Question: "What is the doctrine of the impassibility vs. passibility of God?

"

Answer: To be passible is to be capable of feeling, especially suffering or to be

susceptible to emotion. When theologians speak of Gods passibility
versus His impassibility, they are referring to His freedom to respond
emotionally versus a perceived lack of empathy for His creatures.

Does God suffer? Can He truly feel emotional pain? Some theologians see
the impassibility of God as one of His attributes, right up there with His
immutability, omniscience, or eternality.
They see God as apathetic in the sense that He exists above human
emotion and remains untouched by it.
Others see Gods passibility as one of His essential attributesthey insist
that God does indeed suffer with us.

Both sides of the issue face the danger of pushing things too far.
When the doctrine of divine impassibility is pushed to an extreme, the
result is deism, which views God as cold, distant, and impassivea God
who deigns not to interact with humanity. Conversely,
when the doctrine of divine passibility is taken to an extreme, the result is
open theism, which views God as not knowing the future and being as
surprised as we are by each turn of events.

Arguing for the doctrine of Gods impassibility is the fact of Gods immutability (His
unchanging nature). The reasoning is that, if God suffers in response to a source
of pain, then has He not changed? Those who argue for impassibility do not deny
that God has emotions; rather, they affirm that Gods emotions are voluntary and
purposeful, not whimsical reactions to events on earth. Also, according to promoters
of Gods impassibility, Gods absolute power and sovereignty argue against His
suffering: someone who suffers must be subject to the circumstance that
causes the suffering; therefore, God cannot suffer, since He is not subject
to anything.

However, arguing for the doctrine of Gods passibility are many Scripture passages
that seem to indicate that God does respond emotionally to events on earth. Its
impossible to read much of Scripture without realizing that God feels compassion for
His people (Isaiah 14:1); that He feels wrath against sin (Psalm 38:3); and that He is
pained by the rejection of His love and grace (Luke 19:4142). Jesus, who is the

exact representation of Gods being (Hebrews 1:3), wept at Lazaruss tomb (John
11:35).
Those who argue for the passibility of God point out that it is Gods eternal, divine
sympathy that leads Him to be involved in His creation and to voluntarily allow His
heart to be touched by the suffering of His people. God is transcendent, yes, but
He is not aloof. Biblical statements such as God is love (1 John 4:8)
reveal a passionate God who listens to our cries for help (Psalm 69:33),
shows compassion (Mark 6:34), and knows our suffering firsthand
(Hebrews 2:18).
The doctrine of the passibility of God does not teach that God is fickle, has mood
swings, or cannot control His responses. God is never the victim of circumstance.
The doctrine of passibility does teach that God is emotionally invested in
His creation; He is involved because He cares.
Question: "Does God have emotions?"
Answer: We can cite numerous passages of Scripture that speak to Gods
emotions. For example, God demonstrated the following:
Anger Psalm 7:11; Deuteronomy 9:22; Romans 1:18
Question: "Does God get angry?"
Answer: It would be foolish to ignore the passages in Scripture that talk about
Gods anger. Yes, God does get angry; there are many examples in the Bible of this.
He displays his wrath every day (Psalm 7:11).
However, we must not equate Gods anger with our own human experiences of that
emotion. We must look again to the Bible. Ephesians 4:2627 (be angry but do
not sin, dont let the sun set on your anger) tells us it is possible to experience
anger but not sin. As God cannot sin, we know that His anger is righteous, unlike the
common experience of anger in ourselves. As James 1:20 says, Human anger
does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (Puuuuurihin ang
Panginoon)
The context of the verses of God getting angry reveals why He gets angry. God gets
angry when there is a violation of His character. God is righteous, just, and holy,
and none of these attributes can be compromised (Exodus 20:46; Isaiah
42:8).

God was angry with the nation of Israel and with Israels kings every time they
turned away from obeying Him (e.g., 1 Kings 11:910; 17:18). The wicked practices
of the nations surrounding Israel, such as child sacrifice and sexual perversion,
aroused Gods anger to the point He commanded Israel to completely

destroy themevery man, woman, child, and animalto remove

wickedness from the land (Deuteronomy 7:16).
Just as a parent becomes angry at anything that would hurt his children,
so Gods anger is directed at that which would harm His people and their
relationship with Him.
WARFREAK ba ang Diyos na gusto nyang pumatay?
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in
the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and
live (Ezekiel 33:11,13-20).!!!!!!
In the New Testament, Jesus got angry with the religious teachers and
leaders of that day for using religion for their own gain and keeping
people in bondage (John 2:1316; Mark 3:45).
Romans 1:18 tells us Gods anger, or wrath, comes against the godlessness and
wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness. So God gets
angry at the wickedness in people, and He opposes that wickedness in an
effort to turn them from evil, that they may find true life and freedom in
Him. Even in His anger, Gods motivation is love for people; to restore the
relationship that sin destroyed. THIS IS EVIDENT IN THE DEATH OF JESUS.
While God must bring justice and retribution for sin, those who have accepted Jesus
as Lord and Savior are no longer under Gods wrath for sin. Why? Because Jesus
experienced the full measure of the wrath of God on the cross so that we wouldnt
have to. This is what is meant by Jesus death being a propitiation, or satisfaction.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law
of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by
flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin
offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the
flesh but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:14).
Question: "What is the biblical understanding of the wrath of God?"
Answer: Wrath is defined as the emotional response to perceived wrong and
injustice, often translated as anger, indignation, vexation, or irritation.
Both humans and God express wrath. But there is vast difference between the
wrath of God and the wrath of man. Gods wrath is holy and always justified; mans
is never holy and rarely justified.
In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is a divine response to human sin and
disobedience. Idolatry was most often the occasion for divine wrath. Psalm
78:56-66 describes Israels idolatry.(Walang FAVORITISM ANG DIYOS pag
dating sa righteousness and holiness, even ANG ISRAEL PAG NAGKASALA
AY PINAPARUSAHAN DIN,) (Justified ba ang pag bigay ng parusa ng

Panginoon? Oo, lalo na dahil hindi selective yung justice nya) The wrath of
God is consistently directed towards those who do not follow His will (Deuteronomy
1:26-46; Joshua 7:1; Psalm 2:1-6). The Old Testament prophets often wrote of a day
in the future, the "day of wrath" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). Gods wrath against sin and
disobedience is perfectly justified because His plan for mankind is holy and perfect,
just as God Himself is holy and perfect. God provided a way to gain divine favor
repentancewhich turns Gods wrath away from the sinner. To reject
that perfect plan is to reject Gods love, mercy, grace and favor and incur
His righteous wrath.
The New Testament also supports the concept of God as a God of wrath who judges
sin. The story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of the judgment of God and
serious consequences for the unrepentant sinner (Luke 16:1931). John 3:36 says,
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not
see life, for Gods wrath remains on Him. The one who believes in the Son will not
suffer Gods wrath for his sin, because the Son took Gods wrath upon Himself when
He died in our place on the cross (Romans 5:611). Those who do not believe in the
Son, who do not receive Him as Savior, will be judged on the day of wrath (Romans
2:56).
Conversely, human wrath is warned against in Romans 12:19, Ephesians 4:26, and
Colossians 3:8-10. God alone is able to avenge because His vengeance is perfect
and holy, whereas mans wrath is sinful, opening him up to demonic influence. For
the Christian, anger and wrath are inconsistent with our new nature, which is the
nature of Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17). To realize freedom from the
domination of wrath, the believer needs the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse his
heart of feelings of wrath and anger. Romans 8 shows victory over sin in the life of
one who is living in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). Philippians 4:4-7 tells us that the mind
controlled by the Spirit is filled with peace.
The wrath of God is a fearsome and terrifying thing. Only those who have been
covered by the blood of Christ, shed for us on the cross, can be assured that Gods
wrath will never fall on them. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how
much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! (Romans 5:9).

Laughter Psalm 37:13; Psalm 2:4; Proverbs 1:26

Question: "Is God opposed to pleasure?"
Answer: Some people imagine God as a cruel task master opposed to all
fun or pleasure. To them, He is the God of all-seriousness or the God of
rules. But this is not an accurate, biblical picture of God.
God created us with the ability to experience pleasure. Several Scriptures speak of
our delight and pleasure (for example, Psalm 16; Proverbs 17:22(it is good for the

heart and health)); and Proverbs 15:13)(. The beauty of creation and the
diversity of humanity show us Gods creative palette. Many people find
pleasure in spending time out of doors or in relating with those of
different personalities. This is good and proper. God wants His creation to
be enjoyed.
In the Bible, we see God Himself take pleasure in things. Zephaniah 3:17, for
example, says that God delights in us and sings over us. God also instituted multiple
celebrations and festivals in the Old Testament. To be sure, these feasts had a
didactic element, but they were also celebrations. Scripture speaks of having joy
Philippians and the Psalms are two places where we see plenty of it. Jesus declares,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have
life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). Life to the full sounds like a pleasurable
experience.
Gods design of the human body reveals that pleasure is part of His plan.
Taste buds and other sensory organs are proof that God is not opposed to
pleasure. Why does food taste so good? Why is the scent of roses
pleasing? Why is a back massage enjoyable? Because God wanted it that
way. Pleasure was Gods idea.
Sometimes we think that, when Christians talk about pleasure or joy, they mean
being joyful in reading their Bibles, meditating, or serving. We certainly do take
pleasure in those things but not to the exclusion of other activities. God also created
us for fellowship with others and for recreation. We were made to delight in being
His children, in using the talents He bestows and in participating in the pleasures He
offers.
It is also wise to distinguish between the different types of pleasure in this world.
We live in a fallen world where Gods best for us is often perverted.
Just because society deems an activity pleasurable does not mean it is pleasing to
God (see Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:5-10; and 1 Corinthians 6:12-17). When
we consider these pleasures of the world, we find that they are not in fact healthy
for us or conducive to long-term pleasure. The prodigal son reveled in sin until
the money ran out; then he found that the pleasures of sin are fleeting
(Luke 15:11-17). They are false friends that leave us empty and longing.
(PARANG PEKENG KAIBIGAN NA AFTER MO IBIGAY LAHAT SA KANYA EH
IIWAN KA NYANG UBOS NA AT HINDI KONTENTO)
It is also important to realize that the purpose of our lives is not pleasure.
Hedonism is a false philosophy.( a school of thought that argues that pleasure is the
primary or most important intrinsic good.) We were created to delight in God (Psalm
37:4) and accept with gratitude the good things He provides. More
importantly, we were created to have a relationship with God.
No, God is not opposed to pleasure. He is opposed to pleasure usurping His place in

our lives. Sometimes we are called to forgo the pleasure of the moment in order to
invest in the greater pleasure of Gods kingdom. We wont be disappointed. For
those who seek Him and His righteousness, God has eternal pleasures in store
(Psalm 16:11).
Question: "Is God a cosmic killjoy?"
Sometimes, as Christians, we get the idea that being joyful means reading the
Bible, meditating, or serving. So we end up thinking God isnt a killjoy per se, but
maybe He expects us to have fun with things that really arent all that fun. This is
wrong on two levels.
First, we certainly can and do experience joy in reading the Bible and
serving others.
Also, joy is not found in those activities exclusively. God created us to
experience fellowship, recreation, and creativity. We were made to delight
in being His children, in using the skills He has given us, and in welcoming
the pleasures He offers. The Westminster Shorter Catechism has it right in
its very first answer: Mans chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him
forever.
So, rather than killing our fun, God is protecting us and providing what is
truly best for us. In this way He is much like an earthly parent who
provides boundaries for his children. A parent may be called a killjoy for
limiting the amount of candy his children consume, but that boundary will
ultimately benefit them.
God is not a killjoy; He is the creator of joy. His Spirit produces it in our lives
(Galatians 5:22). Because He is the source of joy, any pursuit of pleasure apart from
God is idolatry. For our own well-being, God opposes our grasping after the worldly,
temporary joy that sin promises. Sometimes we must put aside instant
gratification in order to invest in the greater joy of Gods kingdom. You
will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right
hand (Psalm 16:11).

Compassion Psalm 135:14; Judges 2:18; Deuteronomy 32:36

Grief Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:40
Love 1 John 4:8; John 3:16; Jeremiah 31:3
Hate Proverbs 6:16; Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5

Question: "Does God hate? If God is love, how can He hate?"

Answer: It seems a contradiction that a God who is love can also hate. We are
created with the capacity to both love and hate; it is part of our being created in the
image of God. The fact that we are all tainted with sin does not negate the fact that

the ability to love and hate is part of the image of God that was created within us
all. Therefore, if it is no contradiction for a human being to be able to love and hate,
then much more so would it not be a contradiction for God to be able to love and
hate.
When the Bible does speak of God hating, the object of Gods hatred is usually sin
and wickedness. Among the things God hates are idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:31;
16:22) and those who do evil (Psalm 5:4-6; 11:5). Proverbs 6:16-19 outlines seven
things the Lord hates: pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false
witness, and troublemakers. Notice that this passage does not include just things
that God hates; it includes people as well.
The question that begs to be answered at this point is why does God hate these
things? God hates them because they are contrary to His natureGods
nature being holy, pure and righteous. In fact, David writes, For you are
not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you (Psalm
5:4 emphasis added). God is holy and hates sin. If He did not hate sin, He would not
be holy.

God is love, but He is also wrath, justice, and vengeance. But His wrath is a holy
wrath and His justice and vengeance are holy as well. Gods love is holy.
Therefore, He cannot "love everyone all the time no matter what they do,"
as some like to claim. Nothing could be further from the truth. God loves
righteousness and holiness and hates sin and evil. If He did not, He would not be
God.
So if God hates sin and loves holiness, how does He love us? Simple. He
loves us because we have the righteousness of Christ who became sin for
us on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). He poured out His wrath and vengeance
against sin on His Son, so that He could pour out His mercy and love on us. But
without that sacrifice credited to us, His wrath and hatred remain on us because He
hates our sin. The Bible never says He "hates the sin, but loves the sinner." In fact,
He is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11). Pwede bang mahalin ng
Diyos ang Lahat? Yes. Pero ibig sabihin ba nun na hindi na sya pwedeng
magalit sa kasamaan at kasanalan? No.
Jealousy Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14; Joshua 24:19
Joy Zephaniah 3:17; Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 32:41
However, are Gods emotions the same kind of emotions we humans exhibit? Is it
right to think of Him as emotional (does He have mood swings)? In theological
circles, personhood is often defined as the state of being an individual with
intellect, emotion, and volition. God, then, is a person in that He is a personal
God with a mind, emotions, and a will of His own. To deny Gods emotions is to deny
that He possesses personality.

Humans respond to things in this world physically, of course, but we also respond
spirituallyour souls react, and this is what we call emotion. The fact of human
emotion is one proof that God has emotions, as well, for He created us in His image
(Genesis 1:27). Another proof is the Incarnation. As the Son of God in this world,
Jesus was not an emotionless automaton. He felt what we feel, weeping with those
who wept (John 11:35), feeling compassion for the multitudes (Mark 6:34), and
being overcome with sorrow (Matthew 26:38). Through it all, He revealed the Father
to us (John 14:9).
Though God is transcendent, weve come know Him as a personal, living God who
engages intimately with His creation. He loves us in ways we cannot fathom
(Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 5:38; 8:35, 3839), and He is immeasurably pained by our
sin and rebellion against Him (Psalm 1:5; 5:45; Proverbs 6:1619).
We recognize that the demonstration of emotions does not alter the immutability or
permanence of Gods will or His promises. In other words, God does not change
(Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29); He has no mood swings. Gods
feelings and actions toward His creation, His judgment and forgiveness, His justice
and grace, are all consistent with who He is (James 1:17). Gods responses to good
and evil come from His same immutable will. God wills to judge and punish the
sinner in order to bring about justice and, correspondingly, to bring the sinner to
repentance because He desires that all men be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Weve come
to know and relate to God as a feeling Person, one who loves and hates, grieves and
laughs, feels anger and compassion. He loves the righteous and hates the wicked
(Psalm 11:57; 5:45; 21:8).
This isnt to say that our emotions and those of God are exactly the same. We
sometimes speak of our emotions clouding our judgment because our sinful
nature has corrupted our emotions. But God has no sin, and His emotions are
incorruptible. For example, there is a vast difference between human anger and
divine anger. Mans anger is volatile, subjective, and too often out of control
(Proverbs 14:29; 15:18; James 1:20). Gods anger is rooted in divine justice. Gods
anger is perfectly righteous and predictable, never capricious or malicious. In His
anger, He never sins.
All of Gods emotions are rooted in His holy nature and are always expressed
sinlessly. Gods compassion, sorrow, and joy are all perfect expressions of the
Perfect Being. Jesus anger at the synagogue leaders in Mark 3:5 and His love for
the rich young ruler in Mark 10:21 were perfectly motivated responses of His divine
nature.
Gods ways have been recorded for us in terms that we can understand and relate
to. Gods wrath and anger against sin are real (Proverbs 8:13; 15:9). And His
compassion for sinners is steadfast and genuine (2 Peter 3:9; Ecclesiastes 8:11;
Isaiah 30:18). His works reveal His mercy and unending grace. But most of all, His
love for His children is endless (Jeremiah 31:3) and unshakable (Romans 8:35, 38

39). God not only has thoughts and plans; He has feelings and desires, too. In
contrast to the unreliability and instability of mans sin-tainted emotions, Gods
emotions are as completely dependable and immutable as He.
There are two wonderful things concerning God and emotions: first, He understands
our emotions (since He created us with the capacity to feel them), and, second, His
own emotions continually flow from His perfection. God will never have a bad day;
He will never change His feelings toward His redeemed.

Question: "What does it mean that God is not mocked?"

Answer: To mock God is to disrespect, dishonor, or ignore Him. It is a serious
offense committed by those who have no fear of God or who deny His existence.
The most easily recognized form of mockery is disrespect typified by verbal insults
or other acts of disdain. It is associated with ridicule, scoffing, and defiance.
Mockery is a dishonoring attitude that shows low estimation, contempt, or even
open hostility.
In the Bible mockery is a behavior and attitude shown by the fool (Psalm 74:22), the
wicked (Psalm 1:1), the enemy (Psalm 74:10), the hater of knowledge (Proverbs
1:22; 13:1), the proud (Psalm 119:51; Isaiah 37:17), and the unteachable (Proverbs
15:12). A mocker goes beyond mere lack of judgment to making a conscious
decision for evil. Mockers are without a spirit of obedience, teachability,
discernment, wisdom, worship, or faith.
Those who mock God will mock the people of God as well. The prophet Jeremiah
became the laughingstock of all my people and was mocked in song all day long
(Lamentations 3:14). Mockery of Gods prophets was commonplace (2 Chronicles
36:16). Nehemiah was mocked by his enemies (Nehemiah 2:19). Elisha was mocked
by the youths of Bethel (2 Kings 2:23). And of course our Lord Jesus was mocked
by Herod and his soldiers (Luke 23:11), by the Roman soldiers (Mark 15:20; Luke
23:36), by a thief on a cross (Luke 23:39), and by the Jewish leaders who passed by
the cross (Matthew 27:41).
It is easy for us as believers to point the finger at those outside the church who
mock God. But the most subtle mockery of God, and the most dangerous, comes
from those of us sitting in church. We are guilty of mockery when we behave with an
outward show of spirituality or godliness without an inward engagement or change
of heart.
Charles G. Finney, a preacher in the 1800s, wrote about the effects of mocking God:
To mock God is to pretend to love and serve him when we do not; to act in a false
manner, to be insincere and hypocritical in our professions, pretending to obey him,
love, serve, and worship him, when we do not. . . . Mocking God grieves the Holy
Spirit, and sears the conscience; and thus the bands of sin become stronger and

stronger. The heart becomes gradually hardened by such a process.

God warns that mockery of what is holy will be punished. Zephaniah predicted the
downfall of Moab and Ammon, saying, This is what they will get in return for their
pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the LORD Almighty (Zephaniah
2:10). Isaiah 28:22 warns that mockery will cause the chains of Judahs sin to
become stronger and that destruction will follow. Proverbs 3:34 says that God will
mock the mocker but give favor to the humble and oppressed. Second Kings 2:24
records the punishment that befell the youths who jeered Elisha.
This is what it means that God is not mocked. There are repercussions for ignoring
Gods directives and willfully choosing sin. Adam and Eve tried and brought sorrow
and death into the world (Genesis 2:1517; 3:6, 24). Ananias and Sapphiras
deception brought about a swift and public judgment (Acts 5:111). Galatians 6:7
states a universal principle: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man
reaps what he sows.
God cannot be deceived (Hebrews 4:1213). Achans sin (Joshua 7) and Jonahs
flight (Jonah 1) were not unknown to God. Jesus repeated words to every church in
Revelation 23 were, I know your works. We only deceive ourselves when we
think our attitudes and actions are not seen by an all-powerful and all-knowing God.
The Bible shows us the way to live a blessed life, sometimes by the good examples
of godly men and women and sometimes by the negative examples of those who
choose to follow another path. Psalm 1:13 says, Blessed is the one who does not
walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the
company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates
on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not witherwhatever they do
prospers.