No Passions
A bite-sized lesson in doctrine: 1 Concept, 2 Definitions, 3 Passages...
Welcome back to Theology Thursday!
Here is your bite-sized lesson in orthodox, Biblical doctrine in 3 simple steps:
ONE concept explained
TWO concise definitions that must be kept distinct
THREE Scripture passages to meditate on
Concept: Divine Impassibility
God is impassible, meaning He is without passions or changeable emotions. This does not mean He lacks care or concern, but that He is not affected by things outside Himself in a way that causes a change in His being. Human emotions involve internal change, being provoked by things outside of us, but God cannot suffer such change. When Scripture describes God as angry, grieved, or moved to compassion, it is using an anthropopathism—attributing human emotions to God so we can understand His work in the world. These expressions point to His perfections, such as justice or love, which are unchanging. What is an affection or passion in us, points us to the transcendent perfections in God. This encourages us with the truth that God’s justice toward the wicked is as unwavering as His love for His people. Nothing causes God to react unpredictably or cause Him to suffer. Additionally, it magnifies the wonder of the incarnation: the impassible God took to Himself a human nature and took on passibility for us. Jesus, in His human nature, experienced suffering and the full range of human emotions. Thus, He will forever sympathize with our weaknesses as our faithful High Priest.
Definitions/Distinctions:
Perfections: Perfections are the unchanging attributes of God that are identical with His very being. God has perfections not human emotions, affections, or passions.
Emotions or Passions: Motions of our soul which come as a result of interpreting or perceiving good and evil in the world. They depend on something external and react to it. Only Christ, in His incarnation, experienced this.
Passages:
“And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”
Genesis 6:6–7
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
Numbers 23:19
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:15–16
For more on this, check out Kevin DeYoung’s animated explainer videos on the incommunicable attributes of God!