize that possibly, persons who are essentially harmonious because they share the same knowledge, love, and volition would not fall into the alleged logical impossiblity proposed above by Richard Swinburne. This just so happens to be the very model of the Trinity that Christians have, and in virtue of their essential harmony of wills, the Chrisitian can continue to rationally affirm the doctrine of the Trinity.
Moreover, it seems that when we turn to a consideration of properties like timelessness, aseity, necessity, omnipotence, and the like, it makes the most sense to speak of these properties as being had primarliy by the essence of the Godhead, and only derivately by the persons of the Godhead. While it is true that only one God can be omnipotent, it doesn't follow that there cannot be a plurality of persons within that the one essence of the Godhead whom are omnipotent.
A better argument for there being at most one omnipotent God is that any other being that exists must be within the power of God to create or not. But then the existence of that being depends asymmetrically upon God. So God has power over it, while it lacks this power over God. So there can be at most one omnipotent God
The way out of this puzzle is to realize that possibly, persons who are essentially harmonious because they share the same knowledge, love, and volition would not fall into the alleged logical impossiblity proposed above by Richard Swinburne. This just so happens to be the very model of the Trinity that Christians have, and in virtue of their essential harmony of wills, the Chrisitian can continue to rationally affirm the doctrine of the Trinity.
Moreover, it seems that when we turn to a consideration of properties like timelessness, aseity, necessity, omnipotence, and the like, it makes the most sense to speak of these properties as being had primarliy by the essence of the Godhead, and only derivately by the persons of the Godhead. While it is true that only one God can be omnipotent, it doesn't follow that there cannot be a plurality of persons within that the one essence of the Godhead whom are omnipotent.
A better argument for there being at most one omnipotent God is that any other being that exists must be within the power of God to create or not. But then the existence of that being depends asymmetrically upon God. So God has power over it, while it lacks this power over God. So there can be at most one omnipotent God
RSS Feed
