Sovereignty of God

Overview of Issue

Tension: sovereignty of God and “freedom” of people

Definitions of Sovereignty

Ability to do all things which are objects of power

Full definition: By this we mean the power of God to do all things which are objects of power, whether with or without the use of means.

Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907), 286.

Objects of power:

Could be material or immaterial

Physical cosmos

Immaterial cosmos: angels, demons, dominions (authority)

Problem: vague language

What about time? Time is not an object (but series of events)

What about free will? Is free will an object?

If people are objects, does this imply countering free will?

What about “sin”? Sin is not an object

Strong holds that sin is an object of power (see Compendium: objections to the doctrine of degrees)

Limitations

No limit except that by His own will.

Implication: God has free will (or one sort or another)

If He could will anything (but, previously this will is confined by His nature and character)

Cannot do contradictory things

Example: placing to mountains next to one another without a valley in between

Cannot contradict the nature of God

God cannot lie or sin

He cannot make wrong right

God has power over His power (self-control)

God will do all He wills but does not do all He could do. Why? Then His power would be simply a force acting necessarily

Critique: He should say that

Omnipotence described: “God has all the power that is consistent with infinite perfection—all power to do what is worthy of himself.”

Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907), 287.

Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907), 287.

Very general claim. Does not really say much